the upside of unrequited by becky albertalli

For me, her sense of self-loathing and shame were all too realistic to the teenage experience. She has an intense habit of self-deprecation, frequently referring to herself as fat in a very negative way. Molly's insecurities will also feel sadly familiar to many. Her voice made me remember that feeling of longing so deeply for love and then being vastly uncertain once it came along. I think that Molly herself will speak to a lot of teenage girls (and people who used to be teenage girls) with her array of anxieties, her yearning for love, and the blossoming of her self-confidence. He's the rare kind of person who truly doesn't care what other people think, which is a revelation for Molly, who cares way too much.

It's also impossible not to root for Reid as Molly gets over her own awkwardness enough to see past his nerdy trappings. In particular, Molly and Cassie's mothers feel very comfortably and vividly rendered. The strength of 'Upside' is definitely its cast of characters. In particular, Molly and Cassie's mothers feel very comfortably and vividly rendered, and the realization of their love story and the coming together of their larger family is the real heart of the book. It's happily becoming more commonplace to encounter contemporary young adult fiction that features interracial and LGBTQ families, and Upside delights in its diverse cast and acknowledges their experiences without taking on material that would be better left to authors writing from their own experience. The strength of Upside is definitely its cast of characters.

Especially not when spending time with him just pulls her further and further away from Cassie and the sisterly bond that's always been the most important thing in both their lives. He's definitely not cool enough to fall for. But it's difficult to really commit to the crush when Molly is spending so much time with Reid, her dorky co-worker. Luckily, Mina has a dreamy best friend named Will who looks like he might make number 27 on Molly's list. As Cassie falls for the first time, Molly feels more and more like she's being left behind. Then along comes Mina, and suddenly Cassie is the sister with a crush. Cassie doesn't have this problem - she's the confident twin, and she takes what she wants from romance. Molly has a twin sister named Cassie, a summer job arranging knickknacks in a quirky boutique, and 26 crushes that have never gotten her anywhere. If you're in the mood for a snappy romance to vicariously bathe you in the pain and elation of first love, Becky Albertalli's The Upside of Unrequired provides. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title The Upside of Unrequited Author Becky Albertalli

The upside of unrequited by becky albertalli