I went into Love & Other Natural Disasters with the expectation that I was in for a delightfully silly treat about sapphic fake dating. And while this novel was indeed a delight to read, it also cut a lot deeper than I expected.

Now that I'm in my twenties, I rarely find myself thoroughly immersed and captivated by YA contemporary novels. For the most part, I've outgrown the genre. However, Love & Other Natural Disasters has easily made its way to my list of exceptions, alongside Sarah Kuhn's I Love You So Mochi. This book really got under my skin in the best possible way, and the author's note had me blubbering tears.

Final impressions:
• Messy teenagers being really messy. Sometimes in a vaguely amusing way, sometimes in a frustrating way.
• Made me wonder how much mainstream media has rotted people's brains, including my own, especially in blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
• I usually cannot stand annoying teenagers, but Nozomi eventually grew on me.
• I was impressed by how this book takes on the narrative of "coming out" to family, especially in Asian households with "traditional" values.
• The book offers a nuanced take on love, relationships, and communication that I think many teenagers would benefit from.
• A great reminder that sometimes love doesn't conquer all, and that's okay.

Highly recommended!