*Spoiler free*

This book was pitched as queer Grease. I've never seen Grease and I barely even know what it's about. Yet, I was overwhelmed with the want to read this book. Queer inspired anything is something I'll jump on. Plus, it sounded adorable, with a good amount of angst thrown in there. I wanted to give it a shot! Trigger warnings: homophobia (called out), biphobia (called out), fatphobia (called out), cancer, grief

I adore this book with my entire heart. Seriously, I love it so, so much. It's packed full with fluff, but it also a good amount of angst, with lots of growth from complications that arises. It's real and it's painful at times, but it's really, really good.

Alright, I'm not quite sure where to start. Characters. I loved them. Ollie is freaking adorable. He's awkward and so sweet. He's just a really good guy. He loves music and he's always there to help out his family when they need him. I was surprised how much I loved Juliette, Lara, and Neihm. When they were introduced, I thought I was going to hate them. But, they really grew on me! Lara's snark and Juliette's lightness and Neihm in general was just awesome. Will was also such a great character. He's so different from Ollie, in his sexuality and the kind of person he is. I still loved him a lot, even if he was a jerk sometimes. He was figuring things out. I also loved Crista and Dylan, Ollie's little cousins! (His whole family was really great and I really enjoyed their characters even if they weren't a huge part of the book.) Though, I did have a hard time figuring out their ages, since their behavior was kind of all over the place. It was eventually mentioned though!

I sort of went into this book expecting a clear understand of the queer, dynamics I guess you could say? But I wasn't what I was expecting at all. Will is still firmly closeted, while Ollie is firmly out. It creates a lot of problems for them, especially since Will feels like he has to act a certain way to make sure he's not outed. For a bit, it kind of felt like Ollie was saying "what, are you ashamed of me?" but it wasn't that at all. Ollie didn't want to be treated like garbage. He wanted Will to be kind to him. Will wanted Ollie to understand that he felt like he had to act that way. It was all a grand miscommunication. And it was complicated. Both Ollie and Will had things they needed to work out. But, I really, really, really loved this complicatedness. Yes, give me queer characters figuring things out. Yes, give me stories like these. Plus, there was a side character trying to figure out where they fit in their bi-ness. It was just really queer and really great.

Ollie has a family member with cancer. I really enjoyed that plotline, as weird as that sounds. It showed more depth to his character and Crista and Dylan were adorable. I feel like this portrayed grief and family dynamics really well, even if it was painful to read.

I also really loved the growth for pretty much all the characters throughout the entire book. People made mistakes, they said things that were mean, but they learned from them. They wanted to do better and they wanted to be better friends.

Ollie and Will were adorable. There was a plus sized character and she wanted to be a model! There was amazing character development. There were so many absolutely hilarious jokes (seriously, this book is really funny). I just love this book a whole lot.

There is still a few months until Only Mostly Devasted is released but I really enjoyed it so I wanted to get my thoughts out right away! I read the whole thing in one sitting. I’ve seen people compare it to Grease but I’m probably one of the few people on earth that have never seen it before so I’m much sure about that.

The premise didn't seemed super original… summer fling… closeted jock… but I really enjoyed Ollie and Will’s story.

Ollie spent the summer in North Carolina - and with Will - but when he ends up having to stay there for the upcoming school year, it doesn’t go as he hoped. Will is still in the closet and plans on staying that way. During all of that, Ollie’s aunt is very sick. It’s the reason that his family went to NC in the first place. So not only does he have to deal with Ollie avoiding him, making new friends, he is also dealing with family stuff.

He does however, befriend a group of girls. Those girls happen to also be close with Will and his jock friends. He joins a band and things start looking up.

I loved how all of their friends and family were supportive! I loved bi representation! Some POC characters! Ollie is white but Will is Venezuelan I believe, his friend Will is black. One of the girls is descibed as being plus sized.

Yeah, it could be a little cliche at times, but it wasn’t a bad case here. Ollie and Will’s story was cute and funny.

<b>I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK! 😍❤️💖</B>

I requested this book from Netgalley for one reason - it is branded as an LGBT version of Grease! Instantly I thought, 'How can that not be great?!'. I was lucky enough to get this on a wish (TU Netgalley gods!) and oh boy was I right! It was so great, so sweet, so nostalgic but still so fresh. I am all out fangirl-ing for this one!! I only have one thing to say - get your hands on this as soon as you can!! 😍😍

<blockquote><i><b>"All I'd needed was a Destiny's Child song playing as an overture and it would've been the greatest "screw you" since Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind."
- Ollie </b></i></blockquote>

<B>❤️ THE THINGS I LOVED ❤️</b>

<u>Grease</u>: One of my all time favourite movies is Grease, it always takes me back and makes me happy. I absolutely love how this book drew on the overall concept of Grease and how it was, in many ways, delightfully recognisable. You could identify the different characters in this book with the movie cast and certain scenes are reminiscent of the original. But is was still a story all on its own and that was amazing!

<u>LGBT</u>: There are too few LGBT books out there that truly represent what it's like to be LGBT (I am bi, myself). But I absolutely loved the different representations in this book, the closeted, the openly out and the confused. It felt like a very real representation and it really hit home for me over and over again ❤️

<u>Ollie!</u>: OMG if it wasn't because he was gay I would totally fall in love with Ollie! He was so amazingly sweet, adorable and awkward, he had my heart from the first moment! I was rooting for him right from the start!

<blockquote><i><b>"Note to self: carry bass around everywhere and break into impromptu solo whenever anyone tries to force you into conversation."
- Ollie</b></i></blockquote>

<u>LOL</u>: I am usually not the person who says - or writes - LOL but this book just embodies that phrase so well! There were so many passages that honestly had me laughing out loud, it was so amazing. I mean, I can get a good chuckle going usually, but actually laughing is rare for me.

Was this a bit cliché? 100%. Did I love it anyway? Absolutely.

“Only Mostly Devastated” finds Ollie sticking around North Carolina just long enough to watch his summer romance turn sour as his first day of school finds him in class with Will who quickly shuts down any chance of continuing it further. With Ollie trying to navigate a new school, friends and his aunt’s deteriorating health he can’t help but wish that he can lean on his old flame but with prejudice, parental expectations and the fear that comes with acknowledging your true self that wish appears to belong to a fairy tale and not high school.

This book is cute and there’s plenty of angst that all seems to hit your typical notes for a high school romance piece with the only reach connection to Grease being that of the summer lovin’ which was fine but I guess I expected a little bit more from that selling point.

The best parts of the book came from Ollie, Will and Lara as they tried to deal with their own secrets and come to terms with their identities while acknowledging their faults and trying to make up for it as the story progressed which managed to ripple outside of that trio and into the core group.

This book is sweet and I enjoyed it but it doesn’t offer up anything new to make it stand out from any other in the genre.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

High school romance novel with a different set of heros. In the beginning, the story was quite reminiscent of Grease and was thinking it was going to be a fluff book. As the book developed, the depth of characters was quite developed with none of the main characters feeling flat. The characters exhibited personal growth and understanding that was well-thought out and developed. What sets this story apart from most LGBT+ novels is that there is more to it than the "coming out" story. There is love, loss, acceptance of self and others that all play important parts.

I applaud Ms. Gonzales for writing a novel that lets readers know there is more to the LGBT+ literature spectrum than just characters figuring how to tell people they are gay or that gay characters must be fat and FABULOUS!

This book was A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.! It was cute and funny and angsty and even sad in parts. I enjoyed it thoroughly from start to finish!

This book had a lot of diversity without trying too hard. There were a lot of different characters that were all very well rounded without being overwhelming. And the story was so freaking cute!

Summer romance by the lake turns into a one sided radio silence. When Ollie, who was supposed to go hole to California, stays, instead, in North Carolina, he enters his senior in a new school. There, he meets a cast of new faces: a trio of popular girls who befriend him pretty quickly, a group of letterman jacket wearing jocks, a new band to join... and Will, his summer romance. But Will, who ghosted him just weeks ago, pretty much ignores him. On top of all of this, his aunt has cancer and he is helping take care of his young cousins.

He has to maneuver through new friendships, a boy he really cares about who isn’t “out” yet and family stuff... and being with him through the journey is so satisfying. His internal thoughts are hilarious! And the females in this book are seriously strong-minded. I cannot to see what Sophie comes out with next. She has a super-fan in me!

A queer ya novel reminiscent of Grease, Only Mostly Devastated follows Ollie as his fond memories of summer romance come to a startling end when he unexpectedly goes to the school of his fling - only to find out that Will is still closeted. What seems at first glance like a beach read is actually surprisingly thoughtful (dealing with issues such as grief, homophobia, misogyny, bi-phobia, anxiety, and fat shaming) and while the ending was slightly stereotypical, I still found myself cheering for that very same ending to happen.

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Grease, but make it good

I was a little torn going into this because it has a weird combination of things I like and things I don't. Retellings? Love em. Grease the musical? Keep it away from me. High school contemporaries? Sometimes, maybe, if you do it well.

Suffice it to say, I was pleasantly surprised by Only Mostly Devastated.

The story follows Ollie as he spends the summer in North Carolina with his family to be there for a terminally ill Aunt, and ends up staying there for the year. After their summer fling, Will ghosts him as soon as the two separate, but the two soon reconnect as Ollie starts senior year at a new school.

This book was a charming, quick read that left me absolutely satisfied. Gonzales took all of the parts of Grease that I hated and, in modernizing the story, smoothed them over and allowed me to enjoy myself. Ollie and Will's relationship isn't necessarily ~cute~ in the way you might expect from a contemporary romance, but it feels real, and the development of that relationship (and consequently of the two as people) was engaging and, of course, heartwarming in the end.

So much of Grease is about, obviously, these two messy, entangled friend groups, which I think Gonzales did pretty well. In sticking only with Ollie's perspective we focus significantly more on his friends rather than Will's which I did not mind one bit since all of Will's friends were pretty obnoxious. By focusing on just one friend group, though, those relationships and characters were explored more deeply, and I really enjoyed them. Lana, in particular, was probably my favorite character (although that's definitely just because I related to her the most).

All in all, Only Mostly Devastated succeeded in everything it set out to do. I was never frustrated or bored while reading, and in fact, rushed through a few aspects of my day today in order to finish it sooner.

I stayed up until 1 am finishing this book because it was so good. Yes, it's a queer retelling of Grease, in a way, but this book also has the realest, most gut-wrenching depiction of grief that I've ever read.

Ollie is a California transplant staying in North Carolina for the summer because his aunt is terminally ill. He meets and falls in love with Will, and when they say goodbye at the end of the summer, both of them think that's it. But Ollie has to stay in North Carolina, and when he enrolls in school, he's startled to discover to find Will in his grade, but not the Will he remembers from the summer. This Will is a closeted jock who is apparently over his summer fling. But then Will starts showing up everywhere where Ollie is, but who is the real Will? Ollie has to deal with the grief of losing a family member, fitting into a new school, and seeing if he and Will still have a chance at happiness. Ollie is so funny, and I found myself laughing at loud, and then crying a lot later on. Highly recommended!

**Thank you Netgalley ‘**

I looked forward to reading this one as Grease was one of my favorite classic movies. I felt the Grease vibe in the beginning which did capture my interest in the book, yet this may be just not me as the target group. I expect this to be aimed at a really young YA/teen reader.

I liked the story overall and found it interesting, fun and lots of positive messages. I felt there were way too many extra side characters added as just fillers, Ollie was a sweet character, he made all these new friends, yet had a life - a band and great friends from California that he was so disappointed to leave. Then we hear nothing about them ever again, then his new band and the members are also felt like fillers, no real conversation or connections.

Will...I never had a real sense of him or his real connection to Ollie. For me he was flat,

Personal grievances aside fun light cute.

3.5 Stars

If you’re into YA I think this will be a big hit for most people. Ollie is totally loveable, and the world crafted around him is believable and engaging. There’s some serious topics touched on without bogging down the story. I really enjoyed his interactions with his new girl-friends. They all had their own quirks and stories for us to learn from as well.

The one thing that kept me from enjoying this completely was my growing frustration with Ollie’s lack of backbone/ Will’s selfishness. However, when Ollie finally stands up for himself, that was a shining moment. I felt for him so much.

“I just wanted you to care,” I cried. My throat felt clogged up, and I knew I’d start crying any second now, so I chose anger. Better than sadness. And hurt. “But you didn’t, and you don’t. So, get the fuck out of my car and leave me alone.”

They do eventually get their shit together in a totally adorable way, and I was super down for that. This was an engaging and lovely book for those who really enjoy a younger take on things.

Even if no one could promise that everything would work out perfectly, right here and now, in this exact moment, it was perfect. And right here and now was the only thing that ever mattered anyway.

Such a sweet story! Only Mostly Devasted is, at least in part, a modern retelling of the movie Grease with a small twist. Ollie, the main character, is gay, and his summer love isn't out to his high school buddies yet. This book touches on so much-homophobia, cancer, complicated family relationships, etc-and handles it all in a respectful manner. I would certainly let my young adult read and enjoy this book, and I got so much out of it as an adult.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Ollie Ollie Ollie! This was such a wonderful YA story about being gay, coming out, and accepting yourself above all! It also touched on topics such as death and grief in a beautiful, insightful way. A very well written and well thought out book. It was also sweet, funny and enjoyable! I really loved Ollie and I definitely grew to love Lara! Fabulous book!

I absolutely adored this.

This was what the blurb promised, very <i>Love Simon</i> meets <i>Grease</i>, but with it's own spin on it.

Oliver has come to North Carolina with his parents for the summer to help his aunt and uncle, seeing as his Aunt Linda has cancer. Over said summer he meets and falls for Will, and at the end of the summer Will seemingly completely ghosts him, and oh yeah, his parents actually offer to stay however long their Aunt Linda needs, and Oliver is mostly to help with their kids, his cousins, to look after them.

So instead of going back to California, he's staying in NC, and happens to go to the same school as Will, who is actually a big high school basketball star, and also pretty closeted.

So when he acts hot and cold with Oliver, it hurts him and it's the back and forth, push and pull thing between them. Will has a lot of shit to sort out, but Oliver himself is going through things and has his own faults that he doesn't even realize until the end, really.

What I loved about this book is that yeah, Oliver calls out Will for his behavior, as he should, but Oliver basically calls himself out as well (with some help from his Aunt Linda) and see how he made mistakes too and that he could do better too.

I loved how complex all the characters were. Will was more than just a closeted asshole who was hurting Oliver. He did those things, and acted like an asshole, but there was more to it than that. He had his own perspective, his own reasons for why he acted the way he had, and he also came to realize his faults and admit to them. Oliver was our POV character, our MC, but he wasn't perfect either, he wasn't 100 percent in the right with their relationship either. He was a tad selfish at times.

The secondary characters were amazing as well. Lara, who started out to be a pretty mean character, but who as going through her own shit, and who slowly became my fave character in this after our two MC's. She could have made it up to those she wronged a little better, but her change in attitude and her growth went a long way with her.

I did adore Niamh and Juliette as well, they were great friends. I loved how we saw their stories being more about the boys (or girls ;) they were into, and how Juliette never even had a LI and still had a story to be told in this. More stories with women written like this would be amazing.

And lastly, I felt the chemistry between Oliver and Will so much, they were great together, even when they were fighting. This is a YA so we didn't get much more than kissing, but the kisses we did get were great. Also the longing for each other, the romance, the small things like them sneaking glances at each other, was awesome.

This was an amazing story and I can't wait for you all to read it, it's definitely worth a read. This is just so well written, with well-rounded, interesting and great characters who really made this story amazing.

Two massive thumbs up fro me! HIGHLY recommend!!

This book needs to find a place on high school library bookshelves. Summer lovin' had Will and Ollie having a blast, but when Ollie unexpectedly ends up staying in North Caroline and attending Will's high school, things get strained. Ollie fell head over heels for Will over the summer, but the people in Will's life doesn't know he's gay. The two start a complex relationship that has them both growing up and discovering a lot about themselves and each other throughout the course of the book.

RATING: 3/5 STARS

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the voice of our narrator, Ollie, as he aimed for his happy ending with Will but encountered bumps along the way. The writing was snappy and witty, which kept me engaged throughout. Ollie was such a sweet character. He was sensitive and considerate of his friends and family, and I really rooted for him.

What unfortunately lowered my rating was the love interest Will being quite a terrible person throughout this book. For the most part he came across as very inconsiderate and treated Ollie unfairly. I somewhat understood the reasons for the way he acted (not wanting to be judged by his peers and family for his sexual orientation--a legitimate concern for a teen that I don't underestimate). However, I was frustrated with Will's actions and would have liked to see more personal growth from him. I sympathized with Ollie's heartbreak with each rejection from Will, and was happy to see that Ollie reached a point in the novel where he realized that he deserved more than being a source of shame. I think the author did a great job building Ollie's journey of becoming more aware of his self-worth.

Overall, I was satisfied with the story's conclusion but the road to get there was a little rough. This was a promising novel from a new (to me) author. It had a really strong pitch to live up to (Simon vs. Homo Sapiens Agenda, Grease, and Clueless--three crowd favorites), but it delivered an interesting plot and well-rounded characters.

A sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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When Ollie's parents tell him he's not going back to California for the start of school, he's crushed. But he understands that his family needs to stay and take care of his aunt and her family as she battles cancer. As he tries to adjust to a new group of friends, Ollie is shocked to discover that his summer fling goes to his new high school. Ollie has to figure out how to cope with Will's hot/cold messages as they try to continue their relationship without any of his basketball teammates discovering.

This is a modern day Grease...told from the male characters point of view. Boy meets boy at the lake. They hang out together and fall into serious like together. Summer ends and they both go back to their normal lives. Well that is until they don't. Ollie's family relocate for the year to help his aunt and uncle with the kids while his aunt undergoes chemotherapy. Will goes back to his "normal" life of being a basketball hero and dating girls. No one knows Will likes guys. Well that is until the girls who befriend Ollie find out that he spent his summer with this guy named Will and it was amazing. Soon Will knows Ollie is at his school but will Ollie continue to keep Will's secret? Or will Ollie out Will in a big way when he discovers Will is a basketball jerk? Happy reading!

A hugely enjoyable YA romance which also tackles a serious subject-very well.This is only slightly touched on in the blurb so I'm not going to elaborate too much.





The theme of the book isn't a new one.High school setting with an out character and one firmly in the closest.But this is truly engaging.Told only from Ollie's pov and I think I fell for him instantly.





Ollie and Will have a summer fling.It's intense and passionate but once the summer is over Ollie is baffled by Will's silence.To make things worse Ollie and his family must move temporarily and Ollie starts a new school.Will's school and if Ollie was confused about Will's silence after their fling he's even more bewildered by Will's indifference to him at school.





Ollie is befriended by three girls who kind of take him under their wing.These characters definitely added depth to the story.They're not the stereotypical high school girls.They're individual with issues of their own that I'm sure any young person reading this will identify with.



I read The Law of Inertia by this Author and loved it so I knew I liked her writing.She manages to tackle a serious subject here,which doesn't overwhelm the story,along side the romance between Will and Ollie.



There are no on page sex scenes between the MCs at all.And I honestly didn't miss them.The story didn't need them.Strangely,I think I enjoyed the story more without them.





The story is very well crafted.It's sweet with a bit of angst,funny,with a serious side.Two highly likeable MCs,and great supporting characters.


A YA story that will appeal to a lot of people.Maybe too much of a 'young' feel for me but still very engaging.

This was a fast read that I really enjoyed. I really enjoyed the twist on one of my favorite movies, Grease. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something cute to read!