Loveless

LOVELESS is an intriguing YA contemporary about finding and embracing your identity. Georgia is about to head to college and has never been kissed. Her feelings on the subject are complicated, as she feels repulsed by the concept of any type of romantic physical touch and has never really understand how others can have crushes - her long-term crush has been totally fabricated, which becomes abundantly clear when she accidentally sends the guy into a fire rather than kiss them.

Once she arrives at college, she is determined to make it work, and her roommate Rooney seems up to the task. Rooney is everything Georgia wishes she could be - outgoing, flirty, and happily able to put herself out there. As Georgia experiences college, she begins to learn about her own identity and explore her true feelings further - with some bumps in the road.

This was a really engaging and genuine read, as Georgia does not really understand her identity or what she wants out of life. She makes a a few missteps, but she learns from them and tries to move forward as best she can. I appreciated the spectrum of sexuality and identity that is explored in the book, as Georgia considers who she might be attracted to or what works for her. This could be helpful for readers who are similarly grappling with identifying their own sexuality/attractions. Being aro/ace is not really something that occurs to Georgia as she did not know about it, and she struggles with defining herself in order to understand herself.

The road to self-discovery can be a messy one, and Georgia is on a path to understanding and learning to embrace herself as she is. Other themes around friendship were really strong, and I appreciated the strength of the bonds she forms. Overall, LOVELESS is a genuine and heartfelt read about finding yourself and self-acceptance.

LOVELESS is a special book unlike anything I’ve read before, and is now very near and dear to my heart. From page one, we’re taken on a journey with Georgia as she tries to discover where she fits in the world. Georgia wants to be like everyone else she sees getting caught up in kisses and romance. But she’s never experienced it herself. When she has an opportunity to kiss the guy she’s convinced herself she’s been crushing on for years, she panics and realizes she has zero desire to be romantic with him in any way. The story takes us to her university experience with her two best friends, Jason and Pip. Her new roommate Rooney takes her under her wing right away and tries to match her up with various guys at clubs and parties. But Georgia isn’t feeling it with any of them. She’s not attracted to any of the guys or girls either.

My heart broke for Georgia as we see her struggling to figure out why she’s not like everyone else around her. As she begins to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ world, she learns about being asexual/aromantic. It’s hard for her to accept at first, but as she grows, she learns that she isn’t the only one in the world like her. Most importantly, she learns that love can come in many forms.

What worked:
Georgia is such a sweet character. She was a joy to read about, and I was left with a book hangover, craving more of her and her friends when I finished the book. She’s incredibly loving and decent to her friends. She’s not afraid to allow herself to become vulnerable and she’s accepting of others who may not be like her. She doesn’t judge Pip for being gay or Rooney for jumping from guy to guy. Georgia just loves them as they are. That’s her strongest point as a character and it’s completely beautiful to read about. For a book called LOVELESS, it’s awfully full of love. Watching Georgia discover that for herself was amazing to read about and completely warmed my heart.

What left me wanting more:
This book was perfectly perfect. I can’t think of anything like it that I’ve read before. It’s a masterfully written unique story full of heart. As a grown woman, I can’t say that anything left me wanting more. It might feel a bit adult for younger audiences though. The characters are in college for most of the book, but it’s labeled as YA. There’s quite a bit of drinking and more adult themes of sexuality. I’d recommend this book for older teens.

The final verdict:
LOVELESS is a beautiful story of love and devotion between friends and a young girl’s journey to find where she fits in the world. You won’t be able to put it down, and you won’t be disappointed. You may even learn something new along the way.