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5 Quotes from The Upside of Unrequited that Nail Universal Truths of Human Existence
The highly anticipated second novel by Becky Albertalli, who brought us pure joy in book form with Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, is finally here. And oh my goodness, The Upside of Unrequited is just as charming as Simon’s story.
In Upside, we meet Molly and her twin sister Cassie. Unlike Cassie, who’s able to date with ease, Molly has always struggled with approaching anyone she likes. After all, if you never go after what you want, you can never really be disappointed. Right?
And that’s a big part of what’s at the heart of Albertalli’s latest: a teen girl who has spent years perfecting putting up walls. Molly is faced with a surprise change in her life when her twin starts to pull away, thanks to having a new girl in her life. She’s thrown into a situation where she has to navigate the idea of relationships, and not just crushing from afar, because she sees finding a significant other of her own as a way of catching up to her sister.
Which of course, is not a reason to be in a relationship. Though she’ll have to figure that out on her own.
Between the diverse cast of characters and Molly’s journey of discovering what it means to pursue what you want, there’s a lot to love in this sweet and beautiful book. And not only is Upside as wonderful as Simon, it’s just as totally quotable. And so many of Albertalli’s precious gems reveal truths that are just so real to anyone who reads them. Let’s have a look at five of my favorites.
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“I’ve had crushes on twenty-six people, twenty-five of whom are not Lin-Manuel Miranda.”
One of the major plot points of Upside is Molly’s penchant for crushes on people she never, ever attempts to pursue. And while we might not quite understand why she hasn’t chased after the boys who have captured her heart (at least not right away), we certainly understand her feelings for Lin-Manuel Miranda. Those are universal feelings.
“If I had to describe the feeling of a crush, I’d say this: you just finished running a mile, and you have to throw up, and you’re starving, but no food seems appealing, and your brain becomes fog, and you also have to pee. It’s this close to intolerable. But I like it.
More than like it. I crave it.”
What is it about chasing that butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling that keeps us going, even when that emotion leads to…well, all that nausea and anxiety Albertalli so perfectly describes here? We hunger for it, even when it makes us feel awful. Because there’s that hope it’ll go somewhere.
“When you spend so much time just intensely wanting something, and then you actually get the thing? It’s magic.”
As though to answer the question about the quote above… then, there’s this feeling. Afterwards, when you’ve gone after what you want. When things turn out right. There’s that moment of elation and joy that stretches on for as long as you’re holding on.
“Actually, I don’t even hate my body. I just worry everyone else might. Because chubby girls don’t get boyfriends, and they definitely don’t have sex. Not in movies—not really—unless it’s supposed to be a joke. And I don’t want to be a joke.”
There are a lot of moments in Upside that are going to hit you right in the heart, and listening to Molly talk about her insecurities… those definitely do it. And that feeling that people are going to judge you for how you look, that’s a feeling that never quite goes away, no matter how you’ve grown up. No one wants to be a punchline.
“You get to want whatever you want. And you know what? Love is worth wanting.”
Yes, it is, Molly. It so is.