Hello, bookworms!
Today we are finally here to start reviewing my June reads. Pride Month reads, baby. And yes, I talk about queer books all year long, I am well aware of that, but these month's reads are more special, because I said so. Which is why I decided to start with a good review.
One of my most anticipated releases for 2023 was You Don't Have a Shot (which we will talk about later), but since if I can I like to read books by the same author in the order they released them, even when they are not connected, I decided it was finally time for me to read Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie, after having put it off for more than a year.
I am really glad I did end up liking the book, and today we are here to talk about it. So, without any further ado, it's time to get this review started!
About the book
Title: Ophelia After All
Author: Racquel Marie
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication date: February 8, 2022
Pages: 341
Plot, as stated on Goodreads
A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in Ophelia After All, a hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut by author Racquel Marie. Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys - way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn't change, even if she wanted to. So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia's firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love--and sexuality--never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she's always imagined or upending everyone's expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Review
As it's often the case when I push back reading books I'm excited about, I end up with a lot of expectations and anxiety the books in question won't meet them. However, sometimes, when I do actually read them they end up being exactly what I need and want them to be.
When I pick up a YA contemporary, especially a queer one about discovering yourself, I usually know what to expect and I am rarely wrong or surprised. Ophelia After All in an exception to this rule, in a very positive way. I am not going to say how or why, of course, because that would be spoiler, but I truly appreciated the choices Racquel Marie made.
pic by @inkwordsandash
I really loved Ophelia as a main character, and it was interesting following her in her journey of self discovery and growth. Her relationships with the other characters were also nice to read about, especially a specific friendship that warmed my cold little heart to bits.
Which leads me to the secondary characters, which I also loved. There was one in particular, Sammie, that quickly became my child and now I have one more fictional son to add to the mix. He was so cute, and I really truly wish we had a spin off about him, to be honest.
The plot was quite simple and predictable, aside from the ending, which was my favourite thing. I know a lot of people will be left unsatisfied with this kind of finale, but I think it was the best possible choice for the characters and their development, at least as far as I am concerned. If you have read the book, I'd love to know your opinion on this matter.
The writing style was also very good. I had such a wonderful time reading this book, it was a quick and easy read, that went by smoothly. It felt really cozy and warm throughout the whole thing, even when the topics that were being discussed were harder or deeper. I can already tell you that I am going to pick up all Racquel Marie's future releases.
Ophelia After All is a book I will be recommending to everyone for a long time, I think. It's perfect both for the younger generation, especially those teens that are still on their self discovery journey about sexuality and friendships and relationships, and for us older readers who didn't get to have these books when we were the "right" age. Also, with that ending, I think this book will help a lot of people deal with [I cannot say because it's spoilery, but if you know, you know], which is not something you usually see in romantic books, I feel.
So, if you are thinking about picking up this book, please consider this your sign to do so. I'd also highly recommend the audiobook of this title! I read along on my Kindle while listening it on audio, and I totally think it's worth both the "eye read" and the listen. I don't remember who the narrator is, but I want to give them a big shoutout because they did a really great job bringing this wholesome and important story to life.
I'd also highly recommend this as a gift, if you are looking for something to gift the teens and not-so-teens anymore. The cover alone makes for a great gift, I might add.
And that is going to be all for today. I will talk to you soon with a new review. I will also be reviewing You Don't Have a Shot by the same author soon after that, so stay tuned to hear (or, to be fair, read) more of me gushing about Racquel Marie and sapphic teens.
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