Let’s Talk About Love made it onto my most anticipated queer books for 2018 list and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

About ‘Let’s Talk About Love’ by Claire Kann:

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.

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‘Let’s Talk About Love’ by Claire Kann book review

I entered into reading Let’s Talk About Love with a pinch of trepidation. As a debut novel, Claire Kann’s writing was an unknown entity and asexual representation has been sorely lacking across most media. And, when that representation did happen to make its way to the page or the screen, well… it often fell short.

That certainly wasn’t the case with Let’s Talk About Love. Not only did it illustrate the difficulties and discrimination faced by those who identify as asexual within queer spaces, but similarly the stigma attached to being bi – in the case of Let’s Talk About Love, Alice is a biromantic ace, which saw her experience the vitriol of both identities, from inside and outside of the queer community.

Additionally, as a female, black teenager, Alice also suffered from the racist and misogynistic attitudes of those around her. The layers of discrimination working against Alice served as a difficult read, in its absolute honesty, but certainly did not make the novel bleak.

There was a wholesome feeling to the entire story, through Alice herself and also in the humor that, under any other hand, might’ve come across as grating, yet under Kann was entirely charming. All the characters were dramatic in that singular way you are when you’re that young, but it wasn’t irritating. Perhaps, when it came to pop culture references, it relied a little heavily on a specific knowledge of the reader, which might not age well, but for its current audience? It served as the perfect counter-balance to the more difficult subject matter.

At the heart of this novel were the relationships between Alice and her friends, particularly with her best friend Feenie. Both Alice and Feenie have their flaws, acknowledged ones, but there were several moments between them that felt like a gut-punch, and served to remind me of several relationships from my teenage years. When it came to both Feenie, and Ryan, an emphasis was undoubtedly placed on the fact that you often build your own family and support network around you. Though I sometimes was frustrated with some of the interactions between Alice and her friends, it ultimately felt very, very real.

What also felt real was the struggle of the pressure on Alice to live up to her family’s expectations for her life, and her desire to follow her own path. Something that, I’m certain, most of us have felt keenly in our own lives. Watching as Alice navigated her desire for what she wanted for her future reminded me so much of my own struggles at that age, which was often difficult to read, but essential to remember.

I have, to a point, written around Claire’s relationship with Takumi. While I, on the whole, enjoyed his character, I was a little less enamoured with their fledgling connection. Whether intentional or not, Takumi’s attitude toward Claire came across a little problematic – in that if you wear someone down enough, they will ultimately give in to your advances. And, for someone exploring and coming to terms with their own identity, as Claire was, Takumi felt predatory at times.

It was difficult to tell whether or not that was a commentary on certain societal expectations, when it comes to relationships and the steps they need to take to be deemed “normal” or “real,” but it would be a caveat to my recommendation of this book to anyone else.

In the end, Let’s Talk About Love truly shines in its depiction of the diverse range of life experiences its characters go through, and was an enjoyable read from cover to cover. I’ll certainly be looking forward to what Claire Kann does next.