If you like books that have elements of self-discovery, college, friendship, and coming-of-age stories, then you should read “Loveless” by Alice Oseman. This novel takes place about a year after the start of Oseman’s previous novel “I Was Born For This” and takes place in the same universe as their other books, such as “Solitaire” and “Heartstopper.”

The protagonist of this novel is 18-year-old Georgia, a teenager who is obsessed with romance movies and fanfiction. She has never been in a relationship before, had any crushes, or been obsessed with romance like her friends have. It starts off as Georgia watches the couples at an after-prom party make out. She is both repulsed by the couples and jealous of them. Her friend Pip tells her to confess her longtime crush on the school’s most popular boy, Tommy. She wishes that she could kiss him to fulfill her teenage dream of a first kiss before college. She tries to kiss him and is filled with fear and disgust.

Once she gets to college, a close friend of hers confesses his feelings, and she begins to question her identity. She battles with her identity when she tries to understand whether she is into guys, girls, both, or is not attracted to anyone romantically. She is not sure why she feels a lack of romantic and sexual attraction towards people. But she tries to convince herself that she needs to try harder to find someone who will make her feel romantic feelings towards them. 

Her first year at Durham University is eventful, to say the least. She meets some new friends who explain to her what it means to be aromantic and asexual. Her friends open her eyes to other forms of love in her life, including her friendships. This makes her realize that her happiness does not lie in finding her soulmate. 

The novel does not just focus on Georgia’s journey but also on the journey of her friends Pip and Rooney. Pip is a Shakespearean enthusiast who is struggling to believe that she will ever find a girl who will love her back. Rooney is Georgia’s roommate, who is confident and would much rather spend time hooking up with people than being in a relationship. Rooney’s story throughout the novel shows the lasting effects an abusive relationship can have on someone. Each of the characters has their very own experiences throughout the novel, which leads them to work out their own feelings about friendship, romance, and sex. At the end of the novel, Georgia proposes a fake marriage to Pip as a tradition that their university withholds. Pip and Rooney also get together at the end of the novel. 

Overall, this book is one of the best for people looking for representation of the aromatic asexual community, which has limited representation in the media. This novel is an amazing coming-of-age story as well as a story of self-discovery. This book deserves 5 out of 5 stars for the amazing story about figuring out who you are and the bonds between friendships that will help you along the way. Anyone who is looking for a book to put on their to-be-read list should add “Loveless.”