Imogen, Obviously

Written by Becky Albertalli

Narrated by Caitlin Kinnunen

The sensational new novel from Becky Albertalli, best-selling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

Imogen may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down. And when she visits her best friend, Lili, at college who is newly-out, newly-graduated, and newly thriving, with a cool new squad of queer college friends, no one knows that Imogen’s 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…

With an irresistible cast of characters, hugely funny and empathetic writing, and all of Becky Albertalli's trademark warmth and wit, Imogen, Obviously beautifully explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship – perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Adam Silvera.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: May 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9780008607357

Becky Albertalli

Becky Albertalli is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of William C. Morris Award winner and National Book Award longlist title Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (now a major motion picture, Love, Simon); The Upside of Unrequited; Leah on the Offbeat; the Simonverse novella Love, Creekwood; What If It’s Us (cowritten with Adam Silvera); Yes No Maybe So (cowritten with Aisha Saeed); Kate in Waiting; and Imogen, Obviously, a Stonewall Honor Book. Becky lives with her family near Atlanta. You can visit her online at beckyalbertalli.com. 

Reviews for Imogen, Obviously

[Kaylee Claire · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is SO good! This is one of those books that had me feeling all the emotions - happy, sad, angry, frustrated. It does a deep dive into how queer gate keeping is harmful to those who aren't out yet or still questionkng their queerness, while also delivering a delightful romance story with great dialogue.
The narrator does a great job of bringing the story to life too.

[Erika · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Well, some YA books are enjoyable for older audiences… this wasn’t one of them.
Also Gretchen is pretty horrible from the start. It’s they type of ‘queer’ person who wants to be taken seriously and accepted, but refuses to take anybody else’s feelings and opinions seriously. Just throws around big words until everyone gives in, just to shut her up. Sexuality and gender is all fluid, as long as she says so, but if she doesn’t agree, watch out for the tantrum.
Sadly these type of people are not just fictional…

[clrichm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think I actually liked this one even more than "Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda," and that is saying a great deal. I'm sure that had to do with the subject matter hitting closer to home for the author; when Albertalli publicly came out as bi in response to criticism that she was writing queer characters without being queer, she talked about this very subject: queer people being forced out of the closet, perhaps before they were ready, if they wanted to be taken seriously.But I adored Imogen, and I adored Tessa, and I adored Lili and Edith and pretty much everyone other than Gretchen, whom the reader wasn't meant to adore. I am so GLAD that the angst never lasted too long before the writer gave the characters a distraction and support (when Imogen's father saw she was uncomfortable and, without explanation, gave her an excuse to escape!). I was THRILLED that the big climactic moment featured Imogen's friends completely having her back, and Tessa barely blinking before making up her mind to dismiss Gretchen out of hand. The fluff was REAL with this book, and I am so here for it.Now I want a book about Edith.

[edgoldberg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Most of Imogen's friends are gay including her best friends Lili and Gretchen. Her sister Edith is gay as well. Imogen always thought of herself as the 'straight ally' of gays. That is until she went to visit Lili at college and met Tessa. Tessa made her rethink everything, including how she feels about girls.The first two thirds of Imogen, Obviously, is humorous. The next portion gets a little preachy. And the last part is more romantic. The characters are good and the plot is good. I'd recommend it. Not stellar, but a good read.

[bibliovermis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an ultimately very kind, obviously personal, excellent young adult coming-of-age novel about discovering yourself and recognizing that queerness, by its very nature, is different for everyone. The slightly farcical "pretend ex" setup, the descriptions of all the romantic butterflies, the family and friend group relationships, and in general all the characterization are really excellent. There were times when I thought the (for lack of a better word) "villain" of the novel was too obviously telegraphed as villainous, but other times I was impressed and in fact skeptical of how sympathetically and generously this character was treated, which I feel is overall a good balance.