The Upside of unrequited reaffirms Becky Albertalli as one of the best Young Adult authors out there.
This book follows seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso. She is a prolific crusher but never has the confidence to admit how she feels, even with her sister’s pep talks. Molly’s too afraid of rejection because how could anyone love a fat girl?
My only regret is that I didn’t read it sooner! Seventeen-year-old Jonna was a hopeless romantic and a bit of a dreamer but she lacked confidence. This book could have really helped past me. Despite that, it was still a fantastic book that really resonated with me.
Molly is one of the most relatable characters I have ever read. She feels like such a real teenager. Even though I am no longer seventeen, I can really connect with the character and the book but the issues in it are thoughts and insecurities anyone can have.
One of the best elements in this book was Molly’s relationship with her twin sister, Cassie. It was really nice seeing how close the two were but also showing that they’re not the perfect siblings.
Although the book is from Molly’s perspective, Cassie’s relationship with her new girlfriend is a really big part of this book. I loved watching the relationship bloom but what I loved more is that it wasn’t a big deal. Coming out stories are important but sometimes it’s nice to have a story where a character’s sexual identity isn’t they’re whole story.
This book puts you through so many emotions, but you ultimately leave it having a warm feeling inside. It’s a wonderful story about love, friendship but perhaps most importantly, self-acceptance and self-love. Everyone has days where they don’t feel comfortable in their own skin but The Upside of Unrequited shows you that it’s okay because tomorrow can be better.
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