There are no words to describe the perfection that is this book. I knew going into this that I would love it (I mean, come on, it’s Becky Albertalli), but I didn’t quite anticipate just how much.

Imogen, Obviously follows Imogen (obviously lol), a high school senior visiting one of her best friends, Lili, in college during spring break. Imogen is excited and nervous to meet all of Lili’s new friends and see her future college campus. The catch? Lili drops the bomb that her friends think Imogen is her ex-girlfriend because a newly out and panicked Lili told them Imogen was as a way to justify her queerness. While shocked (and unsure if her “pretending” to be bisexual will even be believable) Imogen decides to go along with the farce. Her younger sister Edith, her other best friend Gretchen, and Lili, of course, are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. And Imogen is an ally and firmly heterosexual, right? What could possibly go wrong? Enter Tessa, one of Lili’s college friends and the person that has Imogen questioning everything and learning who she truly is.

Imogen, Obviously is one of Becky Albertalli’s best books to date, and it is so clear that she wrote this book as a love letter to the person she was always meant to be. I am so glad books like this exist in the world (or will once it is published in Spring 2023). My hope is that someone will pick up this book and know that it is okay (and beautiful) to be their authentic self.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced reader copy!

I found Beck Albertalli's new book Imogen, Obviously to be a delightful read that explores what it means to find yourself in this coming of age story.

Imogen may be straight, but she is so ready to be the best ally every for her sister and friends who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. She wants to do her best by then and support them in any way possible - even when her friend Lili lets her know that she MIGHT have told her college friends that they once dated. That's fine - she can support Lili's story - no big deal right? Except that she really enjoys Lili's new college friends and quickly finds herself becoming part of the group. And then there is Tessa...

Imogen is really exploring her own story and figuring out who she is - and maybe, just maybe, who she is isn't quite who she thought she was... Albertalli explores how Imogen's identity grows and changes, she explores gatekeeping, she explores what is really meant by a safe place (and for who), and she does it all in a way that is resonates with readers. I loved this story and found Imogen to be a character that was relatable on so many levels.

I received a gifted copy of this book from Netgalley, and I am sharing my review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.
I know this is fictional, but Imogen's story is very much like my own.
I am also bisexual, and it took me a very long time to come to terms with that, due to constantly questioning it and feeling like I wasn't "Bi enough," because I've been with more men, and I have been with one guy since I was in high school, so I haven't had a lot of time to think about it. I think I came out of the closet like 3 separate times, the final time being when I was 21. I had a lot of internalized biphobia.
And let me just tell you--people like Gretchen are a big part of it. I freaking HATE discourse. Gretchen's character is a huge part of why. Bisexuals face a lot of BS from the community as a whole--we are constantly told we aren't queer enough, that we're "straight passing," that we can't be queer if we date men. And while Gretchen is a bisexual character, she perpetuates a lot of biphobic stereotypes and gatekeeps a lot. I have had friends like Gretchen. Emphasis on HAD. As a queer community, we should be standing together. I loved this book--I adore slow burns and sapphic romance.
However, she is the only issue I have found within this book. I loved the characters, I loved Imogen's character development. I like the representation of most queer identities.
Relating to Imogen was just a plus. This book was so cute, and I really resonated with Imogen. I remember how much I went back and forth about my identity.

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli immediately surprised me within the first page. First chapter even. But then that incredulity stretched to 50 pages, 100 pages, and it just kept going. It was so hard to take this book seriously when it referred to the gay frat house as 'Rainbow Manor' or during Imogen's (frequent) anxiety-fueled rants on her sexuality when she made references to Sweater Weather by the Neighbourhood and Tiktok or delusional insights towards 'sitting culture' and sexuality. I felt like so much was focused on getting the author's personal message across, which I should butt in to say that I agree with, that the story of Imogen and Tessa was lost. Left to the side until the very end, where the book itself did get considerably better. My only qualm with that was that it was too short and we could've done with more of their shared moments and less of the awkward skimming of pages filled with weird identity politics. It was just too much. I had to push myself through this until the very end and I cringed for over 80% of it. The writing, I will say, was good, although its quality faltered every now and then. I loved how certain scenes between Tessa and Imogen were written.

E-ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Becky Albertalli is the queen of LGBTQ+ Young adult romance. In her newest book Imogen is straight as can be supporting her friends who are in LGBTQ+ community. She considers herself an ally. But when she visits her friend Lili at the college she will be attending in the fall she finds out Lili told everyone that they previously dated and now all Lili friends think she is Bi. Imogen goes along with the lie, but maybe its not all a lie. This was such a great sweet young adult read. Not just romance but friendships and connections and what it truly means to discover yourself and your sexuality.

I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and boy, am I glad I did!

Imogen, Obviously is one of the best books I've read all year. Imogen's journey to unpack her sexuality, her opinions, and her general identity and place in the world resonated with me in a way few books have ever captured. Her insecurity and people-pleasing tendencies were painful to read but accurate.

The book is gentle with Imogen's queer journey, while also grappling with very real issues of biphobia and gatekeepers inside and outside of queer spaces. What does it mean to be queer? What does it look like? Shouldn't you just "know"? What if you're just doing it for attention? Her entire experience felt as if someone had waded inside my brain and painted it across the page. It gave me a chance to feel really, truly seen. I cannot wait for this book to be published that so many others can have the same experience and the same validation I did. What a powerful, beautiful book.

A book that only Becky could write. Time and time again, Becky shows that she can write the most effortless teen dialogue that tackles very real issues, especially pertaining to sexuality and self discovery, and Imogen may be her strongest work yet. A new favorite that will get reread time and time again.

It's not a surprise to us how a great storytelling Becky Albertalli is, right?. She did it again with "Imogen, Obviously"!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for provide this arc. I couldn't be more happy about this.

"Imogen, Obviously" is a brilliant coming-of-age with much of Becky's experience about queerness. The narrative is amazing as its characters. I was invested 100% throughout all the book.

Can't wait for future Becky Albertalli's books!

Obviously this book is one of the most anticipated and absolutely the best YA fiction/ romance novels of 2023 with realistic LGBTQ representation!

I cannot tell how much I loved this book and I was absolutely invested in Imogen! She is layered, well crafted character, a brave voice you want to hear! I loved her inner journey! Her searching the right space in the social circle, discovering her sexuality, coming out of her shell to embrace her real self!

When her best friend Lili told her friends they’ve dated before, her pretending bisexualism turns into a real search about her own sexual choices. She even finds out she likes Lili’s friend Tessa a little more than she can admit.

Realist, genuine, unique approach about a girl’s searching for her true identity without being described by other people’s opinions make you easily resonate with the main character.

I’m obviously giving my five shining stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books / Balzer+Bray for sharing this fantastic digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This may have become my favorite Becky Albertalli book of all time (not that I have read all of them yet but idk how they will beat this). I was sold from the start with the letter from Becky in beginning and it just got better from there. This book just hit all the feels for me and was just such a cute read. As a bi girl who had similar thoughts around the time I was coming out it just really brought me back. It was also set in a town and college near me and I thought that was so cool. I can't wait for you all to read this book, I think you will love it just as much as I did

Wow! This book resonated so much with me. I felt like Imogen was taking words right out of my brain! She thought so many things that I have and still do think about myself. I loved it! Knowing about Becky's coming out journey, I could see how much of herself she put into this story and character. I think that's why it is so relatable and will resonate with so many readers. I thought that all the characters were loveable and beautifully written, except the one character that represents the gatekeepers of the community, she is not loveable but still well written and very realistic to what many queer people experience. There was even a scene that really spoke to the celebrity gatekeeping/accusations of queerbaiting that Becky, Kit Connor, and many others have experienced because they are in the public eye. This book felt so real and true.

This is such an honest story and I really can't express how much I enjoyed and appreciated it. Let's be honest, I cried many times reading this book because I kept thinking damn that's me! And when the gatekeeper character said hurtful things, I felt them to my bones.

If you have ever questioned your place in the LGBTQIA+ community then this book is for you! I think everyone should read it though. By far one of my top reads from Becky!

content warning: toxic friendship, internalized homophobia/biphobia

Imogen, Obviously is my dream book, and it delivered.

Imogen is straight. Painfully so. She’s the World’s Biggest Ally. But, when she goes to stay with her friend Lilli for the weekend, she learns that not only do Lilli’s friends think she’s bisexual, they also think they dated. Awkward. Instead of coming clean, the two decide to continue the lie, and while Imogen’s there, she gets closer to Lilli’s friend Tessa. Over the course of a week, Imogen falls for Tessa. But does she really? Is she not just faking for the sake of being ‘different’? Or was the weekend when she pretended to be bi not such a lie after all…

This book spoke to me because like Imogen, I was once the ally. I was once the ‘straight’ one in a large group of queer friends. And like Imogen, I questioned myself so many times, believing over and over again that I was just thinking these thoughts for the attention, because I wanted to be different—even when the idea of saying, ‘I am bisexual’ scared the fuck out of me, so how could I have been faking for attention? This is the thought process Imogen goes through, and I love her for it. I love this book for being real with me and reassuring me that it’s okay to have these thoughts and still be bisexual. That it’s okay to be confused sometimes.

I adored Imogen’s friendship with Lilli. Lilli was such a sweetheart and so damn understanding I think I fell for her myself. (P.S. Becky I would totally be down for a book about Lilli just saying…) Gtetchen… Gretchen pissed me off from the very beginning. I love my community, but as someone who—like I said—was once the heterosexual ally, seeing someone like Gretchen constantly reinforce Imogen’s heterosexuality despite the fact that Imogen told her…. It infuriated me.

There was very little I disliked about this book apart from one thing that just got on my nerves, and I realise I’m nit-picking here and that It Is Not That Serious, but the constant use of the word ‘discourse’ annoyed me. I do not know one person in real life or online who uses the word discourse to talk about an argument between friends. It’s used to talk about internet drama, and none of this was internet drama. It just seemed overdone and too much like an adult trying to imitate teen speak, but other than that I didn’t really have an issue.

The queerness in this??? Drop it on my head and drown me in it. I’m in love, and shockingly enough, this is the first book by Becky Albertalli that I’ve read. (The fact that I tried to read and dnfed What If It’s Us doesn’t count because I blame that on Adam Silvera’s writing even though I don’t actually know who wrote what character.)

I’m praying for a sequel about Lilli and in the mean time I’m going to fantasise about holding this glorious book in my hands yes sir.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Big fan of Albertalli's works and was very excited to read this newest one. Not disappointed! I'm trying to add more lgbtqia books to our school library and love that I can read these through NetGalley before purchasing them.

THIS BOOK. Where do I start? I loved it so much. It's the kind of book you don't want to end; the kind of book you want to crawl into the world and not leave when you get to the final page. I was so invested in the characters and the story, I read it in two sittings. Becky has always been great at writing characters with heart but this book was beyond anything she's done before. (Also the cover is stunning.)

I absolutely adored this novel! I feel like it perfectly encaptured what it feels like to grow up never questioning your sexuality and then suddenly being struck with a gay-crisis you never expected (not that I'm speaking from personal experience or anything...)! But for anyone who figured out, or is still figuring out their sexuality a bit later than everyone else they know, this is the book for you.

Imogen Scott is straight. Hopelessly heterosexual, she would be the first to know otherwise right? She is surrounded by a queer little sister and two best friends, she has been a part of the Pride Alliance club and identified herself as a bona fide ally. When Imogen goes to visit her best friend Lili in college (finally), she plans to be the best friend and ally ever, even if she has avoided visiting before because Lili has found the coolest and queerest group of college friends and Imogen is the tiniest bit...insecure? Intimidated? She is going to put that all aside for the weekend, but then Lili lets it drop that she told all her new friends that Imogen and Lili use to date. In the name of friendship, Imogen plans to go along with her new bisexual identity for the weekend. But as Imogen gets to know Lili's new friend group, especially cute, chaotic, Tessa, she starts to wonder if everything she's thought (and been told) about herself is true.

I loved this book. Imogen is maybe my new favourite in the Albertalli catalogue (and that's no small feat). This is a truly heartwarming story that explores many of the nuances of sexuality, identity, friendship, and how it can all change as you grow up. There is such care and compassion as Albertalli navigates difficult topics. This is a complex story that covers not just romance, but friendship and family as well.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

I didn't think I would like this but I enjoyed it so much! I love coming of age stories with relatable characters just trying to figure their sh*t out. This story was super sweet and I loved the queer inclusivity, it's significant and important and I respect the ajgor making it a prevalent topic here.

I love Becky Albertalli, but this is probably my favorite of her books. The way it includes a queer character being queerphobic is really interesting and significant. Usually when a book uses a lot of modern terms and things, I hate it and it just feels awkward. With albertallis writing, it didn’t feel that way at all. This was so sweet, and I want to reread it a billion times.

This book is very cute and a good addition to Albertalli's canon. Also, it's set in my mom's hometown, so of course I loved it. Great discussion of queer identity and how we approach others.

I will not be reviewing Harper Collins titles until they agree to a fair contract with the union. I stand in solidarity with HarperCollins Union Local 2110 UAW in their fight for a fair contract. We urge HarperCollins Publishers to come back to the negotiating table and agree to a contract that reflects the Union’s need for diversity commitments, union protections, and wage adjustments. Publishing is a historically underpaid industry and current salaries do not reflect HarperCollins’s profits, the current cost of living, or salaries paid by peer media and publishing companies. Low wages affect everyone but are particularly hard on people who are underrepresented in the publishing industry—vital voices that HarperCollins needs to cultivate, not drive away.