I'm finally DNFing this at 40%. I'm really sad to because HOLY CROW ASEXUALITY, but I'm actually finding it super uncomfortable to read. I don't know if this is OwnVoices or not, but Alice's character is tremendously all over the place and there have been several moments where I've wanted to add in my own explanations because I'm sure anyone reading this who's not ace is getting some conflicting messages. The relationship didn't seem like it was going to be particularly healthy, and Alice is, quite frankly, more annoying than she's meant to be. All this talk about plumbing. I really hope that didn't turn into a "oh you're asexual? you just haven't met your person yet!" kinda thing, because let me tell you...

I'm sad about this. I'm ace, and there are so few books out there that represent us, and I really wanted this to be something I could recommend left and right. But I've been trying since January to get further, and I think it's time to cut my losses. Everyone's experience is different, but I really feel that the messages put forward here aren't the most productive and that people might take away an understanding of asexuality that doesn't accurately reflect all of its nuances. ( )

This book was not it for me. I was looking forward to adding a copy of this to my classroom library or recommending it to others, but this was not it. The writing style, combined with the main character's very cutesy and immature voice was not engaging, nor relatable. She seemed more around middle-grade/12 - 13 years old as opposed to a 19/20 year old in college. This was concerning as well given that the love interest (Takumi) is a college graduate, and demonstrates similar moments of immaturity, and a lack of understanding of consent. Not for me, would not recommend. At the same time, I respect that the book exists, so I did not want to give it one star. ( )

Alice is so relatable in so many aspects of what she does and how she thinks. The book does an excellent job showcasing the struggles of being ace in the dating world, and how it intersects with race. ( )

Alice is a biromantic ace Black girl who attends college and works in a library. She has to deal with school, her friends, her family, a possible romantic interest, her job, and choosing a major. Cue the anxiety! Why can't she just watch Netflix, write/read fanfiction, and blog on tumblr instead of adulting? (Relatable.)

I enjoyed reading this book, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. The writing style and Alice's inner dialogue kept pulling me out if the story. It is so very internal. Also, there were not nearly enough scenes set in the library. Literally just like three. Whither the library romance I was promised?

I regret to inform you that a lot of the friction and difficulties in this book (the relationships, the friendship, the family, etc.) come from a lack of communication. Just sit down and TALK to each other!! The new possible romance was cute. I also liked that the book tackles misconceptions about asexuality. Ace representation is so sorely needed.

Overall, while I didn't care for the writing and found the characterization somewhat lacking, I am glad I bought and read this book. I do wish I had this book when I was 19 (I would have enjoyed it more lol). This is an #OwnVoices book (the author is also Black, although I don't know if she's ace), and I liked the way race and microaggressions were talked about.

See the full review and trigger warnings for this book at https://fileundermichellaneous.blogspot.com/2021/08/lets-talk-about-love-by-clai... ( )

I loved what this book was trying to do, the representation is sorely needed in literature, but the execution just wasn't as crisp and clean as I would have liked. There was a lot of exposition. ( )