Hello, I’m back with another review!
Recently I’ve become obsessed with Alice Oseman’s writing and have been mad at myself for not reading her books sooner. I have devoured almost all of her published works over the last month and am in absolute awe of her writing. She has truly become one of my absolute FAVOURITE authors.
I’m attempting to keep this review as spoiler free as possible so apologies in advance as I am trying to not give too much away. This is my own personal opinion of the book and I appreciate that not everyone will share my views or opinion!
About the Author
Alice Oseman is an author/illustrator and was born in 1994 in Kent, England. She has written four YA contemporary novels about teenage disasters: SOLITAIRE, RADIO SILENCE, I WAS BORN FOR THIS, and LOVELESS. She is also the creator of LGBTQ+ YA romance webcomic HEARTSTOPPER, which is now published in physical form by Hachette Children’s Books.
Alice’s first novel SOLITAIRE was published when she was nineteen. Her YA novels have been nominated for the YA Book Prize, the Inky Awards, and the Goodreads Choice Award, and HEARTSTOPPER has been optioned for TV. She can usually be found staring aimlessly at computer screens, questioning the meaninglessness of existence, or doing anything and everything to avoid getting an office job.
Blurb
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?
Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.
As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight.
But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever.
Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?
This wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance sees Alice Oseman on towering form as Georgia and her friends discover that true love isn’t limited to romance.
My Review
Loveless was originally published in July 2020. The book is Alice’s fourth YA Novel. The book features:
– an aromantic asexual coming-out story set at Durham University
– a small group of unlikely friends trying to save the Shakespeare Society by putting on a very weird play
– a plan to ‘find love’ that goes very wrong indeed
– a directorial rivalry fraught with sexual tension between two queer girls
– a battle on a bouncy castle
– some very strong opinions about Scooby-Doo
– learning that platonic love can be just as powerful – if not more so, sometimes – than romantic love
Loveless is the first book I have read / come across with with an Ace/Aro protagonist and I found this to make it extremely important. The book deals with sexuality in a way that is both enlightening and empowering as we see the characters become their most authentic selves.
The book revolves around the protagonist Georgia and explores her journey from Sixth Form to University. We explore her journey to finding herself and understanding the importance friendships and of platonic love. The characterisation within the novel is successful as each character we meet feels genuine and can easily be identified through the spectacular depiction of their very different personalities.
Alice’s writing style means that the book is fast paced and an absolute delight to read. Her careful explanations and attention to detail leave the reader immersed into the world in which she has created and eager to befriend each character.
I enjoyed the setting of the book immensely. I found the setting of the classic British University left me reminiscing my own university experience and I truly felt for Georgia in her experience of university as a whole.
Loveless is truly one of the best novels I’ve read in a while. I found myself flying through the chapters and falling more deeply in love with Georgia.
If you have not yet read this book or any of Alice’s published works such as Heartstopper or Solitaire I highly recommend that you read them!
My Rating
I rate this book 5/5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rebecca Reads Books 