Loveless (May 2022) Group Read Discussion

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

This is the group thread for Loveless!

This thread is open for discussion beginning May 1st! Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed (mark as a spoiler) in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days of the month can be used to catch up if needed! Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads.

The Group Read Discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 05/01
May 01: 5%

Week of 05/02
May 02: 10%
May 03: 15%
May 04: 20%
May 05: 25%
May 06: 30%
May 07: 35%
May 08: 40%

Week of 05/09
May 09: 45%
May 10: 50%
May 11: 55%
May 12: 60%
May 13: 65%
May 14: 70%
May 15: 75%

Week of 05/16
May 16: 80%
May 17: 85%
May 18: 90%
May 19: 95%
May 20: 100%

You can read the group book at any time during the month and at your own pace. This is the pace the group will be using, but if you read ahead or will be giving spoilers, please mark them (click the "some html is ok button"). If you have any questions a mod or another member can help you.

[Laura ☾]

I’m planning to start this today - I actually had no idea that Alice Oseman was asexual/aromantic!

[Katie]

I started this morning and I'm enjoying this so far! I'm listening to the audiobook and I think I'm waaaaay past the 20 page mark, so I will just make general observations. I don't think this is the type of book that has big spoilers anyway, but I'd rather be safe lol :)

It's been a loooong time since I've read an Alice Oseman novel. I've read and reread Heartstopper multiple times, but I last read Radio Silence 5 years ago, if memory serves me correctly. I like that Loveless almost feels like a continuation of Radio Silence--not the same characters or anything, though who knows if we'll get a cheeky little cameo--but the fact that Radio Silence was very much about deciding what you want in your future regarding college/university, and now most of Loveless is taking place during Georgia's first year and seems to be continuing this theme of self-discovery. It's also fun to see how the UK college system is different than the US, since I'm American and went to US schools. It's just a breath of fresh air!

[Laura ☾]

I’m reading the ebook and I’m only about 20% in - some of the struggles to adjust to uni life are definitely relatable! It’s quite an easy narrative style to follow, and I’ve actually never read any of her novels and only read heartstopper recently.

Funnily enough I almost went to Durham university - it was one of my top two choices of the universities I got into but then I decided for the one I actually went to instead

[Laura ☾]

I finished it - I really feel like it was well written and an interesting look at someone figuring out their own sexuality as ace/aro!

The supporting characters were also quite well written, particularly Pip and Rooney!

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Started this one and read only the first part, I also don't know how much that is.. now I'm thinking putting 20 pages was a bad idea 😅 probably should switch it to %

I like that the chapters are short, that way it made me finish at least 10% of the book before going to sleep. So far it has that amateur-ish vibe, which I usually am not much of a fan, but I think Oseman could be an exception. Her amateurish way of writing is very realistic, so I'm gonna assume that I'll connect with something in the book. I also read Radio Silence, that was the only book of hers that I read besides Heartstoppers, and since it was a few years ago I don't really remember much, BUT I remember it also feeling very real.

[Laura ☾]

Yeah I definitely feel like the characters in this felt very real!

[Katie]

I finished! Blame my Candy Crush addiction to be able to listen to audiobooks so quickly lol. I recognize the value of this book to help people learn about asexuality/aromanticism and potentially Realize Things about themselves, but it's just a bit too much of a "nothing happens" type of book for my taste. I don't love books where the plot is essentially just friendship drama. I like it for what it is, but unfortunately what it is is not my kind of book.

[Laura ☾]

Katie wrote: "I finished! Blame my Candy Crush addiction to be able to listen to audiobooks so quickly lol. I recognize the value of this book to help people learn about asexuality/aromanticism and potentially R..."

That’s fair enough - I feel like the main plot was the whole coming of age and coming to terms with their sexuality, but I can see what you mean. It’s definitely not an action-packed book, and more introspective than anything else?

[Katie]

That's definitely what it is. I like that occasionally, but I'm way more in the mood for action-packed adventure type stories right now.

[Abigail]

I wasn't originally going to read this again but it turns out my library now has the audiobook to it so I am. I'm not very far into it but its already a completely different experience than it was when I first read it. I originally read it last summer after graduating high school and now I'm about to finish my first year of college. So some parts that I really related to in the first read are less relatable now but we'll see how relatable those first-year struggles are when I get further!

[Asia]

Ive only just started and am only about 14 percent done. So far i agree with basically everyone. I have found it very relatable. The characters feel like they could very easily be yourself or someone you know. It has definitely brought me down memory lane to back when I was in high school and the immense fear of being "left behind". The idea of reinvention in college while also trying to hold on to the friends of your past is something that I think almost every college student can relate to.

I love the short chapters and the style of writing. It has been really easy to get through so far

[✨ Brianna Raquel ✨, New Procrastinator]

@Laura I agree with this! I feel like a lot of Alice Oseman’s book are more about the main character discovering something about themselves. I don’t think we get enough of that in media…at least not done well.

Alice never ceases to amaze me with her relatability. I feel like I rarely relate to characters in the way I relate to hers. This is my first aro book and I’m glad it was by Alice 😩

[Asia]

Just finished and thought it was soooo charming. I thought the language the author used was so spot on with todays current YA culture. I laughed out loud a few times because it was sooo similar to how my younger sister talks (she's 28 going on 18). So often I cringe when the authors try to talk young, but Alice Oseman killed it!

All the different types of love throughout the novel was sooo beautiful. I wish I had a group of friends that love each other as hard as Georgia and her crew. I won't give away any spoilers, but I thought the ending was perfect for the story and am so happy I was able to be a part of the GR this month. I would have never picked it out on my own.

[Jen K]

Just started this, a little yesterday and more today, almost 20% in. I like the characters, learning about the English uni system. It is almost too relatable as all the angst is stressing me out a bit.

[Jen K]

@45% I was so relieved when Georgia learned about asexual and aromantic and to be speaking with people who identify but it was so heartbreaking that she just felt sadder.

I'm interested to get to the root of Rooney's story. I'm guessing major heartbreak involving the girl in the photo.

[Jen K]

Finally finished. It got better the second half. I really appreciated the representation, advocacy and awareness. Everyone was so relatable as they stumbled through their self discovery and attempt live a life like a romcon. There is so much pressure that uni is supposed to be the best ever and best place to find an ever after person.

I appreciated the friendships but also found that all the conflicts were fairly expected. The rumination was a bit much and cyclical but I liked the ending.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I continued reading it yesterday, however I don't know where I stopped because I feel asleep 😅 I plan on reading at least half because I'm not going to be so delusional that I'll finish it all in one sitting.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I understand the pressure of "doing everything to get the college experience", but it's also starting to annoy me and it's only 1/4 of the book.

I was delusional that I could get to the half-way mark... I've read 29% so far. Nothing really to comment.

[Jen K]

mina wrote: "I understand the pressure of "doing everything to get the college experience", but it's also starting to annoy me and it's only 1/4 of the book.

I was delusional that I could get to the half-way ..."

Yeah, I was feeling similar. It starts to pick up a bit for the second half for me at least.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

For a book that I thought I'll finish fast because it's short and has really short chapters it took me awfully long to finish, but I finally managed it. I struggled with it a bit for some reason, but wasn't surprised by it. Before this I read Oseman's Radio Silence and had similar feelings towards it as with this one.

The characters are very realistically written or maybe the writing style is real life sounding, I don't know how to explain what I mean, but I think who read it will get it. The situations are relatable even if you don't find yourself in the characters, which, again, is the feeling of realness this book gave.
Georgia's constant chase for the collage experience annoyed me at first, but I got used to it and it dropped later on in the book. I really like the relationships, and G's newly made friendship with Rooney.

It's a recommendable book, it has its charm as I'm sure the rest of Oseman's books have, however I'm finding that it isn't really my thing. Maybe I'll pick up another of her books sometime in the future, but I'm not in a rush or feel the need to do so.

[Abigail]

I finally finished it and it was a little less good the second time around but I still enjoyed it. Because it was such a day to day book once you know the conflicts and how they resolve it's a bit less interesting to read. I still really loved the characters, though, and they are what make the book (and pretty much all of Alice Osman's other books) special to me.

On my "was this like my first year" tracker we've got: I definitely did things because they'd be an "experience" or what's expected of you at college but I didn't end up hating all of them the way Georgia did so I just kept doing them.