Loveless by Alice Oseman is an unforgettable and heart-tugging coming out story that emphasizes how important it is to love and accept yourself in all your messy glory.
Everything was becoming so much clearer now. I’d never fancied anyone I had met—no boys, no girls, nobody at all. I really don’t understand what that means. What’s wrong with me?
Georgia has never been kissed, never went on a date and she never had any romantic feelings toward anyone but she’s a huge fan of romances and happily-ever-afters, so she’s pretty sure that she will find true love one day.
A whole new world opens up when Georgia starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason. She’s ready to have the ultimate university experience and find love at the same time. Georgia believes that her dreams will definitely become a reality because she has a popular roommate who is willing to help her and she is a member of the Shakespeare Society.
Everything falls apart when her romance plan causes serious drama amongst her friends and she begins to look deep inside herself and question her sexuality. Why is it so easy for everyone else to fall in love except her? Georgia never thought that terms such as asexual and aromantic would ever have anything to do with her and now she’s even more confused about her feelings.
Will Georgia ever find the love that she deserves or has she been looking for love in all the wrong places?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Wow, just wow… I’ve been completely blown away by Alice Oseman’s beautiful and entertaining writing! This is the first book that I’ve ever read from this author and I know for a fact that it won’t be the last because Georgia’s heart-breaking experiences and struggles with her asexual/aromantic sexuality have brought me to tears more times than I’m willing to admit. Representation really matters and I love how this story depicts just one person’s experience with being aro/ace and it has a diverse group of characters who are also a part of the LGBTQIA family.
Loveless is an awesome story in every sense of the word because it’s totally sex-positive due to the down-to-earth and relatable manner in which casual sex and masturbation were portrayed in the novel. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Georgia, Pip, Jason, Rooney and Sunil because they are the kind of quirky and fun-loving friends I wished I’d had when I was a teenager. By the way, have I mentioned how much I adore this gorgeous book cover?
Cons And Heads Up
Zero complaints.
The Conclusion
Loveless is a wonderful aromantic/asexual coming out story but it is so much more than that because it highlights how precious friendships really are and the fact that they are just as important as romantic relationships. Plus, there are also hilarious group chats, endless drama, theatre meet-ups and plans to save the Shakespeare Society and a slow-burn, sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between two endearing side characters. If you enjoy touching coming out and coming-of-age stories that will take you on several emotional rollercoaster rides, then this is the perfect story for you!
Excerpt from Loveless by Alice Oseman
“I never liked him,” I said in the car as we pulled up outside Pip’s house and I cut the engine. Pip was next to me. Jason was in the back. “Seven years and I just lied to myself the whole time.”
They were both being weirdly silent. Like they didn’t know what to say. In a horrible way, I almost blamed them. Pip, anyway. She’d been the one pushing me to do this. She’d been teasing me about Tommy for seven years.
No, that was unfair. This wasn’t her fault.
“This is my fault,” I said.
“I don’t understand,” said Pip, gesturing wildly. She was still fairly tipsy.
“You…you’ve had a crush on him for years.” Her voice got quieter. “This was your…your big chance.”
I started laughing.
It’s wild how long you can trick yourself. And everyone around you.
The door to Pip’s house opened, revealing her parents in matching dressing gowns. Manuel and Carolina Quintana were just another of the perfectly-in-love, incredibly-romantic-backstory couples I knew. Carolina, who’d grown up in Popayán, Colombia, and Manuel, who’d grown up in London, met when Manuel went to visit his dying grandma in Popayán when he was seventeen. Carolina was literally the girl next door, and the rest was history. These things just happened.
“I’ve never had a crush on anyone in my entire life,” I said. It was all sinking in. I’d never had a crush on anyone. No boys, no girls, not a single person I had ever met. What did that mean? Did it mean anything? Or was I just doing life wrong? Was there something wrong with me?
“Can you believe that?”
There was a pause again, before Pip said, “Well, s’fine. S’fine, man. You know you’ll find someone—”
“Don’t say it,” I said. “Please do not say it.”
So she didn’t.
“You know, the idea—the idea of it is nice. The idea of liking Tommy and kissing Tommy and having some cute little moment by the fire after prom. That’s so nice. That’s what I wanted.” I felt myself clench the steering wheel. “But the reality disgusts me.”
They didn’t say anything. Even Pip, who’d always been a chatty drunk. Even my best friends couldn’t think of a single comforting word.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781338751932
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
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