Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli: A Review

“I shrug and clasp my hands, feeling suddenly small in Garrett’s hoodie. It’s that girlfriend feeling again, not that I’ve ever been anyone’s girlfriend. But I imagine it feels like this. Like I’m this tiny precious wanted thing.”

So in case you missed my mini rant about how much I love Becky Albertalli and Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda, let me just say it again: I freaking love Becky Albertalli and Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda. So much so that I maybe blocked off today specifically so I could sit down and read the sequel Leah on the Offbeat, officially released yesterday.

We first meet Leah in Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda when she is introduced as one of Simon’s best (if not slightly angsty) friends. Although we don’t know it in the first book, Leah is bisexual, but she has yet to come out to any of her friends. In this installment, we follow her through her senior year of high school as she navigates through firsts and lasts, and really grows into herself.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. I liked getting little glimpses into the lives of Simon and Molly (from The Upside of Unrequited). I liked watching Leah grow up and become more kind and more empathetic to her fellow classmates. I liked all quotable moments (and there were a lot). I liked being able to relate to the fear of putting yourself out there and trying something new. I liked that I can laugh and cry in the span of just a few pages. I [obviously] LOVED all the Harry Potter references.

However, of Becky Albertalli’s book, I think this one was my least favorite. Part of the reason for this is that Leah is not a very likeable character. She has a lot of angst going on, and she is kind of b**** sometimes. She holds grudges, she is so stubborn, and she is self-centered. While I still enjoyed reading about life at Creekwood High School through Leah’s eyes, I didn’t connect with her the same way I connected with Simon and Molly. My favorite parts in this book involved Simon (sometimes with Leah… and sometimes just Simon).

I am still SO glad I read this book; I flew through it! In a lot of ways, this books reminded me of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I anticipate that if you enjoyed that one, or either of Becky Albertalli’s other books, you will enjoy this as well!

I genuinely hope Becky Albertalli never ever stops writing. She knows how to write real characters and real(ish) high school relationships. I know she co-authored another book with Adam Silvera set to come out this fall, and I could not be more excited. Thank you, Becky Albertalli, for another beautiful story.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

“‘Am I the worst person?’ ‘Well, no,’ says Simon. ‘That would be Voldemort.’”