Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Randomhouse UK for providing me with an ARC to review!

The first time I saw this book, I was immediately drawn to the bright blue cover and after a brief glance at the description, I knew I wanted to read it. I added it to my goodreads list and then forgot about it.  But then I was browsing the LGBTQIA category on Netgalley and found The Upside of Unrequited again. I’ve never read a YA LGBTQIA book before so I was very intruiged and immediately requested to read it.

The first thing I absolutely loved was the diversity within this book! I knew going in to it that the main character was heterosexual and her twin sister was gay.  But I wasn’t sure how much of a role this would play in the book.  This book featured staight, gay, bisexual, pansexual, black, white, Korean-American and Jewish characters – amazing! And it all felt really natural.  It didn’t  feel like there was any sort of diversity quota that needed to be reached and while it was touched on in the book, it was just a normal part of their life. I adored the family dynamic Albertalli created in the Peskin-Suso family. The twins, Molly and Cassie, had a great relationship with their moms and little brother. The sister relationship and the way this book addressed the change in the dynamic of their relationship once Cassie got a girlfriend was fantastically done. I loved pretty much everything about this family. Albertalli made this book feel so current and relevant, and I love that she included the day Supreme Court ruled on same-sex marriage and the celebrations that ensued!

I really appreciated Molly’s character for several reasons, but the biggest of which was the fact that she has anxiety.  I struggle with anxiety too, and this is the first time I’ve read a book that gives a first person account of anxiety.  It was nice to be able to relate to her in this way.

Times I totally related to Molly in The Upside of Unrequited:

If someone says I’m sad, or asks me what’s wrong, or tells me not to cry, it’s like my body hears: NOW CRY. Like a command, even if I’m not actually sad. But maybe there are always tiny sad pieces inside me, waiting to be recognized and named. Maybe it’s like that for everyone. 
I wish I were better at forgetting things. 
It’s like every time I think of something awesome to say, I rehearse it in my head so maybe at times, I forget whether I’ve said it out loud yet. And I think it goes without saying that awesome one-liners are decidedly less awesome when you repeat them by accident. 
There were probably a lot more but I forgot to highlight them. Even though Molly is a 17 year old girl who’s never been kissed and I’m a 32 year old married woman, I could really relate to her. It was nice knowing someone else gets what goes on in my head sometimes. 

The characters were very well developed and I felt as though I got a good sense of each of them, even those who were not very active in the story. I would love to keep reading more about them. I’d actually really love it if Becky Albertalli wrote a book about Patty and Nadine, I want to read more about these awesome moms!

And speaking of characters, Reid’s emoji game was on point!  👌👍
The overall feeling I had while reading this book was happiness. When I am struck with anxiety, I turn to books to help me deal with it.  This book was an excellent anti-anxiety read, as it kept me smiling and turning the pages. It was a sweet coming of age love story, but the love story had so many different dimensions – love for ones family, love for oneself, and of course crushes that become more than crushes.

This is the first book of Becky Albertelli’s I’ve read. I’ve heard amazing things about Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and after reading The Upside of Unrequited, I am definitely going to add it to my list!

The book is full of good vibes and positive messages. Becky touched on subjects like homosexuality, rejection, growing up and growing apart, insecurities. Despite these complicated and heavy subjects, she managed to make the book light and easy to read, at the same time not making these problems seem trivial. 

For it is so realistic and relatable, I give it a solid 4.5 stars.

Utterly adorable, swoonily romantic but also very real. God this book is so warm and good hearted it makes me happy...if you liked Simon vs the Homo Sapiens, you will eat this up with a spoon.

Mi pento davvero tanto di aver posticipato la lettura di Non so chi sei, ma io sono qui, il romanzo d'esordio di Becky Albertalli, perché The upside of unrequited è stata una stupenda lettura, dolce e amara insieme.

Tutto inizia quando Molly scambia due parole in un bagno con Mina, che ben presto diventerà la cotta di sua sorella gemella, Cassie. Ma ora che quest'ultima è innamorata, che fare con Molly, se non trovargli un fidanzato?
Purtroppo la ragazza ha una cosa come 27 cotte, che non ha mai confessato o vissuto. A volte non ci ha nemmeno proprio parlato. Così Cassie, Olivie e Abby, sue due amiche, decidono che Will, il miglior amico di Mina, è il ragazzo perfetto per Molly. 
Ma che dire di Reid, quello che lavora con lei?
Tra decorazioni per il matrimonio delle due madri di Molly e Cassie, gelosie tra sorelle e amiche e un mucchio di dubbi,Molly riuscirà ad avere il fidanzato che tanto voleva?

Questo è uno YA fatto molto bene: è frizzante e carino, ma tocca temi importanti, come l'immagine di sè e la trasformazione dei rapporti famigliari, oltre che il meraviglioso mondo delle relazioni amorose.
Molly è una ragazza come tante, preoccupata del suo peso e assolutamente imbranata con i ragazzi, ma decisamente leale verso i suoi fratelli e le sue amiche. Forse così abituata a fare da tappezzeria che, quando Cassie inizia a passare molto tempo con Mina, si sente abbandonata da quella che era la sua spalla e non sa bene come sentirsi, visto che da un lato c'è la solitudine, ma dall'altro la felicità nel vedere la gemella felice.
Cassie è più esuberante e forse leggermente prepotente, festaiola e pronta a sperimentare senza remore. Mi è piaciuta di meno, perché non tratta sempre benissimo Molly, che è un po' il lato debole, ma si sforza comunque di parlarle e di includerla nelle sue uscite con Mina. Forse più che cercarle ad ogni costo un ragazzo, avrebbe dovuto spingerla a considerare il fatto che non averlo non è una disgrazia e che, non potendo più occupare insieme le loro giornate, avrebbe potuto sperimentare altre cose e farsi anche amici diversi.
In ogni caso, la loro relazione è magnificamente rappresentata, realistica e tumultuosa, ma piena d'amore e di comprensione.
Anche le loro due madri, Nadine e Patty, sono stupende, due vere genitrici, che si preoccupano dei loro figli e cercano di instaurare un dialogo con loro, piene di fiducia e di regole. Le ho adorate nella scena della legalizzazione del matrimonio omosessuale nel Maryland, dove abitano, perché, anche se con una lunga relazione e tre figli alle spalle, sono state così eccitate all'idea di sposarsi.
Reid, il ragazzo dalle sneakers bianco splendenti, è decisamente adorabile. Forse era prevedibile che (view spoiler), ma in ogni caso ho adorato come fosse realmente amico di Molly, che parlassero semplicemente di stupidaggini e facessero cose normali insieme, come andare a fare la spesa. 

Forse la vicenda è un po' tirata per le lunghe e in fondo si ha un mezzo polpettone tragico seguito da capitoli più o meno inutili, che sono decisamente carini in ogni caso, ma è rinfrescante vedere una ragazza crescere e amare, liberata dalle sue paure e circondata da persone che le vogliono bene. L'autrice è stata superba nel rappresentare altre situazioni e pensieri, ad esempio l'amica che preferisce non avere un ragazzo in questo momento, e in generale il mondo di un'adolescente come tante, tra la vergogna verso il sesso, le discussioni su cerette e ragazzi.
Insomma, lo consiglio molto.

This was a really cute, fun book about romance, crushes and family. There's a great diverse range of characters and three of the most lovely little love stories.

Love story one, and the main one of the book, is Molly. She's had 26 crushes in her life - 25 of which have not been Lin Manuel Miranda - but she's never acted on any of them. Enter cute, hipster Will who's fun and friendly and also the best friend of her sister's girlfriend. If she can date him then she can keep her sister close and have her first kiss too. But then there's Reid, her nerdy co-worker who she's super relaxed around and might just be even better crush material, as long as he doesn't fall for her best friend Olivia...

Reid was the obvious contender for a real crush in my eyes, despite Will being very cute. I thought he'd end up being a stereotypical good looking ass but he was actually very sweet. To me though, he just wasn't the right one for Molly, while Reid was someone she could talk to and hang out with, which is more important to a relationship than butterflies in the stomach. I liked Molly's theory about why she had never acted on her crushes and how she just needed to be rejected to get it over with. When you're young you sometimes think that being rejected by a crush is the worst thing that could happen, and while it might not be great and could be awkward for a while, you'll very soon get over it. Trust me.

Love story two is Molly's twin Cassie and Mina, a girl they meet in a club and who becomes Cassie's first serious girlfriend. These two are adorable together and I loved the way their story was written. The;r relationship puts a strain on Cassie and Molly's relationship, which Cassie does her best to balance but things inevitably get complicated along the way.

The third is between their two moms, Nadine and Patty. Patty had the twins via a sperm donor, and many years later Nadine had their little brother Xavier by the same donor, which I thought was really sweet. During the book, gay marriage is legalised and Nadine and Patty can finally get married. I think what I loved most about this was just seeing an LGBTQ+ family living a normal and happy life. It just made me smile.

There's ups and downs in the book as Molly and Cassie fall out, Mina meets their slightly racist Grandma and Reid looks like he might get his head turned by newly single Olivia. I got frustrated with Molly because I just wanted her to talk to Cassie and Reid rather than making assumptions about what was going on with them. Communicate, people, it's important!

This was a book that just made me smile with all its lovely characters and relationships. It's great to see a diverse range of characters in a book, and I love an LGBTQ+ book that isn't a coming out story too. If you're looking for a diverse contemporary romance read then this one's for you.

I know, this is a disaster. The Upside of Unrequited – a novel I've been looking forward to for months – only received 3 stars from me. I'll need some Oreos to get over this. Overall, I liked it fine but I'm so disappointed I didn't like it more. This is Becky Albertalli, after all. I feel like she wanted too many things with this book. The Upside of Unrequited and I just didn't click. That spark I had with Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda? Inexistent. There was no chemistry between me and this book. That's a real case of unrequited love right there.

✓ Meet the main character of The Upside of Unrequited: Molly Peskin-Suso. Molly is the kind of character you cannot help but want to protect. She struggles with body issues and insecurities and the idea of being rejected by a boy. Molly is an authentic, flawed, and relatable main character. One minute she let others trample across her feelings like a herd of elephants, which was infuriating to watch, and the next she dealt verbal blows to those around her. I thought her portrayal was very authentic, the way Albertalli balanced a very good-hearted, gentle character with feelings such as anger and jealousy. Though this is largely due to Albertalli's writing and the first person pov, Molly's introspection is perceptive and genuine, and it contains sarcasm and funny similes, which I absolutely adored.

✓ I also liked the sibling dynamics between Molly and Cassie. Her twin sister is the complete opposite of her, in both phenotype and personality. Cassie is wild, flirtatious, and reckless, but she also has her vulnerabilities, and I loved how Albertalli tickled those out of an otherwise confident character. Their differences in character brought forth a realistic sibling relationship which contains a strong friendship but also lots of banter and fights. As with Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens, I would also like to point out some very strong parental relationships and family bonds.  Albertalli depicted loving, caring, and funny mothers who had an extra sense for their two puberting daughters' struggles. The parental support was amazing and I love seeing those healthy relationships depicted in YA.

✓ Albertalli's writing has that special kind of spark which is perfectly suitable and adequate for a YA contemporary. She provides an accurate insight into the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of hormonal adolescents like barely any other author I know. Her introspection could be picked straight out of a teenage brain. To further underpin this accuracy, her prose entails a realistic amount of slang and the word "like" (because omg we use it all the damn time), but she also tickles those facial muscles with lovely humourous passages.

✓ Albertalli's books are the epitome of diversity. Unfortunately, I also had complaints about this point (see below), but I'd like to acknowledge the inclusion of diversity as a largely positive point. The body issues are zoomed in on very closely, mostly Molly's self-concept and how it is reinforced or challenged by others. In addition, Molly's mental health is addressed, as she is on an anti-depressant. I loved how subtly her sister's homosexuality or "having two mums" was introduced. Albertalli doesn't seem to feel like she needs to print the word "homosexual" above characters' heads with an arrow pointing at them. On the contrary, she includes diversity in a very natural, by-the-way kind of way, which is great because this is how it's supposed to be. I adored the mixed-race f/f relationships employed in this book and how, for example, Cassie challenged the hetero definition of virginity. I also thought the Jewish elements Albertalli, being Jewish herself, placed in the story were authentic and gave the story a special touch. Of course, she questions our defaults again, this time not with regard to sexuality or race, but in a romantic sense (I think she just loves the word "default").

✘ This passage will probably make it apparent that I skimmed the premise, yes. When I realized the main character, who struggled with romance, was chubby, whereas her slender, super-confident sister got every phone number she wanted, I almost lost my fucking cool. Connecting unrequited love with overweight is honestly everything that has ever been wrong with this genre. I know plenty of chubby women who wear their confidence like a second pair of skin, while there are so many (slender) women who feel incredibly insecure. Enough with the fucking stereotypes, okay? It allows for both the character and the reader to attribute her being unlucky in love with her weight. I realize that this was not the point Albertalli was trying to make, but this simultaneous occurrence of body issues and love life issues is problematic for me.  For me, this was just another case of a supposedly ugly duckling on the lookout for a boy to improve her self-esteem, to make her feel alright in the body she has. Look, a guy that makes you feel loved and good about yourself is sweet, but this does not send a healthy message, in my opinion. I'm happy Albertalli introduced an overweight character and I'm glad she zoomed in on how this character dealt with body issues, the remarks she got, and how she felt in her skin. But as soon as self-worth is linked to romance, I must see myself to the door.

✘ In an earlier post about book trends I'm tired of, I mentioned superficial diversity. Yes, I'm one of those picky readers for whom simply having a dark-skinned or gay or Muslim character in the cast is not enough. I want depth, and this book did not fully deliver. We have an abundance of diverse characters: Besides the Jewish main character, there's a lesbian twin sister, a bisexual Jewish mother and a homosexual Afro American mother, a chubby Jewish love interest, and a pansexual Korean love interest. Diversity is nothing but an empty shell if it isn't further explored. Albertalli doesn't address everything she depicts, and that's an issue for me. Let me elaborate. 1) The book has literally one passage on what it means to have not only two mothers but of different skin colours. Dammit, this is important and it should be a recurring theme. 2) She throws a word like pansexual into the room and just lets it hang there. I knew what it meant but considering how many younger people will be reading this book, I honestly expected Albertalli to explain the term and to explore what it meant for this character to be pansexual. 3) Molly is on Zoloft (an anti-depressant) but her mental health is never further explored. She's on an anti-depressant but I don't have a complete understanding why. Since she's on prescriptive psychotropic drugs, this means there's a general practicioner or a psychiatrist involved, yet this is never mentioned as far as I know. I can see what Albertalli tried to accomplish: Diversity as a side element, which means it just exists without having to be addressed since our differences in race, sexuality, religion, mental health, and body type and so on are completely natural and simply a part of our daily life. While that is true, I still prefer quality over quantity when it comes to diversity. At the end of the book, I want to feel like I understand the characters down to their core, including everything that defines them. For me, this did not happen with The Upside of Unrequited.

✘ To be honest, I thought the title The Upside of Unrequited was misleading. I dove into this book believing that this was going to be the revolution of the contemporary genre with regard to sticky-sweet romance. I thought Albertalli was going to do something different, something that didn't resemble all those peachy endings with rainbows and unicorns. Well, she didn't. There was no upside to unrequited love, because all the main character did for a majority of the book was look at the downside. And in my opinion, there was no unrequited love, either, because Molly had never actually told any of her crushes that she liked them, so is it really unrequited if the person doesn't frickin know you like them? If you didn't even really get a rejection? I get that Albertalli was trying to focus on Molly's coping strategies for her insecurities, which was avoiding confronting her crushes and possible rejections in the first place, but then title it The Upside of Avoidance and evoke realistic expectations, please. Because in the end, this contemporary wasn't the black sheep I hoped it would be. Nope, it was just another sappy, even if diverse and at times gloomy romance. Hell, I'm really not the ideal audience for this, so perhaps you need to take my 3-star rating with a grain of salt.

Though The Upside of Unrequited had some enjoyable moments, witty exchanges, and a great take on body issues, homosexuality, and sibling dynamics, this book and I were not made for each other. I'd say I liked it but I hold no love for it, as there were several things that irked me. I appreciate what Albertalli wanted to accomplish with her second novel, but in my opinion, not all of the elements she introduced worked in the story's favour.

OK, so this was disturbing.... I AM MOLLY!!!! yes i'm pushing 40, but I am so like Molly. She acted just how I felt at her age.

Slightly geeky. Slightly awkward. Comfortable in her own skin (overweight) but not confident with it. No idea how to talk to boys. A grandma who manages to make you feel REALLY uncomfortable! Biting her tongue rather than speaking up and causing all kinds of problems because of it!

Absolutely brilliant.

This was so well written and so believable. And the diversity was amazing. We had lesbians, bi-sexuals, homosexuals, pansexuals, white, black, mixed race, Korean, homophobes as well as a main character on medication for mental health issues (and not afraid to mention it) all in one book. And the most awesome thing was it didn't feel forced at all. It felt so natural and so real. I could imagine going to Molly's house and fitting right in, no matter who I was. THAT is how I would love the world to be.

The story ambles along at a gentle pace, and you are watching Molly, Cassie and their group of people grow up in front of you. Finding and losing love. Falling out and making up. watching the world change around them - Molly and Cassie watching their mums getting married with the legalisation of gay marriage in the US.

It was just amazing. I really don't know what else to say!

Becky Albertalli, we loved Simon. We love Molly, we want more!

I loved this author's debut novel so much & have been very excited to read her next work. I'm so pleased to say that The Upside of Unrequited doesn't disappoint. Molly is both totally loveable and completely hilarious as narrator. Having lived through my own teenage years as a bigger girl and struggling with the extra complications this brings around body confidence & acting on crushes, I could totally identify with Molly's feelings and frustrations. I really liked that the family relationships and friendships remained central to the plot. The family is larger than life with big personalities, but this didn't stop them being likeable (in fact I'm sure the inappropriate grandma was channelling my own grandmother for most of the book). That's not to say that both sister's burgeoning relationships aren't very sweet at the same time. Albertalli did a great job of capturing the feeling of being both excited and scared of change & the realisation that comes towards the end of high school that things can't stay the same forever. 

Shoehorning Simon from her first book into a brief cameo was the only thing that jarred slightly. I loved Simon in his book, but it felt unnecessary to bring him into Molly's story. This is only a small grumble though. Overall this was a hugely funny and heart warming read that I would recommend. I think this is my first 5 star read of 2017, which has to say something.

**ARC provided by NetGalley in return for a honest review**

ENGLISH REVIEW:

Center of this story are Molly and her family. It's a Jewish family (and that aspect also makes it an #ownvoices story) with two mums and three children: the twins Molly and Cassie and two-year old Xavier. The best part is that at least 60% of this family are queer (Xavier is a bit too young to say anything about that yet): one of the mums, Patty, is bisexual, while the other mum, Nadine, and Cassie are lesbian. Nadine and Xavier are also black – as is Abby, Molly's cousin and our link to Becky Albertalli's previous book, "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda". (She specifically doesn't have a big role in this book, but she turns up every now and then.)

"The Upside of Unrequited" is a beautifully positive book. That's not to say it doesn't deal with serious or sad issues. Hating queerness, sexism, fatshaming and racism are all addressed. Not all in Nadine's family accept her being lesbian. Friends of Mina's (Cassie's love interest, a pansexual, American-Korean girl) may generally be nice, but they're also sexist douchebags who think penetrative sex is the only "real" sex. Patty's mother has it in for Molly for being fatand continuously makes her feel bad about her body. The good thing is that all of this is questioned and called out. Just not always as harshly as I hoped it would be – for example, Cassie is trying to set up her sister with one of Mina's friends even after they their sexist comments. It became a bit gross after a while.

What I really liked about the book was how relatable Molly was. Relatives making seemingly harmless comments about your weight and really hurting you? Check. Her worries about intimacy and relationships, partially caused by her insecurities due to her weight? Definitely check. Her shyness that makes it almost impossible for her to have the conversations she wants to have? Well damn. 
So much better, then, that Becky Albertalli goes all the way and has Molly realise that she is beautiful. That she doesn't have to get thinner and change any other way or needs to have a boyfriend to be lovable or desirable.

The books doesn't manage the avoid all clichés – there's a bit of a love triangle and good ol' misunderstanding to create drama the story didn't actually need. But all that pales in comparison to the characters and their love for each other. And I don't just mean Cassie and Mina, or Molly and Reid. Those are fantastic as well and great romances – they're based on friendship and all the more exciting thanks to it. Not to mention believable – there's actual chemistry here! But I'm also talking about the love between Cassie and Molly as sisters, the love in their whole family. The love between friends. Sure, there can be setbacks and problems – but that doesn't have to be the end of the world or destroy everything.

After reading "The Upside of Unrequited", I just felt really good. Whether you are fat or queer or shy or confused or uncertain – all that is okay. It's fine and you are loved. Not despite it, but just like that.
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GERMAN REVIEW:

Im Zentrum der Geschichte stehen Molly und ihre Familie. Es ist eine jüdische Familie (in dieser Hinsicht ist es auch ein #ownvoices-Buch) mit zwei Müttern und drei Kindern: den Zwillingen Molly und Cassie, und dem zweijährigen Xavier. Das Lustigste ist, dass mindestens 60% der Familie queer sind (Xavier ist da noch etwas zu jung, um eine Aussage zu treffen): Eine der Mütter, Patty, ist bisexuell, während die andere Mutter, Nadine, und Cassie lesbisch sind. Außerdem sind Nadine und Xavier Schwarz – ebenso wie Abby, Mollys Cousine und unsere Verbindung zu Becky Albertallis vorherigem Buch, "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda". (Eine wirkliche Rolle spielt sie im Buch nicht, sie taucht aber ab und an auf.)

"The Upside of Unrequited" ist ein wunderbar positives Buch. Was nicht heißen soll, dass es nicht auch um ernste und traurige Themen geht. Queerfeindlichkeit, Sexismus, Fatshaming und Rassismus – all das wird angesprochen. Nicht alle in Nadines Familie respektieren, dass sie lesbisch ist. Freunde von Mina (Cassies Love Interest, ein pansexuelles, amerikanisch-koreanisches Mädchen) mögen generell noch so nett sein, sie sind aber auch sexistische Vollpfosten, die glauben, penetrativer Sex wäre der einzig "richtige" Sex. Pattys Mutter hackt beständig auf Molly rum, weil sie fett ist und sorgt dafür, dass sie sich schlecht fühlt. Das Gute ist, dass all das in Frage gestellt und widerlegt wird. Nicht immer so rigoros, wie ich mir wünschen würde – beispielsweise versucht Cassie, ihre Schwester mit einem von Minas Freunden zu verkuppeln und das selbst nachdem sie sich daneben benommen haben. Nach einer Weile war's ein bisschen ekelig. 

Was mir ganz besonders am Buch gefiel, war, wie sehr ich Mollys Sorgen nachvollziehen konnte. Verwandte, die angeblich harmlose Kommentare über dein Gewicht von sich geben, die aber deutlich mehr anrichten? Check. Ihre Sorgen und Fragen rund ums Thema Intimität und Beziehungen, unter anderem durch die Unsicherheit, die sie wegen ihres Gewichts hat? Sowas von check. Ihre Schüchternheit, die es ihr unmöglich zu machen scheint, mit anderen die Konversationen zu führen, die sie führen will? Aber hallo. 
Umso schöner ist es, dass Becky Albertalli den ganzen Weg geht und Molly realisieren lässt, dass sie schön ist. Dass sie nicht dünner werden oder sich anders verändern oder einen Freund haben muss, um liebens- oder begehrenswert zu sein. 

Ganz ohne Klischees kommt die Geschichte nicht aus – wir haben ein bisschen was von einem Liebesdreieck und das gute alte Missverständnis muss gegen Ende Drama erzeugen, das nicht unbedingt notwendig war. All das verblasst aber vor den Charakteren und ihren Liebesbeziehungen. Und damit meine ich nicht nur Cassie und Mina, oder Molly und Reid. Wobei die auch fantastisch sind, weil diese Romanzen endlich mal wieder auch Freundschaften basieren und sie damit umso mitreißender und vor allem glaubhafter sind – das Ganze hat Chemie! Aber ich meine auch die Liebe zwischen Cassie und Molly als Schwestern, die Liebe innerhalb der ganzen Familie. Die Liebe zwischen Freundinnen. Bei allem kann es mal bröckeln und Probleme geben – aber das muss nicht das Ende der Welt sein und alles zerstören. 

Nach dem Lesen von "The Upside of Unrequited" hab ich mich einfach gut gefühlt. Ob du dick bist oder queer oder schüchtern oder durcheinander oder unsicher – das ist alles gar nicht schlimm. Es ist in Ordnung und du wirst geliebt. Nicht nur trotzdem, sondern einfach so.

General Rating: ★★★★ (4 stars)
Diversity rating:  ★★★ (3 stars: POC: Asian, Korean-American, LGBT+: pansexual, bi, gay, minority: Jewish)

I have heard a lot about Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda but I have not yet read it, this book is by the same author and is highly anticipated by a lot of people!
I just feel like writing a bunch of quotes instead of a review, because this book is so very quotable.

My favourite character was by far Molly, she’s just amazing and here is why:

She’s an introvert
“Molly Peskin-Suso: disoriented introvert, alone in the wild.”

“Either way, I am clearly unfit for human company right now.”

She’s an antisocial, socially awkward cinnamon roll.
“We walk up Maple, and I feel tongue-tied. Not even tongue-tied. I mean, my tongue isn’t the problem. It’s my brain. It’s like this: Me: Hey brain. Let’s think of something cool to say! Brain: UHHHHHHHHHHH. Me: Okay, it doesn’t have to be cool. Just something semi-coherent… Brain: UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Me: COME ON, BRAIN, GIVE ME SOMETHING. Brain: *white noise*.”

She’s a chubby girl and is very self-conscious of her body.
“I hate that I’m even thinking that. I hate hating my body. Actually, I don’t even hate my body. I just worry everyone else might. Because chubby girls don’t get boyfriends, and they definitely don’t have sex. Not in movie – not really – unless it’s supposed to be a joke. And I don’t want to be a joke.”

Reasons not to love Molly.

She is very determined to get a boyfriend, for the sake of having a boyfriend. And I don’t like that. I think that the story is very much focused on her wanting to have a significant other, and I think that I would have loved it much more if it wasn’t.
That’s it.
The other characters are great too, and I really liked the dynamics of the group of friends. And despite that I didn’t like the whole idea that Molly needs to have a boyfriend or at least kissed someone, I did really like the romance in the book. I think that this book talks about topics that are very important, such as sex and sexual orientation, family, relationships, and more.

The writing style was funny and relatable and overall I really liked this book. It didn’t mesmerise me as much as I’d expect, but that is probably because I’m a little tired of the idea that you’re not good enough if you haven’t had a boyfriend at a certain age. I would like to give you my sincere apologies for this very short, messy and incoherent review, but I did really love it I just don’t know how to express it.

I give this book 4 stars because it was very relatable, funny, cute, realistic and also very diverse! At least half the characters are either POC, LGTB+, or are part of a minority or a combination of those. I would definitely recommend this book!

Before I even picked up The Upside of Unrequited I was quite nervous to read it. I loved Becky Albertalli's debut novel, and I didn't want to find myself comparing the two. But despite the two stories existing in the same world, they ended up feeling very separate. And although I didn't like it as much as I loved Simon, I found that Upside was cute and relatable in a whole different way.

Molly has had plenty of crushes, but never any relationships. And this book captures really well how terrifying that is. At an age where everyone is doing one thing, it can feel like there's something wrong with you for not being the same. I'm amazed that more books aimed at teens don't deal with stuff like this, because reading about Molly's experiences was something I needed to have read about when I was younger.

"Even if he likes me, I'm not sure he'd like me naked. I hate that I'm even thinking that. I hate hating my body. Actually, I don't even hate my body. I just worry that everyone else might."

I'm also really glad to see an author deal with body issues and an anxiety in the way that Becky Albertalli did too. Molly takes Zoloft (or Sertraline as it's called in the UK), but her anxiety doesn't make her 'different' or 'special'. She's also fat, but she doesn't hate her body, or even want to change it. And I think those things are so so important and need to be written more about. Because often our own fears aren't centred around what we believe, but the thought of what others might believe. Self loathing isn't a necessary part of the teenage equation.

This book was also a truckload of diversity which was pretty awesome. Molly and her twin Cassie are sperm donor babies to two mums (one is a Jewish bisexual woman and the other is a black lesbian woman). Plus Cassie is queer and dating a girl who is Korean and pansexual. So as I said - a truckload of awesome diversity.

But as much as I love diversity and as much as I could relate to Molly's experiences, I didn't really connect with her voice. What she said was relatable, but the way she said it didn't feel real to me. The words and the writing felt really disjointed most of the time, and would go on tangents that didn't really feel relevant. And ultimately that made it really hard to click with, especially for the first half of the book. Also, a lot of the time the story felt as though nothing was directing it - kind of like when you trip and your limbs go everywhere. The story lacked any drive and so I didn't really care as much as I would have wanted to.

Nevertheless, The Upside of Unrequited is still a really good book, and I'm glad I read it. It is something I needed when I was younger, and possibly something I needed even now at nineteen. I will still recommend it to people, not for the writing, but for the messages it holds.



Diversity Note: Fat protagonist who has anxiety, with multiple LGBT+ and/or POC supporting characters

An ebook copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

The Upside Of Unrequited, the sophomore novel by author Becky Albertalli, introduces us to Molly, a twin and chubby girl who has never had a boyfriend before. But things change when her twin sister Cassie meets Mina, a Korean-American girl.

Because Mina? She introduces Will into Molly's world. Will isn't the only boy who enters Molly's world, though. There's also Reid, whose parents own the shop were Molly is working for the summer.

As the summer progresses, feelings start developing and things get complicated on more than one front. 

Plot

I thought The Upside Of Unrequited was a nice story about how falling in love and starting a new relationship can change your existing relationships with the people closest to you. And while I did enjoy reading this book (I actually finished it in one sitting one night), I don't feel like there was a lot happening throughout. 

We join our cast of characters at various parties throughout the story, we join Molly at her summer job where she spends time with Reid and then finally we have the wedding. And that's really all that happens plot-wise and that's not enough for me, to be honest. 

Writing

Becky Albertalli has a writing style that makes it easy to follow along with her story and definitely factors into how much you end up enjoying this novel. And while I did like the first person point of view that the author chose for this book it also made it difficult to get to know the other characters more - they felt really flat to me. 

One thing I really enjoyed about the way this particular book was written is the fact that at times it felt like Molly was speaking directly to me as a reader which isn't something I have come across often in the books I've read up until now. 

Characters

As I just mentioned, I don't think we got a chance to really get to know most of the characters apart from what Molly was telling us which was obviously tainted by Molly's feelings about them and wasn't from a neutral point of view - I would've preferred that at times. Cassie was usually busy being Mina's girlfriend and neither Will nor Reid got developed much as characters which ultimately lead to me not caring about who Molly would ultimately end up with.

The one character I did feel we got to know well enough was Molly, which is a given since she was the narrator of this story and we were inside her head. And I have to say I often found myself nodding along to a lot of the things Molly was thinking about herself, her body and what it would be like to be with someone. My teenage self was full of all of those thoughts too. 

In a way, it was really interesting to be reintroduced to all of those thoughts and compare that to how I am feeling about those things nowadays.

Something else I want to mention in relation to the characters in this story is the fact that we got to see two different female/female relationships represented. I can't speak to how well it is done, though as I am not a part of the LGBT+ community myself. I would much rather have someone speak to this who is part of the community. 

Enjoyment

I did really enjoy reading The Upside Of Unrequited! It was a light hearted and sweet story that at times actually had me laughing out loud and definitely kept me entertained the whole way through! 

As I was reading this book I did realize that I may not be the right audience for this book, considering I'm in my late 20s already. But while my age might be off, I could still see myself in the character as we share other aspects. 

Had I read this book in my late teens, I would have definitely enjoyed this a lot more. But I am glad that I read it now. I have experiences now that I didn't have then and my mindset about my body and the way I view it has changed and I am very grateful for that. 

Taking everything into consideration, I ended up giving this book a 3-star rating!

I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Becky Albertalli, and the publisher, Balzer + Bray, for this opportunity.

Molly and Cassie are sixteen-year-old twin sisters, as close as they were in the womb, and as unlike in looks as they are in personality. Molly is introverted and has had crushes on twenty-six (going on twenty-seven) guys whilst she has kissed exactly none. Cassie is fearless and kisses girls like its going out of fashion.

Everything they thought they knew about themselves and each other is about to change when Molly finds Mina, Cassie's perfect girl. Their childhood plans of marrying best friends might soon become a reality when Mina's hot best friend, Will, seems to be interested in Molly, too. But is this even what Molly want, anymore? And if it isn't, then when did she change and how does she decide on a new path for her future?

Coming-of-age contemporaries don't get much more perfect than Albertalli's debut, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, so this book had big boots to fill. Whilst I can safely say I really enjoyed reading this, it didn't blow me away like its predecessor.

What Albertalli does brilliantly is create a cast of characters that I can't help but empathise and relate to. Over the course of her novels, I find myself vying for every one of them and genuinely emotionally invested in the outcome of their teen plights. She manages to suck me in to a world and a time, so close and yet so removed from my own, within paragraphs of the book starting and it saddens me to say goodbye when I close the final page.

Her diversity must also be commended, as every book is filled with different sexualities and POC, which are in unfortunate short supply in YA fiction. 

All that being said, I found this didn't have such a big emotional impact as 'Simon'. This was sweet, touching and moving... just not on the same scale as I have experienced from this author before. It feels wrong to compare two books, but I could not help to do so in this instance. Whilst this was a truly lovely read it wasn't quite as captivating, but still made me believe in the power and prowess of this writer.

Great voice. Great story about feeling like you're being left behind as your friends and siblings grow on to have relationships, sex and all those things that happen in your late teens. Lovely story.

This was a brilliant book. Awesome female characters. Great queer representation. 5/5

I had high expectations for this book after reading some rave reviews and I'm pleased to say it lives up to those expectations!

I saw so much of myself in Molly that it was occasionally quite uncomfortable, but her story had so much truth in it and will really appeal to girls who are sick of reading YA characters who don't represent them at all. Molly was believably anxious and self conscious and TOTALLY relatable - especially her crush on Lin-Manuel Miranda. We ALL feel you there Molly. 

This book is packed full of diverse and entertaining characters in a way that doesn't feel preachy, but I didn't fully buy the way Molly and Cassie's parents spoke to them - I thought that dialogue felt pretty forced. A small niggle in an otherwise flawless representation of a family that transcended labels.  

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's for letting me have an ARC of this book!

The Upside of Unrequited Review – Becky Albertalli
In my opinion, the cover of The Upside of Unrequited will be very appealing to previous fans of Becky Albertalli and her debut novel Simon vs The Homosapien Agenda because many people find author themes very aesthetically pleasing. On the other hand, I believe this title is too vague to really describe this book by the title alone and I struggled to draw interest from this book’s title. Instead I was intrigued by Becky Albertalli’s name and recognisable theme. 
	As we advance into a diverse society, I feel as if this book will be received with open arms. LGBT aspects and diverse side characters will appeal to a larger audience and as someone who directly appeals to aspects of this book, I can say the involvement makes the book more enjoyable. What’s more impressive about this work is that, it was not an unnatural or forced selection of characters. Instead, these diverse traits in each character were finessed into the story and made it feel as if it was a real society of diverse people. This will be a part of the book that everyone will appeal to and congratulate. 
	Not only this, but the characters of Molly and Cassie were so flushed out and felt completely 3D in the reading experience. Their relationship flowed nicely and it was a pleasure to read a sister relationship as good as this. 
	Also, the atmosphere in this book is so addicting and it allows people to continuously read and enjoy because of the atmosphere of tension, of calmness and of pure interest. Albertalli’s work is at a constant pace, no slowing down to create boring moments. Instead, it is all intensity and interest. 
. 
	Review will appear on Goodreads and Amazon with a 4 star rating tag and 4.5 distinguished rating in the review. Overall, very impressed with this novel.

The Upside of Unrequited is pretty much a perfect book. I have not a single complaint, I loved everything from the writing to the characters to the story to the beautiful and extremely strong feels!

I was practically enchanted by The Upside of Unrequited - and I think one of the reasons was because I just understood Molly so very well. How she was a serial crusher, but never dared to completely put herself out there and try to see if the guy liked her back. From the safety of distance, she could crush and feel the butterflies, but make sure she'd never get hurt. And while I didn't think of it that way when I was her age, now, I think that may very well have been what I was doing, too. I was crushing on guys for various reasons, but I never went any further than finding out what their name was.

All the different relationships were so realistically depicted, and The Upside of Unrequited showed that a good YA can have parents present, and that two moms can be more awesome than a more traditional family. That twins can be similar in some ways and extremely different in others. There were strong friendships, strong family relationships, and new and old friends who got to meet as well. The vibe of getting to know oneself is one that Molly, especially, shared throughout the story, and I really loved to be with her for that self discovery.

Questioning change, understanding the necessity of it, while also seeing how tragic it can be is another very strong theme of The Upside of Unrequited. When we're on the cusp of adulthood, there are many changes, and some of them are really good while others are really scary. Both Molly and Cassie felt and tasted those changes, and they reacted to them differently. But they also reacted to them in quite similar ways. They both saw their own point of view first, then, with some help, they managed to take a step back an see things from the other's perspective as well.

The story is from Molly's point of view, and it's written mostly in first person perspective, past tense. There are a lot of dialogues, and text messages with emojis, too, to make everything more realistic. All the characters are well fleshed out, and I just feel both so happy and a bit nostalgic and sad at the same time now. The Upside of Unrequited is definitely a must-read, an amazing YA novel that can truly appeal to all ages. Open your mind, and let this fabulous family take you on a small journey of self-discovery, which might also be a trip down memory-lane.

After reading <i>Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenga</i> I had high hopes for Albertalli's new title and she didn't disappoint. Some genuine laugh-out-loud moments are scattered throughout this heart-warming novel. As a narrator, Molly is so relatable and authentic in her emotions and her fears. It's hard not to be rooting for her, even when you wish you could shake her! 
The cast of characters is wonderfully diverse and Albertalli's tip of the hat to the 2015 Supreme Court Ruling on same-sex marriage in the US was a personal highlight. A joyous and fun read for readers aged 14+

This book was sweet. Maybe too sweet. Definitely too sweet. It's a nice, quick read but I like my stories to have more tension than this. I felt there wasn't any conflict really, or certainly not enough to keep me invested.