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. To complicate the fairy-tale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country, which he minds a little less when he realized it’s the same school Will goes to. Ollie soon learns, though, 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.–from the back cover of Only Mostly Devastated
The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be a fool to trust him with it again. Right? Right.
When I started this book, I’d already heard quite a bit about it. Plenty of people recommended it to me and it’d been included in at least a hundred different contemporary young adult rec lists. So, I was definitely looking forward to it!
I’m happy to say that this book did not disappoint me; I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’ll definitely be reading it again, at some point. (I actually read it as part of a June readathon; so, I want to go back and take my time reading it, one day.)
Now, onto my review for Only Mostly Devastated!
Review
So, I really liked the premise of this book. Which is weird, to be honest, because a lot of people describe it as a modern take on Grease, a movie I never particularly liked. Anyway, I really enjoyed Gonzales’ execution of the plot and the way events unfolded in the book.
Also, it had the perfect balance emotions. I laughed at so many different parts of this book. But it also made me cry at some particularly heart-wrenching moments. Of course, there were plenty of sweet, heartwarming moments, too. It is a YA romance novel, after all.
Anyway, I also really enjoyed the characters in this book. I liked how dedicated Ollie was when it came to helping his family, but I also liked that Gonzales didn’t make him into a saint. He complained like you’d expect a teenager to complain, but he did what he needed to despite that. It just felt really realistic, I suppose. Additionally, I just loved Ollie’s narrative voice. His personality just really appealed to me and I adored his sense of humor. Obviously, those things might not be to everyone’s personal tastes, but it worked really well for me.
Of course, I loved Will, too, but to be perfectly honest, Lara stole the show. I would sell my soul to read about her journey and development from her perspective.
I also absolutely loved how Gonzales portrayed the dynamic between Ollie and Will. Neither of them was perfect when it came to their relationship and what happened between them, and that was just so right. No one is one-hundred-percent bad and no one is one-hundred-percent good and all that. In short, I just liked that Gonzales showcased how their different backgrounds affected them and their relationship.
TL,DR Recommendation
All in all, I definitely recommend reading this one! It has a perfect balance of emotions, with moments that range from hysterical to sweet to heartbreaking. Plus, the characters are sure to steal your heart. So, if you’re a fan of contemporary young adult fiction, this could definitely be a good choice for you!
If you do choose to read this one, or if you already have, drop a comment down below to let me know your thoughts. I always love to connect and talk about books! You can also always visit my Bookstagram account and talk to me there, of course.
Additionally, if you enjoyed this review for Only Mostly Devastated, use the Book Reviews tab above to see my full library of reviews. There are plenty of other amazing books that you can find there!
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