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A review by ruth24
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
4.0
[b:Leah on the Offbeat|31180248|Leah on the Offbeat (Creekwood, #2)|Becky Albertalli|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510886704s/31180248.jpg|51820754] is the continuation of the "Creekwood" series, which began with [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|19547856|Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood, #1)|Becky Albertalli|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1402915678s/19547856.jpg|27679579]. The story focuses on Leah Burke, a pretty badass character who plays drums in an all-girl band, isn't afraid to stand up to people, and who has yet to come out as bi to anyone except for her mom. I personally didn't catch any hints of Leah being bi in the first book, but maybe I'm just clueless? My rating of this book is somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, for several reasons.
I found Leah really frustrating at times. Her mom hit the nail on the head when she said that Leah razes things to the ground every time she feels the least bit uncomfortable. It was infuriating to watch her ruin relationships and hold herself back because of her intense emotions and self-doubt. I was also annoyed by several aspects of the book's ending.idiot naive teenagers. It was also annoying how everyone ended up happily dating someone else in the friend circle (Garret and Morgan, Nick and Taylor, for example). That wasn't very realistic. It was like the final chapter of [b:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|136251|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)|J.K. Rowling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474171184s/136251.jpg|2963218] all over again!
OK, the bad parts are over and now we can move on to the good parts, because I really did like the book, despite my ranting!
I've read three of Albertalli's books now, and I really like how she is able to make me remember what it's like to be a teenager, with all the angst and crushes that come with puberty. She's also really good at characters - they're complex, believable, and easy to connect with, which pulls me into the story each time and makes me want to rip through the pages. Her books are pure entertainment and so much fun to read!
I found Leah really frustrating at times. Her mom hit the nail on the head when she said that Leah razes things to the ground every time she feels the least bit uncomfortable. It was infuriating to watch her ruin relationships and hold herself back because of her intense emotions and self-doubt. I was also annoyed by several aspects of the book's ending.
Spoiler
Why on Earth would you agree to be someone's girlfriend who just broke up with their boyfriend of one year 2 weeks ago and who you'll be living in a tiny dorm room with for the next 8 months? This has got to be the worst idea, though tbh it's probably accurate ofOK, the bad parts are over and now we can move on to the good parts, because I really did like the book, despite my ranting!
I've read three of Albertalli's books now, and I really like how she is able to make me remember what it's like to be a teenager, with all the angst and crushes that come with puberty. She's also really good at characters - they're complex, believable, and easy to connect with, which pulls me into the story each time and makes me want to rip through the pages. Her books are pure entertainment and so much fun to read!