Name: mars's review of Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
Item: Imogen, Obviously
Rating: 2.5
Author: mars

Becky Albertalli

The sensational new novel from Becky Albertalli, best-selling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Imogen may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she's got the World's Greatest Ally title locked down. And when she visits her best friend, Lili, at college who is newly-out, newly-graduated, and newly thriving, with a cool new squad of queer college friends, no one knows that Imogen's a raging hetero - not even Lili's best friend, Tessa. Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with... With an irresistible cast of characters, hugely funny and empathetic writing, and all of Becky Albertalli's trademark warmth and wit, Imogen, Obviously beautifully explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship - perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Adam Silvera.

Imogen, Obviously

With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship in this timely new novel. Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down. She's never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There's Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen's biases in check. And then there's Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends. Imogen's thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she's finally visiting Lili on campus, she's bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen's all in. Even if that means bending the truth, just a little. Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she's told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero—not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa. Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with. . .

jade

"A Black girl in a beanie steps into the center of the space , trailed by a white..."

Vanessa

Like finding Waldo and realizing he was never really hiding

Rhubarb

i wanted to love this book because i have seen so many others who do. and don't get me wrong, it's a decent book. it just felt like it dragged, and was a bit (okay, a lot) cringe. 

i do love imogen as a character, though. and all the characters we meet are very reminiscent of real-life queer people i know, so it definitely felt realistic. but the way some of these characters talked... yeah, i wouldn't blame you for dnf'ing.

the plot was just kind of boring? like the scenes lacked chemistry, we get a lot of backstory (ha) but we don't really see the importance of these people in Imogen's life until much later. also the text conversations confused me a bit because they'd start in the middle of a conversation, or i would have to figure out what picture was being sent, so that definitely took me out of the book a bit.

mars

i wanted to love this book because i have seen so many others who do. and don't get me wrong, it's a decent book. it just felt like it dragged, and was a bit (okay, a lot) cringe. 

i do love imogen as a character, though. and all the characters we meet are very reminiscent of real-life queer people i know, so it definitely felt realistic. but the way some of these characters talked... yeah, i wouldn't blame you for dnf'ing.

the plot was just kind of boring? like the scenes lacked chemistry, we get a lot of backstory (ha) but we don't really see the importance of these people in Imogen's life until much later. also the text conversations confused me a bit because they'd start in the middle of a conversation, or i would have to figure out what picture was being sent, so that definitely took me out of the book a bit.

The compulsory heterosexuality trope physically pains me but i like how the book discusses queer codes because as a lesbian, i often tried to use more queer codes to look queerer in the past, before i came to understand that yeah, i am queer and whatever i look like, whatever habits i have won’t change that and it made it easier to understand that i was not only queer but a lesbian too. Also, i loved how it turned out with Gretchen.

Romy

 This was alright? It was really, reallyyyy slow going at first but it was enjoyable enough! It's not like I didn't enjoy it and I can definitely see the appeal.  I had a slightly similar comphet situation to Imogen and it was very uncomfortable for me to tell anybody in my community. That journey of self discovery and doubt is common in the LGBTQ+ community and  I can see how this journey Imogen goes through, with Gretchen being that opposing voice , can pull people into this but unfortunately I found myself skipping through some parts ( I wasnt jumping paragraphs or nothin' so dont start ) and not caring about the characters besides Imogen and maybe Edith & Lili ? 🫤 but by the time Imogen came back from her college vacay I forgot who was who and nobody really stood out to me after they left the scene. 

  There were also some parts where Albertalli makes it awkward 'cause it feels like she has most of the character rambling instead of speaking and sometimes she'll over explain a character design and then not give enough  with others. Like I don't wanna read that a character is Black wit a beanie on , give a super short descriptor of the skin tone and hair texture or SOMETHING and let's go yk?  but "She's a white girl" and "They're Japanese" with a description of the whole fit like we plotting the outfit on Pinterest not cutting it for me. I'm not gonna rate it low bc at the end of the day it's clear this is targeted towards teens self discovery & I'm not the demographic. 

 This was alright? It was really, reallyyyy slow going at first but it was enjoyable enough! It's not like I didn't enjoy it and I can definitely see the appeal.  I had a slightly similar comphet situation to Imogen and it was very uncomfortable for me to tell anybody in my community. That journey of self discovery and doubt is common in the LGBTQ+ community and  I can see how this journey Imogen goes through, with Gretchen being that opposing voice , can pull people into this but unfortunately I found myself skipping through some parts ( I wasnt jumping paragraphs or nothin' so dont start ) and not caring about the characters besides Imogen and maybe Edith & Lili ? 🫤 but by the time Imogen came back from her college vacay I forgot who was who and nobody really stood out to me after they left the scene. 

  There were also some parts where Albertalli makes it awkward 'cause it feels like she has most of the character rambling instead of speaking and sometimes she'll over explain a character design and then not give enough  with others. Like I don't wanna read that a character is Black wit a beanie on , give a super short descriptor of the skin tone and hair texture or SOMETHING and let's go yk?  but "She's a white girl" and "They're Japanese" with a description of the whole fit like we plotting the outfit on Pinterest not cutting it for me. I'm not gonna rate it low bc at the end of the day it's clear this is targeted towards teens self discovery & I'm not the demographic. 

A cute quick read. I wasn’t blown away but I enjoyed it

🦇 Imogen, Obviously by @beckyalbertalli Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What movie majorly impacted your life? ❓

🦇 Imogen Scott has endless experience as a straight queer ally. Her friends are pan and bi, her sister is out, and she never misses a Pride Alliance meeting. While visiting her best friend Lili at college, who has her own little queer community, Imogen takes "supportive" a step further. She pretends to be Lili's ex-girlfriend and bi. The longer she wears the label, the more she wonders if it fits...especially when she's in the company of Lili's new friend, Tessa. Can Imogen keep her story straight, or is she finally starting to see who's staring at her in the mirror?

💜 This recent streak of bi/sapphic YA books (One Last Stop, Perfect on Paper, and now this) has left me slain. It's all too much. I am FEELING too much. Be still, thy bi heart. 

💜 In all seriousness, this is the exact story little baby bi me needed back in high school, and I'm so glad it's on shelves for adolescent readers now. There's SO MUCH to discuss, the themes of self-identity, friendship, and coming-of-age so perfectly layered to make Imogen so obviously (I had to) exactly who she is. Imogen's "bunny" brain is a realistic mental chaos of self-doubt and queer questioning. Everyone assumes straight is the default, when really, it should be bi until proven otherwise. Most people aren't given the chance to question their sexuality, to explore who they are, instead establishing themselves in a pre-determined box. I've been there, and Imogen's constant questioning and confusion make her emotions all the more real. She questions if queerness looks a certain way, or if we're supposed to have our queer awakenings by a certain time, or if we're supposed to be CERTAIN, but how could we with the constant DISCOURSE over everything? Imogen's voice leaps off the page, making her easy to like; a character you want to follow to the end. Lili is EVERYTHING as a best friend (and queer mentor), while Gretchen so perfectly straddles the line between well-meaning and toxic. We've all had that friend we realized (almost too little, too late) wasn't looking out for our best interests, the one in the back of your head spinning every worst fear until it became a play-it-on repeat thought. Though she could have felt too extreme, we see why Imogen hears Gretchen out, why Imogen gives her a second chance, allowing her to become the cranked-up monster of self-doubt in Imogen's head. Also, The Owl House, One Last Stop, and Sailor Moon mentions were everything. 

💙 This had an awkward start for me, namely because of all the names and identities we're given in the first few chapters. It felt like Imogen's younger, queer sister was less of a character and more of a plot piece (both to prove that Imogen was surrounded by self-aware queers and to show what queerness looked like in Imogen's eyes). She doesn't have some cute scenes with Imogen until the end, and by that point, I wanted more.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Perfect on Paper and One Last Stop.

❝ The only way to let someone into your reality is to retell it. ❞

❝ One girl can’t topple your entire sexuality, right? ❞

❝ All these moments, scattered and separate. All these disconnected dots. ❞

❝ Then she buries her face in the crook of my neck, and every breath she breathes feels like a love letter. ❞

❝ How I felt. Dizzy, off- balance, unsteady. Like my bones were too big for my body. Like I couldn’t zip myself closed. Like I’d colored outside my own outline, stepped out of frame, made myself three- dimensional. ❞

Jazelle H

🦇 Imogen, Obviously by @beckyalbertalli Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What movie majorly impacted your life? ❓
 
🦇 Imogen Scott has endless experience as a straight queer ally. Her friends are pan and bi, her sister is out, and she never misses a Pride Alliance meeting. While visiting her best friend Lili at college, who has her own little queer community, Imogen takes "supportive" a step further. She pretends to be Lili's ex-girlfriend and bi. The longer she wears the label, the more she wonders if it fits...especially when she's in the company of Lili's new friend, Tessa. Can Imogen keep her story straight, or is she finally starting to see who's staring at her in the mirror?

💜 This recent streak of bi/sapphic YA books (One Last Stop, Perfect on Paper, and now this) has left me slain. It's all too much. I am FEELING too much. Be still, thy bi heart. 

💜 In all seriousness, this is the exact story little baby bi me needed back in high school, and I'm so glad it's on shelves for adolescent readers now. There's SO MUCH to discuss, the themes of self-identity, friendship, and coming-of-age so perfectly layered to make Imogen so obviously (I had to) exactly who she is. Imogen's "bunny" brain is a realistic mental chaos of self-doubt and queer questioning. Everyone assumes straight is the default, when really, it should be bi until proven otherwise. Most people aren't given the chance to question their sexuality, to explore who they are, instead establishing themselves in a pre-determined box. I've been there, and Imogen's constant questioning and confusion make her emotions all the more real. She questions if queerness looks a certain way, or if we're supposed to have our queer awakenings by a certain time, or if we're supposed to be CERTAIN, but how could we with the constant DISCOURSE over everything? Imogen's voice leaps off the page, making her easy to like; a character you want to follow to the end. Lili is EVERYTHING as a best friend (and queer mentor), while Gretchen so perfectly straddles the line between well-meaning and toxic. We've all had that friend we realized (almost too little, too late) wasn't looking out for our best interests, the one in the back of your head spinning every worst fear until it became a play-it-on repeat thought. Though she could have felt too extreme, we see why Imogen hears Gretchen out, why Imogen gives her a second chance, allowing her to become the cranked-up monster of self-doubt in Imogen's head. Also, The Owl House, One Last Stop, and Sailor Moon mentions were everything. 

💙 This had an awkward start for me, namely because of all the names and identities we're given in the first few chapters. It felt like Imogen's younger, queer sister was less of a character and more of a plot piece (both to prove that Imogen was surrounded by self-aware queers and to show what queerness looked like in Imogen's eyes). She doesn't have some cute scenes with Imogen until the end, and by that point, I wanted more.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Perfect on Paper and One Last Stop.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🩷 Young Adult
🩷 Queer Cast
🩷 Bisexual FMC
🩷 College/Coming-of-Age
🩷 Identity
🩷 Romance & Friendship 

💬 Quotes 
❝ The only way to let someone into your reality is to retell it. ❞
❝ One girl can’t topple your entire sexuality, right? ❞
❝ All these moments, scattered and separate. All these disconnected dots. ❞
❝ Then she buries her face in the crook of my neck, and every breath she breathes feels like a love letter. ❞
❝ How I felt. Dizzy, off- balance, unsteady. Like my bones were too big for my body. Like I couldn’t zip myself closed. Like I’d colored outside my own outline, stepped out of frame, made myself three- dimensional. ❞

Rhubarb &
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Rhubarb &Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Rhubarb &
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli