"Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

Becky Albertalli released "Leah on the Offbeat" in 2018 as the sequel to "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda." In "Leah on the Offbeat," a 368 page fictional book written for a young adult audience, the main character, Leah, is an independent young woman who is trying to make her way through the final stretch of high school. The story takes place over the course of her senior year. Leah comes from a poorer background than the rest of her friends do, so throughout the book she struggles to come to terms with that even though she may not have much to offer monetarily, her personality and friendship do. In addition to this, she also goes through a series of personal challenges ranging from self-esteem and sexual orientation to trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life following graduation. Leah is a strong, relatable character, and Albertalli writes in a way that allows the reader to step into Leah's combat boots and take on her life as if it was their own. Although this novel was a really quick and easy read, I found myself getting so invested in it that I would read up to fifty or sixty pages in one period. I wanted to know what happened next and how Leah would deal with what life was throwing at her. I found myself laughing out loud during class while reading it, forgetting that I was actually in class since I was so lost in the book. One thing that really drew me in was the fact that it was taking place during her senior year and she was going through what we all are going through this year-- trying to figure out what we want to do and coming to terms with how we are all no longer going to be connected through this school. This book aided me in getting out of my reading rut. Sometimes you have to read a quick, easy to devour book to remind you how great books are. -Jasalyn Avila