ALA Booklist

Seventeen-year-old Molly has had 26, count 'em, 26 crushes and not one boyfriend. But wait, here comes number 27: sweet, adorable Reid. Could a relationship finally be in the offing? But what about flirtatious, hipster-cool Will? Doesn't he count? Love sure is complicated, and for Molly, this annoying fact of life is exacerbated by her anxiety, hypersensitivity, doubts, and even self-hatred. At least partially responsible for all this Sturm und Drang is the fact that Molly is, as her grandmother indelicately puts it, zaftig. As Molly herself exasperatedly thinks, "chubby girls don't get boyfriends." But why shouldn't she have the same kind of loving relationship with a boy that her twin sister, Cassie, has with a girl? In her second, relationship-rich novel, Albertalli has done an excellent job of creating in Molly a sympathetic, if occasionally exasperating, character. And her take on the agonies and ecstasies of adolescent love are spot-on, as she demonstrates, once again, that the heart, indeed, has its reasons the mind cannot know.

Horn Book

When introverted Molly's self-confident twin Cassie starts dating the "fucking adorable" girl of her dreams, Molly worries she's losing her sister. Enter a crush: Molly's sweet, unapologetically uncool coworker Reid. With a matter-of-factly multiracial family (Molly, Cassie, and one of their mothers are white; their other mother, younger brother, and beloved cousin are not), this perceptive dramedy tackles substantial themes with warmth and subtlety.

Kirkus Reviews

Tired of crushing with no kisses, 17-year-old Molly decides to take a chance on love.Molly has always felt inferior to her fraternal twin, Cassie: though both are white, Molly is brown-haired, brown-eyed, and fat in contrast to Cassie's blonde slenderness. But Molly doesn't hate her body—she's just afraid other people do. The combination of these feelings of inadequacy with ordinary teen awkwardness is a recipe for uneasy interactions with boys. Molly's 26 crushes have all been unrequited—but have they, really? When Cassie falls in love for the first time, and two eligible possibilities present themselves, Molly decides to risk rejection. Against the backdrop of the legalization of gay marriage in the U.S. and the planning of her moms' subsequent nuptials, Molly struggles between choosing the boy she actually likes and the one who seems ideal. Themes of body image, rejection, first love, and the evolution of familial relationships—particularly between sisters—loom large. Molly is the queen of teen angst, and her voice may grate on readers. The cast is wonderfully diverse (family, sexual orientation, religion/culture, race, size, mental health), which is why it's so sad that, though well-drawn, the characters are hard to connect with. While that's disappointing, fans of romance and those looking to diversify their shelves may be willing to forgive its foibles. (Fiction. 14-17)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Molly Peskin-Suso is the opposite of sexually precocious: now 17, she-s had -twenty-six crushes and exactly zero kisses.- When love finds her more confident twin sister, Cassie, a fissure develops that Molly reads as the inevitable first step toward twin division, -the part where we turn from we to she and me.- Cassie tries to hook Molly up with a pal of new girlfriend Mina, but Molly is drawn to Reid, a co-worker who Mina describes, derogatorily, as -one of those Ren Faire guys. Season pass, full costume.- Albertalli-s follow-up to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda features a diverse family (Molly-s mothers are different races and religions) living in Beltway Washington the year gay marriage is legalized. It-s as full of heart as Simon (Simon himself makes a cameo appearance) and is replete with humor and honestly drawn characters like Grandma Betty, who comments inappropriately about Molly-s weight and thinks all lesbians have short hair. The cheerful resolution has Molly finding her own path, concluding that, no matter how well-intentioned one-s wingman might be, you have to be your heart-s own goalie. Ages 14-up. Agent: Brooks Sherman, Bent Agency. (Apr.)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso and her twin sister, Cassie, fraternal twins of two moms thanks to an anonymous sperm donor, live an unconventional life. While Cassie possesses enough self-confidence for both of them, Molly uses Zoloft to battle the anxiety that plagues her. After all, no one finds fat girls interesting, let alone attractive. When Cassie falls in love with her new girlfriend, Mina, she makes it their mission to hook Molly up with Mina’s hot friend, Will. Knowing that guys like Will prefer skinny girls, Molly tries to talk herself into being less careful with her heart. To complicate matters, she finds herself drawn to Reid, a coworker who is the awkward antithesis of Will. The Upside of Unrequited takes a unique approach to body issues and self-confidence. From the perspective of Molly, the reader is given insight into the power of psychological insecurities. While Molly has supportive family and friends, comments from outsiders—like “You’d be prettier if you lost a little weight”—overpower their love and encouragement. Words matter. Words hurt. The novel makes clear the lasting effects of hurtful words—against the backdrop of planning a wedding for the moms and sibling relationships. Readers will relate to Molly’s realistic struggles because she symbolizes any person who experiences self-doubt. A host of diverse secondary characters adds to the complexity of the story, which shows that life’s issues defy easy fixes. Educators and librarians seeking realistic literature that resonates with female readers struggling with self-esteem should add this well-rounded, inclusive novel to their shelves.—Courtney Munday.