A review by twistykris
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I was so entrenched in thinking of myself as the token straight, world's best ally. Like, that was my autofill. And the idea that I might not actually be straight seemed... a little too convenient, I guess? Or unrealistic.

This book really reached into my brain and took every thought I had about my sexuality before I came out as bi 3 years ago at the ripe age of 30. Imogen's internal dialogue was incredibly relatable to me, from the "wait this girl is pretty" to "no I can't be queer, I'm just faking it and I'm taking attention away from 'real' queer folks" to "but what about those other times I saw a pretty girl? was I faking those feelings too?"
All of the characters felt very fleshed-out, even a certain side character that infuriated me. I also really liked the interspersed text messages, especially the ones between Imogen and Tessa.. SO cute!

I added this book to my TBR after seeing a TikTok recommending queer books and it wasn't until I read my friend Kelsey's spoiler-free review that I realized it (mostly) takes place in the town we went to college in, so I immediately upped this book on my list! It was very fun to hear references to familiar places (Seneca Farms ice cream is 💯, it's true).

A wonderfully relatable book for me and clearly so many others 🩷💜💙
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