The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli, Paperback

“Heart-fluttering, honest, and hilarious. I can’t stop hugging this book.” —Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss

"I have such a crush on this book! Not only is this one a must read, but it's a must re-read." —Julie Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’

From the award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda comes a funny, authentic novel about sisterhood, love, and identity.

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him.

Right?

Stephanie Perkins

Heart-fluttering, honest, and hilarious. I can’t stop hugging this book.

Julie Murphy

I have such a crush on this book! Not only is this one a must read, but it’s a must re-read.

SLJ (starred review)

★ “Readers will fall in love with this fresh, honest, inclusive look at dating, families, and friendship. A top purchase for all YA collections.

ALA Booklist

In her second, relationship-rich novel, Albertalli’s take on the agonies and ecstasies of adolescent love are spot-on.

NPR.org

’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 Unrequited provides.

Entertainment Weekly

While first kisses, first loves, and even first sexual experiences have all been dealt with in some form or another, she tackles these big milestones head-on and with aplomb.

Brightly.com

This book is absolutely adorable and has so much diversity! I fail to see how anyone cannot love this book and its characters.” A Best Book of 2017

★ “Readers will fall in love with this fresh, honest, inclusive look at dating, families, and friendship. A top purchase for all YA collections.

Brightly

This book is absolutely adorable and has so much diversity! I fail to see how anyone cannot love this book and its characters.” A Best Book of 2017

Publishers Weekly

02/20/2017
Molly Peskin-Suso is the opposite of sexually precocious: now 17, she’s had “twenty-six crushes and exactly zero kisses.” When love finds her more confident twin sister, Cassie, a fissure develops that Molly reads as the inevitable first step toward twin division, “the part where we turn from we to she and me.” Cassie tries to hook Molly up with a pal of new girlfriend Mina, but Molly is drawn to Reid, a co-worker who Mina describes, derogatorily, as “one of those Ren Faire guys. Season pass, full costume.” Albertalli’s follow-up to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda features a diverse family (Molly’s mothers are different races and religions) living in Beltway Washington the year gay marriage is legalized. It’s as full of heart as Simon (Simon himself makes a cameo appearance) and is replete with humor and honestly drawn characters like Grandma Betty, who comments inappropriately about Molly’s weight and thinks all lesbians have short hair. The cheerful resolution has Molly finding her own path, concluding that, no matter how well-intentioned one’s wingman might be, you have to be your heart’s own goalie. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brooks Sherman, Bent Agency. (Apr.)

VOYA, April 2017 (Vol. 40, No. 1) - Courtney Munday

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso and her twin sister, Cassie, fraternal twins of two moms thanks to an anonymous sperm donor, live an unconventional life. While Cassie possesses enough self-confidence for both of them, Molly uses Zoloft to battle the anxiety that plagues her. After all, no one finds fat girls interesting, let alone attractive. When Cassie falls in love with her new girlfriend, Mina, she makes it their mission to hook Molly up with Mina’s hot friend, Will. Knowing that guys like Will prefer skinny girls, Molly tries to talk herself into being less careful with her heart. To complicate matters, she finds herself drawn to Reid, a coworker who is the awkward antithesis of Will. The Upside Of Unrequited takes a unique approach to body issues and self-confidence. From the perspective of Molly, the reader is given insight into the power of psychological insecurities. While Molly has supportive family and friends, comments from outsiders—like “You’d be prettier if you lost a little weight”—overpower their love and encouragement. Words matter. Words hurt. The novel makes clear the lasting effects of hurtful words—against the backdrop of planning a wedding for the moms and sibling relationships. Readers will relate to Molly’s realistic struggles because she symbolizes any person who experiences self-doubt. A host of diverse secondary characters adds to the complexity of the story, which shows that life’s issues defy easy fixes. Educators and librarians seeking realistic literature that resonates with female readers struggling with self-esteem should add this well-rounded, inclusive novel to their shelves. Reviewer: Courtney Munday; Ages 12 to 18.

School Library Journal

★ 02/01/2017
Gr 9 Up—Growing up can mean growing apart, which is a hard revelation for twins Cassie and Molly Peskin-Suso. When Cassie, who is a lesbian, begins dating Mina, a pansexual Korean American, Molly feels a little cast aside. Molly, who has an anxiety disorder, has silently nursed 26 crushes and is working on finally risking the rejection she fears and starting to date. Cassie wants Molly to hook up with Mina's best friend, Will, but Molly might be more interested in sweet and endearingly geeky Reid. While the girls are navigating these new worlds of romance, things don't slow down in other parts of their lives. Cassie and Molly's moms are finally getting married, so there's a wedding to plan, much to the delight of Pinterest-savvy Molly; plus there are jobs, friends, and a busy baby brother. Molly, Cassie, and all of the secondary characters are well-developed and distinctive. The outspoken girls have honest, humorous, and sometimes awkward conversations with each other, their friends, and their supportive and loving moms about relationships and growing up. Albertalli's keen ear for authentic teen voices will instantly make readers feel that they are a part of Cassie and Molly's world, filled with rich diversity (Cassie and Molly's family is Jewish and interracial), love, support, and a little heartache. In the satisfying conclusion, Molly and Cassie learn that letting new people into their lives does not have to mean shutting out others. VERDICT Readers will fall in love with this fresh, honest, inclusive look at dating, families, and friendship. A top purchase for all YA collections.—Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Great River Regional Library, Saint Cloud, MN

Kirkus Reviews

2017-02-04
Tired of crushing with no kisses, 17-year-old Molly decides to take a chance on love.Molly has always felt inferior to her fraternal twin, Cassie: though both are white, Molly is brown-haired, brown-eyed, and fat in contrast to Cassie's blonde slenderness. But Molly doesn't hate her body—she's just afraid other people do. The combination of these feelings of inadequacy with ordinary teen awkwardness is a recipe for uneasy interactions with boys. Molly's 26 crushes have all been unrequited—but have they, really? When Cassie falls in love for the first time, and two eligible possibilities present themselves, Molly decides to risk rejection. Against the backdrop of the legalization of gay marriage in the U.S. and the planning of her moms' subsequent nuptials, Molly struggles between choosing the boy she actually likes and the one who seems ideal. Themes of body image, rejection, first love, and the evolution of familial relationships—particularly between sisters—loom large. Molly is the queen of teen angst, and her voice may grate on readers. The cast is wonderfully diverse (family, sexual orientation, religion/culture, race, size, mental health), which is why it's so sad that, though well-drawn, the characters are hard to connect with. While that's disappointing, fans of romance and those looking to diversify their shelves may be willing to forgive its foibles. (Fiction. 14-17)

The Upside of Unrequited

Paperback

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