Amelia, If Only

Amelia Applebaum is self-admittedly obsessed with YouTuber Walter Holland, who, like her, is a bisexual Jewish high school senior. Though Amelia’s friends frequently mock her for her “no-risk parasocial infatuation,” Amelia can’t help but resonate with Walter’s videos, in which he discusses how he figured out he was bi. So when she learns that Walter is hosting an in-person event at a college that’s three hours away from her Westchester, N.Y., home, she persuades her best friends—Zora and Jewish twins Natalie and Mark—to accompany her on a road trip upstate. As the story progresses, Amelia confronts her conflicting feelings for Walter (“Not quite a real crush. It’s like a pre-crush”) as well as her developing attraction to recently single Natalie. Snippets from internet chat groups, fictional Wikipedia pages, podcast transcripts, and more provide context about Walter, his fandom, and the role both play in Amelia’s life. The narrative’s focus on internet celebrity and Walter’s own challenges occasionally overshadows loyal and exuberant Amelia’s desire to figure out what—and who—she really wants in this jam-packed rom-com by Albertalli (Imogen, Obviously). Amelia and Walter are white, the twins are of Chinese descent, and Zora is Black. Ages 14–up. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (June)