When Ollie had to spend the summer before senior year in North Carolina because of a family emergency, he was upset but he went along. He ended up spending the summer at the lake taking care of his two young cousins while his aunt underwent chemo. Ollie liked Christa and Dylan a lot, so he enjoyed being the uncle. And things got even better when he met Will. Will was a sweet, caring guy, and Ollie fell for him immediately. They spent time together whenever they could, knowing that Ollie was headed back to California at the end of the summer.
Too soon, summer is over. But Ollie’s parents decide to stay in North Carolina for the year, staying on to help with Aunt Linda’s cancer. That’s harder for Ollie to take. He wants to be in California, spending his senior year with his friends and his band. Now he’s stuck in a high school where he knows nobody. Except for Will. So there’s that.
Ollie quickly meets a group of girls who take him in as part of the circle. He tells them about his summer romance with Will, not realizing that they know him. Not realizing that he’s not open about his sexuality yet. Not realizing that he’s a popular guy, part of the basketball team, a class clown, and part of a circle of guys who make rude jokes about any feelings that are not heteronormative. Will acts like he doesn’t know Ollie. Ollie is devastated. Or maybe only mostly devastated.
But Ollie has his friends. And he finds a new band, playing the bass for some of his fellow music lovers. And he has his family. Christa and Dylan love having him around, and he helps by babysitting them when he’s needed.
And then, one day, Will shows up in music class. And they start talking again. It’s not the big romance that Ollie was hoping for, but it’s something. Maybe it’s a start. And as the year goes on, through dances and basketball games, hospital visits and parties, tragedy and triumph, Ollie figures out what’s really important to him. And once he know that, he can go after it with all his heart.
Only Mostly Devastated is a YA novel about an epic teenage love story. The characters are so real and the situations so pitch perfect that I felt some of my old high school angst creeping back in. Author Sophie Gonzales offers up a queer love story that embodies all the hurt and hope of young love, with just a touch of Grease for the theater kids.
I really enjoyed Only Mostly Devastated. It has its heartbreaking moments, but it stays true to the story and to the characters, as well as to that time of life when life is filled with so much emotion, so much anticipation, more than a few stupid mistakes, and lots and lots of friendship. If you’re looking for a big-hearted story with lots of love and laughter, this is one not to miss.
Egalleys for Only Mostly Devastated were provided by Wednesday Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks.
