Becky Albertalli
Becky Albertalli has published 11 books across 4 series. The recommended reading order starts with Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda / Love, Simon (2015).
Becky Albertalli is an American author who writes young adult novels centered on identity, relationships, and the lives of LGBTQ+ teens. She made her debut in 2015 with Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, which became the film Love, Simon and introduced readers to her warm, character-driven storytelling. The book's success established her as a distinctive voice in contemporary YA fiction.
Before turning to writing, Albertalli worked as a clinical psychologist specializing in children and teens, an experience that shaped her understanding of adolescent inner lives and the challenges young people navigate. For seven years she co-led a support group for gender non-conforming children in Washington, D.C., work that deepened her commitment to representing diverse experiences on the page. Her novels since the debut include The Upside of Unrequited and Leah on the Offbeat, both of which continue her focus on friendship, first love, and self-discovery. She has also co-authored What If It's Us with Adam Silvera. Albertalli lives with her family in Atlanta.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Anthologies
- Tagsnon-fictionDescriptionDear Heartbreak is a 2018 nonfiction anthology in which nineteen YA authors respond to real letters from teenagers writing about the hardest side of love. The letters arrive anonymously, from teens across the country facing dating violence, breakups, cheating, betrayals, and loneliness. Each author answers one letter with something raw and true from their own life — not advice pulled from a manual, but the actual heartbreak they survived and what they learned by living through it. The contributors include Becky Albertalli, Adi Alsaid, Libba Bray, Mike Curato, Heather Demetrios, Amy Ewing, Zach Fehst, Gayle Forman, Corey Ann Haydu, Varian Johnson, A.S. King, Nina LaCour, Kim Liggett, Kekla Magoon, Sarah McCarry, Sandhya Menon, Cristina Moracho, Jasmine Warga, and Ibi Zoboi. Their responses hold nothing back — autobiographical accounts mined from the same hearts that shaped their fiction. The question at the center of every exchange is whether telling the truth about pain can offer a way through it for someone else still inside theirs.Publication date18 December 2018Amazon rating3.9/5Print length304LanguageEnglishPublisherHenry Holt (BYR)
Order of Creekwood Books
- Tagsyoung-adultDescriptionSimon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is a young adult novel about a closeted sixteen-year-old who prefers to keep his drama on stage — until an email falls into the wrong hands. Simon Spier has been exchanging messages with Blue, another closeted boy at his school, and he's falling for someone he's never met. They share everything online, but neither knows the other's real name. Then a classmate finds the emails and threatens to out Simon to the entire school unless he agrees to play matchmaker. Simon has to choose: help his blackmailer win over a friend, or risk losing control of his own coming-out story. The stakes climb with every compromise. He's trying to protect his secret, decode Blue's identity, and figure out how to step out of his comfort zone on his own terms — all without alienating his friends or fumbling his one shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.Publication dateApril 7, 2015Amazon rating4.6/5Print length320LanguageEnglishPublisherBalzer + Bray
- Tags---DescriptionLeah on the Offbeat is a novel about a girl-band drummer whose senior year threatens to throw her off rhythm. Leah Burke is the only child of a single mother, less financially secure than her friends, and hiding something: she is bisexual, and her mother knows, but Leah has not told anyone else — not even Simon, her openly gay best friend. She keeps the beat in her band and the deadpan in her friendships, but the silence is getting harder to hold. Prom and college loom, and the people Leah loves are fighting. Worse, she has started to realize she might love one of her friends in a way she never planned. The question is whether she can find the courage to speak the truth when the stakes are her closest relationships and the life she is about to leave behind.Publication dateApril 24, 2018Amazon rating4.4/5Print length368LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
- TagsromanceDescriptionLove, Creekwood is an epistolary novella that picks up more than a year after Simon and Blue turned their anonymous online relationship into something real, and just months after Abby and Leah's night at senior prom. The Creekwood High crew are now first-year college students scattered across different schools, staying connected the way their story began: through email. Simon and Bram are 117 and a half miles apart, navigating their first semester of long distance after a year together. Abby and Leah face a different challenge — they are girlfriends who are also roommates, figuring out how to live together while their relationship is still new. New classes, new roommates, and new routines test what they built in high school. The group keeps each other sane through emails full of gossip, support, and the kind of honesty that only comes when everyone is struggling with the same question: what happens when the happy ending is just the beginning? The novella, told entirely through their messages, follows two couples trying to hold on to what they had while becoming who they are supposed to be. College is a fresh start, but the heart does not always follow the same schedule.Publication dateJune 30, 2020Amazon rating4.4/5Print length128LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
Order of Standalone Novels
- Tags---DescriptionThe Upside of Unrequited is a contemporary novel about a girl who has loved twenty-six people from a safe distance and never risked a single rejection. Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso has kept careful count of every crush, and careful is how she survives — fat girls always have to be careful. Then her cynical twin sister Cassie falls for a new girl and turns into a lovesick mess, and Molly finds herself lonelier than ever. But Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick, and Molly sees a plan: win him over, get her first kiss, get her twin back. The problem is Reid, her coworker at the mini-golf course. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Renaissance Faire, and Molly has already decided there's no way she could fall for him. But as the summer shifts the ground under all her relationships — with Cassie, with the hipster boy she's supposed to want, with Reid — Molly has to choose between the careful story she's been telling herself about love and the riskier one unfolding in front of her. The question is whether a girl who has spent years protecting herself from rejection can finally let someone close enough to say yes.Publication dateApril 11, 2017Amazon rating4.4/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherBalzer + Bray
- Tagsyoung-adultDescriptionYes No Maybe So is a young adult novel about two teenagers who meet on the campaign trail and discover that politics might be the least complicated part of their summer. Jamie Goldberg will volunteer for his local state senate candidate only if he can stay behind the scenes — speaking to strangers makes him freeze. Maya Rehman is having the worst Ramadan of her life: her best friend has vanished into a new relationship, her summer trip fell through, and her parents just announced they are separating. When Jamie's and Maya's paths cross on a door-knocking canvassing assignment, neither of them wants to be there. Then the polls tighten, and so does the space between them. Jamie starts to find his voice. Maya starts to see past her own disaster of a summer. Going door to door turns into something neither expected, but the senate race has an end date, and a cross-cultural crush comes with questions that canvassing training never covered. The campaign might teach them how to talk to voters, but it cannot tell them what to say to each other.Publication dateFebruary 4, 2020Amazon rating4.4/5Print length448LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
- Tags---DescriptionBest friends Kate Garfield and Anderson have always shared their crushes from a safe distance. Carpooling to theater rehearsals, consulting on every decision, pining for the same unattainable guys — it works because none of it is real. Then Matt Olsson transfers to their school. Kate in Waiting is a novel about what happens when a long-distance crush walks into homeroom and two best friends both want him for real. Matt is talented, sweet, and suddenly very available. Kate likes him. Anderson likes him too. For the first time, their foolproof system — shared crushes, no complications — collapses under the weight of actual feelings. One of them will have to step back. One of them will have to step forward. And neither knows if their friendship can survive being tested this way. Set against auditions, rehearsals, and the everyday chaos of high school theater, the story follows Kate as she tries to figure out how to want something for herself without losing the person who matters most. The question at the center is whether stepping into the spotlight means stepping out of Anderson's shadow — and whether their friendship was built to hold that much honesty.Publication dateApril 20, 2021Amazon rating4.4/5Print length400LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
- Tags---DescriptionImogen, Obviously is a novel about a high school senior who has built her identity around being the perfect ally — until a weekend visit forces her to question everything she thought she knew about herself. Imogen Scott has never missed a Pride Alliance meeting, knows more about queer media than her queer little sister, and counts two queer best friends among her closest relationships. When she visits Lili at college, she's ready to bring her full support to whatever her friend needs. Then Lili reveals a complication: she's told her college friends that she and Imogen used to date. None of them know Imogen is straight — including Lili's best friend, Tessa. Imogen agrees to bend the truth, just a little, to help Lili out. The more time Imogen spends with Tessa — chaotic, freckle-faced, impossible to ignore — the more the lie becomes a mirror. The certainty Imogen has always carried about her own sexuality begins to crack. What started as playing a role for a weekend turns into a question she can no longer avoid: what if the truth she's been performing all along was never as straight as she believed?Publication dateMay 2, 2023Amazon rating4.6/5Print length432LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
- Tags---DescriptionAmelia, If Only is a contemporary novel about a girl who road-trips to meet her YouTuber crush and discovers the butterflies might be for someone else entirely. Amelia is slightly parasocially infatuated with Walter, a YouTuber she's convinced she'd have real chemistry with if they could just connect in person. When he announces a meet and greet a short road trip away, she talks her best friends into going — including Natalie, her newly single, always-cynical, guitar-toting best friend. It's the perfect last hurrah before graduation. But the closer Amelia gets to Walter, the less certain she becomes about what she actually wants. The butterflies are real, but what if they aren't for the boy she came all this way to meet? What if the person who makes her heart race has been beside her the whole time, and admitting it means risking the friendship that matters most?Publication dateJune 10, 2025Amazon rating4/5Print length302LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
Order of What If It's Us Books
- Tagsyoung-adultromanceDescriptionWhat If It's Us is a contemporary romance about two boys who meet by chance in a New York post office and can't figure out whether fate is on their side. Arthur is in the city only for the summer, a Broadway believer convinced the universe delivers romance when you least expect it. Ben is there to mail a box of his ex-boyfriend's things, skeptical the universe has his back at all. They meet, they connect, and then they lose each other in the crowd. When they find each other again, the question becomes whether a second chance is enough. Their first date doesn't quite work. Neither does the second attempt, or the third. Arthur leans in hard, trying to force the story into shape. Ben holds back, unsure how much effort a relationship should take. The gap between them widens with every do-over, and the Broadway logic Arthur trusts starts to feel like a script that won't play in real life. The question hanging over every moment together is whether two people this different can make it work — or whether meeting was all the universe had planned.Publication dateOctober 9, 2018Amazon rating4.5/5Print length439LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperTeen
- TagsmysteryDescriptionBen survived freshman year of college, but he feels more stuck than ever. His classes drag, his part-time job with his father is worse, and his best friend Dylan has been acting strange. The one bright spot is his writing partner Mario, who gives him Spanish lessons and kisses and big Hollywood dreams that make Ben start to dream bigger too. The choices he makes now could reshape his future. So why can't he stop thinking about a certain boy from his past?Publication dateNovember 29, 2022Amazon rating4.7/5Print length480LanguageEnglishPublisherHarperCollins
Frequently Asked Questions about Becky Albertalli
Becky Albertalli's books can be read in several ways, depending on whether you prefer to follow series or read standalones. For a connected reading experience, you can read the Creekwood books in order: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015), Leah on the Offbeat (2018), and Love, Creekwood (2020). The What If It's Us series, co-authored with Adam Silvera, also has a specific order: What If It's Us (2018) and Here's to Us (2022). Additionally, Dear Heartbreak (2018) is an anthology she contributed to. Her standalone novels, such as The Upside of Unrequited (2017) and Kate in Waiting (2021), can be read independently of her series.
A good starting point for reading Becky Albertalli's books is Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015), the first book in her Creekwood series. This novel introduces characters and a world that readers often connect with. Alternatively, if you prefer to begin with a standalone novel, The Upside of Unrequited (2017) is a well-regarded option that allows you to experience her writing style without committing to a series. For those interested in her collaborations, What If It's Us (2018) is also a popular entry point.
While many of Becky Albertalli's books are part of interconnected series, they can often be read as standalones. For example, the Creekwood series centers around the same characters, and while reading them in order enhances the experience, each book offers a complete story arc. Similarly, the What If It's Us series, co-authored with Adam Silvera, can be enjoyed individually, though reading them in publication order provides a more cohesive narrative. Her standalone novels, by definition, do not require prior reading.
Becky Albertalli writes both standalone novels and books that are part of series. Her Creekwood series includes Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Leah on the Offbeat, and Love, Creekwood. She also co-authored the What If It's Us series with Adam Silvera, which includes What If It's Us and Here's to Us. In addition to these series, she has published several standalone novels, such as The Upside of Unrequited, Yes No Maybe So, Kate in Waiting, Imogen, Obviously, and Amelia, If Only. She also contributed to the anthology Dear Heartbreak.
Becky Albertalli has written a total of 13 books across her various series and standalone novels, as of her most recent publications. This includes the three books in the Creekwood series, the two books in the What If It's Us series co-authored with Adam Silvera, and six standalone novels. She also contributed to the anthology Dear Heartbreak. Her published works span from 2015 to 2023, with one upcoming novel.
The first book Becky Albertalli wrote was Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, published in 2015. This novel launched the Creekwood series and introduced readers to the character of Simon Spier. It established her voice and style, focusing on themes of identity, relationships, and coming-of-age within a contemporary setting. The book gained significant attention and paved the way for her subsequent works, both within the Creekwood universe and as standalone novels.
Becky Albertalli's most recent book is Imogen, Obviously, published in 2023. This novel explores themes of identity and self-discovery through the eyes of its teenage protagonist. It stands as a standalone work, separate from her previous series like Creekwood and What If It's Us. Prior to this, she released Kate in Waiting in 2021. Her upcoming novel, Amelia, If Only, is scheduled for release in 2025.
Becky Albertalli writes young adult contemporary fiction. Her books typically explore themes relevant to teenagers and young adults, including romance, friendship, identity, family dynamics, and navigating social situations. She often incorporates elements of LGBTQ+ representation and focuses on character-driven stories with a warm and accessible tone. Her work includes both standalones and interconnected series, often featuring humor and heartfelt moments.
Adam Silvera
Coming soon
Courtney Summers
Coming soon
We verified the reading order for Becky Albertalli's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Becky Albertalli Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/becky-albertalli