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Leah on the Offbeat
(Creekwood #2)
by
Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of 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. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single m ...more
When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single m ...more
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Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
April 24th 2018
by HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray
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Start your review of Leah on the Offbeat (Creekwood, #2)

I swear, people can’t wrap their minds around the concept of a fat girl who doesn’t diet. Is it that hard to believe I might actually like my body?
I LOVE LEAH BURKE.
I don't actually see how it's possible not to. She's hilarious and badass and sarcastic and moody and totally potty-mouthed. Oh, how I wish I could go back in time and give my awkward, chubby teen self this book.
If you've had enough of the depressing gloomy world we live in and want to read something uplifting, unapologetically ...more

Besides the romance and catching up with Simon, nothing else seemed to happen? This story had so much potential, from Leah coming out to her friends to her complicated relationship with her mom to the bittersweet feelings surrounding graduating high school. None of these were really delved into.
Instead, we got a rushed romance that felt forced. I loved that we got bi rep, but I couldn't get fully on board with the couple especially considering the timing of it. (view spoiler) ...more
Instead, we got a rushed romance that felt forced. I loved that we got bi rep, but I couldn't get fully on board with the couple especially considering the timing of it. (view spoiler) ...more

3/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I finished this book in ten hours with some breaks in between. And I'm not saying that because it was so irresistible and I couldn't leave it down and I wanted to see how the plot was going to unfold, no. Because this book was extremely ...more
“I can't help it. I'm a Slytherin."
And I'm the worst kind of Slytherin. I'm the kind who's so stupidly in love with a Gryffindor, she can't even function. I'm the Draco from some shitty Drarry fic that the author abandoned after four chapters.”
I finished this book in ten hours with some breaks in between. And I'm not saying that because it was so irresistible and I couldn't leave it down and I wanted to see how the plot was going to unfold, no. Because this book was extremely ...more

inspired by my similar review of Simon Vs, here we go: a list of
every iconic moment of this book
🌸 "I'VE BEEN KNOWN TO DO THAT WHEN IT COMES TO ABBY" IN LIKE THE SECOND FUCKING CHAPTER
🌺 Simon and Leah inventing bro culture
🌸 the fact that Nick and Simon’s college tour list is literally mine subtracting three women’s colleges? the accuracy jesus christ
🌺 Taylor disparaging the tech crew and Nora looking as if she wants to silently implode is my mood
🌸 “Joseph is the bomb.”
“Don’t say the bomb.”
“J ...more
🌸 "I'VE BEEN KNOWN TO DO THAT WHEN IT COMES TO ABBY" IN LIKE THE SECOND FUCKING CHAPTER
🌺 Simon and Leah inventing bro culture
🌸 the fact that Nick and Simon’s college tour list is literally mine subtracting three women’s colleges? the accuracy jesus christ
🌺 Taylor disparaging the tech crew and Nora looking as if she wants to silently implode is my mood
🌸 “Joseph is the bomb.”
“Don’t say the bomb.”
“J ...more

FINALLY A GIRL LIKES GIRL BOOK!!
There are so many YA contemporary romance going around where it's boy likes boy (and that's awesome!) but I'm so happy we get to see a different version. This book was adorable!
The characters were attaching, funny and just angsty enough. If you're looking for a fun summer read, I totally recommend both Creekwood books. It was really nice to go back to this world and continue to explore it. I'm actually sad it's now over!
Recommend it! ...more
There are so many YA contemporary romance going around where it's boy likes boy (and that's awesome!) but I'm so happy we get to see a different version. This book was adorable!
The characters were attaching, funny and just angsty enough. If you're looking for a fun summer read, I totally recommend both Creekwood books. It was really nice to go back to this world and continue to explore it. I'm actually sad it's now over!
Recommend it! ...more

Apr 04, 2018
may ➹
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
contemporary,
ebook,
rep-lgbtqiap,
my-heart,
pov-1st,
rep-lgbtqiap-bi,
important-messages,
read-2018,
pov-female,
young-adult
3.5 stars (I’m not happy about it either)
This book has caused me a lot of turmoil.
When I was reading it, I didn’t think it would be 5 stars. The ending was my FAVORITE though and that gave me the confidence to give it a high rating.
But even after that, I still was doubtful of the 5-star rating. Certain characteristics about Leah rubbed me in the wrong way, and there was one scene in particular that I outright hated. It wasn’t until I kept talking with friends who had read this and seen others’ o ...more
This book has caused me a lot of turmoil.
When I was reading it, I didn’t think it would be 5 stars. The ending was my FAVORITE though and that gave me the confidence to give it a high rating.
But even after that, I still was doubtful of the 5-star rating. Certain characteristics about Leah rubbed me in the wrong way, and there was one scene in particular that I outright hated. It wasn’t until I kept talking with friends who had read this and seen others’ o ...more

Is it possible for an author to write fanfiction of her own book? Because I'm pretty sure that's what I just read. This book went in a direction that many of Becky Albertalli's fans have been clamoring for and will no doubt enjoy. But readers who aren't invested in that specific endgame might find very little to love in Leah on the Offbeat. Not even Simon can save it.
It's difficult to give this book a proper review, because the major story line is being treated like a spoiler. It's involves a ro ...more
It's difficult to give this book a proper review, because the major story line is being treated like a spoiler. It's involves a ro ...more

Edit: This book kept invading my mind and the more I thought about it, the more I felt this hatred towards it.
Bleh.
Pre-emotions:
Please be as adorable as The Upside of Unrequited and Simon Vs.
Post-read-book-emotions:
Update: it wasn’t.
This book was so meh. The story was meh. I felt nothing whilst reading. I liked Leah enough. I mean, I get her anger and how closed off she is. That is me. But maybe that’s what made it harder to connect with the story? I don’t know.
I’m confused right now.
The sto ...more
Bleh.
Pre-emotions:
Please be as adorable as The Upside of Unrequited and Simon Vs.
Post-read-book-emotions:
Update: it wasn’t.
This book was so meh. The story was meh. I felt nothing whilst reading. I liked Leah enough. I mean, I get her anger and how closed off she is. That is me. But maybe that’s what made it harder to connect with the story? I don’t know.
I’m confused right now.
The sto ...more

Leah. What can I say? At times I love her, other times I don't get her. I'm glad she got her own novel, though. There was a lot going on in Leah's head that we did not see in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. And of course, with this book, we're invited to revisit all these amazing characters from the previous Creekwood book. And this is the point where my criticism sets in.
The first 150 pages of the book were a bit of a disappointment. They focused much more on the kids from Creekwood than on ...more
The first 150 pages of the book were a bit of a disappointment. They focused much more on the kids from Creekwood than on ...more

*insert ‘its not you, its me’ speech here* :'(
i think its time for me to break up with miss becky albertalli and this book is what helped me make that decision. the dedication to this basically admits its her writing fanfiction of her own book, and it definitely shows. every other word was some sort of reference, the whole progression of the plot (if you could even call it that) felt forced, and leah was just sooooo unlikable. honestly, i found myself just skimming for only the parts involving s ...more
i think its time for me to break up with miss becky albertalli and this book is what helped me make that decision. the dedication to this basically admits its her writing fanfiction of her own book, and it definitely shows. every other word was some sort of reference, the whole progression of the plot (if you could even call it that) felt forced, and leah was just sooooo unlikable. honestly, i found myself just skimming for only the parts involving s ...more

“Imagine going about your day knowing someone’s carrying you in their mind. That has to be the best part of being in love - the feeling of having a home in someone else’s brain.”
If you know me and my reviews you also know that I’m not one to beat about the bush so I’ll say it directly and without detour: I really wish I would have loved this as much as I loved “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” but I didn’t and that’s kinda sad. =(
I mean it was a good book and nice to read! There were a few flu ...more
If you know me and my reviews you also know that I’m not one to beat about the bush so I’ll say it directly and without detour: I really wish I would have loved this as much as I loved “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” but I didn’t and that’s kinda sad. =(
I mean it was a good book and nice to read! There were a few flu ...more

So, just shut your ears out because you don’t want to hear me scream and rant off like a drunk grandma. I am so furious I want to fling the book right off to space and go hide in Jupiter till the steam evaporates off my ears. I kept turning the pages expecting some good sh*t to happen, and then I reach the acknowledgements page and I was like, the hell, THAT’S IT??? She ended the whole thing just like that??? Usually when I don’t like a hyped book, I’m like - what did I read wrong? But this time
...more

HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT
...more

Wow, I really did not enjoy this. I'm probably being unduly harsh because I loved Simon Vs. so much, and did not expect to hate this book as much as I did. Here are some of the reasons this was so agonising to read (BIG SPOILERS AHEAD):
- Just because you have repressed feelings for someone, doesn't mean you're allowed to treat them like complete shit. The book keeps using YA shorthand like Leah's "brain not working/turning into mush" to retcon Leah's general shittiness to Abby in the previous b ...more
- Just because you have repressed feelings for someone, doesn't mean you're allowed to treat them like complete shit. The book keeps using YA shorthand like Leah's "brain not working/turning into mush" to retcon Leah's general shittiness to Abby in the previous b ...more

Unpopular opinion coming up!!
Soooo usually i'm a VERY easy to please reader, and Simon vs. the homosapien agenda is my precious baby,so when Leah's book was out, i IMMEDIATELY started it with zero hesitation and left all the books i was reading.The thing is... i kinda wish i hadn't...? I'M SORRY BUT THIS WAS A DISASTER.
To me, it felt like Leah was a way different character than the one in Simon's book.In this one she was moody, angry all the time at PETTY REASONS AND being bitchy to her mother ...more
Soooo usually i'm a VERY easy to please reader, and Simon vs. the homosapien agenda is my precious baby,so when Leah's book was out, i IMMEDIATELY started it with zero hesitation and left all the books i was reading.The thing is... i kinda wish i hadn't...? I'M SORRY BUT THIS WAS A DISASTER.
To me, it felt like Leah was a way different character than the one in Simon's book.In this one she was moody, angry all the time at PETTY REASONS AND being bitchy to her mother ...more

I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.
When I fall in love with a book's characters, I'm often sad when the book ends, because I want to spend more time with them, and I feel like I've become engrossed in their lives in some small way. So when a sequel comes along, I'm tremendously excited, and of course, I hope it is worthy of the original book.
I absolutely loved Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (see my review), and it was one of my favorite books of 2015. Seeing the movie adaptati ...more
When I fall in love with a book's characters, I'm often sad when the book ends, because I want to spend more time with them, and I feel like I've become engrossed in their lives in some small way. So when a sequel comes along, I'm tremendously excited, and of course, I hope it is worthy of the original book.
I absolutely loved Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (see my review), and it was one of my favorite books of 2015. Seeing the movie adaptati ...more

WOW okay I have so many opinions, some of them a smoosh of conflicting feels, but overall this was super cute! It's just nice being back with the gang?! And like the amount I cracked up (OUT LOUD) was phenomenal. I freaking adore books that make me laugh. I'm also like 97% devastated this is it for the Simon gang. I...I don't wanna say goodbye either?? Relating hard to Leah rn someone give me a bucket of ice cream to descend into and ne'er return.
(And if you haven't read Simon vs. the Homo Sapie ...more
(And if you haven't read Simon vs. the Homo Sapie ...more

1,5 stars
Guys. I didn’t like this.

I know, I know. I had really high hopes and nobody is sadder about it than I am :(
Pros:
• The diversity.
Cons
• Everything else.
I’M SO SAD I DIDN’T LIKE THIS BOOK. Seriously, I can’t even tell you how much I wanted to love this but that doesn’t change the fact that Leah on the Offbeat just doesn’t compare to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. This book literally had ALL of the potential but it just fell completely flat for me.
***Please note that this review c ...more
Guys. I didn’t like this.

I know, I know. I had really high hopes and nobody is sadder about it than I am :(
Pros:
• The diversity.
Cons
• Everything else.
I’M SO SAD I DIDN’T LIKE THIS BOOK. Seriously, I can’t even tell you how much I wanted to love this but that doesn’t change the fact that Leah on the Offbeat just doesn’t compare to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. This book literally had ALL of the potential but it just fell completely flat for me.
***Please note that this review c ...more

Okay, so. I didn't hate it. It was a solid YA contemporary - I enjoyed it, I laughed, I found some parts really cheesy, but it's to be expected. The part that's really crushing is that this is the sequel to one of my favorite books of ALL time. Like, I want to be buried with Simon vs. Okay, maybe not, because it'd damage the book, but you know what I mean. There's this feeling you get while reading Simon that you can't really find anywhere else. And Leah completely proves that.
So let me like re ...more
So let me like re ...more

I really loved Simon book, I really wanted to enjoy this one even though I already went in it a bit wary because Leah wasn't my favourite character from the first book (the girl on girl hate etc).
I hoped things will be addressed, and it sort of was but not in a way that justifies anything.
Leah is even more bitter, angry, mean, unreasonable and insufferable to everyone around her in this book than before.
I wanted to relate to her, and technically I could on many accounts, but BOI.
This book is a ...more
I hoped things will be addressed, and it sort of was but not in a way that justifies anything.
Leah is even more bitter, angry, mean, unreasonable and insufferable to everyone around her in this book than before.
I wanted to relate to her, and technically I could on many accounts, but BOI.
This book is a ...more

EDIT TO 3 STARS (jan 7th 2021): this is my most popular review by far, so i don't think i can bring myself to delete it; additionally, i don't want to just....erase how happy this book made me when i first read it. but for a good while i've wanted to change this review, because on reflection there's a lot of things i dislike about this book, and i felt a little uncomfortable having this up when it isn't how i feel about the book any more. so my solution is to keep the original review below and j
...more

so I am very,,,conflicted? I mean, I just want to say that I was on my period when I read Simon Vs. & I was on my period while reading Leah and it was just a weird sync. & i honestly think the reason I was so gushy and in love with the dynamics between the characters was likely due to this fact!! but onto the review (which is basically just my ramblings)
spoilers below regarding character relationships. read the synopsis before you read my review !
so basically, this was a two star book for me u ...more
spoilers below regarding character relationships. read the synopsis before you read my review !
so basically, this was a two star book for me u ...more

4 stars!!!
How much did I love Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli?? SO FREAKING MUCH!!! And the main reason I loved it so much was Leah Burke. She is a boss. She’s my hero. I just fucking loved her! I liked her in Simon’s book, but she really shined in her own book. What I love most about Leah is she is unapologetically herself. She never pretends to be someone she’s not and she shouldn’t have to. She is awesome just the way she is.

How much did I love Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli?? SO FREAKING MUCH!!! And the main reason I loved it so much was Leah Burke. She is a boss. She’s my hero. I just fucking loved her! I liked her in Simon’s book, but she really shined in her own book. What I love most about Leah is she is unapologetically herself. She never pretends to be someone she’s not and she shouldn’t have to. She is awesome just the way she is.
I swear, people can’t wrap their minds around the...more

✨ My mini review for this book can be found here ✨
Not to be overdramatic, but … I FOUND THE NEW “Okay? Okay.” OF YA CONTEMPORARIES, GUYS.
“You keep running away.”
“You keep finding me.”
*
All I hear in my head when I see Leah on the Offbeat is girls like girls like boys do, nothing new. (If you catch the reference, ily.)
Also, it’s confirmed that there will be more Simon & B(view spoiler) in this book (!!!), can I get a hELL YEAH.
♫ gal read with 🍊 & 💃🏻 & buddy read with 👦🏼
Blog ...more

1.) Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda ★★★★★
2.) The Upside of Unrequited ★★★★
3.) Leah on the Offbeat ★★★★★
3.5) Love, Creekwood ★★★★
--------------------------------------------------
JUST FREAKING WONDERFUL SJHBFKSJDHFBKSDHJF
2.) The Upside of Unrequited ★★★★
3.) Leah on the Offbeat ★★★★★
3.5) Love, Creekwood ★★★★
--------------------------------------------------
JUST FREAKING WONDERFUL SJHBFKSJDHFBKSDHJF

May 13, 2018
✨ jamieson ✨
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
bi-mc,
contemporary,
f-f,
young-adult,
lgbtqiap,
2018-reads,
favourite-covers,
owned-books,
romance
“I hate when assholes have talent. I want to live in a world where good people rule at everything and shitty people suck at everything.”
I really, really wanted to love this book. It was one of my most anticipated 2018 releases, and I was so excited to get this story from Becky Albertalli. For me personally, seeing a bisexual girl in a mainstream book I knew people would read really means a lot. Unfortunately this fell very very flat to me, and I’m going to be straight up here and acknowledge ...more

not to be dramatic but i liked this better than simon vs.
it's not that it was objectively more intriguing, or had a better plot. because honestly it didn't. but this felt so realistic and heartfelt and so very ME... i just loved it.
i'm not going to ramble about the plot or characters. but i want to point out how much i loved leah. she was so sarcastic and dramatic and had actual flaws. she got angry and would storm off. like... we stan a realistic queen. i think we often get annoyed when ya cont ...more
it's not that it was objectively more intriguing, or had a better plot. because honestly it didn't. but this felt so realistic and heartfelt and so very ME... i just loved it.
i'm not going to ramble about the plot or characters. but i want to point out how much i loved leah. she was so sarcastic and dramatic and had actual flaws. she got angry and would storm off. like... we stan a realistic queen. i think we often get annoyed when ya cont ...more

Bumping this down to 3 stars
Here are some issues I had with this one:
-Leah's story picks up towards the end of senior year when the whole school is buzzing with prom and the official start of "this is the last time we'll all be together" that leads up to graduation. While it was super nice to see Leah back with the gang from Simon vs. it almost felt like the story was more focused on them and not Leah. I'm not sure if the point of this was to emphasize that Leah sometimes feels like an outsider ...more
Here are some issues I had with this one:
-Leah's story picks up towards the end of senior year when the whole school is buzzing with prom and the official start of "this is the last time we'll all be together" that leads up to graduation. While it was super nice to see Leah back with the gang from Simon vs. it almost felt like the story was more focused on them and not Leah. I'm not sure if the point of this was to emphasize that Leah sometimes feels like an outsider ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Goodreads Choice ...: Leah on the Offbeat - August 2019 | 2 | 47 | Jul 31, 2019 11:48PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Leah on the Offbeat (Creekwood #2) by Becky Albertalli - Restarting March 25th AND April 21st 2019 | 119 | 131 | Apr 25, 2019 01:14PM | |
Play Book Tag: Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli - 3 stars | 2 | 14 | Mar 11, 2019 01:30PM |
Becky Albertalli is the author of the acclaimed novels Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (film: Love, Simon), The Upside of Unrequited, and Leah on the Offbeat. She is also the co-author of What If It's Us with Adam Silvera. A former clinical psychologist who specialized in working with children and teens, Becky lives with her family in Atlanta. You can visit her online at www.beckyalbertalli.com.
...more
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“Imagine going about your day knowing someone’s carrying you in their mind. That has to be the best part of being in love- the feeling of having a home in some else’s brain.”
—
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