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Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems
Ollie Fitzgerald is finally ready to move on.
After spending his entire life crafting the perfect plan for every situation, he wasn't expecting his best friend's brother, Nash, to kiss him on the first day of summer. Something else he wasn't expecting? Nash ghosting him a week later when he left for lacrosse camp. Now, hurting from his first real heartbreak, Ollie dives into his Heartbreak Anthems playlist to let go and follow the music wherever it leads him, and hopefully that's away from Nash.
But when Nash comes back at the start of the school year, avoiding his feelings isn't as easy as it sounds. And when Dee, Ollie's best friend, confides in him after a school prank puts prom in jeopardy, the three of them decide to work together to save the dance.
Even with a well-curated list of pop songs, moving on isn't easy, forcing him to face the idea that he might not even want to in the first place. And maybe moving on means something different than he originally thought.
After spending his entire life crafting the perfect plan for every situation, he wasn't expecting his best friend's brother, Nash, to kiss him on the first day of summer. Something else he wasn't expecting? Nash ghosting him a week later when he left for lacrosse camp. Now, hurting from his first real heartbreak, Ollie dives into his Heartbreak Anthems playlist to let go and follow the music wherever it leads him, and hopefully that's away from Nash.
But when Nash comes back at the start of the school year, avoiding his feelings isn't as easy as it sounds. And when Dee, Ollie's best friend, confides in him after a school prank puts prom in jeopardy, the three of them decide to work together to save the dance.
Even with a well-curated list of pop songs, moving on isn't easy, forcing him to face the idea that he might not even want to in the first place. And maybe moving on means something different than he originally thought.
376 pages, Paperback
Published June 6, 2023
71 people are currently reading
1169 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Arrigo
2 books38 followersCharlie Arrigo is a writer from Pittsburgh, PA focused on telling (and amplifying) queer stories by queer people. When he’s not writing, he’s consuming just about every other piece of media possible.
Find him on Instagram at instagram.com/cjabooks
Find him on Instagram at instagram.com/cjabooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
July 3, 2024
“Creating the perfect playlist is actually an art form. There’s an attention to detail, and emotional intelligence, the creator must possess to successfully pull it off.”
This isn’t an upsetting book, but it sure as hell upset me. I didn’t like this, and I'm becoming resigned to that fact. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely not a terrible book for those who like wholesome, low drama, non-confrontational novels, but it's clear that I'm pretty much over contemporary Young-Adult books as a whole. Fantasy will keep, but otherwise, I think I'm out. Ugh... I’m just so disappointed. It’s funny because even if I were still that person who devours cute, fluffy YA on the regular, I think I’d probably still hate this. Sorry, book. In my mind, it’s literally the same story as Only Mostly Devastated; it’s got the same fake ass friends, the same wishy-washy love-interest, and finally, the same punching-bag protagonist... named Ollie! Huh, weird coincidence. It’s the same, It’s all the same!!! I think my growing indifference is mostly due to the fact that YA books almost always have to have their mandated moralizing inserted by the end. No matter how awful other characters are, you just know that there will be some sort of lesson to be learned. Which I mostly get, you know? Got to impart knowledge on the young folks, or whatever. “I believe the children are our future!” But sometimes it seems like these authors go out of their way to create all these insufferable characters to piss me off specifically. A pointed attack, if you will. Well, if this is a test, then it’s one I’ll gladly fail every time, I am not the strongest soldier. So, why exactly did I read this if I knew I’d probably hate it? Well, first of all, the blurb literally says that “Ollie Fitzgerald is ready to move on…” and I thought that he'd be ready to move on! Foolish, I know. And look, I’m obviously not thinking he'd stay vindictive the whole book (like I would), nobody watched John Tucker Must Die thinking they’d actually kill John Tucker (Did they? I’ve never watched. They should have if they didn't.), but I thought that maybe, just maybe, Ollie wouldn’t fold so damn quickly. Twenty pages in and he’s already preaching forgiveness and "looking at both sides." No! Stay strong, brother! Look at your side and stick with it! Not to get too much into comparison territory, but I think the only Young-Adult book I’ve read that’s gotten the “Oh-Hey-I’m-in-love-with-my-straight-best-friend” dynamic right is Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert. And that’s because the main character is focused on other, more important things. Family drama, you know how it is. Otherwise, as far as I’m concerned, the whole ass trope could go in the bin. So… like I said, I’m disappointed. But not because I was expecting to love this the same way I loved Felix Ever After, but disappointed because this genre doesn’t have the same hold on me as it did when I used to be obsessed. It's not world ending, but it is a little sad and a little annoying. Like a “rock-bouncing-around-in-your-shoe” kind of thing. Like my excitement that Lupita Nyong'o was going to be in the newer Star Wars movies only to realize they had her playing a toad creature, or like how Khalid had one banger in 2018 and then just kept releasing the same song since then, or how I used to love scrolling on Twitter until it was bought and ruined by a toad creature. It just kind of sucks.
Hey, remember how I said that the “unrequited” thing works for me if the main character focuses on other stuff? Yeah well, the second half of the title promises a “Heartbreak Anthems” type deal, and I'm salty that that is not what I got. Where's the heartbreak? The anthems!? Don't ask me why, but I imagined Ollie would be out here making some kind of dramatic playlist to get over his buddy, Nash. Silly me for thinking that'd be the case. Oh yeah, the love interest is a jock named Nash. Well, he sure had me gnashing my teeth at how dull he was heh heh. I don't know if you know this, but I've been known to enjoy music on occasion, so it’s probably not a big surprise as to why reading a book that's music focused would be really exciting to me. I put song lyrics on every one of these reviews, so I thought I'd be the exact target audience for this one! I thought that maybe Ollie would be making a playlist to get over his heartbreak? I don't know, I'm just spitballing here. Because... nah, other than Ollie, the side-characters barely seem to even like music on any level! And even with Ollie, It's really just him name dropping stuff and then we move on to his dumb crush on Nash, who sucks ass. What’s up with that? I’m going to assume that this was done so they wouldn’t alienate the non-music nerds, but all they really did was alienate… me! A huge music nerd! There’s nothing resembling a deep dive or love of music to be found here! I'm sad to report that there isn't a musical quality to this book. Boo, that's really too bad. And even if it didn’t match the vibe, I was at least wishing for more of a discussion about pop music or even the general culture surrounding it. Now, I don't need “Anthony Fantano” deep cuts every couple pages about flavoring and whatever else he’s always yapping about, but I don't know, something else! Any discussions about music are actually pretty surface level and it felt like a large part of this book’s concept was forgotten at the outset and then quickly course corrected with a few relatable and topical conversations sprinkled throughout. And even then, it’s just so~oo safe! For example, infamous producer, Jack Antonoff, is brought up, but it’s all a positive, sunshine and roses, kind of deal. Pre-approved prose. You’re telling me that a bunch of nerdy music gays have absolutely nothing super opinionated and rude about the guy that can’t be mentioned without the hate train coming in? I’m not saying I want this book to be a hit piece, but Ollie himself is a frequent visitor of the Popheads subreddit (which I consider a somewhat deep cut for a YA book), so there’s no way all his opinions on music are as well-adjusted as they are portrayed here. My culture is being erased!
Anyway, this bit isn’t a complaint, but I thought it was odd that Ollie mentions someone wearing a Dua Lipa shirt, which… come on, I like her as much as the next gay, but I’ve never heard of somebody wearing a shirt with her face on it. It’s a small thing, but it did add to the falseness I constantly felt while reading this. A studio interference, CEO, type of vibe. “You're out of touch, I'm out of time." I know that the folks who are super into studying the technical aspect of music and turn over every little nook and cranny get a bad rap, and making an entire book about that particular niche sounds tedious, but I’d much rather read about people who care too much than those who don’t care enough. I mean, I rolled my eyes pretty hard when Ryan Gosling explained what jazz was to Emma Stone in La La Land, but at least he was passionate about something. I'm of the mind that a little pretentiousness is warranted and even welcome if you’re going to be writing a book about music nerds. You could say it’s ironic that this bothered me because, in a way, this book is trying to appeal to the masses the same way pop music does, but I know a lot of people get crazy into studying pop as an art form the same way they’d do any other genre, so I thought it’d be fun to explore that angle in a book for once. Like, why pair up Ollie, a self-proclaimed aficionado (though you wouldn’t know it by reading this), with a rusted, walking lamp-post like Nash? What do they even have in common other than the fact that they both like dudes and are often found standing next to each other!? I’m not being facetious; I’d really like to know these things! Tell me! And not to do a full 180 on the idea of “intense-deep-dives-on-music” vs. the “it’s-really-not-that-deep” crowd, but I also thought it was bizarre (I'm running out of descriptors) that Ollie strictly listens to pop music but doesn’t enjoy dancing? You don't even have to be good, but you've got to at least try to get your back up off the wall, dude. You could even just move your head to the beat. Unless he’s one of those “Anthony Fantano” types who sits there and dissects every little thing rather than trying to feel the vibe (Anthony Fantano Mention Count: 2). Hopefully that's not too shady, different strokes for different folks etc. etc., but all I know is that if someone puts on “Physical” by Dua Lipa, then I’m going to be out there on the floor. Final ramblings, but has anyone else noticed how characters in YA books never seem to listen to anything other than pop or indie music? I’m not implying anything (or maybe I am! dun dun dunnn), I just think it's interesting how none of these high-schoolers listen to hip-hop or seem to know it exists. Hmm. It's like every YA student lives in some Twilight Zone mirror world. Again, I'm not saying what I'm not saying, but I just doubt that the music climate has changed so~oo much that interest in the genre has completely dissipated. Okay, I think… that’s it! Phew, let me catch my breath. Alright, those are all my opinions that I’ve ever had and will ever have until the end of time. I kind of hated this, and I’m kind of glad I can move on to the next one. I'm walking out the scene like a hole in my jeans.
Made a mistake, I keep it straight with you / I wasn't capable, of keeping away from you / I can't even flex, 'cause not even time / And not even lies, could take me away from you, yeah / I see you got me on read / Can't get that shit out my head (Can I – Kiana Ledé).
This isn’t an upsetting book, but it sure as hell upset me. I didn’t like this, and I'm becoming resigned to that fact. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely not a terrible book for those who like wholesome, low drama, non-confrontational novels, but it's clear that I'm pretty much over contemporary Young-Adult books as a whole. Fantasy will keep, but otherwise, I think I'm out. Ugh... I’m just so disappointed. It’s funny because even if I were still that person who devours cute, fluffy YA on the regular, I think I’d probably still hate this. Sorry, book. In my mind, it’s literally the same story as Only Mostly Devastated; it’s got the same fake ass friends, the same wishy-washy love-interest, and finally, the same punching-bag protagonist... named Ollie! Huh, weird coincidence. It’s the same, It’s all the same!!! I think my growing indifference is mostly due to the fact that YA books almost always have to have their mandated moralizing inserted by the end. No matter how awful other characters are, you just know that there will be some sort of lesson to be learned. Which I mostly get, you know? Got to impart knowledge on the young folks, or whatever. “I believe the children are our future!” But sometimes it seems like these authors go out of their way to create all these insufferable characters to piss me off specifically. A pointed attack, if you will. Well, if this is a test, then it’s one I’ll gladly fail every time, I am not the strongest soldier. So, why exactly did I read this if I knew I’d probably hate it? Well, first of all, the blurb literally says that “Ollie Fitzgerald is ready to move on…” and I thought that he'd be ready to move on! Foolish, I know. And look, I’m obviously not thinking he'd stay vindictive the whole book (like I would), nobody watched John Tucker Must Die thinking they’d actually kill John Tucker (Did they? I’ve never watched. They should have if they didn't.), but I thought that maybe, just maybe, Ollie wouldn’t fold so damn quickly. Twenty pages in and he’s already preaching forgiveness and "looking at both sides." No! Stay strong, brother! Look at your side and stick with it! Not to get too much into comparison territory, but I think the only Young-Adult book I’ve read that’s gotten the “Oh-Hey-I’m-in-love-with-my-straight-best-friend” dynamic right is Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert. And that’s because the main character is focused on other, more important things. Family drama, you know how it is. Otherwise, as far as I’m concerned, the whole ass trope could go in the bin. So… like I said, I’m disappointed. But not because I was expecting to love this the same way I loved Felix Ever After, but disappointed because this genre doesn’t have the same hold on me as it did when I used to be obsessed. It's not world ending, but it is a little sad and a little annoying. Like a “rock-bouncing-around-in-your-shoe” kind of thing. Like my excitement that Lupita Nyong'o was going to be in the newer Star Wars movies only to realize they had her playing a toad creature, or like how Khalid had one banger in 2018 and then just kept releasing the same song since then, or how I used to love scrolling on Twitter until it was bought and ruined by a toad creature. It just kind of sucks.
Hey, remember how I said that the “unrequited” thing works for me if the main character focuses on other stuff? Yeah well, the second half of the title promises a “Heartbreak Anthems” type deal, and I'm salty that that is not what I got. Where's the heartbreak? The anthems!? Don't ask me why, but I imagined Ollie would be out here making some kind of dramatic playlist to get over his buddy, Nash. Silly me for thinking that'd be the case. Oh yeah, the love interest is a jock named Nash. Well, he sure had me gnashing my teeth at how dull he was heh heh. I don't know if you know this, but I've been known to enjoy music on occasion, so it’s probably not a big surprise as to why reading a book that's music focused would be really exciting to me. I put song lyrics on every one of these reviews, so I thought I'd be the exact target audience for this one! I thought that maybe Ollie would be making a playlist to get over his heartbreak? I don't know, I'm just spitballing here. Because... nah, other than Ollie, the side-characters barely seem to even like music on any level! And even with Ollie, It's really just him name dropping stuff and then we move on to his dumb crush on Nash, who sucks ass. What’s up with that? I’m going to assume that this was done so they wouldn’t alienate the non-music nerds, but all they really did was alienate… me! A huge music nerd! There’s nothing resembling a deep dive or love of music to be found here! I'm sad to report that there isn't a musical quality to this book. Boo, that's really too bad. And even if it didn’t match the vibe, I was at least wishing for more of a discussion about pop music or even the general culture surrounding it. Now, I don't need “Anthony Fantano” deep cuts every couple pages about flavoring and whatever else he’s always yapping about, but I don't know, something else! Any discussions about music are actually pretty surface level and it felt like a large part of this book’s concept was forgotten at the outset and then quickly course corrected with a few relatable and topical conversations sprinkled throughout. And even then, it’s just so~oo safe! For example, infamous producer, Jack Antonoff, is brought up, but it’s all a positive, sunshine and roses, kind of deal. Pre-approved prose. You’re telling me that a bunch of nerdy music gays have absolutely nothing super opinionated and rude about the guy that can’t be mentioned without the hate train coming in? I’m not saying I want this book to be a hit piece, but Ollie himself is a frequent visitor of the Popheads subreddit (which I consider a somewhat deep cut for a YA book), so there’s no way all his opinions on music are as well-adjusted as they are portrayed here. My culture is being erased!
Anyway, this bit isn’t a complaint, but I thought it was odd that Ollie mentions someone wearing a Dua Lipa shirt, which… come on, I like her as much as the next gay, but I’ve never heard of somebody wearing a shirt with her face on it. It’s a small thing, but it did add to the falseness I constantly felt while reading this. A studio interference, CEO, type of vibe. “You're out of touch, I'm out of time." I know that the folks who are super into studying the technical aspect of music and turn over every little nook and cranny get a bad rap, and making an entire book about that particular niche sounds tedious, but I’d much rather read about people who care too much than those who don’t care enough. I mean, I rolled my eyes pretty hard when Ryan Gosling explained what jazz was to Emma Stone in La La Land, but at least he was passionate about something. I'm of the mind that a little pretentiousness is warranted and even welcome if you’re going to be writing a book about music nerds. You could say it’s ironic that this bothered me because, in a way, this book is trying to appeal to the masses the same way pop music does, but I know a lot of people get crazy into studying pop as an art form the same way they’d do any other genre, so I thought it’d be fun to explore that angle in a book for once. Like, why pair up Ollie, a self-proclaimed aficionado (though you wouldn’t know it by reading this), with a rusted, walking lamp-post like Nash? What do they even have in common other than the fact that they both like dudes and are often found standing next to each other!? I’m not being facetious; I’d really like to know these things! Tell me! And not to do a full 180 on the idea of “intense-deep-dives-on-music” vs. the “it’s-really-not-that-deep” crowd, but I also thought it was bizarre (I'm running out of descriptors) that Ollie strictly listens to pop music but doesn’t enjoy dancing? You don't even have to be good, but you've got to at least try to get your back up off the wall, dude. You could even just move your head to the beat. Unless he’s one of those “Anthony Fantano” types who sits there and dissects every little thing rather than trying to feel the vibe (Anthony Fantano Mention Count: 2). Hopefully that's not too shady, different strokes for different folks etc. etc., but all I know is that if someone puts on “Physical” by Dua Lipa, then I’m going to be out there on the floor. Final ramblings, but has anyone else noticed how characters in YA books never seem to listen to anything other than pop or indie music? I’m not implying anything (or maybe I am! dun dun dunnn), I just think it's interesting how none of these high-schoolers listen to hip-hop or seem to know it exists. Hmm. It's like every YA student lives in some Twilight Zone mirror world. Again, I'm not saying what I'm not saying, but I just doubt that the music climate has changed so~oo much that interest in the genre has completely dissipated. Okay, I think… that’s it! Phew, let me catch my breath. Alright, those are all my opinions that I’ve ever had and will ever have until the end of time. I kind of hated this, and I’m kind of glad I can move on to the next one. I'm walking out the scene like a hole in my jeans.
Made a mistake, I keep it straight with you / I wasn't capable, of keeping away from you / I can't even flex, 'cause not even time / And not even lies, could take me away from you, yeah / I see you got me on read / Can't get that shit out my head (Can I – Kiana Ledé).
May 30, 2023
Ollie Fitzgerald’s Heartbreak Anthems reads like listening to pop songs during a car drive. You hum away with the highs and the lows, drum with your fingers on the steering wheel, and turn the radio louder and louder while smiling and blaring the lyrics.
Like many pop songs, Ollie Fitzgerald’s story is nothing new. But it’s sweet and tender and funny, full of pop references, and it makes you feel happy and alive. From the first page, I wanted Ollie and Nash to push Steve and Julia aside and choose each other sooo badly, and feathers flew through my belly when Nash admitted his feelings for Ollie.
Sometimes, I found the writing a little too telling for my liking and in the middle the story dragged on a bit, but who cares when you smile and swoon and root for two boys so much? This story is perfect for fans of uplifting YA authors like Robbie Couch, Simon James Green, and Becky Albertalli, who want to smile about two teens falling in love.
I won this eARC in a giveaway. Thank you, Charlie, for this wonderful gift and for allowing me to read Ollie’s and Nash’s story early!
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Like many pop songs, Ollie Fitzgerald’s story is nothing new. But it’s sweet and tender and funny, full of pop references, and it makes you feel happy and alive. From the first page, I wanted Ollie and Nash to push Steve and Julia aside and choose each other sooo badly, and feathers flew through my belly when Nash admitted his feelings for Ollie.
Sometimes, I found the writing a little too telling for my liking and in the middle the story dragged on a bit, but who cares when you smile and swoon and root for two boys so much? This story is perfect for fans of uplifting YA authors like Robbie Couch, Simon James Green, and Becky Albertalli, who want to smile about two teens falling in love.
I won this eARC in a giveaway. Thank you, Charlie, for this wonderful gift and for allowing me to read Ollie’s and Nash’s story early!
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July 4, 2023
✰ 3 stars ✰
“I genuinely think being heartbroken is one of the worst things to ever happen to a person, outside of the very obvious other terrible things.
That gnawing pain of what you used to have compared to how lonely you feel now is an overwhelming, all-consuming, sense of dread.”
Mediocre at best is probably how best to explain my feelings for Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems after I completed it. I'm sure a lot of readers might particularly enjoy this, but for the life of me, I couldn't. Or maybe the cover just threw me off at how much the characters resembled two characters from Haikyu, which shockingly, are also shipped by fans! If you know, you know. 😮💨
For starters, I don't know why a YA book had to be dedicated to the entirety of Ollie and Nash's final year! Yes, romances that only span a couple of months might be off-setting, but a whole year dragged me down even further into a state of boredom. 😩 I know it was trying to show just how much Nash was willing to prove to Ollie that what he felt for him wasn't a one time thing, that he was going to earn his trust again, that his kisses were not all for naught, but I think, even in a few months time, that would have more than sufficed. 😟
And still, with all the healthy happy dose of capturing their final year - from senior shenanigans, final prom decisions, excellent pop culture references, late night confessions, the complimentary teenage angst, I just couldn't feel it. 🙄 I didn't feel the ache over Nash's fear of showing that he cared for Ollie more than just a friend, I didn't feel how affected Ollie was by Nash's ambivalence of declaring themselves a couple - it was all so surface-level, that I didn't find myself even wanting to find what lay below the depths of their relationship. I do feel bad that it wasn't a more enjoyable read, but yeah, that's about it. 😞
And lest I forget, Dee! Mon Dieu, her reaction to her twin brother, Nash and her best friend, Ollie secretly getting together was just so horrible! I get that she felt deceived, but she didn't have to be so snippy and selfish about it! Maybe this is showing how authentic a character she is to real-life people, but I disliked her even further after her initial reaction. 🫤🫤
Do I feel a little hypocritical that if this were a premise in another story, I might have been less critical? Only a little bit - because, I would then, also judge it against the writing and if it was enough to grip my attention. It did get a little too wordy at times, and sometimes the humor didn't land the way that I would have wanted, so that also fueled my disgruntled feelings. So, while I do applaud Charlie Arrigo's debut efforts, that fact that I wasn't immersed in the story and the lack of highlighted phrases that could have resonated with me, really speaks for itself. 😔
“I genuinely think being heartbroken is one of the worst things to ever happen to a person, outside of the very obvious other terrible things.
That gnawing pain of what you used to have compared to how lonely you feel now is an overwhelming, all-consuming, sense of dread.”
Mediocre at best is probably how best to explain my feelings for Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems after I completed it. I'm sure a lot of readers might particularly enjoy this, but for the life of me, I couldn't. Or maybe the cover just threw me off at how much the characters resembled two characters from Haikyu, which shockingly, are also shipped by fans! If you know, you know. 😮💨
For starters, I don't know why a YA book had to be dedicated to the entirety of Ollie and Nash's final year! Yes, romances that only span a couple of months might be off-setting, but a whole year dragged me down even further into a state of boredom. 😩 I know it was trying to show just how much Nash was willing to prove to Ollie that what he felt for him wasn't a one time thing, that he was going to earn his trust again, that his kisses were not all for naught, but I think, even in a few months time, that would have more than sufficed. 😟
And still, with all the healthy happy dose of capturing their final year - from senior shenanigans, final prom decisions, excellent pop culture references, late night confessions, the complimentary teenage angst, I just couldn't feel it. 🙄 I didn't feel the ache over Nash's fear of showing that he cared for Ollie more than just a friend, I didn't feel how affected Ollie was by Nash's ambivalence of declaring themselves a couple - it was all so surface-level, that I didn't find myself even wanting to find what lay below the depths of their relationship. I do feel bad that it wasn't a more enjoyable read, but yeah, that's about it. 😞
And lest I forget, Dee! Mon Dieu, her reaction to her twin brother, Nash and her best friend, Ollie secretly getting together was just so horrible! I get that she felt deceived, but she didn't have to be so snippy and selfish about it! Maybe this is showing how authentic a character she is to real-life people, but I disliked her even further after her initial reaction. 🫤🫤
Do I feel a little hypocritical that if this were a premise in another story, I might have been less critical? Only a little bit - because, I would then, also judge it against the writing and if it was enough to grip my attention. It did get a little too wordy at times, and sometimes the humor didn't land the way that I would have wanted, so that also fueled my disgruntled feelings. So, while I do applaud Charlie Arrigo's debut efforts, that fact that I wasn't immersed in the story and the lack of highlighted phrases that could have resonated with me, really speaks for itself. 😔
January 22, 2023
This debut novel sticks to the standard YA formula and doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. Nor does it need to. It's a sweet, romantic, sometimes awkward, occasionally angsty, and often hilarious look at a triad of best friends dealing with emotional growing pains in their senior year of high school.
Our title character is truly the star here. When reading his inner thoughts and dialogue, I can *hear* Ollie. Within the first few pages, I fully understood who this guy was. I find so many things about Ollie relatable despite being a mostly straight woman 20 years his senior. Even tropes that normally aren't my cup of tea (sudden miscommunication between best friends being a big one) mostly work here because of my love for Ollie and understanding of his predicament. The supporting characters all feel very vibrant, and the time spent with them is well balanced between service to furthering the main story and glimpses of their own lives and experiences.
Pop culture references galore, lots of heart, great humor, fun characters, a quick pace, witty writing, and the relationship(s) at the center of this story make this an easy and very enjoyable read. It's even more impressive for a self-published author in his debut novel. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves queer YA!
Our title character is truly the star here. When reading his inner thoughts and dialogue, I can *hear* Ollie. Within the first few pages, I fully understood who this guy was. I find so many things about Ollie relatable despite being a mostly straight woman 20 years his senior. Even tropes that normally aren't my cup of tea (sudden miscommunication between best friends being a big one) mostly work here because of my love for Ollie and understanding of his predicament. The supporting characters all feel very vibrant, and the time spent with them is well balanced between service to furthering the main story and glimpses of their own lives and experiences.
Pop culture references galore, lots of heart, great humor, fun characters, a quick pace, witty writing, and the relationship(s) at the center of this story make this an easy and very enjoyable read. It's even more impressive for a self-published author in his debut novel. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves queer YA!
February 23, 2024
It took me quite a while to finish this one. Which isn't the book's fault at all. I picked it up in November and put it down to read some more seasonal appropriate books. This book is set in summer, so it could wait, I thought. December is for Christmas themed books. When I picked it up again, I realized that this book and the one I read before have a pretty similar setup: Nerdy gay boy falls for popular straight jock, who is already secretly in love with him. So it got mixed up in my head a bit and this slowed me down reading.
It didn't help that the pacing in this book is a bit off. The third-act-drama happens in the last ten percent of the book. Maybe the author also isn't a fan of this and just wanted to get done with it as quickly as possible. I'm not complaining. But the rest of the book has a lot of repetitiveness in it, which creates a feeling of dragging-on. Like, when Ollie tries to make Nash jealous with his best friend. It happens again and again. Or when Ollie and Nash try to kiss for the first time and get interrupted by Dee. It happens again and again. Compared to this, the ending feels a bit rushed. And there are some loose threads. Like, what's the deal with Trevor? Or the movie at prom? This book is already three hundred pages. Maybe it was four hundred in the beginning and then the editor said: “Nah, that's too much, let's scrap the last hundred pages.”
Maybe I should have put this book down for longer and give it a fresh start in summer. Because I really like the story and the characters. But reading very similar books one after another isn't the best idea. More so when it's “put down, read another and pick it up again”.
Overall, I really liked this book. It's a classic story about a gay nerd and a not-so-straight popular jock. It has amazing side characters. I really loved Steve and Millie. It also has the obligatory “annoying female best friend”. A very classic in every gay YA written by a male author, it seems. So if you're looking for a light and funny read, this book is for you.
It didn't help that the pacing in this book is a bit off. The third-act-drama happens in the last ten percent of the book. Maybe the author also isn't a fan of this and just wanted to get done with it as quickly as possible. I'm not complaining. But the rest of the book has a lot of repetitiveness in it, which creates a feeling of dragging-on. Like, when Ollie tries to make Nash jealous with his best friend. It happens again and again. Or when Ollie and Nash try to kiss for the first time and get interrupted by Dee. It happens again and again. Compared to this, the ending feels a bit rushed. And there are some loose threads. Like, what's the deal with Trevor? Or the movie at prom? This book is already three hundred pages. Maybe it was four hundred in the beginning and then the editor said: “Nah, that's too much, let's scrap the last hundred pages.”
Maybe I should have put this book down for longer and give it a fresh start in summer. Because I really like the story and the characters. But reading very similar books one after another isn't the best idea. More so when it's “put down, read another and pick it up again”.
Overall, I really liked this book. It's a classic story about a gay nerd and a not-so-straight popular jock. It has amazing side characters. I really loved Steve and Millie. It also has the obligatory “annoying female best friend”. A very classic in every gay YA written by a male author, it seems. So if you're looking for a light and funny read, this book is for you.
February 14, 2023
I cannot say enough good things about this book! I was lucky enough to get an eARC from Charlie, who is not only a great author, but a great human being.
I loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved the story. I loved the concept of the playlist being a plot device.
The characters.
Ollie was such a loveable character that you couldn’t possibly want anything but the absolute best for him. Nash was delightful and kind, and his scenes with Ollie were my favorites in the book.
Also, Steve? I am president of his fan club. We all need a Steve in our lives. We must protect him at all costs.
The writing.
Charlie’s writing is impeccable in his delivery of witty dialogue, quips, one-liners, referential comedy, and hyper-specific niche humor. Thank goodness I fall into that niche because some moments were FUCKING HYSTERICAL. I was legitimately cackling like a fucking hyena at so many points.
Ollie being a horror movie fan was another layer I loved. So many nods to so many of my favorite movies, which kept me smiling.
The MUSIC.
I won’t post any spoilers, but … there was one chapter that gave me actual chills. Did I cry the happiest tears at 2:30 AM, listen to that chapter’s namesake on repeat, and then re-read the sequence while I had the song playing in the background? I sure as fuck did! And I would do it again! FULLY. IMMERSIVE. EXPERIENCE. The song that accompanied that scene was expertly picked. I think you’ll know which chapter when you get there.
Speaking of, I highly recommend exploring the playlist on Spotify and listening to some of the songs if you don’t know them! I LOVED the music, which was what pulled the entire plot and book together. I was already a fan of at least 75% of the songs, and that made me so happy. As the book’s title suggests … Ollie knows how to make an immaculate playlist, which is really to say that Charlie makes an immaculate playlist. The songs are all so incredibly fitting, and it really completes the reading experience.
So.
What is most astonishing to me is that this is Charlie’s debut. Everything was seamless. The pacing was solid. I was never bored. There was no filler, because all of the chapters were important to the plot in some way. The characters were fully developed, including the supporting cast. Everything about the book flowed so well. It had some of my favorite tropes. It had it all, folks.
When this book drops in June, I am fully recommending you read it. Because it is fun, it is emotional, it is heartwarming, and it has been a highlight of the books I’ve read so far in 2022.
Do you have a heartbreak anthem? I’m sure you do. Mine is Clean by Taylor Swift.
OKGOREADTHISBOOKRIGHTNOW !
I loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved the story. I loved the concept of the playlist being a plot device.
The characters.
Ollie was such a loveable character that you couldn’t possibly want anything but the absolute best for him. Nash was delightful and kind, and his scenes with Ollie were my favorites in the book.
Also, Steve? I am president of his fan club. We all need a Steve in our lives. We must protect him at all costs.
The writing.
Charlie’s writing is impeccable in his delivery of witty dialogue, quips, one-liners, referential comedy, and hyper-specific niche humor. Thank goodness I fall into that niche because some moments were FUCKING HYSTERICAL. I was legitimately cackling like a fucking hyena at so many points.
Ollie being a horror movie fan was another layer I loved. So many nods to so many of my favorite movies, which kept me smiling.
The MUSIC.
I won’t post any spoilers, but … there was one chapter that gave me actual chills. Did I cry the happiest tears at 2:30 AM, listen to that chapter’s namesake on repeat, and then re-read the sequence while I had the song playing in the background? I sure as fuck did! And I would do it again! FULLY. IMMERSIVE. EXPERIENCE. The song that accompanied that scene was expertly picked. I think you’ll know which chapter when you get there.
Speaking of, I highly recommend exploring the playlist on Spotify and listening to some of the songs if you don’t know them! I LOVED the music, which was what pulled the entire plot and book together. I was already a fan of at least 75% of the songs, and that made me so happy. As the book’s title suggests … Ollie knows how to make an immaculate playlist, which is really to say that Charlie makes an immaculate playlist. The songs are all so incredibly fitting, and it really completes the reading experience.
So.
What is most astonishing to me is that this is Charlie’s debut. Everything was seamless. The pacing was solid. I was never bored. There was no filler, because all of the chapters were important to the plot in some way. The characters were fully developed, including the supporting cast. Everything about the book flowed so well. It had some of my favorite tropes. It had it all, folks.
When this book drops in June, I am fully recommending you read it. Because it is fun, it is emotional, it is heartwarming, and it has been a highlight of the books I’ve read so far in 2022.
Do you have a heartbreak anthem? I’m sure you do. Mine is Clean by Taylor Swift.
OKGOREADTHISBOOKRIGHTNOW !
April 9, 2024
Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems is a sweet, swoony and adorable story of two boys who love each other realizing it, each at his own pace, with the obstacles and silly misunderstandings that happen when teens are confused about their feelings!
Despite the ups and downs, Ollie and Nash are quite honest with each other and do not let the miscommunication issues define their journey from friends to boyfriends. They mess up, they panic, and they are always there for each other in the end.
Millie and (especially) Steve are the ideal supportive friends, the no nonsense and the shamelessly dorky people who are proud of themselves and their friends.
The story will make you smile and cheer for Ollie and Nash all the way!
Despite the ups and downs, Ollie and Nash are quite honest with each other and do not let the miscommunication issues define their journey from friends to boyfriends. They mess up, they panic, and they are always there for each other in the end.
Millie and (especially) Steve are the ideal supportive friends, the no nonsense and the shamelessly dorky people who are proud of themselves and their friends.
The story will make you smile and cheer for Ollie and Nash all the way!
February 15, 2023
Ollie Fitzgerald’s Heartbreak Anthems is Charlie Arrigo’s debut novel, but you’d never be able to tell.
The characters are well-written, with realistic problems, solutions, and occasional teenage angst.
Arrigo didn’t just develop the main characters but fully developed a few of the supporting characters too and I think that helped round out the story.
Ollie’s life has been constructing plans and playlists for every occasion. So when his best friend Dee’s brother Nash decides to kiss him and alter the course of their friendship he stumbles. When Nash ghosts him for the rest of the summer, he spirals. Diving head first into all of his playlists to help him get through.
Now it’s senior year and a prank has halted prom, and Dee enlists the help of Nash and Ollie to ensure the dance still happens. Thrown together after a summer of no communication to solve problems makes for interesting encounters.
Honestly? I loved this book. More than once I found myself running to Spotify to play the song mentioned.
Ollie’s story reminded me of teenage love and the nostalgia of growing up and going for drives with friends and listening to albums. Along with all the trips to the cinema to catch that new horror flick on opening night. I couldn’t read this fast enough. I can’t wait for Ollie’s story to be released into the world so everyone can enjoy it.
Thank you to Charlie Arrigo for providing a gifted copy of this ARC for me to read and review.
As always, this book was read and reviewed voluntarily, and the above opinions are entirely my own.
The characters are well-written, with realistic problems, solutions, and occasional teenage angst.
Arrigo didn’t just develop the main characters but fully developed a few of the supporting characters too and I think that helped round out the story.
Ollie’s life has been constructing plans and playlists for every occasion. So when his best friend Dee’s brother Nash decides to kiss him and alter the course of their friendship he stumbles. When Nash ghosts him for the rest of the summer, he spirals. Diving head first into all of his playlists to help him get through.
Now it’s senior year and a prank has halted prom, and Dee enlists the help of Nash and Ollie to ensure the dance still happens. Thrown together after a summer of no communication to solve problems makes for interesting encounters.
Honestly? I loved this book. More than once I found myself running to Spotify to play the song mentioned.
Ollie’s story reminded me of teenage love and the nostalgia of growing up and going for drives with friends and listening to albums. Along with all the trips to the cinema to catch that new horror flick on opening night. I couldn’t read this fast enough. I can’t wait for Ollie’s story to be released into the world so everyone can enjoy it.
Thank you to Charlie Arrigo for providing a gifted copy of this ARC for me to read and review.
As always, this book was read and reviewed voluntarily, and the above opinions are entirely my own.
May 16, 2023
4.5 stars
Falling in love with your best friend's brother is a recipe for disaster, but when he's also one of your best friends, it only complicates things even more. Ollie Fitzgerald has been best friends with Dee and Nash Figuroa for as long as he can remember. As a kid, he could almost always be found at the Figuroas' or out with Nash and Dee when he wasn't at home. As he got older, his feelings toward Nash shifted into something more than platonic. After one kiss on the first day of summer, Ollie never heard from Nash again after he left for lacrosse camp. In the midst of his first true heartbreak, he uses his Heartbreak Anthems playlist and his attractive coworker Steve to help him move past Nash.
But when Nash comes back for their senior year, Ollie isn't as strong as he thought. To save their senior prom, Ollie, Dee, and Nash have to plan the entire thing and raise enough money to make it happen. Ollie thinks that he can at least be friends with Nash after all that happened the summer before, but he soon learns that it isn't as easy as he thought, and moving on might look different than he expected.
Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
I was excited to read this one as soon as I heard the author talk about it, and I couldn't wait to dive into it when I got an ARC of it. I loved how music was a central part of this book, and I found several references to some of my favorite songs throughout the book.
The characters in this were so well developed and realistic, especially for a YA book. I often saw myself in Ollie, and several of the situations he found himself in are ones that I'd been in once or twice before. I wasn't sure how I felt about Nash's character, and, quite honestly, I didn't like him at first since he was so much of a mystery. But once we got to see more of the real Nash and his growth, I began to like him more and more, and he and Ollie complemented each other well.
My favorite part of this book, however, was the side characters. They were all fun, unique characters, and they all felt necessary to the story. I loved the antics of Sean and Ravi and watching them accept Ollie as one of their own while Steve and Millie helped Ollie work through a wide range of feelings and find himself while trying to move on.
Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems releases on June 6th, and you can preorder your copy now!
Falling in love with your best friend's brother is a recipe for disaster, but when he's also one of your best friends, it only complicates things even more. Ollie Fitzgerald has been best friends with Dee and Nash Figuroa for as long as he can remember. As a kid, he could almost always be found at the Figuroas' or out with Nash and Dee when he wasn't at home. As he got older, his feelings toward Nash shifted into something more than platonic. After one kiss on the first day of summer, Ollie never heard from Nash again after he left for lacrosse camp. In the midst of his first true heartbreak, he uses his Heartbreak Anthems playlist and his attractive coworker Steve to help him move past Nash.
But when Nash comes back for their senior year, Ollie isn't as strong as he thought. To save their senior prom, Ollie, Dee, and Nash have to plan the entire thing and raise enough money to make it happen. Ollie thinks that he can at least be friends with Nash after all that happened the summer before, but he soon learns that it isn't as easy as he thought, and moving on might look different than he expected.
Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
I was excited to read this one as soon as I heard the author talk about it, and I couldn't wait to dive into it when I got an ARC of it. I loved how music was a central part of this book, and I found several references to some of my favorite songs throughout the book.
The characters in this were so well developed and realistic, especially for a YA book. I often saw myself in Ollie, and several of the situations he found himself in are ones that I'd been in once or twice before. I wasn't sure how I felt about Nash's character, and, quite honestly, I didn't like him at first since he was so much of a mystery. But once we got to see more of the real Nash and his growth, I began to like him more and more, and he and Ollie complemented each other well.
My favorite part of this book, however, was the side characters. They were all fun, unique characters, and they all felt necessary to the story. I loved the antics of Sean and Ravi and watching them accept Ollie as one of their own while Steve and Millie helped Ollie work through a wide range of feelings and find himself while trying to move on.
Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems releases on June 6th, and you can preorder your copy now!
April 15, 2023
I loved Ollie. This story dives into not only dealing with your first heart break, but your first queer heartbreak. The pop song references, the full cast of queer characters, navigating hard feelings, life long friendships, finding unexpected family in new friends, really made me love this story. I wish I had the confidence Ollie had at 17. I can’t recommend this book if you want to laugh, cry, and have your heart swell just a little. This is not only a fantastic YA queer story but also nicely addresses the act of coming out and being unapologetically yourself regardless of your social status. There were times I wanted to shake some sense into Ollie and Nash, times I wanted to holler, and even times I needed deeply to console Dee. This book comes out 6/6/23 and I’m grateful to have been able to receive an eARC ahead of time. Don’t walk, but RUN to get this book!
June 14, 2023
I have mixed relationship with YA releases lately, either it's a hit or miss (and dnf). I finished this one and well, that's saying something!
We have Ollie, a seventeen year old boy out and proud, who loves theater, creating playlists for all important moments of life and well, his best friends: twins Dee and Nash. Nash is a star of school's lacrosse team and straight. Until he isn't.
Well, you know, typical YA story, centers around homecomings, proms, weekly games, movie nights, stargazing and pop songs. Both MCs forget how to communicate, then suddenly they can, then they ghost each other and teen drama continues. It's frustrating, really. I disliked the way Dee was portaited, a great friend, but too bossy and then a girl, and a sister standing in a way of boys' happiness, honestly, it felt like unnecesary badmouthing the female out of three. dear writers, please do not.
3.5
We have Ollie, a seventeen year old boy out and proud, who loves theater, creating playlists for all important moments of life and well, his best friends: twins Dee and Nash. Nash is a star of school's lacrosse team and straight. Until he isn't.
Well, you know, typical YA story, centers around homecomings, proms, weekly games, movie nights, stargazing and pop songs. Both MCs forget how to communicate, then suddenly they can, then they ghost each other and teen drama continues. It's frustrating, really. I disliked the way Dee was portaited, a great friend, but too bossy and then a girl, and a sister standing in a way of boys' happiness, honestly, it felt like unnecesary badmouthing the female out of three. dear writers, please do not.
3.5
September 8, 2023
3,5 *
I honestly don't have much to say about this book, which might be because I didn't exactly feel much while reading it. 🫥
I think my main problem is the fact that Ollie and Nash already liked each other at the start of the book, and had already had a very monumental ~moment~ before this story begins. Since they already liked each other, WE don't really see them fall in love. I mean, there were a couple of flashbacks, but they were very few, and mostly showed them already liking each other, which didn't really solve my "problem" of wanting to see them falling in love. 😅 This is an inherent problem of 2nd chance romances, but like... I enjoyed "Only Mostly Devastated", which has a somewhat similar setup, so I feel like I could've liked this one, too. 😕 Perhaps if there'd been more flashbacks to show their romance developing I would've felt a bit more, idk...
It didn't help that Steve (Ollie's friend with benefits) was soooo much more fun than Nash, at first. Like, you're telling me we have this super fun guy and you still expect me to root for the guy who's giving you the cold shoulder and who you're supposedly already in love with (even though you didn't really let me see y'all falling in love?)...... kinda hard to accept that, ngl 😅. But I will say, Nash obviously had his reasons for ignoring Ollie for months + he apologized, owned up to his mistakes and did what he could to make it up to Ollie, which I appreciate. And I overall enjoyed Nash and Ollie's moments together. They were very sweet, and I really liked how they communicated their feelings and wants, verbally asked for consent and openly talked about intimacy. I also appreciate that the author included general conversations about intimacy, prep, etc (not just between Ollie and Nash, but with Ollie's friends, too). This book just showed a very healthy way to discuss these things!
Things I didn't love:
⇨ The references sometimes got annoying. I knew there'd be music references, obviously, but 1) there were more than just those, and 2) they became too much. I just feel like there were 1 too many refs idk.
⇨ There were too many instances of people tripping and falling lmfaooo. Just in the first 14%, there were 4 scenes where people slipped and fell, like.... 🥴 Fortunately, this slowed down in the rest of the book, but there were still multiple instances of people dropping drinks on each other, etc, and I feel like it became too ridiculous. 😅
⇨ There were some typos, but this is self published, so I forgive it.
⇨ There were too many sex jokes, though perhaps I'm just too ace. Also, the amount of boner mentions?? Is being a teenage boy really that cursed?? Are boners seriously something that plagues them this much?? My god... 😥
⇨ So many kisses were described as "intense"...
⇨ Don't know how I feel about the times Ollie would break the 4th wall / talk to the reader.
⇨ Didn't love the 3rd act conflict...
⇨ That whole paragraph at the end of the book explaining the message was kinda silly, but whatever, that's just me being nitpicky.
I know these seem like a lot, but they're mostly just me being nitpicky. Overall, I think the book was sweet. The main reason why I didn't care about it is because the romance genuinely made me feel *nothing*. 😐
I honestly don't have much to say about this book, which might be because I didn't exactly feel much while reading it. 🫥
I think my main problem is the fact that Ollie and Nash already liked each other at the start of the book, and had already had a very monumental ~moment~ before this story begins. Since they already liked each other, WE don't really see them fall in love. I mean, there were a couple of flashbacks, but they were very few, and mostly showed them already liking each other, which didn't really solve my "problem" of wanting to see them falling in love. 😅 This is an inherent problem of 2nd chance romances, but like... I enjoyed "Only Mostly Devastated", which has a somewhat similar setup, so I feel like I could've liked this one, too. 😕 Perhaps if there'd been more flashbacks to show their romance developing I would've felt a bit more, idk...
It didn't help that Steve (Ollie's friend with benefits) was soooo much more fun than Nash, at first. Like, you're telling me we have this super fun guy and you still expect me to root for the guy who's giving you the cold shoulder and who you're supposedly already in love with (even though you didn't really let me see y'all falling in love?)...... kinda hard to accept that, ngl 😅. But I will say, Nash obviously had his reasons for ignoring Ollie for months + he apologized, owned up to his mistakes and did what he could to make it up to Ollie, which I appreciate. And I overall enjoyed Nash and Ollie's moments together. They were very sweet, and I really liked how they communicated their feelings and wants, verbally asked for consent and openly talked about intimacy. I also appreciate that the author included general conversations about intimacy, prep, etc (not just between Ollie and Nash, but with Ollie's friends, too). This book just showed a very healthy way to discuss these things!
Things I didn't love:
⇨ The references sometimes got annoying. I knew there'd be music references, obviously, but 1) there were more than just those, and 2) they became too much. I just feel like there were 1 too many refs idk.
⇨ There were too many instances of people tripping and falling lmfaooo. Just in the first 14%, there were 4 scenes where people slipped and fell, like.... 🥴 Fortunately, this slowed down in the rest of the book, but there were still multiple instances of people dropping drinks on each other, etc, and I feel like it became too ridiculous. 😅
⇨ There were some typos, but this is self published, so I forgive it.
⇨ There were too many sex jokes, though perhaps I'm just too ace. Also, the amount of boner mentions?? Is being a teenage boy really that cursed?? Are boners seriously something that plagues them this much?? My god... 😥
⇨ So many kisses were described as "intense"...
⇨ Don't know how I feel about the times Ollie would break the 4th wall / talk to the reader.
⇨ Didn't love the 3rd act conflict...
⇨ That whole paragraph at the end of the book explaining the message was kinda silly, but whatever, that's just me being nitpicky.
I know these seem like a lot, but they're mostly just me being nitpicky. Overall, I think the book was sweet. The main reason why I didn't care about it is because the romance genuinely made me feel *nothing*. 😐
June 21, 2023
Let me tell you, this was the sweetest story and I love Ollie and Nash so much🥺 I am so thankful Charlie sent me an eARC of this book!
There is so much to love in this YA romance. I could almost lean toward romcom because the characters in this had me cackling. It was also filled with all the high school nostalgia and the Prom vibes was a fun touch!
Read if you like:
•Queer romance
•Quick pacing
•Singing in the car with friends
•Childhood friends to lovers
•Best friends brother
•Taylor Swift
•Curating the perfect playlists
•Second chance romance
•Prom
One thing I always love to highlight is when an author gets me to fall in love with the side characters, it takes a special kind of writer to accomplish that! I almost felt like I was part of this friend group. I loved Dee and her tenacity, Millie and Steve were the ultimate gay besties, and Sean & Ravi were so delightful and accepting🥲
{ “Nightmare Queer Dream Team?” None of those words make any kind of sense together. “Think of it like The Avengers, but we’re actually agents of fruity chaos.” }
Thank you so much Charlie for an advanced copy of your book. What a knockout debut, I am so excited to see what you do next!!! I can’t wait to have a copy for my shelf 🫶🏻 Ollie Fitzgerald’s Heartbreak Anthems is available now on KU!
There is so much to love in this YA romance. I could almost lean toward romcom because the characters in this had me cackling. It was also filled with all the high school nostalgia and the Prom vibes was a fun touch!
Read if you like:
•Queer romance
•Quick pacing
•Singing in the car with friends
•Childhood friends to lovers
•Best friends brother
•Taylor Swift
•Curating the perfect playlists
•Second chance romance
•Prom
One thing I always love to highlight is when an author gets me to fall in love with the side characters, it takes a special kind of writer to accomplish that! I almost felt like I was part of this friend group. I loved Dee and her tenacity, Millie and Steve were the ultimate gay besties, and Sean & Ravi were so delightful and accepting🥲
{ “Nightmare Queer Dream Team?” None of those words make any kind of sense together. “Think of it like The Avengers, but we’re actually agents of fruity chaos.” }
Thank you so much Charlie for an advanced copy of your book. What a knockout debut, I am so excited to see what you do next!!! I can’t wait to have a copy for my shelf 🫶🏻 Ollie Fitzgerald’s Heartbreak Anthems is available now on KU!
August 22, 2023
(4.75 rounded up)
Do you ever just want to read a fluffy, sweet teen romcom? Well, that’s exactly what this book is. It has the wholesomeness of Heartstopper with the angst of an early 00s teen drama, but make it queer., set to the soundtrack of the best pop girlies thriving today.
I was instantly won over by Ollie and his deference for pop music, horror movies, and his pop culture references worthy of a character in the Buffyverse. Ollie would fit right into the Scooby Gang, next to fellow queer icon Willow Rosenberg.
One of my favorite things about the story is the way the queer characters support each other and even occasionally teach each other certain things that we as queer people have to learn from one another, since our education system acts like only straight people deserve to learn about sex and sexuality. Sorry for the soapbox moment.
Moving right along…
There’s a lot more that I loved, but I don’t want to say too much about plot and spoil it for you. Just take the ride and enjoy it. If you’re a fan of Timothy Janovsky, especially Never Been Kissed, I think you’d really enjoy this book. It has very much the same vibe.
It took me much longer than I would’ve liked to read this. I was so busy and then I hit a reading slump that was killing me. I couldn’t bring myself to even pick up a book for almost two month. But I’m so glad I finally got back to it. It’s such a great story and I hope everyone checks it out.
Huge thanks to the author for sending me an arc. You’re the best! And I can’t wait to see what you write next.
Also, I will love this book forever for the mere fact that it’s named after a song by my favorite girl group of all time, Little Mix.
Do you ever just want to read a fluffy, sweet teen romcom? Well, that’s exactly what this book is. It has the wholesomeness of Heartstopper with the angst of an early 00s teen drama, but make it queer., set to the soundtrack of the best pop girlies thriving today.
I was instantly won over by Ollie and his deference for pop music, horror movies, and his pop culture references worthy of a character in the Buffyverse. Ollie would fit right into the Scooby Gang, next to fellow queer icon Willow Rosenberg.
One of my favorite things about the story is the way the queer characters support each other and even occasionally teach each other certain things that we as queer people have to learn from one another, since our education system acts like only straight people deserve to learn about sex and sexuality. Sorry for the soapbox moment.
Moving right along…
There’s a lot more that I loved, but I don’t want to say too much about plot and spoil it for you. Just take the ride and enjoy it. If you’re a fan of Timothy Janovsky, especially Never Been Kissed, I think you’d really enjoy this book. It has very much the same vibe.
It took me much longer than I would’ve liked to read this. I was so busy and then I hit a reading slump that was killing me. I couldn’t bring myself to even pick up a book for almost two month. But I’m so glad I finally got back to it. It’s such a great story and I hope everyone checks it out.
Huge thanks to the author for sending me an arc. You’re the best! And I can’t wait to see what you write next.
Also, I will love this book forever for the mere fact that it’s named after a song by my favorite girl group of all time, Little Mix.
April 7, 2023
This book is what I call a comfort read. It's nothing new, but it doesn't need to be. Sometimes you just need to read something familiar, something that will take your mind off of the horrible things happening around you for just a little while and this book is perfect for that.
As far as debuts go, Heartbreak Anthems is a very wholesome novel. It has lovable characrers that grow along with the story. It has your usual teenage angst, great humour and so much pop culture references I wished I had a playlist of all the songs playing in the backround while I was reading.
So if you are looking to read something fun with full of heart, this might be a good pick for you.
Thank you for an eARC Charlie ♡ I hope to read a lot more from you in the future!
As far as debuts go, Heartbreak Anthems is a very wholesome novel. It has lovable characrers that grow along with the story. It has your usual teenage angst, great humour and so much pop culture references I wished I had a playlist of all the songs playing in the backround while I was reading.
So if you are looking to read something fun with full of heart, this might be a good pick for you.
Thank you for an eARC Charlie ♡ I hope to read a lot more from you in the future!
November 27, 2024
This was really cute. Loved how short the third act breakup was, and Ollie was the BEST main character.
August 31, 2023
“Moving on isn’t always completely abandoning the people that hurt you. It’s different for everyone. Sometimes a clean break is good. But for others, moving on is not pretending like nothing happened and sweeping it under the rug, it’s understanding what happened and then creating the space to build something new. ”
this was such a fun quick queer romance book to read. i was in desperate need of a lighthearted book to get me out of my mini reading slump, and this did just the thing. i really enjoy music themed books like beating heart baby, and this where the mc’s passion for music or the arts bleeds through the pages.
this was your typical YA book where there was a lot of pop culture references and jokes, but it actually worked in this instance since ollie loves music and the jokes the author made the majority of the time were ACTUALLY funny and didn’t sound like some older person trying to be relatable.
i loved nash, ollie, i loved dee, ravi, seth, steve and millie. i loved this found family and how supportive and close they all were. i loved the parents and how accepting they were of their children too. this story was about love, heartbreak and how to get through it using music, trusting yourself and others and leaning on your friends and having a good support group/system. i loved how queer this book was and how it didn’t shy away from talking about how hard it is to be queer alone, sex, and labels and how some people like them and it’s okay to be unlabelled too.
ollie and nash’s journey was fun, emotional, and sometimes gave me secondhand embarrassment, but i enjoyed every last bit of it. i did feel like the pop culture references got a bit too much at times, some of the jokes were outdated and i felt the ending could’ve been less rushed too. the conflict with nash, dee and ollie towards the end of the book gave me whiplash because while there was buildup towards it, the last like 30 pages or so and the pacing felt off to me and a lot was happening. overall this was a very cute book if you’re looking for something to digest quickly.
side note: fuck trevor, i hope he steps on some glass
this was such a fun quick queer romance book to read. i was in desperate need of a lighthearted book to get me out of my mini reading slump, and this did just the thing. i really enjoy music themed books like beating heart baby, and this where the mc’s passion for music or the arts bleeds through the pages.
this was your typical YA book where there was a lot of pop culture references and jokes, but it actually worked in this instance since ollie loves music and the jokes the author made the majority of the time were ACTUALLY funny and didn’t sound like some older person trying to be relatable.
i loved nash, ollie, i loved dee, ravi, seth, steve and millie. i loved this found family and how supportive and close they all were. i loved the parents and how accepting they were of their children too. this story was about love, heartbreak and how to get through it using music, trusting yourself and others and leaning on your friends and having a good support group/system. i loved how queer this book was and how it didn’t shy away from talking about how hard it is to be queer alone, sex, and labels and how some people like them and it’s okay to be unlabelled too.
ollie and nash’s journey was fun, emotional, and sometimes gave me secondhand embarrassment, but i enjoyed every last bit of it. i did feel like the pop culture references got a bit too much at times, some of the jokes were outdated and i felt the ending could’ve been less rushed too. the conflict with nash, dee and ollie towards the end of the book gave me whiplash because while there was buildup towards it, the last like 30 pages or so and the pacing felt off to me and a lot was happening. overall this was a very cute book if you’re looking for something to digest quickly.
side note: fuck trevor, i hope he steps on some glass
May 27, 2023
4 / 5
Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems was a sweet, relatable, and nostalgic read that brought back so many memories from my teens that I hadn't thought about in a long time. Charlie Arrigo captures teenage angst in an honest, endearing way; I laughed, I sniffled, I smiled. I had so much fun spending time with these characters.
Synopsis ⤐
We follow Ollie and Nash, two boys in different stages of self acceptance as they navigate their final year of high school. Ollie is openly gay, Nash is straight and no one has any reason to think otherwise, even Ollie... until they share an exhilarating but confusing first kiss together at the end of junior year. Ollie's feelings are finally manifesting in real life, but his hopes are quickly crushed when Nash goes radio silent afterwards. Ollie doesn't see Nash until the end of summer break, and Nash enters their senior year with a girl on his arm and not a word to say to Ollie about what they shared. Ollie tries his hardest to pick up the pieces and move on, attempting to make the most of his last year with his best friends and finding comfort in the soundtracks he's put together to make his heart feel whole again.
My Thoughts ⤐
From the start, I noticed such a comforting quality to Arrigo's writing, and it didn't take me long at all to identify with Ollie; his exquisite taste in music aside, he embodies a big portion of what it felt like for me growing up as a queer boy in the late 2010s. I completely fell in love with Nash alongside Ollie, as well as many of the side characters like Millie, Steve, and Dee.
Dee especially felt like a character that Arrigo put a lot of love into: she is flawed like every teenager should be, and certain moments in this book highlighted her selfish ways - but Arrigo never made her out to be the villain, because she isn't. Every character had flaws that were showcased in ways I really appreciated: they are all teens maneuvering around important relationships for the first time, and there will be hiccups, hurt feelings, and selfish actions left and right.
At this stage in my life I don't pick up a whole lot of YA anymore, but I know if I had read this book in my mid to late teens, it would've been an all time favorite. I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone wanting a sweet and wholesome queer YA read!
Thank you to the author for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
Ollie Fitzgerald's Heartbreak Anthems was a sweet, relatable, and nostalgic read that brought back so many memories from my teens that I hadn't thought about in a long time. Charlie Arrigo captures teenage angst in an honest, endearing way; I laughed, I sniffled, I smiled. I had so much fun spending time with these characters.
Synopsis ⤐
We follow Ollie and Nash, two boys in different stages of self acceptance as they navigate their final year of high school. Ollie is openly gay, Nash is straight and no one has any reason to think otherwise, even Ollie... until they share an exhilarating but confusing first kiss together at the end of junior year. Ollie's feelings are finally manifesting in real life, but his hopes are quickly crushed when Nash goes radio silent afterwards. Ollie doesn't see Nash until the end of summer break, and Nash enters their senior year with a girl on his arm and not a word to say to Ollie about what they shared. Ollie tries his hardest to pick up the pieces and move on, attempting to make the most of his last year with his best friends and finding comfort in the soundtracks he's put together to make his heart feel whole again.
My Thoughts ⤐
From the start, I noticed such a comforting quality to Arrigo's writing, and it didn't take me long at all to identify with Ollie; his exquisite taste in music aside, he embodies a big portion of what it felt like for me growing up as a queer boy in the late 2010s. I completely fell in love with Nash alongside Ollie, as well as many of the side characters like Millie, Steve, and Dee.
Dee especially felt like a character that Arrigo put a lot of love into: she is flawed like every teenager should be, and certain moments in this book highlighted her selfish ways - but Arrigo never made her out to be the villain, because she isn't. Every character had flaws that were showcased in ways I really appreciated: they are all teens maneuvering around important relationships for the first time, and there will be hiccups, hurt feelings, and selfish actions left and right.
At this stage in my life I don't pick up a whole lot of YA anymore, but I know if I had read this book in my mid to late teens, it would've been an all time favorite. I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone wanting a sweet and wholesome queer YA read!
Thank you to the author for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
January 2, 2024
This wanted to give Heartstopper vibes so badly, but it just didn’t. Ollie was fine, but Nash had less than zero personality. We didn’t see them actually falling for each other, or see much of their friendship prior to the start of the book, so the relationship fell flat for me. Dee was a screeching caricature. There were some cute moments and I did finish it, but it was touch and go a bunch of times and ultimately it just didn’t work for me.
April 25, 2024
This one was admittedly a miss for me. It was alright at first, but towards the middle I was getting very bored. Then it was like things were happening over and over again, the constant miscommunication between Ollie and Nash was pretty annoying. I'm not even sure what to say about Dee because the way she handled everything was horrible and just kind of seemed like a terrible friend 90 percent of the time.
Maybe I'm just getting too old for YA books!
Maybe I'm just getting too old for YA books!
August 12, 2023
it should be a good book…
There was absolutely nothing wrong with this book, but for whatever reason it dragged out and I wound up skipping through the end chapters just to be done with it. Two likable MCs, some drama, light bits of sexy time, and redemption. But it was almost a DNF.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with this book, but for whatever reason it dragged out and I wound up skipping through the end chapters just to be done with it. Two likable MCs, some drama, light bits of sexy time, and redemption. But it was almost a DNF.
March 10, 2024
i hate when characters make pop culture references instead of having a personality
April 8, 2023
Imagine a mash-up of Empire Records and every classic John Hughes movies you’ve ever seen (without the icky 80’s stuff), and that’s Ollie Fitzgerald’s Heartbreak Anthems. It has that vibe of best friends growing up, learning about life and not always getting it right. Charlie Arrigo is a fantastic storyteller who pens familiar characters, relatable situations, and emotionally charged storylines complete with adolescent heartache (oh the sweet, sweet heartache). I absolutely adored this sweet, slightly angsty and adorably awkward YA romance.
The star of the show in this one is Ollie, and with a few exceptions, we get the story mostly from his perspective. I love single POV stories, so this was my jam. Arrigo wastes no time getting right to the good stuff - aka emotional devastation - incorporating all the set up and backstory as needed along the way. For those who’re curious, this story is classically YA; it contains themes of sex, sexual discovery and coming out, but aside from some very hot kissing and touching, everything is closed door and takes place off page.
In addition to Ollie, I enjoyed the entire cast of characters. Without their personalities and unique voices, some elements of this story wouldn’t have had the same impact. First and foremost is Nash, who I was prepared to hate but also knew I was going to have to find it in my heart to forgive. Fortunately, his growth as a character and his journey of self-discovery and acceptance make that fairly easy to do. Then there are Dee, Steve, Millie, Seth & Ravi. They're fantastic, funny, loyal and flawed, and through each of them, Arrigo creates a found family vibe that leaves you feeling warm inside. Friendship isn’t always easy, but this story reinforces all the ways it's worth the effort.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*
The star of the show in this one is Ollie, and with a few exceptions, we get the story mostly from his perspective. I love single POV stories, so this was my jam. Arrigo wastes no time getting right to the good stuff - aka emotional devastation - incorporating all the set up and backstory as needed along the way. For those who’re curious, this story is classically YA; it contains themes of sex, sexual discovery and coming out, but aside from some very hot kissing and touching, everything is closed door and takes place off page.
In addition to Ollie, I enjoyed the entire cast of characters. Without their personalities and unique voices, some elements of this story wouldn’t have had the same impact. First and foremost is Nash, who I was prepared to hate but also knew I was going to have to find it in my heart to forgive. Fortunately, his growth as a character and his journey of self-discovery and acceptance make that fairly easy to do. Then there are Dee, Steve, Millie, Seth & Ravi. They're fantastic, funny, loyal and flawed, and through each of them, Arrigo creates a found family vibe that leaves you feeling warm inside. Friendship isn’t always easy, but this story reinforces all the ways it's worth the effort.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*
March 7, 2024
Ollie and Nash - the lovable friends I was rooting for right from the start.
I really enjoyed the whole narrative of Ollie and Nash, with their back story being interspersed with their current story throughout. I felt we really got to know Ollie and hear his voice, and it gave much more depth to their journey, with Nash struggling to label his identity and Ollie stuck with anxiety that he’d be hurt again. But it made their ending all the sweeter.
Ollie and Nash were super lovable characters, but the side characters were great in this book too. Dee was fiercely loyal and gave the story some jeopardy, Steve and Millie were hilarious and injected some fun into everything, and I liked the brief appearance from Seth and Ravi as the nice jocks!
This was a good YA debut with some really cute moments brought it. My personal favourite moments were the tiny things Nash did to show how much he cared, like leaving water for Ollie when he was feeling unwell or pulling a blanket over him when he was napping.
I look forward to seeing what Charlie comes out with next, because this was a book I enjoyed!
🥍❤️🎬
I really enjoyed the whole narrative of Ollie and Nash, with their back story being interspersed with their current story throughout. I felt we really got to know Ollie and hear his voice, and it gave much more depth to their journey, with Nash struggling to label his identity and Ollie stuck with anxiety that he’d be hurt again. But it made their ending all the sweeter.
Ollie and Nash were super lovable characters, but the side characters were great in this book too. Dee was fiercely loyal and gave the story some jeopardy, Steve and Millie were hilarious and injected some fun into everything, and I liked the brief appearance from Seth and Ravi as the nice jocks!
This was a good YA debut with some really cute moments brought it. My personal favourite moments were the tiny things Nash did to show how much he cared, like leaving water for Ollie when he was feeling unwell or pulling a blanket over him when he was napping.
I look forward to seeing what Charlie comes out with next, because this was a book I enjoyed!
🥍❤️🎬
June 15, 2023
Für ein Debut ohne großen Verlag im Rücken war das richtig gut! Ollie war ein sehr nachvollziehbarer Protagonist und ich mochte auch Nash und die anderen Figuren sehr gerne. Nur mit Dee hatte ich zwischenzeitlich so meine Probleme.
Das Drama gegen Ende fand ich zimelich forciert und unnötig, aber sonst war das ein tolles Jugendbuch. 😊
Das Drama gegen Ende fand ich zimelich forciert und unnötig, aber sonst war das ein tolles Jugendbuch. 😊
March 20, 2024
What a delightful debut - this was a really fun read! I’m still in my YA loving era and this checked all the boxes I want in my adorably queer & age appropriate angst coming of age (coming out) books.
July 7, 2023
What a special book. Loved everything about it. Can’t recommend it enough.
June 13, 2023
This book is a very easy and entertaining read. It’s also very, VERY young adult.
I loved the pop culture references, Ollie’s love for films and, obviously, his love for music. It was very easily relatable. His voice (and the author’s) is very fun and fresh and I found myself liking Ollie very much and wanting good things for him.
Which is why some of the rest of the characters were… frustrating and/or disappointing. Don’t get me wrong. The main point of the book, in my opinion, is about moving on from past hurt, understanding that everyone makes mistakes and figuring out how to forgive/let go of the hurt, sometimes without letting go of the person that hurt us/without cutting them from our lives. But also without pretending everything is ok.
The book is Ollie’s coming-of-age journey with himself while he figures that out. It starts with him being heartbroken because his best friend / love interest ghosted him for a full summer after kissing him (and sorta dating him? Going out with him? Anyways, kissing him not once but actually a few times during a few weeks). Then said bf (who also happens to be Ollie’s other bf’s twin brother) reappears and the book goes from there. He continues being the LI for the book, which I personally found a bit… complex as a reader because yeah I get this is about teenagers (and the LI is figuring out his sexuality) but he is… really not good at communicating and has made and continues to make several mistakes when it comes to Ollie. So, yeah, really wasn’t rooting for them to be honest, which is a weird thing while reading a rom-com.
But what really bothered me is that I hated, and I means HATED, Ollie’s bf (the aforementioned twin sister of the LI). She is ughhhh the literal worse and I am not happy with how she acts towards the end of the book (I’m never happy with her though but particularly at one point) and how that situation is “resolved”.
Other characters were very nice (specifically Steve and Millie). I found it a bit weird how Ollie’s family situation really doesn’t play a big role in the book, his mother is mentioned several times but she isn’t an important part of the narration.
Anyways, I liked the storytelling and found the book to be compelling and also to manage to talk about quite complex topics while still being very fun and light. It opens a lot of complex questions and, while many of them aren’t dealt with in the depth they deserve, it’s still a super interesting read.
TW for homophobia and bullying (not very intense, most of it mentioned but not on page, with very few exceptions).
I loved the pop culture references, Ollie’s love for films and, obviously, his love for music. It was very easily relatable. His voice (and the author’s) is very fun and fresh and I found myself liking Ollie very much and wanting good things for him.
Which is why some of the rest of the characters were… frustrating and/or disappointing. Don’t get me wrong. The main point of the book, in my opinion, is about moving on from past hurt, understanding that everyone makes mistakes and figuring out how to forgive/let go of the hurt, sometimes without letting go of the person that hurt us/without cutting them from our lives. But also without pretending everything is ok.
The book is Ollie’s coming-of-age journey with himself while he figures that out. It starts with him being heartbroken because his best friend / love interest ghosted him for a full summer after kissing him (and sorta dating him? Going out with him? Anyways, kissing him not once but actually a few times during a few weeks). Then said bf (who also happens to be Ollie’s other bf’s twin brother) reappears and the book goes from there. He continues being the LI for the book, which I personally found a bit… complex as a reader because yeah I get this is about teenagers (and the LI is figuring out his sexuality) but he is… really not good at communicating and has made and continues to make several mistakes when it comes to Ollie. So, yeah, really wasn’t rooting for them to be honest, which is a weird thing while reading a rom-com.
But what really bothered me is that I hated, and I means HATED, Ollie’s bf (the aforementioned twin sister of the LI). She is ughhhh the literal worse and I am not happy with how she acts towards the end of the book (I’m never happy with her though but particularly at one point) and how that situation is “resolved”.
Other characters were very nice (specifically Steve and Millie). I found it a bit weird how Ollie’s family situation really doesn’t play a big role in the book, his mother is mentioned several times but she isn’t an important part of the narration.
Anyways, I liked the storytelling and found the book to be compelling and also to manage to talk about quite complex topics while still being very fun and light. It opens a lot of complex questions and, while many of them aren’t dealt with in the depth they deserve, it’s still a super interesting read.
TW for homophobia and bullying (not very intense, most of it mentioned but not on page, with very few exceptions).
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