Review by hello_lovely13 - Is Love the Answer?

hello_lovely13 's review for:

Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki

4.0

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I really liked the found family in this as well as how each character supported each other with communication and sharing their different perspectives. I think this really thrives compared to other books I've read with ace representation because it emphasizes how personal someone's identity is. For the first part of the book, I wasn't as connected to Chika's story because I personally know who I am and know what asexuality is. However, I am so happy that this was expanded on to be more complex with a diverse range of representation. There were so many good conversations, and I am sure I would pick up even more on a reread. I also liked that when the characters have flaws and maybe say the wrong thing, it didn't mean (apart from a couple instances with characters at the very beginning of the book) that they were irredeemable and would only exist to represent an instance of ignorance (for example, Nakagawa and Sawai and their reintroduction with the conversation Chika moderates about relationship expectations and boundaries). I really liked Ito and Enomoto's friendship with Chika as well. I really connected with Enomoto, and I enjoyed Ito's character. Chika's relationship with Ume, as well as his backstory, was interesting, and I may need a reread to fully process my thoughts on their dynamic, which is unique and I liked their conversations. The professor was also interesting, and I was surprised, though also kind of happy, that she was a bit more in the background than I was expecting (there for support and advice, but not in a hands-on mentor role so that Chika is able to do the work herself to figure out who she is on her own). I definitely recommend this for anyone, whether you're questioning about asexuality, wanting to know more, wanting a story with queer characters or just characters talking about the nature of identity and relationships, or just want a hopeful story. It was a lovely read.

Content Warnings