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ninetalevixen 's review for:
Only Mostly Devastated
by Sophie Gonzales
I received an advance review copy through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.
"Here walks Ollie Di Fiore. Master of his feelings, expert detacher, only mostly devastated. Now there was something to put on my tombstone."
Do we still call characters cinnamon rolls? Because Ollie is the epitome of one. Despite the requisite teenage sarcasm and some cynicism, he's a fiercely loyal and supportive friend, a patient and helpful big cousin/nephew, and he makes the dorkiest jokes. He stands up for those he cares about, as well as himself; clearly he believes that people deserve happiness and to be treated with respect, and it's a belief he backs up with action. Perhaps most importantly, he acknowledges and actively tries to improve his shortcomings.
In fact, all of the characters are incredibly well-written. Each member of Ollie's social circle has distinct ambitions and personality, though even the minor characters are wholly believable teenagers, representing the best, worst, and in-between aspects of their age group: gossiping, or spouting queerphobic vitriol, or talking back to teachers. We get to see some fantastic growth of individual characters and of their relationships, not just the romance, which I loved. (Also, as a bi girl I am SO HERE for the love interest and one of the best friends being bi — especially since the latter was already comfortable with her sexuality .)
Although I wouldn't call the plot unique (just look at the marketing: Simon vs and Clueless and Grease), it's engaging. It was easy not only to follow but to connect emotionally with each scene; I found myself tearing up more than once and laughing out loud more times than I could count.
content warnings: terminally ill secondary character, secondary character death, (unintentional) outing, bullying, fat-shaming, possibly toxic friendships, queerphobia [actively challenged], emotional manipulation/borderline gaslighting, slut-shaming [actively challenged], bi erasure [actively challenged]
rep: gay MC, (closeted) bi/questioning Venezuelan love interest, plus-size secondary character with PCOS, bi secondary character
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CONVERSION: 13.3 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 10 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: N/A
"Here walks Ollie Di Fiore. Master of his feelings, expert detacher, only mostly devastated. Now there was something to put on my tombstone."
Do we still call characters cinnamon rolls? Because Ollie is the epitome of one. Despite the requisite teenage sarcasm and some cynicism, he's a fiercely loyal and supportive friend, a patient and helpful big cousin/nephew, and he makes the dorkiest jokes. He stands up for those he cares about, as well as himself; clearly he believes that people deserve happiness and to be treated with respect, and it's a belief he backs up with action. Perhaps most importantly, he acknowledges and actively tries to improve his shortcomings.
In fact, all of the characters are incredibly well-written. Each member of Ollie's social circle has distinct ambitions and personality, though even the minor characters are wholly believable teenagers, representing the best, worst, and in-between aspects of their age group: gossiping, or spouting queerphobic vitriol, or talking back to teachers. We get to see some fantastic growth of individual characters and of their relationships, not just the romance, which I loved. (Also,
Although I wouldn't call the plot unique (just look at the marketing: Simon vs and Clueless and Grease), it's engaging. It was easy not only to follow but to connect emotionally with each scene; I found myself tearing up more than once and laughing out loud more times than I could count.
content warnings:
rep:
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CONVERSION: 13.3 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 9 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 10 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: N/A