Turning sixteen was always for other people. But I suppose so was love.
Published: 25th February 2021
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
We all remember being teenagers. Maybe some of you still are. So we can all relate to the embarrassing situations, emotions and achievements from that age. That’s why Wibke Brueggemann’s debut novel Love is for Losers is such a hilarious and heartwarming masterpiece.
Written in the accessible and personal diary format, the story takes us through seven months of protagonist Phoebe’s life as a secondary school student preparing to take her GCSE exams. It’s filled to the brim with friend drama, designer cats, love, loss and everything in between; a raw, funny and oh-so-accurate insight into what being 15/16 is all about.
From the outset, Love is for Losers doesn’t scream ‘I’m an LGBT+ novel’. But that’s exactly what it is, and by weaving Phoebe’s ups and downs while she tries to figure out what her feelings towards charity shop co-volunteer Emma actually mean, Brueggemann does so well to normalise those emotions.
Phoebe’s mum is a doctor working in a war zone, which draws the story away from the conventional high-school narrative. I won’t go into too much detail here because I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but this part of the story gives a close-up view of the stress and constant worry that comes with being a relative of someone in that role.
The story starts in January and ends in mid-July, on Phoebe’s birthday. Though most diary-style books will tend to cover at least one calendar year, seven months seems like the natural ending and does leave the narrative open for interpretation.
No matter your age or life experience, there is something in Love is for Losers for everyone. As a debut novel, this is outstanding and so worthy of the critical acclaim that it has and continues to receive since being published. I am super excited for more releases from Brueggemann, as I’m sure many others are too.
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