At eighteen, on the brink of college, Immy is a stand-out ally. She reads the books, listens to the coded music and watches the films and knows the discourse over who is queer in Hollywood. She attends Pride Alliance, and her two best friends and sister are queer. And is straight, hopelessly straight, obviously. But what if she is more than an ally? What if she is questioning or queer or bi? How did she get it wrong, and can one even be wrong?
Immy wants “to make sense” in every situation and is so worried she would overstep that she has convinced herself there are spheres she can’t occupy. Oh, how my heart broke for Imogen, and then Albertalli’s consoling, humorous prose mended back together. I loved the text exchanges, the Gen Z vocabulary, the queer culture references, and the many first experiences found in college (communal showers, random midweek adventures).
Albertall wrote such a beautiful story: the beginnings of adulthood, the questioning that creeps in under the outwardly confident appearance, the struggle to navigate the world and seek acceptance, and the question of whether you even need to pick a label and then share it (fun fact—you don’t). This is YA at its best.
Well thought out supportive characters add depth and conflicting perspectives. I loved that each character saw themselves and their identity differently because that is how real life actually happens. A pertinent reminder that there is no one “proper” way to be on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Because it is a spectrum, obviously.
Kinnunen’s narration is incredible. She makes each character distinct, added inflections at every precise moment and brought this wonderful novel to life. I found myself wanting to pick up this book just to hear her voice!
This is quite honestly one of the best YA books I have read ever, whether you are an allocishet ally or on LGBTQ+ spectrum this book will reach your soul and warm your heart.
