I just finished this book and I am in love. I couldn't believe I got approved for this and after reading simon vs I was so excited. I actually loved this more than simon vs which I didn't really think was possible but apparently it is! I'm now in love with Becky Albertalli and will read anything and everything she writes! 

This story was so captivating that I read it in one day. I loved Molly and her whole family, I especially loved her relationship with her twin sister. At some points it was strained but I just think that makes the book even more realistic. I loved Rein and was rooting for him all the way. Basically, everything about this was amazing!

Becky Albertalli is a blossoming author. Seriously, watch this space, she is well on her way to becoming one of the biggest YA writers around.

Her first novel, Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, is being adapted into a movie and gave Albertalli her start amongst the YA audience. This month she's releasing The Upside Of Unrequited and so far it has been gathering some fantastic initial ratings and reviews. I've not read Albertalli's first book but Simon does get a few handy mentions and I can imagine that fans are going to love that aspect of it.

Molly is a twin, a teenager and girl who is uncomfortable in her own skin. Her grandma goes on about her size and it doesn't help that none of Molly's crushes develop into actual relationships. Her friends and sister are determined to set her up with a new guy they meet - Hipster Will - and Molly goes along with the ride, not giving herself a moment to consider whether or not she really likes him.

I loved the confidence behind the LGBT characters - Cassie, Mina, Nadine and Patty as the most obvious mentions. It shows that just because a character is LGBT, it doesn't mean they have to be hiding in a closet, single or embarking on their first relationship and being judged by every other character and I hope it helps LGBT readers who are struggling by letting them know it's possible to be in a happy, healthy situation. I also like that it didn't focus on 'first relationships' exclusively because this added realism and depth which ultimately made the story easier to connect with. In regards to the LGBT characters, I thought it was great to show that in some instances they'd dated other people and in some cases they hadn't. It sounds dumb and minor but you'd be surprised how many writers overlook that bisexual, gay teens and so on, often have more than one relationship in their lives.

Reid was by far my favourite character. He's Molly's work colleague and something about his voice and the way he was described made him so real to me. I honestly believed I had a mate called Reid and the day I finished the book I genuinely missed him. Maybe it works because lots of people have a Reid of their own in their lives. I definitely know who mine is...

Even though Molly wasn't my favourite protagonist ever I really enjoyed the writing style that surrounded her. The way her thoughts, anxieties and happy moments were portrayed were so vivid. The stream on consciousness was funny in all the right places and cropped before it became boring. That balance taught me a lot about my own writing. Fellow authors will relate when I describe reading a book that makes me feel bad about my own. Like how can I reach this level of awesome?! 

A beautifully crafted and important story, The Upside Of Unrequited is a must read for fans of YA and romance.

Where to begin with this beauty, I couldn't put it down! After loving Simon VS The Homo-Sapians agenda, I was so eager to get my hands on an early release copy of this and I am so thankful that I did! Teenage me related to Molly so well and I loved that she was a character to easily love. The diversity and pride element of the novel was outstanding and it really touched my heart!

I loved this book SO much. I don't read a lot of contemporaries these days but if they were all written like this then I would never stop.

The diversity in this book is unreal. There are so many different types of people and none of them feel like they are there for the sake of it. They all have their own story and are fleshed out so well. This is what we need more of in books! It reflects real life so well. The main character, Molly, is fat and negotiating her way through teenage life wondering if she'll ever have a boyfriend. Her twin sister is gay and starts a new relationship at the beginning of the book with Mina, a pansexual Korean-American. They have two mothers and are sperm-donor babies. There are other gay characters, Jewish characters, black characters, bisexuality and anxiety controlled with medication. The representation of all of these things was just so well done and it's exactly what I want to see being incorporated more.

The romance brought me so much joy. Reid is utterly cute and I was rooting for him throughout the entire book. I love all of his interactions with Molly and looked forward to their conversations the most. I also found the sibling relationship between Molly and Cassie really interesting. I like that the romances weren't always the main focus of the story. Their relationship as sisters was very important to both of them and I appreciated their struggle to keep that alive whilst also manoeuvring the changes in other parts of their lives.

I spent the entirety of this book either smiling or nodding along to Molly's comments about the doubts and feelings she was experiencing. It was completely relatable. I related and connected to Molly the way I always connect with Rainbow Rowell's characters. Becky Albertalli is firmly at the top of my contemporary go-to list alongside Rowell and I honesty can't wait to see what she writes next.

This book is special and deserves the hype. I loved it even more than Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. It's real, funny, highly relatable and you need to read it immediately.

fun and quick read, I found it a little hard to get into at first but found myself enjoying it more as i went through. Nice to see different styles of family dynamics in contemporary books and representation

It's 00:27 and I've literally just finished reading The Upside of Unrequited and I can tell you this: it had all the feels. My heart was crushed but it also soared because of how amazing Albertalli's writing is... 

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love - she's lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can't stomach the idea of rejection. So she's careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie's orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly's cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster boy sidekick. Will is funny, flirtatious, and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.

There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's an awkward Tolkien superfan, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

For me, the character of Molly is so relatable. When I was younger, I used to crush on so many people - just ask my best friend - I crushed on so so many people throughout high school, it was crazy. Unlike Molly, I have had long relationships but I could still relate to how Molly felt when she thought no one would want her because of her weight (I feel the exact same way), and I could relate to how Molly always felt left out when she was around other couples.

For me, The Upside of Unrequited is on the same level as Simon v The Homo Sapiens Agenda and even thought SVTHSA had a better storyline, I feel like the diversity within TUOU put it on the same level as Albertalli's debut. At least 50% of the cast was diverse. There were lesbian Moms, Cassie who is a lesbian, Molly who is heterosexual, Mina who is pansexual and Korean-American, black side characters, Jewish main characters, a main character that suffers from anxiety, and white characters. I mean, how awesome is that diversity? Sure, the main character - Molly - is heterosexual, but she's described as overweight which challenges other young adult books where the female protagonist is always described as gorgeous.



"When you spend so much time just intensely wanting something, and then you actually get the thing? It's magic."

- Becky Albertalli, The Upside of Unrequited





What was also amazing about this book was that it was around the time when gay marriage was legalised in the U.S.A and I loved it when Nadine drove Molly to the White House to see the building lit up in the LGBT flag. I thought it was such an amazing moment. And I also loved how we witnessed a lesbian wedding as that is something that we never see within young adult books. Another thing that I absolutely loved was that when given the opportunity *slight spoiler ahead* Molly didn't choose the 'attractive hipster guy', she chose the geeky, slight overweight Reid and she defied all expectations. She chose someone who made her feel comfortable with herself and who made her laugh - which I think is really important.

I know that I've just rambled on about the diversity within the book but please, how could I not? It was amazing to see this kind of representation in a YA book. I also loved the sisterly relationship between Cassie and Molly. Even though there is seven years difference between my sister and me, I could still relate to the turmoil that Cassie and Molly went through and I recognised a few of the arguments that they had. It was nice to see a sister relationship development arc be one of the main elements of a book instead boys being the main focus.

Overall, this book was amazing and considering that they're doing a film of Simon v The Homo Sapiens Agenda, I would love to see The Upside of Unrequited get a movie deal as well. I think it would be brilliant to bring the diversity to the big screen. Yet another fantastic book from Albertalli and I can't wait until she graces us with her next book. I'm eager for it already.

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Released 11th April

I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did, because usually I have a lot of problems with a hyped books. But this, actually, was a real gem. It was so refreshing to read a so diverse book compared with other young adult books, or other genres in that matter.

The greatest thing about diversity in this book, was that author didn’t make a huge deal out of it, instead she concentrated on Mollys first romance.

Speaking about romance, it was so cute and so well written. The dilemmas, questions, doubts and wishes of Molly were so realistic, that, in mu humble opinion, most of young adults can relate to.

The other thing, that was one of the biggest pluses for me, was the relationship between parents and children. Finally, there is a young adult book, were parents isn’t portrayed like some kind of animals without any feelings, judgmental creatures or something like that. It was so great to red a book were mothers and daughters were more like friends.

I think it’s a book that every teenager should at least try to read.

A really sweet story, that features some very likable characters (a lot of whom are also minorities who seem to be in the story for more than just "ticking boxes" which is fantastic!).

I've been looking forward to Becky Albertalli's THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED for ages (having been a huge fan of her debut, SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA), and it was definitely worth the wait! Loved, loved, loved - even the cringeworthy grandma. This is the perfect read for summer, especially if you need a little boost to feel good about yourself. And the world. And boys who wear white sneakers and Middle-earth T-shirts. Also, Simon makes a cameo! Just read it and join me in making heart eyes, ok? It comes out 11th April.

This is the kind of book you have to read when you need something fast and cute.
I adored all the characters in this novel, and they were so relatable and I loved read what they were doing with their lives. 
Molly and Reid gave me so much feels, and I really liked that she was the main character, because her voice was very unique and made me relive some of my experiences when I was 17.
I wish I had this type of books when I was growing up, because I would have felt more understood. 
I kinda laughed a lot, especially when the Grandma was involved. She was a bit tactless, but that reminded of my own Grandma a lot!
A positive note: there's a lot of diversity in this book and I love this, especially because it felt so natural, not like it was placed on purpose to receive positive feedbacks about its presence. 
I've enjoyed more than Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

I have so much love for this book. 

- Packed full of interesting and fleshed out characters
- So much diversity in both race and sexuality
- Mental illness handled so well, an MC with anxiety who is not just about that illness. 
- Friendship between a group of girls who are there for each other
- Family that's very much part of the story and realistic with all it's flaws
- A really cute romance (I could have done without the complication of two boys at first, but I'll forgive it for not turning into a true love triangle).

This is such a relevant book for the times we are living in. It can't get over how relatable it was and how well the characters were written. I'd heard so many great things about this book from other BookTubers and reviewers who had had the privilege of reading it early too and I completely agree with all of their praise. A beautiful, inspiring insight.

THIS BOOK IS SO DAMN CUTE OMG. if the upside of unrequited isn't on your tbr yet then what are you doing?!?!?! i just want to say that i haven't read simon vs yet, and i really need to. the upside of unrequited is the first book i've read by albertalli and it definitely won't be the last.

the upside of unrequited had a very nice pace to it. i was never once bored. the writing style is absolutely beautiful. the dialogue was so realistic too. so many contemporary books that i've read have really unnatural or just extremely cringey dialogue, which certainly wasn't the case with the upside of unrequited.

the characters were also phenomenal. they were so relatable, not to mention diverse (both as poc and lgbt+), and a fat protagonist?!?! it's so great to see more realistic books with accurate portrayals of marginalised groups.

this book is definitely one of the best books that i've read all year.

I was very excited when I heard that Becky Albertalli wrote a second book. I've read "Simon vs. the homo sapiens agenda" last year and liked it a lot. So my expectations for her new novel were high – and they were not only met but exceeded. I loved every little inch of "The Upside of Unrequited", especially the characters. 

Becky Albertalli portrayed Molly – the 17 year old protagonist – in such a perfect way that I couldn't stop cheering for her. She is overweight and since I have been a fat teenager myself I could relate to everything she thought, felt or did. I experienced the same insecurities, the same loneliness, hell I even had the listen to the same crap her grandma is uttering (about being prettier if only she'd lose some weight). I think I never saw a more accurate picture of a fat girl who wants to be loved. 

But that's not the only thing that got me so obsessed with this book. There are also all the other characters, like Molly's sister Cassie or Cassie's new girlfriend. And – of course – Reed, Molly's colleague, a nerd who you can not not like! Or Molly's and Cassie's Moms – yes, they have two moms! – who are devoted and loving and just awesome.
I think what got me so intrigued is that they all feel so real. Like they could live right next door. Everyone is authentic und you just have to like them. Well… at least I couldn't stop falling in love with them ;)

The story itself is actually not that innovative or special. It's about falling in love, fighting your own fears and being yourself. But Becky Albertalli did it in such a lovely way that it doesn't feel like you've read it a million times before. 

"The Upside of Unrequited" is everything I hoped for – and even more. It's funny, it's cute, it's about love and family. The whole book feels so real and heart-warming and just... yeah, kind of perfect.

I was worried that I wouldn't love this book, 'cause I thought I'll be comparing it to Simon vs. the Homo-Sapiens agenda. At first I did, but after a few chapters, I started to get lost in The Upside of Unrequited. The book is extremely diverse and realistic, which I loved very much. 
Becky's writing style is fantastic, unique and fascinating. 

The characters were really realistic and likeable. My favourite one was Molly, who is a really smart, sarcastic and funny girl, but a bit insecure about herself. 

It was an 'all the feels' book and I loved every word of it. 
Can't wait to read more from Becky Albertalli!
I will recommend  The Upside of Unrequited to the Hungarian publisher of Simon vs. the Homo-sapiens agenda :)

5 Stars 

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, often preferring a heady dose of magic to reality. However, there are a handful of contemporary fiction writers that are autobuy for me, and Mrs Albertalli is just one of those writers. I picked up 'Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda' last year at YALC and read the entire book in one sitting, falling in love with just how well Albertalli writes youth, especially those who live their teenage life towards the fringes, not popular but not exactly friendless either. 

Her latest protagonist, Molly, falls into a similar segment of society. She's well liked, has a happy home life, but is plagued with clinical anxiety and shyness which keeps her dreaming rather than acting upon any of her crushes. In Molly's mind it is safer to pine from afar than risk the bitter sting of rejection. But watching her skinny twin, Cassie, fall in love, Molly begins to feel that she is being left behind, and begins to wonder whether she is the only barrier between herself and such happiness. 

'I've had crushes on twenty-six people, twenty-five of whom are not Lin-Manuel Miranda' 

(I feel you, Molly)

This book was ridiculously cute and ridiculously relatable. I'm twenty three and I still feel the same nervous jitters when I come across someone I like and begin to wonder whether they could like me too. I think it will mean a lot to some teenagers readers to see a fat girl in a contemporary romance, to reassure young readers of all genders that being fat doesn't mean they aren't beautiful or deserving of love. 

'There's this awfulness that comes when a guy thinks you like him. It's as if he's fully clothed and you're naked in front of him. It's like your heart suddenly lives outside your body, and whenever he wants, he can reach out and squeeze it. Unless he happens to like you back.' 

Without spoilers, the flirtation between Molly and her love interests was adorable. Hipster Will and Nerd Reid are definitely guys that I have met and dated. I'd also like to thank Albertalli for inserting the ??? into attraction. Sometimes those we come to love have things about them that are odd or a little off-putting at first but you come to accept as you grow to know them. It's not something that is discussed often in romance, especially not teen romance! 

I'd also like to put it out there that any scene about Molly's mothers or their impending wedding made me tear right up. The world is a cold and cruel place to the LGBTQA community right now and this book was filled with the warmth and comfort that I have been craving. It also made me so happy to see bi women in relationships with women still being referred to as bi. It's all too easy for authors to erase a character's bi identity in a relationship and I felt all fuzzy to see that not happening here. 

So, my loves: relatable non-cookie-cutter lead, a distinct lack of instalove, diversity, accurate depictions of anxiety, nerdom, oreos and arts and craft. 

Dislikes? I don't know what you expected me to put here because I loved it all. 

'The Upside of Unrequited' is out on both sides of the Atlantic on the 11th of April (not long now!) and I seriously recommend you all go and pick it up (and 'Simon' if you haven't already read it!). 

Many thanks to Penguin Random House for a copy in return for an honest review. All quotations were drawn from an advanced review copy and may be subject to change in the final novel.

This book? Is EVERYTHING.

You may remember that I was not a huge fan of Simon vs. Now, I can definitely call myself a Becky Albertalli fan because I absolutely adored The Upside of Unrequited.

Let’s start with the characters, shall we. Our protagonist is Molly, a fat teenager who has had over 20 crushes but never had a boyfriend. She is intensely adorable – she wears vintage clothes and makes pinterest-level goodies! – and takes Zoloft for her anxiety. Her twin sister is Cassie, a lesbian who doesn’t take shit from anyone (my favourite conversation of hers involved tearing down patriarchal constructions of virginity. HELL YES.) Molly and Cassie have two moms, one of whom is Asian-American. And finally, Cassie’s love interest Mina is pansexual and Korean.

HOLY DIVERSITY!

I also loved that The Upside of Unrequited is clearly set in 2015, shortly after same-sex marriage was legalised in the US. (When I read that, I had a huge rush of emotion – I so clearly remember where I was when I read about it, and the White House was lit up in rainbow colours. I’m not going to lie, I cried.) The plot itself was good – much like Simon vs, it was a fluffy and romance-filled YA that ended positively. Other than the fact that I loved that Molly learned to love herself just the way she is, I don’t really have much to say about it, to be honest.

The Upside of Unrequited once AGAIN confirms to me that YA is at the forefront of diversity in literature today. And not just diversity – but considered, positive representations that will speak to teenagers for years to come.

There are trigger warnings for fatphobic, homophobic and racist comments.

Set against the backdrop of the legalisation of gay marriage in the US, seventeen year old serial-crusher Molly has never dated, kissed or fallen for anyone. She’s the polar opposite of her twin sister, Cassie, who laughs easily and falls quickly. When new relationships blossom and old relationships change, will Molly get left behind?

I seem to be the only YA fan left standing who hasn’t read Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (yo, anyone else out there want to join my lonely party of one?), so when Upside popped up on NetGalley I was keen to see if the Becky Albertalli hype was justified. My verdict? Yes, it’s totally justified, for the most part.

Becky Albertalli did a really great job of illustrating and dissecting some important themes like sexuality, sibling relationships, body image and coming of age. There are lots of mini-plots which run alongside Molly’s story, which I thought added a lot of depth and a real sense of time and place to the book. Even though Molly is a straight character, the supporting cast of characters really reflects the diversity of modern society. From Molly and Cassie’s two Mums to Cassie’s pansexual girlfriend, Mina, this book includes the kind of young adult characters that today’s teenagers deserve to encounter in their reading, especially in the current political and societal climate.

It’s also important to mention the focus on body image and weight, which doesn’t take centre stage but does have an enormous impact on Molly’s character throughout the book. I really liked the fact that instead of trying to change her weight to please other people, Molly stuck to her guns and remained the way that she wanted to be – the way that she was happy being. There’s been a real push in YA recently to not only present strong, independent female role models, but also to ensure that those role models are realistic and varied. Molly fits the bill perfectly, so huge props to Albertalli for this.

This isn’t an action-packed book, but what it lacks in pacing it makes up for in writing. Although I don’t think of the writing in this book as particularly profound or sparkly, it is hilariously true to life and very witty. I think a lot of people will find themselves relating to Molly’s character in different ways, and that’s where the real brilliance of the authors writing lies: in her characterisation. The characters all have their own bold personalities and quirks, and I really appreciated the level of development afforded to secondary characters like Molly and Cassie’s friends, Olivia and Abby, as well as one of Molly’s love interests, Reid. I know I’m banging on like a stuck record at the moment about realistic parental representation in YA and its importance, but I really do want to take a sec to praise that aspect of this book. The way Nadine and Patty (Molly and Cassie’s Mums) are portrayed in Upside is awesome. Rather than just being there to provide structure, they actually interact with the plot and the other characters. They’re written in a way that I can only describe as lovely, and I adored getting to know them and falling in love with both of them and their relationship with each other.

My main criticisms are two-fold. Firstly, it was always pretty obvious which of the love interests (Hipster Will or Lord of the Rings Reid) Molly was going to fall for. Although I was totally on board when that ship sailed, I would have preferred just a touch more ambiguity in order to really get me to root for one or the other of the pairings. Whilst I loved reading from Molly’s perspective, I felt quite disconnected from Cassie throughout the story, who’s on-off behaviour left me feeling pretty cold towards her. I think had this book have been told using a dual perspective approach with the odd chapter being told from Cassie’s point of view, I might have been able to empathise with her a lot more than I did.

The Upside of Unrequited doesn’t dazzle with pretty writing or whimsical imagery, but what it does provide is a straight-talking, funny look at what it’s like to grow up, grow apart and take risks, even when they scare you. Written with honesty, realism, and diversity in mind; this is the kind of contemporary YA that should be stocked in every school library and every bookshop’s teen shelf across the globe.

I am definitely going against the grain with my review of The Upside of Unrequited, but here me out. I enjoyed the novel, but did I like it as much as Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda? Sorry, but no.

It’s probably unfair to compare these books to each other, but The Upside of Unrequited sort-of works as a companion to Albertalli’s first novel, so I couldn’t help but contrast the two. In Simon, we were introduced to a wide-range of fantastic characters, all individual and emphatically real. In Upside, the characters felt a little two-dimensional for my liking. They just didn’t do it for me.

The Upside of Unrequited follows seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso, who has had twenty-six crushes (twenty-five if you don’t include Lin-Manuel Miranda) and each of those crushes has been decidedly unrequited. Her twin sister Cassie tells her to woman up and just date someone already, but Molly is terrified of rejection. That may have something to do with her issues with weight and her intense anxiety, for which she takes Zoloft. So she is careful. But then, Cassie falls in love and Molly feels as though she and her sister are drifting apart. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend’s best friend is a cute hipster boy who may or may not like Molly. Molly might just be able to win her sister back, right? The only problem is Molly’s co-worker, Reid. He is a chubby Tolkien and Game of Thrones fan and not at all Molly’s type. Except that he is.

Before I dissect the characters, let me explain how ecstatic I was at the level of diversity in this novel. All books should aspire to be as diverse, but what makes this novel stand apart is how normal Albertalli made it out to be. Of course diversity is normal, but these days, you would be hard-pressed to find an author – I don’t mean an #OwnVoices author – who understands this. So many authors freeze at the mere mention of diversity, or, when they’re called out, either try to justify their actions, or make a mockery of diversity by adding a few gay or POC background characters to be like, “Hey, look at my books, such diversity.” I won’t name names but I’m sure you can think of a few authors.

In The Upside of Unrequited, there was so much diversity there was almost an overload (I mean that as a compliment). Molly was fat and Jewish, Cassie was a lesbian, one of their mothers was bi while the other was gay and a POC, and Cassie’s girlfriend Mina was Korean and pansexual. And while I was so happy to see such diverse characters in a YA novel, none of the characters (aside from Molly) felt realistic. It is one thing to feature so many diverse characters, another to never address that diversity. Of course one could say that was Albertalli’s intent: diversity is a normal part of life – we don’t have to always address it. But this is a YA novel that focuses on LGBT people, mental health, sexuality, religion and race – how could you not address it?! What is that old saying? Ah yes – quality over quantity.

I sort of feel like the odd one out here, because everyone I know – including reviewers I trust – seem to love this book, but I was let down by the characters. They were all lacking the definitive, complex personality of a real person. To me they read like characters on a page, superficial attempts at realism, whereas in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda the characters were real people to me. I could connect with them. I didn’t connect with one single character in Upside, not even the protagonist.

Molly was a conundrum. There were times I almost felt something for her, but her inability to stand up for herself grew tiring. I totally understand that her anxiety prevented her from behaving like a typical seventeen-year-old would, but that didn’t stop me from growing annoyed. It wasn’t even until about 60% of the way through the novel that I started to like Molly. Her continual self-deprecating personality incensed me, but occasionally, she would stop thinking only about herself and put herself in someone else’s shoes. It was these rare moments where I could connect with Molly and her situation. I know every teenager feels like high school is the peak of their lives and they must go through full, wide-ranging experiences of adulthood by the age of seventeen, but it is not so. I think my eyes rolled to the very back of my head when Molly said, with complete sincerity, “I know I’m a late bloomer,” all because she did not have a boyfriend at the wise-old age of seventeen.

I didn’t particularly like Cassie. I found her quite selfish and, frankly, uncaring. She didn’t take anybody’s feelings into account and often spoke first and thought later. That didn’t mean she was a bad character, just an irksome one. Her relationship with Mina developed off the page, so the degree in which they cared for each other surprised me, because I didn’t see it happening: the reader was just told about it, after the fact. I read a review of this book where the reviewer thought the novel would have been stronger if we had two POVs: one from Molly and the other from Cassie, so we could also see Cassie’s relationship develop, and I have to agree. Cassie went from sharing everything with Molly, to not even telling her when she and Mina became official. Why the sudden change? Getting into Cassie’s head would have helped the book.

The central reason why I didn’t enjoy this book was the plot. What plot? It felt quite stagnant and, to be honest, quite boring. Not much happens. With Simon, you have the blackmail storyline, Simon’s quest to find out the identity of his pen-pal and the up-coming school play, mixed in with Simon’s emails to Blue. There was a lot happening and Albertelli balanced each storyline perfectly. I didn’t get that same feel with this novel. The plot was really very simple and, while that is usually not an issue with me, paired with Albertelli’s writing, the story didn’t go anywhere.

I have to admit I was disappointed in Albertalli’s writing. It wasn’t very different from her style in Simon, but I think her writing suffered due to her choice of protagonist. Molly’s inner monologue was very much: No one will ever like me, except I think this guy likes me, I’m the last virgin in the world, oh I think Mina is still a virgin too, I don’t like Reid he’s too nerdy, omg he looked at me, I have a crush on him, but I like Will, and oh Will smiled maybe I should be with him instead. There was too much contraction and teeniness for me. The writing was very simple and derivative. I wasn’t wowed like in Simon. I was let down. Also, can you even call it unrequited love when Molly never told any of her twenty-six crushes that she liked them? (I don’t think you can).

While I love coming-of-age stories, The Upside of Unrequited lacked that certain something that I found in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. The plot was uninteresting, the diversity was apparent but not discussed in detail, and the characters were superficial. The elements Albertalli attempted to include – issues regarding sexuality, mental health, and even race – did not mesh well together. They were mentioned and then never fully explored. If this book were 100 pages longer, I am confident Albertalli could have fixed the issues I found. The book could have been a strong forerunner of what it means to write a successful and timeless diverse novel. Unfortunately, that was not the case.