Phoebe is 15. She’s living with her godmother in Wimbledon, England, because her mother is away in yet another war-torn country helping others with an organization that send medical professionals where they’re needed most. She never knew her father, who was killed before she was born. So she lives with her godmother Kate and 2 designer cats that Kate is going to breed.
Phoebe has basically lost her best friend, since Polly can’t talk about anything but Tristan since they started dating, and Phoebe thinks he’s an idiot. She’s working towards her GCSEs because maybe she wants to work for NASA and go to Mars. There are no stupid people on Mars. Phoebe thinks that sounds great, as she has a low tolerance for stupid people. Well, for most people, really. Like Pat, who works at the charity shop with Kate and doesn’t like Phoebe very much. But Alex, the new cashier with Down Syndrome and a talent for baking, and Emma, who is the same age as Phoebe but goes to a different school and helps out at the shop? Phoebe likes them very much.
But love? Phoebe doesn’t think that’s for her. She doesn’t get all melty when she talks to a boy. She doesn’t abandon her friends just to spend time with some guy. She doesn’t get a case of “mentionitis,” where she has to say someone’s name over and over in every conversation. Just because Phoebe has more fun working at the charity shop when Emma’s there doesn’t mean anything. They’re friends. Sure, Phoebe spends time looking at Emma’s Instagram, but that’s what friends do, to find out more about each other. And she only called Emma when one of the cats went into labor because she couldn’t get ahold of Kate. It doesn’t mean anything.
Or does it?
As Phoebe tries to understand her feelings about her friendship with Polly taking a back seat to that of Polly’s new boyfriend, about her mother being away for so long and in such a dangerous place, and about her place in the world, Phoebe also takes a look at her feelings for Emma and realizes that maybe she’s not immune to falling in love.
But even so, there has to be something she can do about that. Google can tell her how to fall back out of love, right? That’s what it’s there for. I mean, it’s not like Emma would have those same feelings for her. So she might as well fall back out of love with Emma and move on with her life. She’ll just focus on her GCSEs and on becoming an astronaut.
That’s what she’ll do. She won’t think about Emma. Or talk about Emma. Or spend time around Emma. And she definitely won’t kiss Emma. Right?
Love Is for Losers is Wibke Brueggemann’s darkly funny young adult debut novel about first love, turning 16, and everything else that comes along with teenage life. Phoebe is a straight-shooter, telling it like it is—and how it should be—while learning how to deal with difficult and complex emotional situations. She is strong and independent, fiercely loyal, smart, funny, and has no patience for anyone’s drama. And I absolutely adore her.
I has so much fun with Love Is for Losers! I’ve heard this book described as Bridget Jones’ Diary, but written by Bridget’s daughter. I could see that, especially if Bridget had an affair with Deadpool, because Phoebe has a lot of that biting, sharply intelligent snark to her. That is a character I can get behind.
Egalleys for Love Is for Losers were provided by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group through NetGalley, with many thanks.
