Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli. Balzer + Bray, 2023. 9780063045873






Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4



Format: Hardcover



Genre: Realistic fiction



What did you like about the book?  Imogen takes her allyship seriously, attending Pride Alliance meetings at her high school and supporting her sister Edith (a lesbian), BFF Gretchen (bi), and other BFF Lili (now a college freshman and pansexual). Sweet, girly, shy, and straight – that describes Imogen. Now that she’s been accepted at nearby Blackwell College, she’s going to spend the weekend there with Lili and meet all her cool college gay friends. But Lili drops a bomb when Imogen arrives; eager to seem more worldly, Lili’s told her gang that they’re exes and that Imogen is bi. Always a people-pleaser, Imogen goes with the flow but the flutters she’s feeling around Lili’s hallmate Tessa signal that maybe she’s not as straight as she thought. The narrative alternates between Imogen’s often tentative first-person voice and long strings of text messages, including increasingly flirty ones with Tessa. All of the action takes place in one week, between the college visit weekend and a dark academia queer house party six days later. Albertalli asks and has her characters answer a series of thought-provoking questions. Is gaydar real? Who can pass for straight? Who would want to date a bi girl? Is the closet a valid choice and who gets to decide? Who gets to apply labels and why do we listen to them? Gretchen represents a queer gatekeeper, and not always in a flattering way. Having experienced homophobia firsthand, she looks for certainty and rejects Imogen’s questioning about her sexuality. Teens who are on their own journeys will find Imogen’s confusion relatable and compelling. Adorable cover art and Albertalli’s prior hits will make this a popular checkout. Imogen presents as White, Lili and her brother are Brazilian-American, and Tessa is Jewish. Others in Lili’s friend group are intersectionally diverse.



Anything you didn’t like about it? I don’t like instalove as a plot device and this was instalove on steroids. Just one meeting in the hall and they’re smitten! Imogen is quite tenderly developed as the main character, but Tessa is basically a tomboyish manic pixie dream girl. I would have liked to see the relationship evolve more naturally, with more emphasis on what the two girls actually like about one another.  I found the college weekend unrealistic, with nonstop banter, puns galore, and no discussion of classes or homework. Plus, Imogen’s been accepted at the school but had never visited? Even though it’s 20 minutes from home? An annoying side plot that involved a series of pranks with sausages could safely have been eliminated.



To whom would you recommend this book?  Albertalli’s fans will want to get their hands on this ASAP. 



Who should buy this book? High school and public libraries



Where would you shelve it? YA fiction



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No



Reviewer: Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA



Date of review: May 28, 2023