Amelia, If Only 
Written by Becky Albertalli 
Published by HarperCollins Publishers/Harper 
Ages 14-18 
Available June 10, 2025 

Amelia can’t believe her luck when she finds out that her favorite YouTuber, Walter Holland, is hosting a meet and greet just a few hours away from her hometown. Eager to spend one last weekend with her best friends, Zora, Natalie, and Mark, before graduation, Amelia plans a road trip to meet Walter and distract Natalie from her toxic ex-girlfriend, who dumped her at prom. When they get to the meet and greet and become friends with Walter, Amelia is beyond excited. Her parasocial crush on Walter often leaves butterflies in her stomach, but after developing a genuine friendship with him, Amelia begins to wonder if she’s misjudging her feelings for Walter…and for Natalie.    

Becky Albertalli combines her hallmark wit and humor with tender emotion to create a fast-paced story with an endearing cast of characters. Amelia’s adventurous spirit mixes well with her more grounded friends, resulting in a fun road trip comedy. Albertalli deepens the story by thoughtfully discussing the journey of self-discovery when it comes to queer identity by showing different coming out stories; for example, Amelia questioned her sexuality for years before coming out, whereas Zora and Natalie knew early on in life that they were lesbians. This nuanced conversation brings realistic and well-developed queer representation to Amelia’s story. Albertalli also uses Walter’s character and his own queer identity to introduce young readers to the concept of parasocial relationships and the role that queer celebrities play as a space of comfort and representation online. By incorporating Internet posts from Walter and his fans, she develops his character enough to allow readers to instantly connect with him when he becomes friends with Amelia. At once funny and heartwarming, Amelia, If Only will provide valuable queer representation to teen collections across public and classroom libraries.