Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

This novel is a brilliant story addressing controversial aspects of life in the best way possible. Leah on the Offbeat is about a drummer, Leah, who knows that she’s bisexual but struggles with her feelings for a girl she isn’t really friends with anymore, who is questioning her own sexual identity. This novel talks about struggling to find your feelings, trying to be comfortable with yourself, and being torn between your own feelings and wanting what’s best for your friends and family. Leah being bisexual was an aspect that was fantastic due to bi-erasure unfortunately being prominent in today’s society, and even in LGBTQ+ communities. Another part of the book I loved was that the character was generally comfortable with her own body, despite not being stick-thin and not conforming to the current standard of beauty. It wasn’t a big issue in the novel for Leah, and didn’t provide any setbacks. I really loved the novel!

Leah on the Offbeat is a clever and inspiring coming-of-age romance novel and a fantastic sequel to the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda that deals with many issues in a unique way. It really shows how far society has come in their acceptance of LGBTQ+ people.

This is an epic book, and my rating is 5 stars!

Grace Yr9