The Upside of Unrequited (Simonverse, #2)

by Becky Albertalli

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

This. Book. Oh my goodness, I am so in love with this book! I mean,how much can a person flail about a book before it becomes annoying? Because I might be testing your limits with this one.

But seriously, this book was relatable in ways I didn't think were possible. The thing is, it made me feel so... validated as an insecure human. In the sense that other people might actually be feeling these things I was feeling, the things that I figured no one else on earth was thinking. And if it can do that for me, I cannot even imagine how helpful it would be for a girl Molly's age going through the same thing.

There was tons of diversity, but it felt very authentic. The way the author weaved all the stories, every character was important. No one was there to just "check a box", every character was fleshed out and had a great role in the story. Molly's moms were so fabulous too. They cared about their kids and seemed just like real, authentic parents. Hell, they reminded me of me. And there were just so many positive messages in the book: it spoke openly and positively about medication for mental health, about sex, about body image. Oh, and the romance? Yeah, I adored it from the first minute it was a possibility.

Bottom Line: I wish I had this book when I was in high school. I am beyond grateful to have it now. It's an absolute must-read.