Imogen, obviously / Becky Albertalli.

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Title:

Author:

Albertalli, Becky, author.

ISBN:

9780063045873

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

416 pages ; 22 cm

Abstract:

"Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she's got the Worlds Greatest Ally title locked down. She's never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There's Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen's biases in check. And then there's Lili--newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends. Imogen's thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she's finally visiting Lili on campus, she's bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen's all in. Even if that means bending the truth, just a little. Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she's told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero--not even Lili's best friend, Tessa. Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with...."-- Provided by publisher.

Subject Term:

Female friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Bisexuals -- Juvenile fiction.

Bisexual teenagers -- Juvenile fiction.

Lesbians -- Juvenile fiction.

Sexual orientation -- Juvenile fiction.

Dating (Social customs) -- Juvenile fiction.

Identity (Psychology) -- Juvenile fiction.

High school students -- Juvenile fiction.

College students -- Juvenile fiction.

Young adult fiction.

Female friendship -- Fiction.

Lesbians -- Fiction.

Sexual orientation -- Fiction.

Dating (Social customs) -- Fiction.

High school students -- Fiction.

College students -- Fiction.

Amitié féminine -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Bisexuels -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Adolescents bisexuels -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Lesbiennes -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Orientation sexuelle -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Amours -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Identité (Psychologie) -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Élèves du secondaire -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Étudiants -- Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse.

Roman pour jeunes adultes.

YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship.

Dating (Social customs)

Female friendship

High school students

Identity (Psychology)

White bisexual people.

Jewish lesbians.

Latino/a/x LGBTQ+ people.

Black queer people.

Pansexual people.

Asian American queer people.

Non-binary people.

LGBTQ+ relationships.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Teen Fiction Book Hardback	120791003079768	T ALB	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

A Stonewall Honor Book · A New York Times and Indie bestseller!

"A big-hearted, deeply vulnerable, love-bubbly tumble through self-discovery." -- Casey McQuiston, author of #1 New York Times bestselling I Kissed Shara Wheeler

With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship in this timely new novel.

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she's got the World's Greatest Ally title locked down.

She's never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There's Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen's biases in check. And then there's Lili--newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.

Imogen's thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she's finally visiting Lili on campus, she's bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen's all in.

Even if that means bending the truth, just a little.

Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she's told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero--not even Lili's best friend, Tessa.

Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with. . .

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up--Imogen Scott is many things--animal lover, vision board expert, future Blackwell College student, and an amazing ally to the queer community. But Imogen herself is totally, completely straight--obviously. When Imogen spends a weekend at Blackwell with her best friend, Lili, who recently came out as pansexual, and all of Lili's amazing new friends (who also happen to be queer), things start to become a little less obvious. As Imogen participates in an array of typical college student activities, like eating the best dining hall grilled cheese, thrifting outfits for theme parties, and hiding weird objects in someone's dorm room, she quickly hits it off with Lili's friend Tess--but Imogen is straight, so they're obviously just friends. Imogen continues talking to Tessa after going home, though, and it starts to feel like more than friendship. Imogen has always liked boys and always identified as straight. So, is it even possible that Imogen isn't so straight after all? The plot of this novel is well-paced and entertaining, but the characterizations are where the story truly shines. The secondary characters are fleshed out, fully formed individuals with diverse queer and racial identities, and the relationships, even amongst new friends, are full of humor and compassion. Imogen, who is white, is a complex character with a distinct voice, and her story of grappling with her identity during this transitional period of life will resonate with teens. VERDICT An excellent addition to collections for teens; hand to readers who love found-family stories and fans of Racquel Marie's Ophelia After All and Jennifer Dugan's Hot Dog Girl.--Alison Glass

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this intimately realized novel by Albertalli (Here's to Us), "token straight, world's best ally" Imogen Scott, a high school senior, contends with growing feelings for a girl. Though she has never kissed a boy, Imogen has had plenty of male crushes, leading her to believe that she's "hopelessly, blindingly, obviously straight." She's always been passionate about LGBTQ advocacy, especially because of her lesbian younger sister, but she's careful not to "center myself in queer spaces." While Imogen is visiting childhood best friend Lili Cardoso at college, Lili admits that she told her charismatic new queer friends both that Imogen is bisexual and that the two used to date. At Lili's insistence, people-pleasing Imogen goes along with the lie, but worries that it won't be credible. When she starts developing romantic feelings for one of Lili's friends, her anxiety spirals into a belief that her newfound attraction could be considered queer appropriation, or an attempt to fit in and seem cool. Insightful prose teems with compassionate interrogations of the harms of compulsory heterosexuality and societally prescribed narratives surrounding "what's encouraged, what's allowed--or even what's not allowed" when exploring one's sexual identity. Via Imogen's wryly funny first-person narration, Albertalli crafts a striking portrait of one teenager's experience navigating sexual fluidity and the sometimes overwhelming fear of reinventing oneself. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14--up. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (May)

Horn Book Review

High school senior Imogen has always thought of herself as a straight ally to the queer people close to her. But a visit to her best friend, first-year college student Lili, complicates matters. For one thing, Lili, in the process of trying to feel more secure in her pansexual identity, has told her college friends that Imogen is her ex-girlfriend. For another, the feelings Imogen develops for Tessa, one of those friends, tend toward romantic attraction. These experiences raise uncomfortable questions for the protagonist: why is she just beginning to realize she might be bisexual? Is she "appropriating queerness"? Sexual orientation is constantly front-of-mind for these characters, who are all trying to find where they fit in. Plenty of witty banter -- and an endearing romance -- lighten a novel that's full of introspection and that validates not only a variety of identities but also individuals' paces for figuring them out. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A spring break visit leads to surprising revelations for people-pleasing Imogen Scott, a passionate straight ally. It's spring break of her senior year, and Imogen is about to stay with Lili Cardoso, her childhood best friend, at the college Imogen herself will be attending in the fall. She's afraid that Lili, with a circle of new queer friends, may have moved on from their friendship. On top of that, as a long-standing and respectful member of her high school's Pride Alliance, Imogen tries to do everything in her power to avoid inappropriately invading queer spaces. So, she is not sure if there will be room for her in Lili's life now. Adding to her concerns, Lili, newly out as pansexual, admits that, in a spontaneous attempt to seem more experienced, she told everyone at college that she and Imogen are amicable exes. This fabricated history contains the additional lie that Imogen is bisexual--but when Imogen starts to feel a spark between her and kind and charismatic Tessa, and years of hidden feelings come crashing into view, she is forced to reckon with the possibility that it might not be so far from the truth. The friendships and relationship dynamics are believable and heartfelt. Imogen's journey feels authentic and sincere, and readers will find it difficult not to fall for her. Imogen is coded White; Lili is Brazilian American, and Tessa is Jewish. Fresh, endearing, and heartfelt. (Romance. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.