Discover the Best Books Written by Becky Albertalli
Rebecca Albertalli is an American author of young adult fiction and a former psychologist. She is best known for her 2015 debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, adapted into the 2018 film Love, Simon and inspired the spin-off television series Love, Victor.
Albertalli was born and raised in the Atlanta metropolitan area with her sister Caroline and brother Sam, where she still lives with her husband Brian and two sons, Owen and Henry. Albertalli attended Wesleyan University and majored in psychology before moving to Washington, D.C., and earning her Doctor of Psychology degree from George Washington University. She worked as a psychologist until 2012—when her first son was born—and subsequently decided to try writing a novel.
Albertalli was raised in a Reform Jewish household. Albertalli cites Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty as her primary inspiration for becoming a novelist. In August 2020, Albertalli came out as bisexual in an essay responding to people criticizing her for writing about gay characters as presumed heterosexual. She stated that coming out was not an "attempt to neutralize criticism of [her] books" and asked her critics to acknowledge that "carelessness in these discussions has caused real harm."
In April 2015, Albertalli's debut novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, was published. A sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, titled Leah on the Offbeat, was released in 2018 and won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. In 2020, Albertalli released the third installment of the series with Love, Creekwood.
Her other works include The Upside of Unrequited and What If It's Us, the latter she co-wrote with Adam Silvera. Movie rights to What If It's Us were sold to Anonymous Content in 2018, with Brian Yorkey attached as screenwriter. Shakespeare Sisters, a U.K. production company, 2021 obtained the film rights to The Upside of Unrequited.