Loveless by Alice Oseman
Genre: Realistic Fiction; LGBTQIA+ Fiction
Reviewed by Rebecca C., 9th Grade
Rating: 8/10
Loveless: The Aroace Journey of Georgia
When I saw this book on the shelf, I recognized the author (Alice Oseman) from Heartstopper, so I knew I had to give it a try! I have to admit that I was a little disappointed until about halfway through the book, ESPECIALLY after reading how absolutely amazing Heartstopper was. But then Oseman turned things around and gave this book a very lovely happy ending! People who don’t have romantic relationships deserve happy endings too! Anyways...I was thinking about doing a rant review, but I also liked this book so...shall we?
First off, Georgia was an okay main character. She wasn't really relatable for me, which I get because I’m not aroace. This story wasn't my normal cup of tea; there wasn't a lot of romance. However, it was really more about friendship. A lot can be taken away from this book because Oseman wrote it in a way that is both a learning experience and being able to accept who you are. I really wanted to read this book because it’s something different and something we don’t often see in queer books. This is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed Loveless; it was unique. Georgia didn't really have a developed personality until the very end, when she realized she screwed up all her friendships. Georgia seemed like a pretty ordinary character: she had an amazing best friend, went to an average college, and acted like the majority of teenagers do. Honestly, I was more personally invested in Pip and Rooney's love story than Georgia's. I was literally just reading to see if Pip and Rooney dropped the crap and kissed. I mean, to be honest, that's what really kept me going! I was sort of interested if Georgia would push herself into a relationship with her friend, Jason, but also shaking my head, thinking why would you put yourself in that position and risk someone else getting hurt in the process?? Maybe I don't get it because I probably wouldn’t do that. Although, society’s view on how life should really be may have influenced her struggles in that situation. That's not saying this is a bad book, it's a good one! Just because I didn’t like some things doesn’t mean those things made the book a waste of time. It just doesn't get sweet and marshmallowy till the end (in my opinion).
I love how this book was mainly about finding love through other ways than romance. I think Loveless was a very personal book for Alice Oseman, and she wrote a very descriptive experience of what it's like to be aroace. Georgia learned a lot about herself and how truly important friendship and maintaining a strong bond are. Unfortunately, not everyone has an amazing spectrum like Georgia. She should be grateful for having caring and supportive friends because Pip, Rooney, Jason, and Sunil are one in a million. Pip was the best friend who always stayed by Georgia’s side, Rooney was the overly social roommate who helped Georgia discover her identity, Jason was the patient friend who always listened, and Sunil was the great leader this world needs with his helpful advice that guided Georgia through her struggle to accept being aromantic asexual. Personally, I think Sunil was a very necessary character for this book. Without him, Georgia probably wouldn’t have found out who she truly was until later. He showed her that being aroace isn’t a burden or something to be ashamed of.
Loveless tended to be a tad boring in some parts if it wasn't about the tension between Pip and Rooney or Georgia’s life in college. However, I thought this book was interesting; it taught me new things about the LGBTQIA+ community and how not having romantic feelings isn't the end of the world.