I've been a big fan of [a:Alice Oseman|7789423|Alice Oseman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1515091539p2/7789423.jpg]'s books since I was fourteen years old and read all of [b:Solitaire|20618110|Solitaire|Alice Oseman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390416741l/20618110._SY75_.jpg|39901420] in one day. Since then, I have read all of her books and have enjoyed all of them. She is one of my favourite authors now and whenever she comes out with a new book, I drop everything to read it immediately.
Needless to say, I always have extremely high expectations for Alice's books, because she's such a great writer. And her books always manage to exceed my high expectations. [b:Loveless|42115981|Loveless|Alice Oseman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590592497l/42115981._SY75_.jpg|65704946] is a coming of age story about an 18-year-old girl called Georgia. Upon leaving school, Georgia realises that she has never had a crush on anyone in her whole life. This troubles her as she is obsessed with romance and the idea of falling in love. As the story moves forward, and Georgia meets new friends and has new experiences at university, she comes to terms with the fact that she is asexual and aromantic, and realises that friendship and platonic love can be just as strong as romantic love.

[b:Loveless|42115981|Loveless|Alice Oseman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590592497l/42115981._SY75_.jpg|65704946] has it all:
- an aro-ace main character
- an f/f relationship between two other characters
- shakespeare references
- a large cast of LGBT+ characters (aro-ace, lesbian, pansexual, non-binary)
- scooby doo references
- platonic grand gestures
- a chaotic group of theatre people
- sweet and beautiful friendships

I think one of the reasons I love this book so much is because it focuses on the actual process of figuring out your sexuality, while most LGBT+ coming of age stories begin when the character already knows their sexuality. I also loved that this book demonstrated the importance of platonic love and friendship for all of the characters, not just the aro-ace character.

When I first started reading the book, I thought I wasn't going to be able to identify with Georgia, as I am not aro-ace. But by the time I was a few pages in, I knew she was a character that a lot of people can relate to, especially people around the same age as Georgia. I think we all, as humans, experience feeling 'loveless' and lonely in our lives, and Alice managed to capture that perfectly and show how the experience differs but remains kind of similar across all of her characters.

Alice has creates some extremely powerful images throughout [b:Loveless|42115981|Loveless|Alice Oseman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590592497l/42115981._SY75_.jpg|65704946]. For example,

when George continuously hears what she thinks is people having sex in the bedroom above hers, constantly reminding her that sex is something that everyone but her is doing, something that everyone but her wants. The part of the book when she can't take it anymore and goes to see whose room it is produced an extremely strong image for me - 'When I reached the point in the corridor that was above my room, I stopped and stood very still. It was a utility room. Inside: six washing machines and six dryers. One of the washing machines was on. It was making a rhythmic thumping sound against the wall.' That image stayed in my head for days after I read that chapter.
That, and the image of Georgia and Rooney's beds pushed together, were extremely powerful images that made the book perfect.