Amelia, if only / Becky Albertalli.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Amelia Applebaum isn't in love with Walter Holland. He just happens to be her favorite moderately famous, chaotically bisexual YouTuber. Who she just happened to invite to prom. (But it's fine. No, for real. If you delete the post, it didn't happen.)

Okay, maybe her friends are right: She's slightly parasocially infatuated. But Amelia just knows sparks would fly--if only she could connect with Walter for real.

If only he would host a meet and greet.

If only it were just a short road trip away.

And if only Amelia could talk her best friends into making it the perfect last hurrah before graduation--even her newly single, always-cynical, guitar-toting best friend Natalie.

One thing's for sure: All roads lead to butterflies.

But what if Amelia's butterflies aren't for Walter at all?

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

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)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 8 Up--High school senior Amelia Applebaum came out to her friends and family as bisexual and yearns to have a true romantic relationship. Along with her best friends Natalie, Mark, and Zora, she has a disastrous prom after asking her parasocial crush, YouTube star Walter, to prom via an ill-advised Instagram post (with no reply) and then watches as Natalie gets dumped at the dance by her girlfriend, again. To cheer everyone up, Zora invites them on a visit to her girlfriend upstate at a college that is hosting a meet and greet with Walter. Cue the road trip playlist, which churns out Natalie's favorite Simon & Garfunkel tunes while Amelia gets overexcited about meeting Walter but also notices her different feelings around Natalie. This story has everything readers have come to enjoy in an Albertalli book: a loyal and loving friend group, well-developed and engaging characters, an endearing romantic story, and guest turns from characters in her other books (this time from Imogen, Obviously). What it could use is more tension in the plot. Amelia fears the future, change, and difficult situations--issues which are hinted at but not really developed until halfway through. The social media asides that are used to fill in Walter's story stall the pacing of the road trip and distract from the budding romance. But all in all, this is a fun romp with a main character who will win readers' hearts with her humor and earnestness. VERDICT A charmer of a book, this should be in teen libraries, especially ones that could use more queer romances.--Kate Fleming

Booklist Review

Amelia Applebaum is a truly chaotic bisexual teenage girl. After posting--and then deleting--a promposal video directed at her favorite YouTuber, Walter Holland, Amelia gathers her three best friends and embarks on a road trip across New York state to attend a meet-and-greet Walter is doing at Blackwell College. Along the way, she examines whether what she feels toward Walter is a crush or just your garden-variety parasocial friendship, especially because it's possible she already has a crush--and that Amelia stares at her every day. The novel is written in first-person narration that brilliantly portrays how Amelia's delightful brain works. Between chapters are ephemera of Reddit threads, video transcripts, and news articles showcasing how the world treats those it is parasocially invested in. Albertalli masterfully weaves together characters from Amelia's life with fan favorites from her previous work Imogen, Obviously (2023), but the focus is wholly on Amelia and her journey. Amelia is vibrant and easy to root for, and what she learns about parasocial relationships is impactful for all.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Guess who's back? Albertalli's back, venturing into one of her previous worlds with more fun, chaotic queer romance and a relevant message for the social media age.

Kirkus Book Review

A devoted teen leads her friends on a queer pilgrimage to a celebrity event (OK--more like a post-prom road trip to a YouTuber meet and greet). Snarky, "chaotically bisexual" Amelia Applebaum has harbored a longtime parasocial obsession with recently-gone-viral YouTuber Walter Holland. Sure, he's a total stranger, but he's personally responded to her social media comments not once, but twice! As senior year comes to an end, Amelia drags her three best friends--Zora and twins Natalie and Mark--to a college campus in upstate New York, several hours' drive away from their home in Westchester, for an in-person event with Walter. Anxious about change, Amelia feels that this is an important swan song for her and her close-knit friend group before they leave for college in the fall. Amelia never expected that by showing up and meeting Walter in person, they'd end up roping him into their adventure, transforming him from unattainable crush to genuine friend. Meanwhile, her feelings for Natalie seem to be developing into something more. Albertalli creates a realistic microcosm of queer and Jewish teen culture with no shortage of her signature humor and clever snark (Amelia and Walter are white and Jewish, the Jewish twins have a Chinese dad and are implied biracial, and Zora, "the group's token gentile," is cued Black). The friends' banter is warm, endearing, and relatable. Fresh and witty on the surface, tender and heartfelt at its core.(Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.