I'm only mostly devastated that this book wasn't published sooner. Get ready to devour Only Mostly Devastated and blast Grease for all to hear. (Shout out to my neighbors who had to hear me singing Grease very loudly after finishing this book because I'M A BIG OLE SOFTIE, OKAY?)




SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA meets CLUELESS in this boy-meets-boy spin on Grease

Summer love...gone so fast.

Ollie and Will were meant to be a summer fling—casual, fun, and done. But when Ollie’s aunt's health takes a turn for the worse and his family decides to stay in North Carolina to take care of her, Ollie lets himself hope this fling can grow to something more. Dreams that are crushed when he sees Will at a school party and finds that the sweet and affectionate (and comfortably queer) guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High.

Will is more than a little shocked to see Ollie the evening of that first day of school. While his summer was spent being very much himself, back at school he’s simply known as one of the varsity basketball guys. Now Will is faced with the biggest challenge of his life: follow his heart and risk his friendships, or stay firmly in the closet and lose what he loves most.

 
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the authors in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. 

Okay, so, first things first: I'M SOFT. I'm swoon. (I'm swooning, but dumbed down because my brain is not functioning RIGHT.) It's just that I'm completely smitten with Only Mostly Devastated because it is full of sweetness and really does give you ALL THE GREASE VIBES. Which is just part of what makes this novel so iconic and warm and fuzzy inducing. This book is pretty much everything you want it to be and then some--it is too adorable for words.

(I'm a huge theatre geek so the fact that it has a little Grease in it ALSO has sent me into a bit of a free-fall of joy. Ugh! Perfection.)

There's a huge, huge, part of me that is flinching back in embarrassment over not hopping on the contemporary YA romance train sooner because books like Only Mostly Devastated are just so dang good and I can't get enough. While it does rely on romance, this coming of age story isn't only a romance at its surface--it is undeniably a coming of age tale that discusses real, genuine topics and is very much true to life.  

Stories that can tackle serious issues--such as the gravity of coming out, living your life in the open, the inevitability of life and death, grief and so much more--are so worthy of your time. This is one of those stories. While Only Mostly Devastated has a lot of optimism, love and humor, it can just as easily cause you to tear up in various emotions.   

 Only Mostly Devastated is romantic, smart, fun, witty, beautifully written and full of life. If you love stories that feel like life itself, you're going to adore this. Seriously--write it down: this is a must-read for you.

But! Wait! There's! More! After you finish reading Only Mostly Devastated, you'll want to shout about how much you love it and these characters. We're talking dorkishly romantic film, scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs, "I LOVE YOU!" levels of fangirling. Sophie Gonzales, I'm in awe.

Only Mostly Devastated is full of characters that are just as warm and lively as you and me. If you have a soft spot for coming of age stories that will give you all the feels, I encourage you to pick up a copy of this one! Ollie and Will's story will truly leave its mark on you.