Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets Clueless in this boy-meets-boy spin on Grease A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection “Only Mostly Devastated is the kind of book I wish existed when my kids were younger–a charming, funny, laugh-out-loud teen romance that reminds all readers love comes in a multitude of flavors, and they are ALL sweet.” –Jodi Picoult, New York Times-bestselling … are ALL sweet.” –Jodi Picoult, New York Times-bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light
“A delightful, heartwarming, heartrending story about family, love, friendship, and living your most authentic life. I couldn’t put it down.” —New York Times-bestselling author Sandhya Menon
Will Tavares is the dream summer fling–he’s fun, affectionate, kind–but just when Ollie thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After, summer vacation ends and Will stops texting Ollie back. Now Ollie is one prince short of his fairytale ending, and to complicate the fairytale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country. Which he minds a little less when he realizes it’s the same school Will goes to…except Ollie finds that the sweet, comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted–and, to be honest, a bit of a jerk.
Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship, especially since this new, bro-y jock version of Will seems to go from hot to cold every other week. But then Will starts “coincidentally” popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class to the lunch table, and Ollie finds his resolve weakening.
The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again.
Right? Right.
~~~
“Only Mostly Devastated [is] an instant hit and Sophie Gonzales one YA author to watch.” –Julia Lynn Rubin, author of Burro Hills
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Only Mostly Devastated is the kind of book I wish existed when my kids were younger — a charming, funny, laugh-out-loud teen romance that reminds all readers love comes in a multitude of flavors, and they are ALL sweet.
A delight! This heartfelt, queer update on Grease features a diverse cast of teen characters and a charmingly earnest protagonist in Ollie. Gonzales handily balances lively banter with somber issues, and the compelling will they / won’t they storyline warmly illustrates a timeless truth: love is love is love.
TW: Homophobia, Death/Illness, Fatphobia.
I really, really enjoyed/liked this book! This is my second time reading a book with the second chance romance trope, and I liked the way it was handled.
It was very well written, Will and Ollie were so cute, (I wanted to see more, though) and I really liked the characters. When Lara was first introduced, I was certain I was going to hate her, but she ended being my favorite character, even though, I do not approve nor liked what she said, and I feel she should’ve apologized. Overall, it was a good read, but nothing memorable
5
Spanish & English Opinion
¡Me encantó! Ollie es uno de los personajes que más me ha hecho reír. Su discurso interno en súper divertido, entretenido, diferente.
Su conexión con Will es padrísima y las 3 amigas que lo adoptan me encantan, Lara es mi favorita. Es fácil recordar lo complicado que es tener 17.
Si la meta es leer algo divertido, diferente, donde el amor es amor y la diversidad social se siente cero forzada, este libro es la mejor opción.
Simply loved it! Ollie is one of my favorite characters of all time. He’s funny, interesting and not a cliche which I adore.
Will Is also great and their connection is cute, swoony and authentic. Her new 3 friends are entertaining and Lara is my fave. Reading this reminds us of how difficult is being 17 years old.
If anyone need a #loveislove book, with amazing sense of humor, and a diversed society that doesn’t feel forced, this is the book!
#loveislove #intelligentcomedy #sophiegonzales #onlymostlydevastated
I’m giving this one 4 stars instead of 5 because I absolutely adored Ollie but I still think he deserved better than all the shit Will put him through. Ollie is sweet and endearing and a great friend to the girls who take him under their wing when he starts a new school. And the Rose girls! Omg they were incredible. I loved them all in their own way and they brought so much depth and personality to the book. What I didn’t like was Will, and yes I know he was struggling with being in the closet and being in love and living up to the goals set for him by others but I just… felt like he screwed things up a few too many times for Ollie to keep forgiving him. I enjoyed the book as a whole though. Love the classic grease predicament of finding out your summer love isn’t at all who you thought they were and dealing with the cool kids at school. It was a good book, I just wish the author had made Will grovel a whole lot more.
This was a fun, light-hearted, and deep book all packed into one! I absolutely loved the characters that Sophie Gonzales created, especially Ollie. I must admit however, I am not sure if I would have loved them the same had I read the book instead of listening to the audio version. Narrator Mark Sanderlin really made Ollie’s character come to life and made the story that much more real. Speaking of real, while I can imagine the storyline and it happening in real life, some of Ollie’s reactions to things, especially as a teenager, seemed a bit off to me. Ollie appeared way too calm and put together. Don’t get me wrong, there are teens out there who are calm and put together, but being a gay teenager that is out in a school where being gay is joked and laughed about, and one going through as many trials as Ollie went through, I am not sure how he reacted is realistic (of note, I have no idea what it is like to be a gay teenager in this situation, I am only speculating…I do not say any of this to offend anyone or pass judgment on anyone – it is merely an observation/opinion). Overall, I loved Ollie, his family, and his friends and the story told by Sophie Gonzales.
I devoured this book in two days and adored it with my whole heart. I wish that Ollie was my best friend. I certainly felt like he was for those two days. He made me laugh so much, I honestly giggled out loud at some points, and I felt so incredibly inspired my his manner, character and attitude. This is such a beautiful, heart-warming and heart-breaking story that I too highly recommend you pick up today!!!!
More reflections and recommendations on my blog: https://thedanielhurst.wordpress.com
This book is just adorable! It’s a super sweet YA romcom, based on Grease, about an out gay teenage boy and a closeted teenage boy. It has all the angst you’d expect in such a situation, plus endearing supporting characters with their own stories and a heartfelt/heart-breaking family subplot. For me, it struck all the right notes…I laughed, I cried, I thought deep thoughts.
I love how each character in this book has their own journey. All of Ollie and Will’s friends have their own issues and relationships, which allows the story to touch on a lot of different topics, such as fatphobia, perfectionism, and a sort of parallel to Ollie and Will’s story involving sexuality and relationships. Each character is likable yet imperfect. I only wish we could spend more time with them!
The family subplot involving Ollie’s Aunt Linda and her battle with cancer is interesting, too. In our lives, nothing happens in a vacuum. Ollie grapples with his love life at the same time as he copes with his aunt’s illness and his babysitting duties, not to mention friendships and schoolwork. Plus, a grave illness, like cancer, always forces us to examine our lives and ask what we would do differently if we knew our time would be cut short. In this story, it applies to Ollie’s love interest, Will, who struggles with coming out.
I strongly recommend Only Mostly Devastated! It’s a sweet story with lovable characters, and it gave me a chance to self-reflect. I hope it does the same for you!
CW: homophobia, cancer, fatphobia
This is a “Grease” retelling. Perhaps it’s just me and retellings – they aren’t something I’m enjoying for some reason. I loved that this is a gay retelling and think that is the greatest strength of this book. The relationship is believable and I enjoyed that. What I didn’t was it was really hard to like the characters. It took me 100 pages to feel invested in their story – I almost put it in the did not finish pile.
I was so lucky and excited to win a copy of this book. I love the idea of a modern spin on a Grease kind of situation. I was not disappointed. This book was amazing. It had emotion, difficult situations, friendship and love.
Ollie has a summer romance and never thinks he’ll end up at the same school as Will, but life doesn’t always work out the way we planned and after Ollie’s aunt gets sick, his family ends up moving to North Carolina. Will, not being out, decides to ignore Ollie or treat him badly in front of his friends.
There were several things that really stuck out to me in this book. First, was how the girl who seemed the snarkiest, was the one who really just needed someone to talk to who might understand what she was going through. Next, your friends should have your back and support your dreams, always. Also, when you need your friends, they should be there for you, even if you’re not getting along the greatest at the time. And finally, you should be true to who you are, and those who love you will accept you for that, BUT everyone comes to this understanding at their own pace.
There are very sad parts to this book, and I did need some tissues on occasion. However, it was very well written and I recommend it for anyone who loves a good YA Contemporary Romance.
Only Mostly Devastated is more than Grease with a twist. It’s about having friends and family that love you no matter what, even if you are in the closet. It is also about compromise and doing things that other enjoys, if one person does not like it. Spending time worrying about what others think about you does not lead anywhere good, it matters more what you want in your life, or who I should say.
Sophie Gonzales takes the “summer lovin'” idea of Grease and transplants it to North Carolina, and instead of Danny and Sandy, we have Will and Ollie.
When we meet Ollie, he is trying to process two things: Will, the boy he spent the summer with, hasn’t been in touch with him in several weeks, and his parents want to move from California to North Carolina to help take care of his cancer-stricken aunt and her family. Ollie has no interest in leaving his friends and life behind, but Will lives near where Ollie will live, and there is always hope they can reconnect. If only Will would text, you know?
Just like what happens when Danny and Sandy reunite, Ollie (finally!) sees Will during a party, and, much like Danny, Will’s reaction isn’t as happy as Ollie hoped. Will does NOT want anyone at school to question his sexuality, so Ollie’s presence causes some issues.
Sophie Gonzales tells this story through Ollie’s eyes, letting you feel his helplessness where Will is concerned as well as–and perhaps more emotionally impactful–his aunt. Gonzales doesn’t exploit cancer as she reveals Aunt Linda’s suffering. Instead, she shows you how cancer infiltrates a family and the ways it destroys them.
As for the romance, you will cheer for Ollie. When he demands more for himself, you will want to high-five him. When he helps a friend through her own romantic crisis, you will wish you’d had someone like him on your side when you were in high school. And when, despite his promises to himself that he will not stand for being treated as less than, he capitulates and allows Will to diminish him, you understand. Ollie is seventeen. He doesn’t yet know how to value his own worth.
You will laugh as you read, and you also might find yourself shedding a tear or five. I can’t wait to have a couple copies of this book in my high school English classroom because I know students will feel great comfort in finding themselves in Sophie Gonzales’s story.
A delightful, heartwarming, heartrending story about family, love, friendship, and living your most authentic life. I couldn’t put it down.
Oh my gosh, Only Mostly Devastated is SO GREAT! Funny and sweet and super gay, fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda are going to be all over it. It’s totally swoon-worthy!
There can never be enough queer stories about romance — and when they are told with this much heart, humor and a swoon worthy story line, you never want them to end.
Outrageously funny and terribly sweet, Only Mostly Devastated will tug at your heartstrings until they break, then weave you new ones made of pure gold.
4.5*
I was only mostly devastated once, or twice.
An ode to Grease and summer lovin’, Only Mostly Devastated was a sweet, heart-tugging young adult/coming-of-age novel. This genre had really been owning my heart lately, and OMD was no different.
I loved that there is so much more to this book than just what you get from the blurb. Yes, we have the back and forth, second-chance, somewhat frustrating, romance between Ollie and Will, which was definitely a highlight of the book! We also see the friendships he forms with the “pink ladies”, who were terrific in their own rights, and how he deals with the typical woes and trials and tribulations of high school. And then there’s the story line with his aunt, the reason he and his family uprooted their lives and moved across country, back to the scene of his summer romance. The scenes with his aunt were so poignant, I couldn’t help but tear up a few times. I had to hide in the bathroom at one point- I was sneak reading at work and didn’t want my coworkers to see me cry!
While I did get frustrated with Will and the way he’d run hot and cold with Ollie, I’d then remember, these were high school kids in a small town and who was I to judge and want Will to rush into doing something, (outing himself), that he wasn’t comfortable with doing? The thing is- Ollie was so endearing and going through so much that I just wanted him to be happy! I loved when it was just the two of them and Will was able to be himself, without the persona he shows to the rest of the world. And not to spoil anything, but that ending was completely swoon-worthy!
Only Mostly Devastated is a fairly lighthearted read for the most part, but I like how Sophie Gonzales didn’t shy away from the tough subjects. It’s such a charming story, with some really touching moments that added depth and gave it a true to life feel.
ARC received from Hachette Australia for an honest review
Grease has been one of my favourite movies as a kid.
M/M romance is now one of my favourite tropes to read.
Thrown together in Only Mostly Devastated, and I devoured this book.
Now, I rarely read YA books anymore – I am an old fart, it gets hard to relate to highshoolers – however that didn’t matter with this book, as I enjoyed the story too much.
The girls are a cross between the Pink Ladies and Mean Girls, the guys are no so much T-Birds as a sports gang lol
I adore Ollie from the very start. He is sweet and a beautiful soul. Will took a bit more warming up to, however he got there eventually.
I fell in love with our lovelies as they fell in love with each other.
One thing though, I did feel like there was a bit too much telling and not enough showing of the romance between Will and Ollie – however that could just be me.
Sweet, adorable story that made my lunch breaks even better.
Ollie & Will gave me all the heart eyes!!! Especially Ollie – gosh how I loved him…
I mean when I saw this promo – SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA MEETS CLUELESS, INSPIRED BY GREASE – of course I was all over it.
This one is sweet, genuinely LOL funny but it’s also honest and relevant and the author treated real subjects in a very respectful and education (but not preachy) way.
Definitely recommend this one.
I love this book so much. I went into Only Mostly Devastated without reading the description first, and when I figured out it was inspired by Grease, I was absolutely delighted. I have that movie m e m o r i z e d. So this was such a joy to read.
All of the characters in this book felt fleshed out and real to me. I also appreciated how the serious story of a family struggling through illness and loss was woven into this romantic comedy; it felt very realistic to experience something devastating even while your love story is happening. And the subplots were elegantly threaded together, maintaining great tension and pacing throughout, and making you really care about each character.
I loved Ollie. LOOOOVED Ollie. Loved his voice, his character arc, his humor, and his introspection — and spoiler here, but his rumination on death… it was like he got inside my HEAD. I was just aggressively nodding, like THESE ARE THOUGHTS I HAVE HAD. I also loved every scene between him and Will, and adored their relationship. And LARA. Wow. What a fantastic, complex side character. Her arc was incredible.
All in all, this was a severely entertaining read, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to simultaneously laugh and sob.
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC!