The real strength of this book is the creation of believable and 3-dimensional characters, who you end up feeling like you know and love. There could have been a whole book from any of their POV, but Georgia's is an important one to focus on.
Alice Oseman has always written teenagers incredibly well, making YA readers feel seen, and reminding us older folk what it felt like back then (and also how much doesn't change just because your age does!). She manages to tap into what makes each person unique, as well as all those universal thoughts/feelings that we maybe don't realise we share.
In the case of "Loveless", we're taken on a journey through the inevitable fears of "being different", of never being accepted, and of never finding love. Georgia's self discovery is obviously incredibly important for aro and ace representation, and offers a great insight to help understanding for those who are not aro/ace too. However, the book really works so well because it goes beyond this. Georgia's struggles with her own identity (along with the struggles her friends face along the way too) are personal, but they are not "other" - I'm sure every reader will connect to the worries, the self-doubts, the fluctuating emotions, and the willing yourself to just be "normal".
It's a wonderful book, with many positive messages at its core, but none are treated simplistically. Self-acceptance (never easy or straightforward, decidedly not linear), friendship (takes effort, doesn't always look how you expected), and - of course - the true and varied meanings of "love".
A fantastic read for older teenagers, I don't think I'll have any problems finding readers in our library!!

I did a little bit of research after reading this. The commonly accepted figure for asexuals is one percent of the global population, although most people accept that the actual number is higher. That's about 78 million people. That's somewhere between Thailand and Germany, based on current population numbers. And yet almost no one has heard of it. It's that tiny little A in the middle of the acronym. Part of the problem may be that it's a spectrum, not an absolute, and not very easily explained.

That's the problem for Georgia, anyway. She's never even heard of asexuality, has no idea what it means or even that it's a thing. She just thinks she's wrong. Broken, somehow. Because the world is set up for people to fall in love, and if she can't do that, what's the point of anything?

I'm making this sound very grim, and it's genuinely not! It's funny and life affirming and sweet. I'd love to see this on Netflix or Disney+. Again; 78 million people. That's a heck of a potential audience.

I adored the friendships, both the long lasting ones and the new ones Georgia develops over the year. Those are the kinds of relationships I want to have, and I absolutely agree that they shouldn't be considered so far below romance.

Alice Oseman had a knack for taking a difficult, sensitive subject, and making it easy for anyone to follow without talking down or patronizing. I have no idea how she does it, but I hope she'll keep doing it for a long time. I'll keep reading as long as she's writing.



Please note, in case it is not your bag; there is sex in this book, including a character who has numerous one night stands. There is also some homophobic language and behaviour.

I love when a book forces me to think about people who think/feel differently to myself and this definitely did that! Asexuality/Aromance are identities I knew existed but had no real knowledge of. Loveless educated me on these in such a fun and intriguing story and kept me gripped throughout. I just wanted everything to turn out okay for Georgia and was so proud of her as a character for learning to accept herself how she is. I think it is so brave of Alice to put such personal thoughts and feelings into her character and I wouldn’t hesitate now to go back and read other novels written by Alice. I loved her humour, I loved her writing style and I loved the celebration of love!

I was drawn to this book because of the potential for a storyline about being asexual. It's not something covered very often, but we certainly need to see variety and diversity in stories. It was a challenge at first to read - as an adult it felt like it was aimed at the younger end of young adult, compared to a lot of young adult fiction which is very readable for adults. That being said, I do think the story settled into itself after a while and became more suited to a book that can be enjoyed by all. I found it a little wordy at times, and feel it maybe could have been tightened up at various points. I found Georgia's character a little frustrating at first, it felt like she had a one track mind and didn't seem to think about much else. That can happen when people are struggling, but in fiction it can feel quite repetitive. I was glad when she settled down and the story started to change. I found the second half of the book far more enjoyable than the first half, and I really liked all of the main characters (which doesn't always happen) - so I'm glad that I did persevere. For anyone who wants to read books with diverse characters, and stories, I feel like this is a great example. Not just representing different sexual orientations, including the less commonly talked about asexual, it also had characters with different heritage (Latinx/Indian). I have been seeking out more diverse stories generally, and this one didn't disappoint on the diversity front.

Reading this book has been not just a complete joy, but a complete validation of how I spent most of my teenage years. Aromantic/Asexual representation in YA literature is not just lacking, it feels none existent. Or it was when I was at school. I felt out of place, a freak, like I was defunct in some way. Reading Georgia's story in Loveless made me spill joyful tears for how wonderful life can be when you are able to accept who you are. I define my favourite books by how much impact they have. This book made me stop, think, and it's actually helped me make peace with the struggles I had. The power of the writing, the depth of the characters - I wanted to leap into the book and hug them all. I hope people of all identities and sexualities read this book, celebrate how okay it is to be whoever you are, and understand that Alice Oseman is one of the most important authors writing books today.
And if you are reading this, PLEASE put Loveless to the top of you TBR pile. NOW! Can I put in a preorder for whatever Alice writes next please?!

I was provided with this digital copy in exchange for an honest review! Thanks, HarperCollins Children’s Books.

I still can’t believe that I got to read this book before it’s release, and lord knows I’ll be picking up a hard copy anyway, but this book was absolutely fabulous so enjoy this love letter to Loveless.

Alice Oseman is just incredible at writing the teenage voice, and the fact that she consistently uses that voice to amplify the LGBTQA+ community makes it even better. I said in my review of I Was Born for This that I loved the way she writes and that has definitely not changed. The confusion and anxiety surrounding Georgia as she tries to understand herself, it’s something that really resonated with me, and I cried like a baby as she slowly began to accept her own identity.

Loveless is definitely a character-driven book, and what characters they are! Georgia is a wonderful protagonist and I have never seen aro ace written on the page so many times, it was fabulous. The emphasis on platonic love and Georgia’s friendships resonated with me immensely, a central character with no romantic interest is so rare, and this book felt like a hidden gem. Georgia’s group of friends are also rather excellent, each one bringing something different to the story and making her better. Rooney quickly became my fast favourite in her small group of friends, and no spoilers but I was very happy with the ending she got. All the characters grow throughout their first year in university at Durham, there are mistakes from all sides, but each character rises to the challenge and overcomes.

The book also frankly deals with issues within the LGBTQA+ community, and the acceptance of asexual and aromantic identities as part of it. The conflict is dealt with at Pride Soc, and is a great example of how toxicity can exist even in the most accepting communities. It also discusses peoples common attitudes towards love and sex, the book advocates for acceptance throughout, lots of sex, no sex, it doesn’t matter you’re still valid. Acceptance, for me, was the central theme, accepting yourself, accepting others and it was like catnip to me.

Loveless is a wonderful look at both the ace aro spectrum and the value of our platonic relationships. It’s a joy to read Georgia’s journey, and I hope this book encourages more ace aro rep in many more books to come.

Recommend: Definitely, the queer rep alone is reason enough to pick this up, but it’s a truly heart-warming coming of age story and well worth a read.

Loveless is my third Alice Oseman book. The first one I read, Radio Silence I adored and gave five stars. The second, Solitaire, I very much did not enjoy, and gave it a single star. So I suppose it is reasonable that the third one I read should be given three stars.

Disclaimer: I am asexual and have considered myself so for about nine years. I also went to a British university, though not the one in this book!

On with the review! Georgia is just about to go to Durham University and she is in love with the idea of being in love. But when the chance arises to have her first kiss with her crush, it doesn't quite go to plan. Suddenly thrown into university life with her two best friends from school - Pip and Jason - and her new uni roommate Rooney, Loveless is a story about sexuality and the value of friendship.

First off, I think Oseman did a great job of writing a relatable asexual character. Georgia has all these thoughts like, what does this mean for me? How do I navigate every day convos where sex crops up? What is my life going to look like now I realise I don't want sex and this basically means no "typical" relationship and no kids and did I even want these things anyway or did I just want them because that's what society says you should want? Bang up job.

I also liked all the big dramatic friendship moments where they get drunk and talk about meaningless deep stuff until three a.m. I assume Oseman went to a British uni (maybe even Durham?) because she absolutely nailed that feeling of Fresher's week where you have fun but it's also really awkward and everyone is very desperate to make friends and you meet all these people you'll never talk to again.

There were two key points I didn't like so much: (1) how dramatic all of the characters were! So much crying and shouting and hating each other over misunderstandings. It felt like a very contrived fanfic at some points. I have never been in a single situation like these characters - if something goes wrong in a friendship I give it a day or so to call off and then I go and apologise or talk it out in person. Like a normal adult/young adult in university.

(2) At times Loveless felt like a mashup of reading a dictionary definition of asexual over and over, and being too preachy. It's a hard line to walk when writing a book about discovering your sexuality, and I think Oseman did a great job with all the inner thoughts and doubts Georgia has. But when it came to the conversations with other characters it was just so cringey? Lots of asexual people are uncomfortable talking about sex. But the appropriate response is "oh I'd rather not talk about it" not to go "ewww sex ha ha ha guess that's an asexual thing ha ha ew am i right guys??". Georgia is supposed to be nineteen, not fourteen! It was either that or a page long monologue about the definition of asexuality and how some people don't think it's a real thing and how they're wrong because LGBT+ is supposed to be very inclusive.

Despite this, it was simply lovely to read a book featuring an asexual character that also had lots else going on in the book. Georgia and her friends are trying to revive the Shakespeare society by putting on a play, and there's college proposals, and people trying out new stuff and making new friends.

I simply can't express how meaningful this book is to me. For the first time in my entire life, I feel well and truly seen.

This was a really sweet book, about old friends and new friends starting at university, discovering their sexualities and different types of love. I actually welled up at one particular part (involving a boat, for those who have read it). I am near double the age of the main characters, but it still took me back to being at university, the Freshers Fair particularly! I know I would have loved this book as a teenager too. I particularly loved the emphasis of the importance and depths of friendship, as well as the non-judgement of sex and sexual activity. The only criticism I would say is that I found the first third or so of the book a bit slow and repetitive, but it picked up and was easy to read. This is the first book I've read by Alice Oseman, but I will be reading more from them in the future!
I will add a link to an Amazon review once I can post one :)

Loveless is a young adult contemporary that follows the main character Georgia as she begins her new life at Durham University with her two best friends, Pip and Jason. Georgia has alway felt like she was different to everyone else her age, she has never been kissed, never been in love and never even had a crush on someone. Georgia goes into her first year at University believing that this will be the place where she finally falls in love, but after a disastrous attempt at dating her best friend Jason, Georgia begins to question her sexuality. But when her college parent Sunil introduces her to the terms asexual and aromantic, could she be finally realising herself?

I’m not going to lie, I really struggled to get into this book at first. I found quite a few of the characters very unlikeable (more specifically Rooney, but bare with me on that cause my opinion definitely changed), and the story just seemed a little slow at the beginning. But once the story picked up, I couldn’t put the book down. As I’ve just said, I really didn’t like Rooney at the beginning of the book, she was very unlikeable and I really didn’t like how she was pushing Georgia into finding a boy to kiss when it was very obvious that Georgia was really uncomfortable with the idea. However, as the story developed developed I began to understand why Rooney acted the way she did, and the more of her backstory we got the more likeable she became. I absolutely adored some of the secondary characters such as Jason and Sunil, but the friendship between Georgia and Rooney just made the whole book for me.

When it come to representation within this book, specifically asexual and aromantic representation, Alice Oseman gets 5 stars as it I just spot on! Whilst there are a variety of sexualities represented, the main focus of the book is Georgia’s struggle with her asexuality and Whilst I’ve heard of asexuality, my knowledge of the aspects of the sexuality was pretty basic and I’d never actually heard of the term aromantic. Oseman does a brilliant job of not only informing and educating readers on asexuality, but also doing it without taking us out of story. As a reader we get to go on a journey with Georgia whilst also being educated on a sexuality that isn’t spoken or written about enough, which is just absolutely brilliant.

Overall I think this book is an absolutely brilliant read and is definitely one of my favourites from Alice Oseman. I would definitely recommend picking it up and giving it a read!

“I didn’t want to be loveless”

A whole array of LGBT representation!

I found the start abit slow for me, I felt like I was slightly too old to relate to the college party scene and my university isn’t as prestige as Durham so I couldn’t relate to how things worked.
But after that small slump it was like a breath of fresh air. Finally a main character I could relate to. I found myself crying at multiple parts at the shear validation of asexuality and I understood her annoyance at ‘you just haven’t found the right person yet’ (my personal favourite is being told I have a low sex drive)
I absolute adore how it discusses how important being in love with your friends is, even if it’s platonic & how it’s bullshit that people seem to forget their friendships when they get into a relationship

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book could have been written about an 18 year old me, confused about my sexuality yet desperate to be in love. So many things about this book rang true for me and it was really nice to see some thoroughly good asexual and aromantic representation, something often lacking in books.

The characters felt real, like people I'd met myself at university, and the situations, while unusual, didn't feel made up. I was rooting for all the characters through all their misunderstandings, disagreements and reconciliations.

This was a book that I stayed up late to finish, that I haven't stopped thinking about since I put it down and that I am now recommending to everyone I know. A thoroughly good read.

Great own voices book about an asexual student. This is the authors 4th book, and I just love the writing style. Can't wait for more!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5* rounded up to 5

Loveless is a particularly difficult book to write about. It's a very personal book, as an ownvoices aroace book when there are very few of those currently published, and it's very clear how much it draws from Alice Oseman's own experiences. This is part of what makes it such a powerful book, and such a moving one.

Georgia was both a very relatable character and a slightly annoying character. She's going on what will be one of the greatest journeys in her life: heading off to university and independence for the first time. It's a time of self-discovery for her, in ways that she didn't expect. Now, I'm going to say upfront that I don't speak for all people on the ace- and aro-spectra, but as someone who discovered their sexuality through fandom and fanfic, I found it really hard to connect with how she interacted with her sexuality and had never come across this concept in fanfic even though she professes to have read a huge amount. On the other hand, the majority of her journey was incredibly relatable, notably how she projected a crush onto an unattainable boy and how she felt when coming to the realisation that she didn't feel attraction. The rep was really well written in terms of how she looked at her sexuality, and though I didn't relate to all of it, I commend Alice Oseman for doing such a bang-up job.

Aside from the aroace rep, Georgia was a fairly relatable character, in a fairly standard YA contemporary way. She's kind of your classic British uni student, learning how to manage classes and living away from home and peer pressure, as well as trying to find someone to date. What I liked in particular about her was her passion for theatre, and her growth in terms of acting and her self-confidence on stage. She's a little bit awkward and a little bit get-on-nervesey, but to be fair, everyone at this point in life is, and that's part of what made her such a good main character.

Now, Loveless also has one of my favourite characters in contemporary YA: Sunil. Sunil has the role of mentor to Georgia, in a way, but he wasn't solely reduced to this. He's comfortable with who he is and what he stands for, and he made things feel safe, in a way. He's also a cellist and I have a soft spot for cellists. Other notable characters include Rooney (who was very likeable but also a character you want to wrap up in a blanket with a cup of tea), Pip (who was also very loveable and had a huge amount of UST with Rooney) and Jason (yet another loveable character, and I'm starting to sense a theme), who really helped complete the story.

The main driver in Loveless is Georgia's quest for self-awareness, but there's a multitude of other elements that are very common in this stage of life: friend issues, figuring uni out, socialising. The main conflict is interpersonal, between Georgia and her friends, and in many ways everyone is at fault, but Alice Oseman deftly brings it all together in the end. I'm not usually a fan of this type of conflict because of how often it plays out, but it was really well resolved, and also very accurate to what friendship can be like at such a tumultuous time. When things went wrong, they weren't just fixed in the blink of an eye and completely forgotten, there were actual apologies and they worked things through. The relationships in general were very well written, especially given the role they played in the story. There were some really strong platonic bonds, especially between Georgia and Rooney, which was so nice to see in YA fiction.

There's also a slightly (more than slightly) chaotic Shakespeare group, some very strong platonic relationships, very strong feelings about the live action Scooby Doo movie, dreary uni dorms and all that jazz. Loveless is very clearly a work from the heart on the part of Alice Oseman, and a very necessary novel to many people. It's also good fun while being an arrow (pun intended) in many ways, and I was very glad to read it.

Review will be posted on my blog tomorrow.

This book was absolutely wonderful! I loved the focus on friendship and I definitely feel like I learnt something about asexuality! I'm really excited for this book to be out in the world.

I also loved the university setting of this one. I definitely found some aspects relatable from my own university experience.

Alice Oseman's writing is wonderful. She really captures the characters emotions and friendships so beautifully, I cried at the end<3.

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone! It is truly a fantastic read and I think it is really important to have more asexual representation, especially in YA<3.

thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for sending me an eARC of this beautiful book.

Loveless follows 18 year old Georgia on a journey of self discovery at Durham University with her best friends Pip and Jason.

Forever feeling that she's behind everybody else because she's still not kissed a boy yet, or anyone for that matter, Georgia almost ends up on a self destructive path whilst trying to figure out who she is and what she wants.

A truly beautiful #OwnVoices and coming of age story that had me in tears for a good portion of the book. Alice has put her heart and soul into this book and you can feel it pouring from the pages. The writing is stunning and the story is breathtakingly beautiful. As someone who is just finding their feet within the Queer community, this book really hit home for me on several occasions.

A huge 5 stars from me. Absolutely amazing 🌟

Let's be honest, everything Alice Oseman writes is pure gold, and this is no exception. Characters and relationships are one of her biggest skills and she has done divinely here.

2.5 stars rounded to 3

"It was all sinking in. I'd never had a crush on anyone. No boys, no girls, not a single person I had ever met. What did that mean?"

This is the story of Georgia, off to university with her two best friends, navigating a new town, a roommate, her own identity, and the meaning of love.

What I Liked:
- The exploration and explanations of the ace/aro side of the spectrum. They definitely helped me understand, and I've never read an Own Voices ace/aro novel, so as an allosexual person I'm gonna leave that facet to the Own Voices reviewers to explore.
- The friendships! Both new and old, they were full of heart and cosy comfy vibes - if a touch two-dimensional in places.
- It was a suuuper easy read, I read this in a few hours.

What I Didn't Like:
- Full disclosure, YA is not usually my thing. And it's mainly because I don't identify with 16-20 year olds. I found the YA tone irritating in places, but I think it would be perfect for people who do like YA! Or who fall into that age group.
- Am sorry to say it, but Georgia was one of the whiniest, most insecure characters I've ever read about. Reading her endless woe-is-me narrative was painful at times. Thankfully her friends provided much needed respite and comic-relief for both Georgia and myself.
- I hate miscommunication between people, especially miscommunication that lasts, and this book was full of it. I know some people love that trope, and you do you, but I just found it frustrating.
- Overall, the MC just wasn't a very nice person, oft-selfish, and I found it hard to relate to her.

I think this book will be so so important, having an Own Voices aro/ace story about the exploration of self-identity and self-acceptance absolutely matters. Unfortunately YA just isn't for me.

To be released: 09/07/20.

Big thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Harper Collins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Loveless sees university fresher Georgia discover herself and her sexuality while away at Durham University, 300 miles from home. For as long as she can remember, she's never really had the same feelings for people that it seems all teenagers have, and when she tries to kiss her long time crush at the sixth form prom after party, it's a complete disaster. At least at Durham, she has her best friends Pip and Jason with her, even if they're in a different college, and on a different course. In her own college, she meets roommate and feeling English student, Rooney, who is out every night, and is very vocal in romantic endeavours. More and more, Georgia starts to think there's some inherently wrong with herself, and tries to find romance, in whatever way she can - sometimes leading to disastrous events. The more she pushes herself, the more it's apparent that romance and feelings just isn't for her, and she discovers new terminology which may make her feel seen for the first time in years. Will she discover herself, or will she lose her friends in the process?

This book was one I wasn't even sure if I was going to read. I'm more than happy to admit I absolutely hated Alice's debut, Solitaire, way back in 2016, and I actually think how much I disliked that book was one of the pushing factors for me starting to blog and reviewing books, the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, I have heard loads of positive things about her recent books, and when I saw that I was auto-approved for Loveless, I decided to give it a go. I can 100% say that this book was leaps and bounds much better than Solitaire was. Loveless was raw, and difficult at times, but I really resonated with Georgia, so much. You might not know this, but I went to Durham University, for my PGCE, and am from Durham, so seeing so many different aspects of the city done right was absolutely gorgeous! Because I was post grad, and part time, I was never really in college, but was part of Van Mildert College when it came down to it. I also found myself thinking more about sexuality when reading this book too, because some of the things Georgia was going through, and coming to terms with, resonated with me, and I'm not sure where I stand now, when it comes to identity, if I'm being honest. Maybe it's nothing, but maybe it could be something I need to think about a bit more?

Some of the characters did grate on me a bit, especially Pip, who was far too dramatic and over the top for me, but I appreciated her and Georgia's friendship. My favourite character was definitely Rooney, Georgia's roommate. I didn't really get her at first, but the more we saw her be vulnerable, and open herself up to Georgia, I really felt for her, and just want to give her the biggest hug. Jason and Sunil were really good secondary characters, too, but Georgia and Rooney took the prize for favourite. Now, I think I might give some of Alice's other books a try, and I definitely think this book is one that others will enjoy so much!

If I was rating Loveless on the ace rep alone, it would be a solid 5*s. I've never seen it handled so well and thoroughly in a book before, where it is made clear that asexuality is very much not a "one size fits all" term, and that the spectrum is actually less of a spectrum and more like a very complicated graph. You can tell this is an own voices novel, as so many very ace specific scenarios are covered. Someone handing you a photograph, asking you who you find hottest, and you awkwardly choosing the guy who looks the most conventionally attractive? Check. The increasing difficulty of family get-togethers where your eternal singleness is the butt of way too many jokes? Check. The intense fear of loneliness and grief over dreams you can never really achieve? Check, check. While the rep wasn't perfect (a hard thing to achieve!), and I had a couple of "hmmm" moments, it was certainly the best I've seen by quite a long shot, and by far the most painfully relatable.

Now, onto the story itself, and the characters. Here I have more mixed feelings. I feel like the pacing was a bit off in the first half - with the exception of Solitaire, this is the only Alice Oseman book that's taken me longer than a day to read. The first half is very much "Welcome to Durham University!!!", and some things felt a bit repetitive (Rooney is clubbing, Pip is angry at Rooney, Georgia is agonizing over her sexuality in the same way over and over). I feel like these things could have been put across just as well if not better in fewer pages. (For some reason, this book is about 50 pages longer than Oseman's other books, and you can actually feel it). I also have mixed feelings about Georgia herself - she's essentially your basic YA nerd girl, a bit bland to be honest (especially in the beginning), but I loved her character arc. It's fun when characters monumentally mess up but also thoroughly understand the extent of their mistakes. In this kind of book, it's actually also really important to see a character act as they shouldn't, as it will help younger readers (and indeed older readers!) not make those mistakes themselves. Georgia never at any point uses her confusion around her sexuality as an excuse for her poor behaviour (or if she does, she allows herself to be put in her place by the other characters), and goes about apologising to her friends in a really respectful and understanding way. Also, I love the idea of platonic grand gestures as a twist on the romantic grand gesture trope.

My favourite character by far was Rooney. She's very much the opposite of Georgia - and not the kind of character often given the spotlight in a YA contemporary book. She's extroverted, a party animal, but also thoroughly committed to her Shakespeare society, hard working, and deeply troubled by her past relationships with people at secondary school and sixth form, to the point she doesn't think herself capable of being loved. (The whole thing with Beth was honestly heartbreaking).

There were moments in the book I thought were amazing, and moments which didn't work quite as well, and meh moments too - a real mixed bag. But for the ace rep, Rooney, and the handling of the characters' mistakes, I'm giving Loveless 4*s!

***

My ratings for previous Alice Oseman works:

Solitaire: ***
Radio Silence: ***.5
I Was Born For This: *****
Heartstopper v.1: *****
Heartstopper v.2: *****
Heartstopper v.3: *****