A sweet and sunny YA romance. Imogen is straight but she's a really great ally and friend. That is, until she visits her best friend at college and meets a girl who might change all that for her. This was my first Becky Albertalli, and I can see why she's so popular. Hopefully this book makes its way into the hands of anyone who needs it, from high school students and the people who love them, to questioning adults.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Not my favorite book from Becky, but a good one. I like her portrayal of Imogen. I hope she keeps writing female main characters,

The cover on this one was absolutely adorable and loved the premise. Four stars for the portion of the book that I read. Currently putting this down, hoping to come back to it later

While I do think some of the dialog and narration were a little...unbelievable, I definitely think this is an important book for teens and it's an important book for Becky Albertalli to have written.

Everything that Becky Albertalli writes is pure magic, and "Imogen, Obviously" is no different. This is the book I wish that I had as a teenager.

I honestly tried to finish this book. I tried on several separate occasions to read this book. Even after it was published, I tried once again. I just could not get into it. I am very open to LGBTQ+ stories. That was not the issue. The issue was the main character. She wasn't relatable to me. She has a voice that I is unreadable to me. On top of all of that, the pacing was slow. I love the author's other works. So, likely, this is a me problem.

This book seems better suited for YA vs. NA readers. It was a cute story about a girl who starts to expand her ideas of her sexuality while finishing her last phase of high school. I did find parts of it to be a bit repetitive and the characters could have been better developed.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me a copy of Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli in exchange for an honest review.
Imogen, Obviously is an absolute gem of a book that deserves every one of the five stars I'm giving it. Becky Albertalli has crafted a heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply relatable story that is perfect for anyone who identifies as a "late-blooming queer."
From the first page to the last, this book had me on an emotional rollercoaster. I found myself laughing out loud, shedding tears, and constantly wanting to scream, "GIRL, YOU'RE GAY!" as Imogen navigates her journey of self-discovery. Albertalli's writing is both sharp and tender, capturing the complexities of coming to terms with one's identity in a way that feels authentic and affirming.
Imogen's story is one that will resonate with many, especially those who have ever felt like they were late to the party when it comes to understanding their sexuality. The book is filled with warmth, wit, and a cast of characters that are as lovable as they are real. If you're looking for a book that will make you feel seen, understood, and a little less alone, Imogen, Obviously is a must-read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Balzer + Bray for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imogen, Obviously is the second book I’ve read by Becky Albertalli and I’ve got so many thoughts about it.

In no particular order:

Gretchen is the worst. Just the worst. Worst so-called best friend. Worst drama llama. Just. The. Worst.

The liminal space between high school and college is a magical time. I wish I could go back and have a do-over, myself. But I loved the whole cast of characters. Except Gretchen, the gatekeeper of the rainbow, of course.

Imogen’s family are supportive and chill and I wish I grew up with so many close friendships as she did.

Tessa. swoon.

The hijinks with the tiny sausage. I said what I said.

Lili. What an amazing best friend.

Imogen’s house with ALL the animals.

Just, so many things I loved about this book. Off to read more by Becky Albertalli.

4/5 Stars

I had a great time reading this book. This was a quick and easy read for me. Every book that I've read by Becky seems to be a hit. I will always stand for having more queer books available. Imogen is relatable and easy to connect with so it was easy to care about the characters and continue reading the book. I waited a while to read this because of all the discourse surrounding the book and author and I'm not going to really get into that here, but I absolutely recommend giving this book a read. Some of my favorite books are about characters finding and discovering themselves.

Imogen, Obviously, textually, has the exact same vibes as the cover. If you picked this up off the shelf hoping for pink and butterflies, Becky Albertalli, as always, delivers. Imogen is extremely lovable and relatable, and this story is an eternally-needed representation of queer teen womanhood.

I apologize for the delay in this review (by quite a bit), as I have been working through my backlog in terms of getting reviews written for ARCs received.

Thank you, first and foremost, to the publisher and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Becky Albertalli has genuinely had my heart ever since she first introduced me to Simon Spier many years ago, and the introduction of Imogen Scott has genuinely just made me love her even more. I know that Becky’s own coming out story must have mirrored Imogen’s quite a bit, and the complete authenticity shined through. The storyline was relatable and realistic, and I truly wish that a story like this and a character like Imogen would have existed when I was in high school/college and trying to learn who I was.

Absolutely felt like a giant hug, and the representation was phenomenal. Becky wins AGAIN.

Becky Albertalli, the queen of heartwarming YA fiction, is back with another gem in "Imogen, Obviously." This coming-of-age story follows Imogen, a self-proclaimed "hopelessly heterosexual" ally with a heart of gold. She's got the LGBTQ+ community covered, from attending every Pride Alliance meeting to having a deep understanding of queer media. But during a spring break visit with her college-bound best friend Lili, Imogen's carefully constructed world begins to shift. Lili's new social circle opens Imogen's eyes to a different side of herself, leading her on a journey of self-discovery that's both exciting and terrifying.

Albertalli excels at crafting relatable characters with genuine voices. Imogen's internal struggles feel authentic, and her journey of questioning her sexuality is both honest and humorous. The supporting cast is equally delightful, with friends who challenge and support Imogen in equal measure. The novel also tackles themes of friendship, self-acceptance, and navigating the complexities of young adulthood with a refreshing balance of wit and sensitivity.

"Imogen, Obviously" is a must-read for fans of Albertalli's signature style and anyone looking for a heartwarming story about self-discovery. It's a book that will leave you smiling, maybe even questioning a few things yourself.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What a sweet & heartfelt novel!! I had been looking forward to this book, since I was really curious to see how Albertalli would approach the main themes after being forced out of the closet a few years ago. And that background aside, I think she really, really nailed it here. While I can't speak to Albertalli's or Imogen's experiences directly (since I'm not bi), the doubts and conflict Imogen struggles with are so, so familiar to any person first figuring out their queerness. I adored the love and empathy we so clearly are encouraged to have for Imogen and her journey, and I found myself rooting for her right from the beginning.

Highly recommend this book, especially to teens. I'll be recommending a purchase for my library.

The romance was cute but it was extremely obvious that Albertalli wrote this from a place of bitterness instead of a desire to tell a story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an early reading copy, and my sincerest apologies for the late review—this somehow slipped my mind, despite it being an absolutely awesome read!

Because, yes, spoiler alert, I absolutely enjoyed this.
It was funny, refreshing, cute as heck, and moving at time. What else could we ask for, really?

Imogen reminded me so much of... me. This, I had some of the same thoughts she gets throughout the book when I was a teen, and I absolutely got her way of thinking. Am I really attracted to girls, or is it just because this one is especially cute?
(Spoiler alert: if you think of a girl in such terms as "cute", chances are you aren't 100% straight.)

Her experience in college was so interesting to read about, and did make me a bit jealous. I want a group of friends like the one Lili (and, soon, Imogen) has! They're so awesomely diverse and funny. Ugh. Can I get to know them, too?

Gretchen was insufferable, in that way we all know at least one person to be insufferable. She's trying to be a nice person, really she is, but... yeah. No. Too over the top, dial it down, take a chill pill, all that.

I think that's something I say almost every single time I review a YA LGBTQ+ novel, but I will say it once more: it is so, so freaking great that teenagers get such awesome representation. Keep it going, please!

This was a really sweet queer coming of age story! I think anyone who has struggled with feeling valid in their queerness, especially bisexuality, or being a late bloomer or coming out "late" in life, will find a lot to relate to here.

This was slow to start for me as the plot is far more internal than anything else. Imogen is spending the weekend at her best friend's college, discovers her best friend lied and told people they used to date, and begins to question if she is as straight as she's always thought she was. Imogen starts out feeling like an outsider on this college campus, so it feels a bit like hearing people rehash their inside jokes that you weren't there for. I adored Imogen's character - she is sweet and funny and a bit of an overthinker and a people pleaser. Things picked up for me when Imogen starts to catch feelings for Tessa. Their interactions and flirting felt so true to life and made me miss those feelings of first getting a crush on someone and feeling yourself slowly fall. You can really believe the connection that Imogen and Tessa have as they banter back and forth and make jokes. Imogen's internal monologue was so relatable at times, the way she overthinks things and talks herself into corners and considers all of the ways she could be doing harm. I wanted to tell some of these characters to get off of the internet and touch grass and that they are going to be okay!!

I have a lot of thoughts and this book left me with a lot to think about in terms of identity and how we navigate it and occupy identity-centered spaces. If you've been following Becky Albertalli online you likely know how the topic of this book runs close to her personal experiences, and those strong emotions come through in the book. I felt proud of myself for clocking which character would turn into a villain by the end, but I also think that character ends up not being as nuanced as I would want and being a mouthpiece for all of the "bad takes." What makes her a villain is how she goes about things in an unkind way while thinking she is being an advocate, but I worry that that gets mixed up a bit. The book ends up being a bit heavy-handed in its message - but it is an important one.

Overall, I had such a fun time reading Imogen, Obviously, and I love how Albertalli brings us into the world of these characters and pushes you to think about what it looks like to leave space for people to discover their identities in their own time while also giving us such a sweet romance. I would love to read more sapphic romance from Becky Albertalli in the future! Please!!

Thank you so much @BalzerAndBray for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 02 May 2023)

SYNOPSIS | Imogen feels like she can't be queer because she is the definition of a straight girl and all of her queer friends consider her to be the best ally. She visits one of her best friends (Lili) on campus only to learn that Lili has told her new college friends that she used to date Imogen so now she needs to keep up pretenses & pretend to be queer.

WHAT I LIKED:
- from the very first page you want the best for Imogen and find yourself rooting for her
- witnessing Imogen embrace her feelings and newfound sense of self was beautiful
- a whole cast of loveable side characters
- the fact this story is extremely personal to the author

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I think the messaging veered a tiny bit too much into preachy territory (but this obviously comes from a very passionate place)

Cute book that was easy to read and enjoy. I really liked the main characters and the whole story was very well written.

I love Becky Albertalli! Her ability to authentically write teenagers and perfectly capture the experience of first love is unmatched. I can't wait to recommend this title to students.