Review: Loveless | Alice Oseman (ARC)

This review is spoiler free.

“In the end, that was the problem with romance. It was so east to romanticise romance because it was everywhere. […] I could see it all, all the time, all around, but when I got closer, I found nothing was there.”

Published: 2020, by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Pages: 435
Format: eARC on Netgalley.
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT
Contains: Strong Language, Sexual Content

‘Loveless’ tells the story of Georgia, a girl who has never been in love. When she starts university, she swears it’ll be a brand new start, finally managing to find the person of her dreams. However, reality was so much different to that, and she finds herself heading down a pathway she never expected.

It’s not a surprise to those familiar with this blog that I was reading yet another book by Alice Oseman, adoring her storytelling since the release of Solitaire, so the minute this title was available on Netgalley, I immediately requested it. I went in with high expectations, and came out with so much more.

Georgia makes for an incredibly three-dimensional character, Oseman’s writing talents making it impossible not to picture her and inhabit the centre of her mind. She guides you beautifully through the story, tripping over her mistakes on occasion but you sympathise with her; you understand why she makes the decisions she does and you resonate with her.
Pip was another brilliant character, adoring her enthusiasm and wishing everyone could have their own personal Pip to carry around with you. It’s impossible not to smile along with her, loving every interaction between her and Georgia and highlighting the power of true friendship across the pages.
Jason was a quieter character, yet Oseman has a talent for ensuring every character is crucial to the story. Not once did he fade into the background, his importance to the story highlighted in his interactions with the two girls and still being an important part of the plot line.
However, my personal favourite character was Rooney, who develops the most throughout the novel. You witness her character progresses from page to page, watching her story unravel and form into an almost new character. There’s elements of Rooney left by the end of the story, yet you can’t help but adore her: She’s certainly not who I expected her to be.

The main theme of this novel is friendship, which is extremely highlighted as the story progresses. I’ve never read a novel with such strong relationships between the characters, adoring every situation and interaction between the four of them, and never wanting the story to end. As someone who knows very little about asexuality, aside from the definition, this was an incredibly enlightening read. It’s extremely educational, and so important for the LGBT community. There’s so little representation out there, especially within the Young Adult genre, and so I’m deeply appreciative of Oseman for writing this story and sharing Georgia’s experience.

Overall, I deeply loved this novel. Once completing it, I was fighting the urge to start from page one again, and I highly recommend it for any fan of YA Contemporary, or anyone who knows very little about asexuality in general. A beautifully written novel that I hope will become a staple within the YA Romance genre.