A review by meggie82461
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

4.0

Okay, no, it wasn’t as good as Simon vs. But really, that is a TALL order. I went into this acknowledging that fact, which I think helped immensely. And, I mean, we got more Simon! So this was an all-around win for me. That being said, I get why reviews aren’t as good for this one. Leah was a pain in the ass. All teenagers are assholes, but usually the author makes the narrator easier to stomach. That... didn’t really happen here. Don’t get me wrong; I respected Leah. I sympathized with Leah. Leah is a great friend. But despite all those things, I’m just not sure I LIKED Leah. Unlike others, though, that isn’t a requirement for me to enjoy a book. Can it improve one? Absolutely. Becky Albertalli is great enough of a writer that it doesn’t matter, though. I mean, I much preferred Simon- the person and the book- but I still can’t ever imagine rating this one lower than a 4. I laughed, I smiled, and I was very interested in what would happen. The conflicts were not easily resolved. The best part about this author, though? The gayness!! Seriously, there are baby queers everywhere, finding themselves and falling in love. It’s fantastic. These are stories for the misfits, not just in sexual orientation but also shape and color. We all talk a good game about diversity, but this author is out there walking the walk, and I love her & all her books for it.