APRIL 2023 - AudioFile
Caitlin Kinnunen's sweet narration will melt any listener. Imogen is the best straight ally a queer teen could ask for. She's at every Pride rally and alliance meeting, eager to support. When she visits her queer friend Lili at college, she discovers that in high school Lili falsely told friends that she and Imogen had dated, and now Lili needs to hold onto the facade, so Imogen goes along. But after meeting Lili's charming, cute roommate, Tessa, Imogen begins to question her sexuality. Kinnunen's narration is thoughtful and amiable. She doesn't oversell Lili's quaint personality in serious moments. Kinnunen shapes Imogen's journey of self-discovery, and the fun supporting characters involved, into an unforgettable performance. G.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 04/03/2023
In this intimately realized novel by Albertalli (Here’s to Us), “token straight, world’s best ally” Imogen Scott, a high school senior, contends with growing feelings for a girl. Though she has never kissed a boy, Imogen has had plenty of male crushes, leading her to believe that she’s “hopelessly, blindingly, obviously straight.” She’s always been passionate about LGBTQ advocacy, especially because of her lesbian younger sister, but she’s careful not to “center myself in queer spaces.” While Imogen is visiting childhood best friend Lili Cardoso at college, Lili admits that she told her charismatic new queer friends both that Imogen is bisexual and that the two used to date. At Lili’s insistence, people-pleasing Imogen goes along with the lie, but worries that it won’t be credible. When she starts developing romantic feelings for one of Lili’s friends, her anxiety spirals into a belief that her newfound attraction could be considered queer appropriation, or an attempt to fit in and seem cool. Insightful prose teems with compassionate interrogations of the harms of compulsory heterosexuality and societally prescribed narratives surrounding “what’s encouraged, what’s allowed—or even what’s not allowed” when exploring one’s sexual identity. Via Imogen’s wryly funny first-person narration, Albertalli crafts a striking portrait of one teenager’s experience navigating sexual fluidity and the sometimes overwhelming fear of reinventing oneself. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (May)
From the Publisher
"Insightful prose teems with compassionate interrogations of the harms of compulsory heterosexuality and societally prescribed narratives. Via Imogen’s wryly funny first-person narration, Albertalli crafts a striking portrait of one teenager’s experience navigating sexual fluidity and the sometimes overwhelming fear of reinventing oneself." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Albertalli lays out the complicated and beautiful layers that come with accepting personal change and having the courage to take an honest look at oneself. A masterpiece that will be cherished by anyone who has felt they might not belong." — Booklist (starred review)
“Imogen’s journey feels authentic and sincere, and readers will find it difficult not to fall for her….Fresh, endearing, and heartfelt.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The plot of this novel is well-paced and entertaining... secondary characters are fleshed out, fully formed individuals with diverse queer and racial identities, and the relationships are full of humor and compassion. Imogen is a complex character with a distinct voice, and her story of grappling with her identity during this transitional period of life will resonate. An excellent addition to collections for teens." — School Library Journal (starred review)
"Bestselling author Becky Albertalli’s latest novel offers a gentle, hilarious and authentic look at figuring out who you are on your own timeline. [It's] nearly impossible for the reader not to love Imogen." — BookPage (starred review)
"A sparkling romance and a moving account of a young woman's very contemporary bisexual awakening. Imogen, Obviously is a deeply personal novel about queerness in all its colorful complexity and a rallying cry to ‘hold space for variation’ in the LGBTQ+ community." — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"Plenty of witty banter—and a sweet romance—lighten a novel that’s full of introspection and that validates not only a variety of identities but also individuals’ paces for figuring them out." — Horn Book
"Drawn from Albertalli’s experience with coming out, this novel offers an endearing story of one teen’s struggle for self-acceptance. A sure hit with Albertalli’s existing fans, this is likely to win her more in those who want a thought-provoking take on how sometimes what you want is more obvious to your heart than to your head." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Imogen, Obviously is perhaps Albertalli’s best book yet, with an introspective look at how identity can shift and an engaging love story.” — Buzzfeed
“Imogen, Obviously serves as a reminder that you matter, that you are valid, and that you are queer enough, no matter what others try to tell you. A love letter to finding your place in your own pace, the joy of queer found family, and the messy, chaotic journey of life, Imogen is sure to become your new best friend.” — The Nerd Daily
“This one’s for the girls with anxiety, for the chronic people pleasers, for anyone who worries if they’re trying too hard or not hard enough, for the ones still figuring it out. A lot of people will recognize themselves in Imogen. A big-hearted, deeply vulnerable, love-bubbly tumble through self-discovery.” — Casey McQuiston, author of #1 New York Times bestselling I Kissed Shara Wheeler
Audiofile
Caitlin Kinnunen’s sweet narration will melt any listener…Kinnunen shapes Imogen’s journey of self-discovery, and the fun supporting characters involved, into an unforgettable performance. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
Booklist (starred review)
A masterpiece that will be cherished by anyone who has felt they might not belong.”
APRIL 2023 - AudioFile
Caitlin Kinnunen's sweet narration will melt any listener. Imogen is the best straight ally a queer teen could ask for. She's at every Pride rally and alliance meeting, eager to support. When she visits her queer friend Lili at college, she discovers that in high school Lili falsely told friends that she and Imogen had dated, and now Lili needs to hold onto the facade, so Imogen goes along. But after meeting Lili's charming, cute roommate, Tessa, Imogen begins to question her sexuality. Kinnunen's narration is thoughtful and amiable. She doesn't oversell Lili's quaint personality in serious moments. Kinnunen shapes Imogen's journey of self-discovery, and the fun supporting characters involved, into an unforgettable performance. G.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2023-02-25
A spring break visit leads to surprising revelations for people-pleasing Imogen Scott, a passionate straight ally.
It’s spring break of her senior year, and Imogen is about to stay with Lili Cardoso, her childhood best friend, at the college Imogen herself will be attending in the fall. She’s afraid that Lili, with a circle of new queer friends, may have moved on from their friendship. On top of that, as a long-standing and respectful member of her high school’s Pride Alliance, Imogen tries to do everything in her power to avoid inappropriately invading queer spaces. So, she is not sure if there will be room for her in Lili’s life now. Adding to her concerns, Lili, newly out as pansexual, admits that, in a spontaneous attempt to seem more experienced, she told everyone at college that she and Imogen are amicable exes. This fabricated history contains the additional lie that Imogen is bisexual—but when Imogen starts to feel a spark between her and kind and charismatic Tessa, and years of hidden feelings come crashing into view, she is forced to reckon with the possibility that it might not be so far from the truth. The friendships and relationship dynamics are believable and heartfelt. Imogen’s journey feels authentic and sincere, and readers will find it difficult not to fall for her. Imogen is coded White; Lili is Brazilian American, and Tessa is Jewish.
Fresh, endearing, and heartfelt. (Romance. 14-18)
