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A review by adaora_ble
Loveless by Alice Oseman
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The story takes us through the first year of 4 Durham fresher, 3 of whom are old friends and it tackles expectations around sexuality, romance, what we're supposed to be doing at uni and fitting in and growing up and I think it handles it all in a really great way. The stakes aren't huge but they're real and personal and for anyone who's ever felt a little bit on the outside for any reason it's very relatable.
The characters make mistakes and assumptions and they don't say what they mean even when they want to and they think people are one way when they're actually another and they make all the mistakes that we can except young adults to make and certainly some I've made myself at uni.
Very glad I didn't read this in my actual first year at uni since I was in the covid year and we barely had any irl events and if we did you had to sit in a group of 6 and not move so reading this would have made me very jealous even if the characters aren't always having fun at said events.
I think it can be hard to write a book about a certain period in your life that you've moved in from and have it remain real to the people who then grow into that age bracket because times change and it's easy to make something that doesn't age well or becomes outdated but between this, Radio Silence and Heartstopper these thoughts, feelings and situations all feel very real and it think it reminds its readers of a very important lesson on the significance of friendships that sometimes gets forgotten in a world where everything seems to be gearing towards romance.
This book may be part of the Osemanverse but it's very much a standalone book and can be read as such, and I definitely recommend it if you like books about friendships, coming of age (when they actually are coming of age) or Shakespeare.
The characters make mistakes and assumptions and they don't say what they mean even when they want to and they think people are one way when they're actually another and they make all the mistakes that we can except young adults to make and certainly some I've made myself at uni.
Very glad I didn't read this in my actual first year at uni since I was in the covid year and we barely had any irl events and if we did you had to sit in a group of 6 and not move so reading this would have made me very jealous even if the characters aren't always having fun at said events.
I think it can be hard to write a book about a certain period in your life that you've moved in from and have it remain real to the people who then grow into that age bracket because times change and it's easy to make something that doesn't age well or becomes outdated but between this, Radio Silence and Heartstopper these thoughts, feelings and situations all feel very real and it think it reminds its readers of a very important lesson on the significance of friendships that sometimes gets forgotten in a world where everything seems to be gearing towards romance.
This book may be part of the Osemanverse but it's very much a standalone book and can be read as such, and I definitely recommend it if you like books about friendships, coming of age (when they actually are coming of age) or Shakespeare.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Alcohol