I don’t think there are enough words in the dictionary for me to express my love for this book. Ophelia After All is THEE contemporary book I needed when I was a teenager and THEE contemporary YA of the year. Nevertheless, I am so happy I got to meet Ophelia now, a character with whom I feel so identified in so many aspects, and experience her last year of high school as she comes to terms with the realities of friendship and complexities of sexuality.

This book made me laugh out loud and made me cry, had me getting second-hand embarrassment and fighting with the characters. Racquel Marie does an amazing job making you feel part of the story throughout the whole book. An aspect that I adored from this book was the relationships of Ophelia with her group of friends. Every single side character felt well fleshed out, and you were bound to fall in love (or kinda dislike) with at least one of them (I loved almost all of them lol). Sometimes it can be hard to make the reader feel different types of emotions regarding side characters, but Racquel did a great job at it!

One topic that was constant and essential to the story was the fear of change. Ophelia had to face this fear of hers straight forward, and it was not easy for her. I completely sympathize with her, being reluctant to change myself. This book, however, reminded me that change is part of life, and also unavoidable. Throughout the book, we see how she learns to deal with these fast changes, though at first, it is not in the best way possible. This is another detail I adored about this book; how real it is about how teenagers are. They are messy, they can say mean things, and can also be very sentimental and feel like little problems are eternal.

As “boy-crazy” Ophelia starts to explore her attraction for one of her friends, Talia, we see the unraveling of what it means to find a new side of you that you previously didn’t know or left untapped for a long while. I loved how the topic of queerness was discussed here, in a way that was clear and open. Not everyone comes to the realization that they are queer in a smooth way, and it takes time for them to learn what they are feeling and decide if they are going to put a label on it or not.

The writing in this book is yet another factor I adore of this book. It’s so easy-going, organic, and relatable, I was pulled inside of Ophelia’s mind and life. There is one specific scene where there is a big revelation in a school hallway where I could see the scene play in my mind like a movie and after I finished it I had to put my book down and stare at the ceiling for a while. We need a TV series please and thank you. I also LOVED the narrator of the audiobook! They did a spectacular job bringing this story to life.

Overall, if you didn’t notice after reading this whole review, I wholeheartedly recommend Ophelia After All. YOU NEED TO READ IT. Everyone needs to. Racquel Marie is a promising voice in the YA world and I cannot wait to read what else she has in store for us!

Racquel Marie has nailed her debut. I spent a long time putting this review off, because I didn’t want to write a series of shallow praises and forget about it, but really dig my hands into the soil and feel into the root of everything I love about Ophelia After All. (Gardening-themed idioms are allowed for this book, right?) From a cast of characters full of lovable young adults coming into their own to themes of self-identification and the queer yearning for happily ever after, Ophelia After All reveals a beating heart full of love and exploration.

From the publisher:

Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys – way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn’t change, even if she wanted to.

So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia’s firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love—and sexuality—never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she’s always imagined or upending everyone’s expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.

First things first, I’m always seeking out books with racial and cultural diversity in its themes and characters, and I’m always thrilled to see Latinx stories flourishing in queer YA. The queer rep as well?? Immaculate. I won’t say who or when but the conversation about asexuality is so wholesome and heartfelt.

Our heroine herself, Ophelia, struggles throughout the book to identify with any of the myriad of labels to explain how she feels. She’s never had to do so before, since, for the most part, her experiences have all been assumed straight. Not that Ophelia has ever said this is the case. The issue of heteronormativity runs throughout Ophelia’s narrative. Her struggle to break free of the pigeonholes she’s been put in to embrace the entirety of her ever-evolving personhood is written with grace and dimension.

Like any queer teenager, Ophelia’s sexuality isn’t the only thing she’s dealing with as she works her way through her senior year of highschool, makes plans for the perfect prom, and holds her friendships together. The importance of platonic relationships is central to the novel, and the narrative arcs Ophelia shares with her friends—notably those with Sammie, Talia, and Wesley I thought were particularly profound!—are rich with growing pains and the love that holds firm regardless. Most especially for queer teens I think this is an important reminder that romantic connections are not necessarily the most important kind of love, and definitely shouldn’t be the “goal” of queer relationships.

I must of course mention the partial namesake and its relation to Shakespeare. I would be lying if that wasn’t one of the first points of interest for a nerd like me. While Ophelia After All is not a retelling or necessarily a reimagining of the Bard’s works, the inspiration is scattered throughout Ophelia’s journey. She herself reflects on the quotes she loves, and designates specific types of roses to each of her loved ones for its symbolic meaning, much as the Ophelia of Hamlet hands out flowers but leaves herself only rue, for her regret. I have recently been thinking about the representation of young adult readers in fiction targeted to that very demographic, and Ophelia’s love for Shakespeare shows readers that they should be readers, and even old Shakespeare can be enjoyable (and relevant!) too.

The narration that Maria Liatis delivers is smooth and honest, delivering different character lines without making a caricature of them—and therefore not compartmentalising them as the novel explores. Liatis deals with this issue with ease.

The landscape for YA protagonists is changing, and Ophelia Rojas is a heroine for the ages. Racquel Marie could not have been more equipped to handle a novel of this depth, and for her first book too! Already I will insta-read anything from her in the future. Ophelia After All is such a beautiful story of love in all its forms that explores such important questions for queer youth in an age of endless labels and identifiers.

Also bonus points for the colours of the lesbian flag being represented in the cover art thanks very much Nicole Medina for that stroke of genius. 🧡

I had already read an ARC of this book but I'm a brat and when I saw I could have an audio ARC, I jumped on the occasion.
And I'm so glad I did.
I loved this just as much the second time around. I also loved the audiobook narrator and I had the best time getting into Ophelia's head again. I just love her so so so much and once again felt everything she felt. I sobbed a lot less than the first time around though. (I still cried but shhhhh)
I truly cannot even begin to express how much I love all those characters and everything Racquel Marie has created here. This book became an instant favorite the first time I read it and the second time only confirmed that. I could reread it over and over and never get bored. (and I probably will)
And, therefore, I already know I will read anything Racquel Marie will ever write.

Ophelia After All is the type of story that will - I am sure of it - become a new YA classic of the likes of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and I Wish You All the Best. In the center of this tale is Ophelia, who is on the cusp of finishing high school while juggling her friends and a rising suspicion that she might be into more than just boys.

I absolutely adored Ophelia's slow realization and acceptance of herself, from the nagging suspicions that the feelings she was developing for Thalia were more than those in a friendship, to deciding to put it all on the line and act on it. While everything didn't turn out exactly as she wanted it to, it was still just the type of story young people today NEED to hear. About successful and unsuccessful love stories, about finding out who you are again and again and again, because we are never done growing and blooming.

Racquel Marie's writing is gorgeous and so full of unforgettable quotes that I had to pause the audiobook multiple times to write them all down. I can't wait to read more of her works.

All in all, Opehlia After All was a beautiful story about friendships, love, and self-acceptance. I'll be recommending it to everyone, left and right!

Ophelia was such an interesting character to read and the author made her likable and relatable without making her perfect in all ways. She gets mad, she gets grumpy, she whines, rebels, screams, shuts people out, all of this while still being a bright girl with many interests who loves her friends and family.
Ophelia is known for being boy crazy. She crushes on boys very often. She knows it, everyone knows it. What nobody knows, not even her, was how she'll react to her having feelings for a girl, and how this even will turn her life upside down.
The narration of the audiobook was perfect. I loved how you knew who was talking and you felt the changes in emotions from how the narration changed. It was very easy to follow and immerse oneself into the story,

Having an ace character is half the stars I gave this book tbh, I don't care if I'm not objective because it means the world to see that kind of rep.

In general, this book was wonderful and I think it's so important to have YA books like this one, necessary in any high school library, one that I hope will become a best-seller because it's worth it, the book our youth needs.

CW: Homophobia.

This was like a warm hug. 17 year old Cuban-Irish Ophelia navigates that horrendous end of high school age and Racquel gave me everything I needed 15 years ago. Definitely going on my shelf for my daughters.

thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

My Rating: 4.3 stars

“Just admitting how you feel is such a gamble. But it’s nice when you find people you don’t have to worry about that with.”


This is my first time reviewing an Advanced Listening Copy. I loved listening to this book on audio. The narration was easy to follow with subtle tone differences that helped me picture the characters easily in my head. Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the ALC!

This book starts like our usual prom-com. Ophelia and her friends have to find a date for prom and figure out how to close this chapter of their lives with a blast.

Being the "boy crazy Ophelia," everyone expects her to have a date secured by now, but when she pictures prom in her head, it is not a boy but a girl by her side. This change hits her slow, and she keeps it a secret from her friends and family. As we keep reading, the story delves into pressing matters of her life and her struggle with accepting who she is.

Ophelia was an easy-going person with a bright personality that drew people to her. She loved flowers and gardening, read Shakespeare's plays religiously, and enjoyed Cuban food. It wasn't easy to come out to her friends who had known her as someone who has boy crushes. She was worried they would see her differently once she came out to them, but she took her time to explore what she was feeling and was comfortable not settling with a label.

Ophelia’s story was cheerful and angsty, pulling the strings of my heart. It was honest and comforting. I liked how queerness was worded and put across in the book. It depicted change by not letting it alter her personality completely.

We shouldn't forget about her friends and parents in the book. They were her tribe. Her friends were fleshed out well in the book and their group dynamic wasn’t a joke. Her parents were more like friends than parents to her. She had good communication with them until things were strained. Her friends would tease and embarrass each other, but only they were allowed to do that. They weren’t superficial or anything, but they were oblivious to her situation and jumped to absurd conclusions, which was ridiculous and irritating to Ophelia (and me) at a point.

If you’re looking for a diverse queer YA Contemporary with a cute promposal, Ophelia After All has it all. Many lines in the book spoke to me and wished I had these words while growing up. With straightforward prose, this book showed what it means to love and to be loved for who you are.

Ophelia After All can simply be described to me in a single sentence: I wish I had a book like this growing up.

I loved the diversity this cast of characters brought to us, as well as the role family played. Ophelia went through so many emotions and feelings that are so common for young teenagers these days.

It was a lovely coming-of-age story that would make for a great movie in a similar vibe to Booksmart and Lady Bird.

Ophelia After All was an okay read. I liked the titular character a lot and wanted her to be happy. However, the story was a little messy and hard to enjoy. With some minor plot editing, I think this novel would have been much better. I can see this book being a good resource for readers questioning their identity, whether that be sexual orientation or gender expression. For that reason, I think this book would be a great addition to any YA collection.

I love queer YA contemporaries so as soon as I heard about his book, I knew I wanted to check it out. This was a great story of coming to terms with your sexuality and I think it's an important story for teenagers. I really liked that dispite this being a book about queer love, there wasn't really a romance, it was mostly about the main character learning about herself with the support of her friends. It was also cool seeing a mixed race main character, I feel I don't come across that very often and it's nice to see.

🔊Song Pairing: Ophelia - The Lumineers (I had to! It’s fun and upbeat just like the book!)

💭What I thought would happen:

I didn’t have a clue. I thought it would be a cutesy YA!

🗯Thoughts:

Her mom is upset and disappointed because she truly honest in her core believes that a degree is botany isn’t as lucrative as an English degree….called it a flower degree and she’s a university professor. Rage!

I learned so much about roses and I was here for it! The botany lessons made me want to plant my own roses this spring!

I loved this book! I loved the individuality of each character. Their attitudes, their race and religions, and their sexuality. This book does such an absolute excellent job in exploring the many different letters of LGBTQ+

I would recommend this for any teen but any adult as well. It just was overall fabulous, funny, infuriating and fantastic. Bravo!

A cute story that nails the internal self-dialogue of recognizing queer feelings, and the fears that come with realizing everything you thought you knew about yourself is about to change. It also portrays the extended high-school friend group scenarios more accurately than most YA books do.

Also Wesley has my heart! What a wholesome dude!

Ophelia is known amongst her family and friends as someone who has A LOT of crushes on boys. But when she begins to have feelings for a girl, she's not sure how to navigate. As time goes on, and her feelings grow stronger, Ophelia has to decide whether to hold her secrets close, or let people in on her journey of self-discovery.

I think that this is such an important story that is going to help so many people struggling with their identities. I loved the overall message that change is inevitable, and that's okay. I listened to the audiobook, and I think it was very well done. I really loved how this had a positive, and supportive parental relationship, I think that's something we need more of in YA. The relationship with her mother could be rocky at times, but you could feel the underlying love through and through. I also really liked how a lot of the side characters were apart of the LGBTQIA+ community, but it wasn't made out to be a big deal, it was just something that was. Wesley was definitely my favourite of the characters, he was such a cinnamon roll, and an amazing support for Ophelia in her time of questioning. Sammie was the only character I can say I wasn't the biggest fan of, at times I found him to be extremely annoying and a tad selfish with his actions. Also, not the biggest fan of Lindsay either, but that may be the point? I couldn't tell if I was supposed to like her or not. The biggest complaint I have is the miscommunication in this book, and the love triangles. I'm not a big fan of either of these tropes, so it brought m enjoyment of the story down.

This book was such a joy to read!! It was messy in the most beautiful way and I loved every second of it! First of all, this was a very character driven book and I think all the characters were so well fleshed out and it just made the story flow so well. My personal favorite character (besides Ophelia) is Wesley 🥺 he truly has the sweetest heart and I want to protect him from the whole world! I also really loved Agatha, Sammie, and Talia and I would’ve loved to get to know Zach more! This book was also just so wonderfully diverse in so many ways!
*
I think the way Ophelia’s sexuality crisis was handled was so refreshing! I think so many people think that these storylines have to be perfect but figuring out who you are is messy and confusing and it was hard but also nice to see a character learning about themselves in this messy way! Racquel did a really good job of showcasing the complexities of the confusing time that is the end of high school. It’s a time in your life when everyone still treats you like a kid but you’re simultaneously expected to know exactly who you are and what you want to do with your life. There’s already so much pressure during that time and the expectations just make it so much worse!
*
I just think this was a really refreshing story about a really complicated time in life and I hope it get the recognition and love it deserves! This one is a definite recommend from me! 🧡

Lovely, memorable audiobook.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

I missed my chance to download and listen to this audiobook. It has a very quick date before it disappeared. I would have liked to listen to it.

This book was just so meaningful and sweet and more than I thought. Reading the summary I felt this was a book for me and having read it now, I know for sure it is. As a very emotional lady who spent my teenage years crushing over boys exclusively to an adult who’s happily bi, I felt this book nice and deep and fully. It felt like Ophelia and the author were looking out at past me sometimes and reminding me that I’m not alone.
Ophelia After All was full of heart and emotion and the tumult of high school. I also say this as fondly as possible but it was dramatic and messy and honestly, I expect nothing less from a book with Shakespearian roots. For the messiness of teenage relationships, it had a lot of love and heart at it’s core that grounded it. I loved the friend group and the exploration and openness of queerhood. Considering my own closest friend group contains about 8 overlapping queer identities, I loved how that was explored in the book. Extremely refreshing to see a book go into that and not just have the straight group with one token queer because boy howdy that had not been my experience since figuring my own self out.
Ophelia obviously has my heart but like Wesley quickly became a favorite but then I just grew to love everyone and I got very emotional about it. Also, considering my own close relationship with my parents- especially growing up, I loved seeing that aspect in this book as well.



When it comes to the narration, I’ll say that Maria Liatis brought a youthful and emotional quality that well fit Ophelia and the story. That being said, her style was not to my taste. But considering that I’m a 30 year old neurodivergent with misophonia sensitivity, that’s probably more on me than Maria. I had been extremely psyched to be approved for an audiobook version after I’d already won the galley from Yallfest. It is so much easier for me to process audiobooks. I probably made it through 35% until I decided it just wasn’t for me and switched back to the egalley. I was sad this was the case but it happens. I saw this in this review not to say anything bad about the narrator in particular but simply to record my experience in a truthful manner. Some audiobooks don’t click with particular neuroses and this was one of them. It didn’t deter me away from the book by any means but I personally had to put down the audiobook. I don’t think this will affect most people and certainly not the intended audience.

I was thoroughly enamored by this book and quickly went out and got a physical copy so I could lend to friends and family. There may be those who say that this handles “more mature” topics and I don’t know how I feel about that. Mature maybe but very young adult. I did not have any resources or vocabulary or positive reinforcement of any kind on the nuances of queer identity and culture when I was a teen. This is one of those books that I both wish I had and am doing what I can to get in the hands of teens from today. Be it showing up in the dms of my teacher/librarian friends or adding it to rec lists and my bookstagram spreads, I’m doing what I can and have no plans to stop. Ophelia After All really hit the spot and is a new fav for sure.

This read was everything I wanted and more! I loved all the Spanish, the hobbies, the group of friends, and the parents. Ophelia After All is a heartwarming coming of age with all the messy parts in between. She was a joy to read about and her friends were just as entertaining. I loved all the love that was in this read. The narrator did an amazing job! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in exchange for a review.

"But questioning who you are? It's a risk we all take. It's your risk if you want it. No one else can decide for you; it's your life."

Author: Rachel Maria
Score: ⭐⭐⭐.5
English level: B1
Recommended age:+15

Ophelia Rojas a Cuban Latin girl, lover of gardening and roses and the one who falls in love with the boys of many.
It is the story of Ophelia, she is finishing her last year of high school until a series of events leads her to question who she is and who she wants to be in the present and in the future.
She discovers her sexuality and that scares her too much.
I feel that this book dealt very well with several topics, especially discovering oneself and that there is nothing wrong with being as one is. He left me a very important message that despite everything, from the opinions of others, we should not be afraid to be as we are since all our lives we are going to discover various facets of ourselves and that is not why it will change as we are because it is part of us even if we had not realized it before.
What I liked most about the book was Ophelia's relationship with her friends, especially Sammie and Wesley. I feel like both of them were very supportive of him throughout the story.
Sammie on the one hand is Ophelia's best friend since they were little and he is the most fun and cute. He is a very open boy in all aspects but it is difficult for him to show what he feels. The scenes between the two made me smile and we can appreciate what it is to have someone who supports you and with whom to be yourself.
On the other hand, Wesley is the cutest boy in the universe and I want to be able to always take care of him. Wesley is that friend that we all want to support you in your crazy things and listen to you in your bad times.
And Lindsay, Agatha, Zaq and Talia are great characters although I would have liked to go deeper into their stories, especially Zaq's because he made me a very interesting boy.
Ophelia After All is a book that everyone should read, it has a beautiful message and references to Hamlet that I completely loved.
It has references to the Latin and Cuban culture that I love since I don't read many books with this culture although I completely loved it.
It has LGBTQ+ representation and explains very well the difficulties that people go through for fear of not being accepted.
Ophelia is a girl who will go very far and who throughout her life will discover even more.



"But questioning who you are? It´s a risk we all take. It´s your risk to take if you want to. No one else gets to decide for you; it´s your life"

Author: Racquel Marie
Score:⭐⭐⭐.5
English level: B1
Recommended age:+15

Ophelia Rojas una chica latina Cubana, amante de la jardinería y las rosas y la que se enamora de los chicos de muchisimos.
Es la historia de Ophelia, esta terminando su ultimo año de la preparatoria hasta que una serie de eventos la lleva a cuestionarse quien es y quien quiere ser en el presente y en el futuro.
Descubre su sexualidad y eso la aterra demasiado.
Siento que este libro trato muy bien varios temas en especial el descubrirse a uno mismo y que no tiene nada de malo ser como uno es. Me dejo un mensaje muy importante que es a pesar de todo, de las opiniones de los demás no hay que tener miedo a ser como somos ya que toda la vida vamos a descubrir varias facetas de nosotros mismos y no por eso va a cambiar como somos porque es parte de nosotros aunque antes no nos hubieramos dado cuenta.
Lo que más me gusto del libro fue la relación de Ophelia con sus amigos en especial con Sammie y Wesley. Siento que ambos le dieron un gran apoyo a lo largo de la historia.
Sammie por un lado es el mejor amigo de Ophelia desde pequeños y es de lo más divertido y lindo. Es un chico muy abierto en todos los aspectos pero le cuesta demostrar lo que siente. Las escenas que hubo entre los dos me sacaba una sonrisa y aque podemos apreciar lo que es tener a alguien quien te apoye y con quien ser tu mismo.
Por otro lado Wesley es el chico más lindo del universo y quiero poder cuidarlo siempre. Wesley es ese amigo que todos queremos que te apoyara en tus locuras y te escuchara en tus momentos malos.
Y Lindsay,Agatha,Zaq y Talia son unos grandes personajes aunque me hubiera gustado que se profundizara más en sus historias en especial la de Zaq porque se me hizo un chico muy interesante.
Ophelia After All es un libro que todos deberian leer,tiene un hermoso mensaje y referencias a Hamlet que ame por completo.
Tiene referencias a la cultura latina y cubana que ame ya que no leo mucho libros con esta cultura aunque me encanto por completo.
Tiene representación LGBTQ+ y explica muy bien las dificultades que pasan las personas por miedo a no ser aceptadas.
Ophelia es una chica que llegara muy lejos y que a lo largo de su vida se ira descubriendo aun más.