Review Detail

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.