Thank you netgalley and harpercollins for providing an advanced reader copy of this book,

4.5 stars. You can tell Becky Albertalli put her heart and soul in this book. This book was fun and witty with diverse characters and main character that thinks and has been told she's one thing, but discovers she's not. Imogen was fun, neurotic, and passionate as an ally to the queer community while exploring who she was and the college she was going to go to. I loved Lili and Edith too. Such a good read.

yes there's a lot of deeply contrived terminally online unrealistic dialogue that ya authors seem to think is How The Teens Talk These Days and idk how I feel about the parts that were blatantly just about what happened to the author herself but I still had a great time reading this.

Imogen's journey of slowly realizing she's bi resonated so deeply with me and I think it will strike the same emotional chord with a lot of other readers as well. I legit sent so many quotes to the group chat I have with my queer friends bc they were all things we've thought or said before as we figured ourselves out. I hope this book can help young queer readers along on their journeys - I know having something like this as a teen would have clarified things a decade or two earlier for me!

thank you to netgalley for proving me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

it feels extreme to say this but i honestly think this is one of my favorite books of all time. becky albertalli’s books always have a way of making me feel like i’m being wrapped in a warm hug full of understanding and love. i was going to say that i fell in love with this book from the author’s note but that’s not accurate; i fell in love with this book the day it was announced. still, i tried to keep my rose colored glasses off and treat it like any book. so let’s talk about it. first off, it is clear from the jump that this book is incredibly personal to the author and that she put her entire heart and soul and years of introspection and hardship into the story and its characters. and that pays off spectacularly. and the thing is that it transcends becky’s personal experience because reading it felt deeply personal to me as well. i felt so understood and seen and i just wanted to scream “that’s me!! i’m imogen!!” the whole time. but even if imogen’s story isn’t relatable to you, it will feel that way when you’re reading. it will feel incredibly personal. because that’s how well written it is. reading this, i was suddenly thirteen years old again and making all of my camp friends read SVTHSA because i needed somebody to understand how i felt.

anyway, i digress. this book is heartwarming and groundbreaking and feels like coming home. the characters were amazing and well rounded and i just- i can’t say too much since it’s not out yet but do yourself a favor and preorder it right now.

rating: 5/5

taylor swift lyric: i once believed love would be black and white. but it’s golden.

Love, love, love, love, LOVE.

Albertalli is by far one of my favorite YA writers when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation and stories. She knows how to write complex characters and hilarious dialogue, and her books are always hard to put down. This one follows Imogen, a lovely little cinnamon roll who thinks she's straight...but there is some pretty solid evidence that that might not be the case.

I know the background here. Albertalli was attacked for being a straight women writing queer YA literature--mostly online--which led to her basically being forced to come out as bisexual. She was THEN attacked for not really being bisexual. It was a hateful, hurtful mess. (I actually used her story in one of my Diverse Literature presentations.)

It's pretty clear that Imogen's journey is very similar to Albertalli's, and that makes many moments even more heartbreaking. The LGBTQ+ community itself is vast and diverse, and this story shows that acceptance within the community is not easy or a given.

Thank you NetGalley! I really appreciate having access to this arc. This book was truly a joy. It was about so much but especially self discovery. I don’t base my ratings on whether I can relate to a character or not because I think relating is relative. However, I will say I did relate to the main character and I really felt that she was fully fleshed out. I really appreciated this and found it extremely cute.

Becky Albertalli is an auto read author for me so I was excited when I got an advanced copy of Imogen, Obviously. I enjoyed the upstate New York setting- which seemed like a bit of a departure from her Georgia settings, as well as the college setting. I loved the pacing- the chapters were short and interspersed with text conversations between the chapters.

I thought the characters were great- Imogen, of course, as well as her sister Edith. They had a wonderful, supportive sister relationship. Lili and Tessa were well written, however I was almost instantly annoyed by Gretchen. I couldn't quite figure out why Imogen kept a friendship with her outside of her people-pleasing tendencies. The book ends off with leaving this open and I'm choosing to believe Imogen moves on from her. I also thought the constant apologizing was a lot, again I understand it was part of Imogen's characterization, but it was relentless.

Overall I thought this book was great and has such a beautiful cover. I would recommend this to my students.

Becky Albertalli did a wonderful job with this book. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions, the plot, and the self discovery that occurs. Imogen is such a relatable character for me because of her people-pleasing tendencies and her sense of rigidity about who she believes she is supposed to be. I also loved the college setting and the friend group that was formed. The plot was well paced, a very important topic was addressed, and the writing was great. I liked the text messages that came with each chapter, giving an interesting perspective, and that the chapters were short. The only thing I would have liked more of was further development of Lili and Imogen's friendship, and more on Tessa's character.

I’ve never read a book by Becky Albertalli that I didn’t love and this was no exception. This book was sweet, cute, fun, and funny. I loved the characters and the friendships. Some of the vocabulary I felt was a little heavy handed and maybe used weirdly in context like the amount of times the word “queerbaiting” showed up. But other than that I truly loved it and have already recommended it to friends.

I absolutely love this author. Her books tell stories that young people can relate to.

Imogen, Obviously follows the story of Imogen, a high school senior who is struggling to come to terms with her sexuality while also dealing with her own insecurities.

Imogen has always felt like an outsider, never quite fitting in with any particular group at school. She's always been attracted to girls, but has never been able to fully embrace her feelings. However, when she meets a new girl named Beck, Imogen starts to question everything she thought she knew about herself.

What I loved most about this novel was the way Albertalli handled Imogen's journey of self-discovery. The author captures the confusion and fear that often come with exploring one's sexuality, while also emphasizing the importance of self-acceptance and being true to oneself.

The characters in this novel are also incredibly well-written and relatable. Imogen is a character that many readers will be able to see themselves in, with her insecurities and struggles to fit in.

I will be adding this title to my classroom library.

This was such a highly anticipated read of mine because I love books with LGBTQIA+ representation, but especially when it is a bi-awakening story. The figuring yourself out, coming out, coming to terms with your sexuality. I love it so much. I went through it myself so it's such a comfort read for me. This was amazing. Imogen was so well written and the struggles of questioning yourself is so unbelievably real! I was hooked into this book from the very start. I felt so seen in Imogen, it was so comforting. I will definitely be rereading this as a physical copy so I can annotate all of my feelings!

Incredibly relatable and very cute. As always, I adore Becky Albertalli's portrayal of friendships and siblings and how they communicate and interact. Kind of like a pre- First Year at College book. For fans of Loveless, Fangirl, We Are Totally Normal, and Casey McQuiston.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’ve never read a book by Becky before and now I obsessed. Like oh my god. It’s been a while since I sat down and was so engrossed by a story I devoured it in a night. This book had me hooked. I loved Imogen & pals (expect for one) and I wanted so badly to finish it that it flew by. I’m going to have to read all the Simon books now because man Becky knows how to write a story that tugs at my heart.

This story felt so personal that it had me in tears. Even if it’s not 100% the same, I saw myself in Imogen. I think a lot of folks can relate to her struggles with her sexuality and that’s why books like these are so important. Recently, there has also been way too much news of celebs being forced to come out because they feel pressured by the media. Sexuality is so fluid and queerness should not be policed and I’m so glad this book has that message.

Imogen is so sweet and cute I loved her through this whole thing. I loved Lili & Edith & all of Lili’s friends at college too. They really seemed like an awesome group of friends and they remind me of why I loved college so much. Finding yourself and finding new friends. I’m not going to lie, my hometown friends sucked and I didn’t realize they were toxic until I got away and saw people who were actually kind. I grew so much when I left my town.

This story just ticked off all the right boxes for me. Sweet, heart warming, relevant, lesson teaching, funny, & full of amazing characters you want to get to know more of and love. I’m so impressed and I’ll be looking at Becky’s books from now on for sure!

I loved the main characters. Imogen is adorable, funny, and sweet and I just love her. She is a layered, well-crafted character, that has a brave voice you want to hear. Lili is just such a relatable freshman in college and Tessa is, quite simply, the best. She’s funny and charming, and she likes Imogen SO much. She is so supportive and funny and I love her chemistry and banter with Imogen. The progress of her relationship with Tessa was a great way to portray her coming out story. Their ease of talking and their sarcasm is amazing! I love reading their texts so much. Edie and Immy are the ideal sisters, their love and support of each other is beautiful and I really appreciate their bond. Imogen’s journey is just really heartwarming. She is surrounded by queer people and supportive people but still has compulsory heterosexuality drilled in her head so has never really questioned that she is the straight friend. But spending time pretending to bi allows her to question who she really is or what being queer really looks and feels like. It was immediately obvious from the beginning that this was a deeply personal book for Becky Albertalli, and a large part of Imogen's identity and anxiety was also hers. I think it is going to greatly impact a lot of other readers. I think that's why it is so relatable and will resonate with so many readers. I will definitely be recommending this book to patrons at my library. I thought this was well written, well explored, and handled everything with sensitivity and heart. Many thanks to Becky Albertalli, Netgalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts.

Becky Albertalli is an auto-buy and auto-read author for me, as someone who writes deeply heartfelt YA with Jewish, queer characters exploring their identities and developing supportive and caring friendships. Imogen, Obviously is a great addition to the Becky-verse.

The author's note and my own knowledge from following Albertalli on social media for several years explain how deeply personal this book is, which follows Imogen as she calls into question her own identity which people have assumed for her, rather than letting her determine for herself. I love following Imogen as she visits her friend at her future college campus and quickly becomes adopted into a group of queer friends -- and starts to have *feelings* for one of them (but straight-friend feelings, or FEELINGS feelings???). I don't feel like I read a lot of YA that falls into that early college period, and it was nostalgic for me to read about pranks and parties and general mess-arounds in the dorm setting, which was very reminiscent of my own experience at college.

Imogen spends a lot of time ruminating on her feelings and denying what she feels -- which also reflected some of my own experience (much like Albertali, at a much older age than Imogen). The book shows that we can all be kinder in the process of exploring our identities and that there is no time frame for when someone needs to come out. I loved the cast of characters that surround Imogen -- Albertalli's strength lies in creating freind groups that I would love to be a part of, and that emphasize the importance of found family -- pick this one up if that's what you're looking for too!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.

I cannot wait for this book to be released. I loved Imogen so much! The stress, the tension, and the life-altering decisions you make senior year are all perfectly captured in one book!

Imogen has always considered herself the world’s best ally. She goes to all of the Pride Alliance meetings, and is constantly supporting her friends and sister. Now, she has the chance to support her newly out best friend, Lili, at college among all of her new, queer friends.

Excited to support Lili in every way she can, Imogen brings her A game when she visits her on campus. Even if Lili has told them a small lie: that Imogen and Lili dated in high school. None of them know that Imogen is actually heterosexual, not even Lili’s new best friend Tessa. But the more Imogen spends time with Tessa, the more she realizes she might not actually be straight.

Thanks to NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli to review! Becky Albertalli is an autobuy author for me, and I knew I was going to love this one. Albertalli put so much of herself, her own struggles in this book, and it’s just one that I want to hold near and dear to my heart.

From the beginning, you’re going to fall in love with Imogen. She’s a fierce friend, ready to support anyone that she loves. She’s a little bit quirky, a little bit nerdy, and always down for an adventure. There are so many layers to her character, and I think everyone who reads this book is going to fall in love with her instantly.

Outside of Imogen, the side characters are just as fully developed. As we have come to expect from Albertalli. Honestly, the little college friend group made me miss some of my college days a bit. Just that always being up for anything, let’s go on this random adventure. Not to say you can’t do that outside of college, it just distinctly feels like a college thing. But I digress.

There are a lot of discussions throughout the book about identity, specifically queer identity. Imogen is constantly trying to figure out if she’s actually queer or just taking on the identity of those around her. Albertalli handles a lot of these conversations with finesse, and they’ll definitely leave you thinking. This book is a love letter to those who don’t just know their identity and take time to figure it out. Especially for those who always thought they were just an ally, but actually ended up being something more.

All in all, I am in love with Imogen and can’t wait to revisit this book again. Because you know it’s going to make it into my re-read cycle for sure.

Albertelli has done it again with yet another book chock full of wonderfully written and relatable queer characters!

Thank you so much, NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, Balzer + Bray, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Imogen Scott is absolutely straight, but she got the World's Greatest Ally title, surrounded by queer sister and queer best friends. There's Gretchen, who keeps her bias in check and advises her if she's queer appriopriating and Lili, now in college surrounded by her own group of queer people. When she decides to visit Lili on campus, she's right away swept away by the beauty and confidence of Lili's group. Even though Lili told them a little lie, telling them she and Imogen used to date in the past. Now, Imogen is bisexual in their eyes and none of them seem to question her sexuality and identity. None seems to see that Imogen is straight, not even Lili's best friend, Tessa. When Imogen and Tessa start to text, video chat and engage more and more, Imogen starts to question herself and her own feelings. Is she queer appropriating? Is she faking the butterlies in ther stomach every time she sees Tessa? What is happening? Could really a weekend uphend her whole perception of herself? Unless she wasn't exactly straight as she's ever thought...But how couldn't she not have knew her own identity?

Imogen, obviously is a brilliant, funny and smart story about identity, the nuances of sexuality, love and friendship, told with love and humor by the amazing Becky Albertalli. It's a sweet, cute and quirky read, following Imogen questioning herself, flirting and slowly embracing her own sexuality, slowly connecting the dots and opening her eyes. With funny and sweet moments, cute dogs (Daisy!!!), costume parties (Dark Academia, yes!), group chats, new friends, Imogen starts to realize things about herself, her tastes and feelings, choosing to follow her heart, what she wants and the girl she loves.

I absolutely loved Imogen, obviously. I related a lot to Imogen's thoughts and fears, her feeling a bit inadeguated and "intruding" as a straight in a queer group. She's a people pleaser, struggling to assert herself, a bit "crushed" by her best friend Gretchen's presence and I totally loved her journey, her relationship with family and friends, old and new and how she becomes someone more confident in her choices, feelings and thoughts. From the group chatting, the setting, the campus, the joy in friendship, food, jokes and funny moments, flirting and chatting, Imogen's journey is amazing and so good.

Imogen's relationship with her family and friends is beautifully rendered. Her supportive and funny parents are awesome. With her sister Edith and Lili is sweet and loving, while with Gretchen there's a more complex dynamic, because Gretechen's personality is stronger than Imogen's and her ideas and thoughts are seen, by her, as the only one, the only way to be queer, to feel queer, to experience being queer. Many of Imogen's struggles derives by her thinking of being straight and Gretchen's ideas of what means to be queer. While slowly realizing another realities, embracing herself, connecting her own feelings and thoughts from the past to the present, Imogen is more able to detatch her own ideas from Gretchen and to stop being influenced by her.

It's interesting seeing how different people came to realize their own sexuality, from Edith to Lili to Imogen herself, because, of course, the journeys are not the same. From a single weekend, everything changes for Imogen, putting everything she thought she knew about herself in discussion and slowly understanding herself, with Lili and Edith's help.
Mostly, I loved how it's underlined there's not one way to be queer, how you can't tell if someone is straight or queer from what they wear or what they like and how they talk, how sexuality is fluid, complex and entirely one's business.
Truly a brilliant and eye opening book!

I've loved Albertalli since Simon first came into my life, love the continuation of her Bisexual/Queer representation.

With a queer little sister and multiple queer best friends, Imogen is an Ally with a capital-A. After spending the weekend visiting a friend at college, she befriends Tessa and starts to question whether or not she is actually as straight as she thought—and as straight as some people keep telling her that she is. This is sort of inspired by Becky Albertalli’s own journey of self-discovery and realization.

Imogen is so focused on “what queerness looks like” that it takes her some time to realize that she might also be. On top of her own confusion and guilt for possibly “appropriating queerness”, she faces criticism from someone in the queer community who doesn’t believe her when she tries to vocalize how she has been feeling. All of this perpetuates her constant feelings of self-doubt and guilt which she has to work through.

I really liked this and, as someone who only in recent years has come to understand that she is asexual, I very much appreciate this book and where it is coming from. I think it is such a great story for anyone who doesn’t feel like they look or present or even immediately understood that they were queer.