Leah on the Offbeat

Becky Albertalli's Leah on the Offbeat is a compelling young adult novel that delves into the life of Leah Burke, Simon Spier's best friend, as she navigates the tumultuous landscape of senior year. Leah, a talented drummer, grapples with her bisexuality, which she has only shared with her mother, and the fear of revealing it to her friends, including her openly gay BFF, Simon. The story explores the complexities of changing friendships, the anxieties of college applications, and the exhilarating confusion of first love. It's a deeply personal journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and finding the courage to be vulnerable, all told with Leah's signature sarcastic wit. The book has been praised for its authentic voice and important LGBTQ+ representation, though it has also faced challenges in some school districts.

#1 New York Times bestseller! Goodreads Choice Award for the best young adult novel of the year! In this sequel to the acclaimed Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—now a major motion picture, Love, Simon—we follow Simon’s BFF Leah as she grapples with changing friendships, first love, and senior year angst. When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. She’s an anomaly in her friend group: the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon. So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.