en-Leah On The Offbeat - Becky Albertalli review

23/06/2020

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat- but real life isn't always so rhythmic. The only child of a single mum, and her life is less privileged than her friends. Her mum knows she's bisexual, but Leah hasn't mustered the courage to tell her friends. Not even her openly gay BFF, Simon. Prom and college are on the horizon, and tensions are running high. Can Leah still strike the right note, when the people she loves are fighting? And how can she cope knowing that she might love one of her friends more than she ever intended?

I've been looking for this one for a while now. I wanted to get the English version, but due to the corona crisis I wasn't able to get a copy in Belgium. After a couple of weeks of waiting impatiently, I was able to order it again in my local bookstore. And of course, I couldn't wait to dive into it, so I did.

I really loved the story. Leah's character is so strong and charismatic, that you instantly start to love. She's not a beauty queen, but she is herself and she doesn't want to be anyone else, and I loved her so much for this. She is so perfectly imperfect and inspiring.

The story is not what I thought it would be, but it's still a good one. It is kind of predictable if you ask me but that didn't bother me. The scenes are beautifully written and it's easy to place yourself in Leah's Character. I really loved the fact that the story feels 'real'. This could happen to any teenager. It's not such a high-class drama that could never happen. It reads so fast, I had it out in no time. I really enjoyed it!

Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: Young Adult
Themes: growing up, love, bisexuality
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 30/05/2018
Pages: 343
Rating: * * * *