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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Glad Leah got her own story! I don't love it as much as Simon's, but it is a good follow up and recommended for fans of the first one.
I love the "love, Simon" series because it's something near and dear to my heart but this book was not as good as the last one. I feel as though a lot of the parts were filler and didn't progress the main romance portion (more on that later)
Let's start with Leah as a character, At times I found her absolutely insufferable. Her impulsive nature and short tempered-ness was very annoying at times but in other aspects she was realistic, I found myself relating to her in negative aspects and let's just say that wasn't a fun ride.
Random nitpick but what ever happened with Leah not going to Garrett's game? there was never any consequences just a bunch of build up stress for something I thought was going to be important.
Now for the actual romance part. I had absolutely no gut feeling that Leah ever had feelings for Abby, the build up was barely there before it was directly stated toward the end of the book. I didn't feel any romantic tension between them, no real conflict before the trip. All the build up with Garret also didn't go anywhere nor with the Nick finding out about Abby and Leah at the end it the book. I know it's supposed to be a happy ending but obviously there are going to be some more unhappy or drama filled things happening there.
Leah treats the people in her life with such disrespect at times which I don't fully understand, she's rude to the people who want to help her but "it's because of her insecurities" No. That isn't an excuse to be rude. It could have been portrayed in inner monologue rather than her just being flat out annoying and rude at times.
I know giving a 2 star rating is low and I really do love Becky, I just wish she spent more time working on the tension between the love interests. This book wasn't all bad, it did manage to make me chuckle and grin but besides that it wasn't very stand out.
Let's start with Leah as a character, At times I found her absolutely insufferable. Her impulsive nature and short tempered-ness was very annoying at times but in other aspects she was realistic, I found myself relating to her in negative aspects and let's just say that wasn't a fun ride.
Random nitpick but what ever happened with Leah not going to Garrett's game? there was never any consequences just a bunch of build up stress for something I thought was going to be important.
Now for the actual romance part. I had absolutely no gut feeling that Leah ever had feelings for Abby, the build up was barely there before it was directly stated toward the end of the book. I didn't feel any romantic tension between them, no real conflict before the trip. All the build up with Garret also didn't go anywhere nor with the Nick finding out about Abby and Leah at the end it the book. I know it's supposed to be a happy ending but obviously there are going to be some more unhappy or drama filled things happening there.
Leah treats the people in her life with such disrespect at times which I don't fully understand, she's rude to the people who want to help her but "it's because of her insecurities" No. That isn't an excuse to be rude. It could have been portrayed in inner monologue rather than her just being flat out annoying and rude at times.
I know giving a 2 star rating is low and I really do love Becky, I just wish she spent more time working on the tension between the love interests. This book wasn't all bad, it did manage to make me chuckle and grin but besides that it wasn't very stand out.
Man, did I want to love this book. I absolutely loved Simon Vs. and I already knew that Leah was not my favorite character from the previous book but I figured this would be a great time to change my opinion and I would get to hear some Simon and Bram cuteness. But no just no, she was mean and over dramatic at times and I just couldn't connect with the love story especially since she was such good friends with her interest ex.
But Bran and Simon moments were adorable.
But Bran and Simon moments were adorable.
4.5/5 stars. I really hope that they make a movie adaptation of this book!
This book is like 13 Going on 30 in reverse. I’m an old, but right now, I feel like I’m 17 and at prom and in emotional distress. I love it. Leah is amazing.
I love the characters so much sometimes I feel like I know them personally. I wish I was part of their squad
From this book I loved how it gave more depth to more characters!! I really loved how you see a different side of Leah and a different side of Abby and more of Garrett, Bram, Anna and Morgan!!
The ending felt a bit rushed, but in general it was a very fun read ♥ Creekwood books are my comfort books
From this book I loved how it gave more depth to more characters!! I really loved how you see a different side of Leah and a different side of Abby and more of Garrett, Bram, Anna and Morgan!!
The ending felt a bit rushed, but in general it was a very fun read ♥ Creekwood books are my comfort books
Boricuan Bookworms - Book Reviews
So… Leah on the Offbeat. I initially rated this book 4 stars on Goodreads and talked about how it was so cute and how I enjoyed it, and to some extent that was true. However, something about it kept bugging me and I just couldn’t pinpoint why... until I looked through my annotations.
Let me start with LOTO’s good points, because despite my low rating of this book now, I still found enjoyable things worth mentioning. Becky’s writing is as wonderful and engaging as it’s always been, and in that aspect the book was easy to read. There was lots of humor and snark, and I have to say that I cackled out loud at the “American Grill” scene.
Leah as a protagonist was snarky and abrasive, but I saw myself in her a lot. I saw myself in the way she would lash out or push away people to not get hurt, or how she would use her sarcasm as a front. Leah’s awkwardness and self doubt, and even the fact that she wasn’t rich like her friends really resonated with me.
I loved that this book like its predecessors included diversity seamlessly and effortlessly; Leah being fat and bi, lots of characters of color, mention of an enby character, etc. This was all great to see and I enjoyed reading these parts.
I really wish I could keep these points with me forever because the rest of the book however was disappointing and one particular part was so hurtful that basically overshadowed my overall enjoyment of it.
I guess I should get it over with and mention this scene, and because I haven’t seen any people mention in their reviews who the love interest is, I’ll be calling this character “Violet” (get it? Like Simon & Blue, now Leah & Violet… moving on).
SO, Leah and Violet have had many interactions by this point, and while Leah has feelings for her, she thinks Violet is straight. Violet herself had mentioned previously she only liked guys. However, in this scene Violet comes out to Leah as “low-key bi”. This is the whole scene:
So… I had to read this scene a couple of times, because… I couldn’t quite comprehend why Leah, a bisexual character, was policing another bisexual character’s sexuality. Violet tells Leah that she came out a few days ago to some of her family members, but that she’s still figuring things out. However, Leah completely shuts down Violet and makes her feel bad about her sexuality; makes her feel bad about questioning whether she's straight or not. From the summary of LOTO we know that Leah has been out as bi to her mom for a while and she is sure about her identity. Good for her, really. But Leah’s outright refusal to let Violet choose how to find the words to identify herself? That really hurt me for a lot of reasons.
Violet herself says: “You don’t get to decide my label” and Leah immediately shuts her down with “It’s not a real label”. But, it’s real for Violet.
This just seems like Leah is saying that being “lowkey bi”, that not knowing what your sexuality is, is wrong. It feels like Leah is calling Violet Not Queer Enough, and that is really not what I expected from this book at all.
This especially hurts coming from a non own-voices perspective, as Leah never apologizes or retracts what she tells Violet, even when V is visibly upset and crying. There is no other mention of this scene and the book could have well done without this part completely.
The only thing we see at the end of the scene is this:
After Leah basically ruins Violet’s coming out by making this about herself, she says a few cursory things and then leaves.
This scene made me flinch and I had to put down the book for a while, because I just couldn’t believe it. I understand Leah’s personality is “harsh” but to this extent? Especially when Leah herself is bi? Why did we need a scene where a bisexual girl polices another bisexual girl’s identity and makes her cry for not knowing what it was?
For days I told myself I was overreacting, and even tried to put aside my concerns and just celebrate the fact that a f/f queer book was having so much hype, but this kept nagging and nagging at me. I know there are other people who feel the same but haven’t been able to voice it, which really sucks as a community that is supposed to be open for everyone.
This scene aside I have to say I wish I had seen more romantic moments between Leah/Violet than the ones we saw. Half of them were one sided because Leah didn’t know that Violet was bisexual, the other half would end in Leah either getting mad at her and storming off, or some misunderstanding that would cut them off (I really do not want to think about that first kiss scene at all because I still get heartbroken thinking about it). I wanted all the cute and swoony moments I saw in Simon vs or Upside of Unrequited, but here I just didn't see as many.
This review is almost at a thousand words so I think I’m going to leave it here. I love Becky’s other books, and Becky as a person is really sweet and kind. It kind of pains me that she might/will see this review but I just can’t keep quiet about it anymore. If you related to LOTO, that’s good for you, truly. I don’t wish any ill will on Becky or on any of the people who have read and genuinely enjoyed this book.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
So… Leah on the Offbeat. I initially rated this book 4 stars on Goodreads and talked about how it was so cute and how I enjoyed it, and to some extent that was true. However, something about it kept bugging me and I just couldn’t pinpoint why... until I looked through my annotations.
Let me start with LOTO’s good points, because despite my low rating of this book now, I still found enjoyable things worth mentioning. Becky’s writing is as wonderful and engaging as it’s always been, and in that aspect the book was easy to read. There was lots of humor and snark, and I have to say that I cackled out loud at the “American Grill” scene.
Leah as a protagonist was snarky and abrasive, but I saw myself in her a lot. I saw myself in the way she would lash out or push away people to not get hurt, or how she would use her sarcasm as a front. Leah’s awkwardness and self doubt, and even the fact that she wasn’t rich like her friends really resonated with me.
I loved that this book like its predecessors included diversity seamlessly and effortlessly; Leah being fat and bi, lots of characters of color, mention of an enby character, etc. This was all great to see and I enjoyed reading these parts.
I really wish I could keep these points with me forever because the rest of the book however was disappointing and one particular part was so hurtful that basically overshadowed my overall enjoyment of it.
I guess I should get it over with and mention this scene, and because I haven’t seen any people mention in their reviews who the love interest is, I’ll be calling this character “Violet” (get it? Like Simon & Blue, now Leah & Violet… moving on).
SO, Leah and Violet have had many interactions by this point, and while Leah has feelings for her, she thinks Violet is straight. Violet herself had mentioned previously she only liked guys. However, in this scene Violet comes out to Leah as “low-key bi”. This is the whole scene:
V: “I don’t think I’m straight,” she says, and my heart almost stops. “I don’t know,” she adds finally. “I guess I’m like lowkey bisexual?”
L: “I don’t think that’s a thing.”
V: “What? It totally is.” She pokes my arm. “Lowkey bi.”
L: “You’re either bi or you’re not. That’s like being a little bit pregnant.”
V: “Well, I’m a little bit bi, and I’m sticking with that.”
L: I sit up. “I don’t get you.”
V: “What?”
L: I shake my head. “Lowkey bi, a little bit bi. Just be bi. Like, come on.”
V: “What? No.” She draws herself up. “You don’t get to decide my label.”
L: “It’s not a real label!”
V: “Well, it’s real for me.”
So… I had to read this scene a couple of times, because… I couldn’t quite comprehend why Leah, a bisexual character, was policing another bisexual character’s sexuality. Violet tells Leah that she came out a few days ago to some of her family members, but that she’s still figuring things out. However, Leah completely shuts down Violet and makes her feel bad about her sexuality; makes her feel bad about questioning whether she's straight or not. From the summary of LOTO we know that Leah has been out as bi to her mom for a while and she is sure about her identity. Good for her, really. But Leah’s outright refusal to let Violet choose how to find the words to identify herself? That really hurt me for a lot of reasons.
Violet herself says: “You don’t get to decide my label” and Leah immediately shuts her down with “It’s not a real label”. But, it’s real for Violet.
This just seems like Leah is saying that being “lowkey bi”, that not knowing what your sexuality is, is wrong. It feels like Leah is calling Violet Not Queer Enough, and that is really not what I expected from this book at all.
This especially hurts coming from a non own-voices perspective, as Leah never apologizes or retracts what she tells Violet, even when V is visibly upset and crying. There is no other mention of this scene and the book could have well done without this part completely.
The only thing we see at the end of the scene is this:
L: “Look, I’m fine,” I say finally. “Okay? You’ll figure this out. You’ve got this. I’m happy for you. You don’t owe me anything.” I exhale, shrugging.
V: “That’s not—”
L: “Everything’s fine. We’re friends. I’ll see you at prom.”
After Leah basically ruins Violet’s coming out by making this about herself, she says a few cursory things and then leaves.
This scene made me flinch and I had to put down the book for a while, because I just couldn’t believe it. I understand Leah’s personality is “harsh” but to this extent? Especially when Leah herself is bi? Why did we need a scene where a bisexual girl polices another bisexual girl’s identity and makes her cry for not knowing what it was?
For days I told myself I was overreacting, and even tried to put aside my concerns and just celebrate the fact that a f/f queer book was having so much hype, but this kept nagging and nagging at me. I know there are other people who feel the same but haven’t been able to voice it, which really sucks as a community that is supposed to be open for everyone.
This scene aside I have to say I wish I had seen more romantic moments between Leah/Violet than the ones we saw. Half of them were one sided because Leah didn’t know that Violet was bisexual, the other half would end in Leah either getting mad at her and storming off, or some misunderstanding that would cut them off (I really do not want to think about that first kiss scene at all because I still get heartbroken thinking about it). I wanted all the cute and swoony moments I saw in Simon vs or Upside of Unrequited, but here I just didn't see as many.
This review is almost at a thousand words so I think I’m going to leave it here. I love Becky’s other books, and Becky as a person is really sweet and kind. It kind of pains me that she might/will see this review but I just can’t keep quiet about it anymore. If you related to LOTO, that’s good for you, truly. I don’t wish any ill will on Becky or on any of the people who have read and genuinely enjoyed this book.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to love this author's work, but I feel like the ones I've read have been progressively less appealing to me. I think Leah is quite an unlikeable character: her attitude towards other people really made me a lot less interested in her journey, and I certainly wasn't rooting for her.
I still really like some of the side characters from this series, but part of me wonders if that is just because they are side characters - if they were more developed, I might find them equally irritating!
I'm happy and thankful for bi representation, and this book was a quick and easy read.
I still really like some of the side characters from this series, but part of me wonders if that is just because they are side characters - if they were more developed, I might find them equally irritating!
I'm happy and thankful for bi representation, and this book was a quick and easy read.
Is it okay for a secondary character to be the only real saving grace of a book?
I don't want it to rain rotten tomatoes on my porch and white plaster of my house's walls though (if someone manages to track me down) so I've given up on the idea of giving it an actual 1 star of dislike. Haha. Nah. I'm being tad dramatic, it wasn't THAT bad. Facts remain though that it didn't enjoy it all that much either.
I don't know what it is with Becky Albertalli's characters (it happened with Cassie but on a much smaller scale) but it's some sort of a pattern that they are awfully judgemental. I swear to god, what is up with their self-righteous, holier-than-thou annoying ways? I could hardly get past the first 30% of this book because of it all!
Leah was driving me nuts. I wanted her to shut the heck up, remove the solid concrete stick from up her ass and just be a freakin' PERSON for once! One that wouldn't spew judgement and dirty looks because she was jealous or she didn't understand her feelings so instead she was acting positively INFURIATING.
All in all, Simon Spier saved that book. And Leah's mum too because she put up with her (which, in my book, is a proud accomplishment) because upon meeting a Leah, I would probably slap her and that would be that.
I know what you're going to say though: high school kids with massive insecurities are like that though. You're right, they are. It doesn't mean I have to like this particular brand of a teenager or applaud their poor choices that mostly consist of pissing on everyone's good mood.
...yikes. I am bracing myself for them tomatoes.
;)
I don't want it to rain rotten tomatoes on my porch and white plaster of my house's walls though (if someone manages to track me down) so I've given up on the idea of giving it an actual 1 star of dislike. Haha. Nah. I'm being tad dramatic, it wasn't THAT bad. Facts remain though that it didn't enjoy it all that much either.
I don't know what it is with Becky Albertalli's characters (it happened with Cassie but on a much smaller scale) but it's some sort of a pattern that they are awfully judgemental. I swear to god, what is up with their self-righteous, holier-than-thou annoying ways? I could hardly get past the first 30% of this book because of it all!
Leah was driving me nuts. I wanted her to shut the heck up, remove the solid concrete stick from up her ass and just be a freakin' PERSON for once! One that wouldn't spew judgement and dirty looks because she was jealous or she didn't understand her feelings so instead she was acting positively INFURIATING.
All in all, Simon Spier saved that book. And Leah's mum too because she put up with her (which, in my book, is a proud accomplishment) because upon meeting a Leah, I would probably slap her and that would be that.
I know what you're going to say though: high school kids with massive insecurities are like that though. You're right, they are. It doesn't mean I have to like this particular brand of a teenager or applaud their poor choices that mostly consist of pissing on everyone's good mood.
...yikes. I am bracing myself for them tomatoes.
;)
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Becky can do no wrong! Another great book by her! I really like Leah and her crew. The book was shot of fun despite having some pretty serious topics in it.