Loveless

Combining the plotting of a college sex romp with a queer sensibility that foregrounds aro-ace identity, Oseman's frank, kindhearted novel follows Georgia Warr, a white British college freshman curious about finding romance of the sort she reads about in fan fiction. As Georgia and her friends--Colombian British Pip, who's gay, and Jason, who's white and straight--rehearse a medley of romantic Shakespearean scenes in their theater group, playing Juliet (and, indeed, any attempts at kissing) makes her "feel sort of nauseated." But Georgia's not gay, and dating Jason only leads to hurt (his) and confusion (hers). After a lively, candid conversation with her pansexual roommate Rooney, cued white, about wank fantasies, and a crash course in asexuality from college-assigned mentor, nonbinary Sunil, who identifies as homoromantic asexual, Georgia concludes that she is aro-ace: "How could I feel so sad about giving up these things I did not actually want?" she wonders. Gradually, Georgia accepts her identity, finds role models, and puts her energy into friendships--just in time for a rom-com-style denouement that affirms human connection in any form. Oseman maintains an energetic pace while offering realistic and wide-ranging takes on identity, from internalized phobia to true self-love. Ages 14--up. (Dec.)

A British teen works on accepting her aro-ace identity. Eighteen-year-old White British Georgia is tired of feeling different. She loves the theoretical idea of romance and isn't opposed to reading a steamy fanfic now and then, but real-life romantic and sexual experiences make her feel squicky. Heading off to Durham University, she's determined that if she tries hard enough, she can have these types of attractions despite not understanding how her friends can be "out there just craving genitals and embarrassment." When she and her two best friends--masc-leaning Colombian British lesbian Pip and White cishet Jason--join her new roommate Rooney's attempt to revive their uni's Shakespeare Society, drama abounds. Rooney and Pip feud and flirt, Georgia and Jason attempt to date despite Jason's clear interest and Georgia's clear apathy, friendships are ruined, friendships are repaired. Outgoing pansexual Rooney's supposedly sex-positive attitude is undermined by her use of hookups as a method of self-harm. Georgia's third-year mentor, nonbinary Indian Sunil, is a homoromantic asexual, and her older cousin Ellis is aro-ace, but their main functions are to facilitate infodumping centered on Georgia's experiences rather than to provide rich explorations of the impact of intersectional identities. Readers should be prepared for many pages of Georgia's vivid, unrelenting internalized aro- and ace-phobia, making this an incredibly validating mirror, an eye-opening window, or, for some, a read where the pain may outweigh the gain. A messy, imperfect, and necessary portrayal of a drastically underrepresented identity. (resources) (Fiction. 15-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.