TITLE: Love Is For Losers
AUTHOR: Wibke Brueggemann
GENRE: YA LGBT/Contemporary
WORD/PAGE COUNT: 384 pages (paperback)
PUBLICATION DETAILS: by Pan Macmillan AU on April 27th, 2021
RRP: $17.99 AUD (paperback)
Blurb from Goodreads:
In this wry and hilarious queer romantic comedy, fifteen-year-old Phoebe realizes that falling in love is maybe not just for losers.
Did you know you can marry yourself? How strange / brilliant is that?
Fifteen-year-old Phoebe thinks falling in love is vile and degrading, and vows never to do it. Then, due to circumstances not entirely in her control, she finds herself volunteering at a local thrift shop. There she meets Emma . . . who might unwittingly upend her whole theory on life.
This is a laugh-out-loud exploration of sexuality, family, female friendship, grief, and community. With the heart and hilarity of Netflix’s critically-acclaimed Sex Education, Wibke Brueggemann’s sex positive debut is required reading for Generation Z teens. Think of this as Bridget Jones’ Diary, if it were written by Bridget’s daughter.
LOVE IS FOR LOSERS is such a precious gem of a book, I want to hug it close and push it onto everyone to read.
It’s narrated in the first person by Phoebe, a snarky, cynical teenager who is utterly self-aware about what a misanthrope she is and owns it. We witness every petty, immature thought that crosses her mind and while this is going to put off some readers, I LIVED for it. (only natural this resonated on a deep spiritual level since I myself used to be a petty, immature teenage girl)
Phoebe has good reason to be a pent-up ball of insecurity and bitterness. Her best friend has ditched her for a boy just as her mother abandons her for yet another lengthy humanitarian mission. Sure, it’s selfish for Phoebe to begrudge her for caring about saving lives, but who wouldn’t be hurt in the same position?
Fortunately, being in Phoebe’s head isn’t as miserable as you might think, I adored her sardonic inner monologue and biting, acidic observations about the people around her and society at large. She has a quirky, scientifically oddball way of analyzing things and it’s funny to read her conclusions.
This is a coming of age story that follows Phoebe in her transition from a loner who avoids people to…much the same, she’ll never be a people person, but more vulnerable and allowing a select few people into her heart. A tentative friendship with fellow thrift shop volunteer Emma blooms into sweetest, most adorable slow-burn romance ever. And aside from dealing with normal teenage issues like crushes and exam stress, there’s also an examination of deeper themes of grief and depression which brought me to tears late in the book.
Another winner for Pride Month, it’s a must-read! If the witty protagonist, female friendships and sapphic romance don’t reel you in, do it for the designer cats! (honestly died laughing every time they showed up on page)
Disclaimer: physical copy provided free from the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
dreamingofcats 