The following version was used to create this guide: Albertalli, Becky. Leah on the Offbeat. New York: Harper Collins, 2018. The young adult novel follows the story of Leah Burke, a senior in high school in Georgia. The story follows Leah as she and her friends decide on prom dates, colleges, relationships, and their futures.

The novel starts in Chapter 1 with Leah in band practice with her friends Anna and Morgan. She meets her friends Simon, Nora, Nick, Abby, and Bram at musical rehearsal and they all go to Waffle House together in Chapters 2 and 3. Abby starts to chat with Leah about something but gets a ride home and kisses her boyfriend Nick goodbye. In Chapter 4, Leah talks with her mother about accepted students weekend at the University of Georgia, the school she will attend in the fall. Leah helps backstage with the play at school, and begins to help Bram with his promposal to his boyfriend Simon. Back at school, Morgan suggests she go on a school visit with her and Abby to UGA, but a few days later in Chapter 5, they learn that Morgan was rejected from UGA. Morgan is devastated and will not talk to Leah.

In Chapter 6, Bram continues to plan the promposal; Garrett is increasingly obviously interested in Leah; and Leah is busy trying to avoid meeting her Mom’s new boyfriend Wells. In Chapter 7, Leah’s mother forces her to go to brunch with her and Wells, and Leah is so distraught afterwards she blows off Nick and Garrett’s soccer game she had promised to attend. In Chapter 8, Morgan makes a racist comment about Abby, and Leah calls her out. In Chapter 9, they attend the last cast party and Abby drinks and talks to Leah alone in the bathroom. In Chapter 10 Abby asks Leah to go to UGA with her for admitted students weekend and Morgan quits their band.

In Chapters 11 - 15 the characters start asking each other to prom and start making college visit plans. In Chapter 11, Bram promposes to Simon and he accepts, and Leah decides to go to the UGA weekend with Abby. In Chapter 12 Leah agrees to go to prom with Garrett. In Chapter 13, Leah shops for a prom dress with her Mom but it is not easy, and they do not buy it. In Chapter 14, Leah and Abby plan their trip to UGA together. In Chapter 15, everyone finds out that Abby broke up with Nick. Simon makes Leah promise she will talk to Abby about staying together with Nick.

In Chapters 16 - 20, Leah and Abby go on their college visit to UGA together. In Chapter 16 they drive to Athens and Leah starts to feel tension in the car. In Chapter 17 and 18, Leah and Abby wander around Athens together and chat about their upcoming lives as freshmen, and maybe being roommates, which makes Leah tense. In Chapter 19 they go to the college party together where Leah plays the drums, and afterwards Abby dares Leah to kiss her. In Chapter 20, they kiss, but end up fighting, and the drive home together is tense.

In Chapters 21 - 27, Nick is still getting over the break up as the school prepares for prom, and Leah weighs putting her artwork on sale. In Chapter 21, Leah returns home from her trip to find the prom dress on her bed. Meanwhile Anna tries to patch Leah’s relationship with Morgan but Leah refuses. In Chapter 22, Leah consoles Nick, while Simon considers long distance with Bram. In Chapter 23, someone tells Leah on Tumblr they would pay for her artwork. In Chapters 24 and 25, they all talk about prom plans, and Simon talks to Leah about Nick. In Chapter 26, Nick is still upset about Abby and in Chapter 27 Leah opens up her artwork on Tumblr for commissions.

In Chapters 28 - 32, Leah gets ready for prom and her friends all arrive together. In Chapter 28, Abby tells Leah she came out to her lesbian cousins and tells Leah that she is “lowkey bisexual” (260). In Chapter 29, Leah’s Mom does her hair, but they need Wells’s help as they go to Target together to get a bra, shoes, and a purse for Leah, to Leah’s chagrin. In Chapter 30 and 31 their friend group meets together and they go out to dinner at the American Girl Restaurant before prom. In Chapter 32, they arrive at prom and start dancing.

In Chapters 33 - 34, they are all together at prom, and Chapter 35 serves as an email epilogue. In Chapter 33, Nick makes out with Taylor on the dance floor at prom and Abby walks out of the pavilion. In Chapter 34, Leah finds Abby outside, and Abby confesses that she wants to kiss Leah through messaging her Tumblr. At first Leah and Abby agree it is not the right time, and Leah walks away, but then turns around and kisses Abby. The chapter ends as they walk back into prom - Leah and Abby holding hands - accompanied by Simon and Bram. Chapter 35, is an email from Leah to Simon telling him about her new life in college, with Abby, their upcoming visit, and how much she loves Simon.