Loveless

By: Alice Oseman

Narrated by: Elisabeth Hopper

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

WINNER OF THE YA BOOK PRIZE 2021

LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI CHILDREN’S & YA BOOK PRIZE 2022

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The fourth novel from the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire and the graphic novel series Heartstopper – now a major Netflix series.

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?

Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.

As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight.

But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever.

Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?

This wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance sees Alice Oseman on towering form as Georgia and her friends discover that true love isn’t limited to romance.

©2020 Alice Oseman (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

‘A joyous, disarmingly honest book that seems to leap right inside the mind of a teenage girl’ Independent [now iNews]

‘Loveless is an ode to friendship and platonic soulmates; this cosy blanket of a novel understandably won the YA Book Prize 2021’ Irish Times

‘A joyful tale of self-discovery” The Bookseller

Great - though a bit depressing

Honestly, through most of the book I felt like someone had written down my own story. Not that I went to college in Britain, but the feeling and the reasoning was definitely familiar.

Which is why I was a bit disappointed that the book kept referring to the identity as something unwanted and sad - "this is who I am and there's nothing we can do about that".

I grew up loving romance as well (still do) and yes, that made the decision to embrace the term aromantic a bit harder, but very soon after that came the great relief that I didn't have to go on dates anymore, that I was allowed to grow old surrounded by friends and a couple of cats, instead of having to find someone specific to marry.

I know that this might be a biographical book, and that there are aros out there struggling with wanting romance - but this lack of happiness with the identity makes it seem like aces and aros should be pitied - which is exactly one of the stereotypes we're fighting against.

In conclusion: I loved reading a story that so accurately describes what it's like to be aroace and not know it. But I really didn't appreciate the book making me feel bad about my identity. Society already tries to do that.

A Must Read!

Loveless is amazing!!! Despite the title it's full of love in all forms. A wonderful read!

This is my favorite book

The book is good and the reading is good.

One chapter's name was misspelled, at least in the app.

A book I wish everyone would read

A book I wish everyone would read - either to find a safe place in it, or to get a peek inside a 'loveless' mind and hopefully understand a bit better what that's like. All encompassed in a wonderful and easy to read coming of age story of friendship, community and most of all - love.

Can I hug Alice Oseman right now?

This book is a safe place. A different love story. The perfect one. Loved it!

Abundantly queer

Loved all the queer storylines! The story itself was a bit slow and repetitive in the beginning but got better and better. Loved what it had to say about love and the ending gave me the feels.