Having chosen “Everything I Know About Love” out of my pile of “unread books” for a couple of days of a break outside the city, with some beach time planned, it ended up being the perfect setting for it. It’s written in a low key and relaxed style, which permitted me to leisurely get through it in just about 4 days. While there was nothing specifically revelatory about it, it’s more of a feel good book, something relaxing for the brain like a series of a reality show. Parts within it will especially be relatable to women that are born around the 1990s but also those who are currently, in 2023, in their 20s, giving them hope on what’s to come. The experiences one went through one’s 20s, navigating the dating landscapes, the friendships one built, the parties one lived through and most importantly, the lessons one learned with time.

To be a desirable women – the sky’s the limit. Have every surface of your body waxed. Have manicures every week. Wear heels every day. Look like a Victoria’s Secret Angel even though you work in an office. It’s not enough to be an average-sized woman with a bit of hair and an all-right sweater. That doesn’t cut it. We’re told we have to look like the women who are paid to look like that as their profession.

p. 72-73

Besides the parts that I liked, there were also quite a few that annoyed me when reading about them over and over again. Some pointlessly long party invitations, recipes (did they actually expect anyone to use them?), shopping lists, the author’s obsession with drugs and alcohol. The book should definitely come with a trigger warning on the latter two topics, as well as on eating disorders. It made me want to give the book to my mom to make her understand how easygoing and uncomplicated of a teenager I actually was in comparison to the author.

We covered the scent of our tracks with cheap perfume and menthol gum; when I smoked a spliff and had bloodshot eyes, I’d wet my hair as if I’d just gotten out of the shower and blame it on the shampoo.

p. 31

From September 2006 to July 2009, all I did was drink and shag.

p. 32

I felt surges of nostalgia when reading about chatting with guys on MSN messenger back in the days, one’s first weirdly named email address, horrifying blind dates and stories about meeting people off the internet. I thought that the part about one’s journey with a therapist was extremely insightful, sharing intimate details about the patience and the motivation one would need to show up with, upon the decision to embark on that journey of self-work. The parts about online-dating might sound absolutely crazy and unbelievable to those who have never dived into that universe but I just found myself chuckling along to the weirdest situations, which sounded very familiar to me. Most of all, I found the feeling of growing up, while not really feeling like a “real” adult so relatable.

To this day, I have never, ever been able to get over the fact that […] there is no lights-out; that I can stay up watching films or writing until four a.m. on a weeknight if I want to. I am relieved, energized, invigorated that I can eat breakfast foods for dinner, play records really loud […].

p. 107

All in all, I could see the book being more appealing to those who are familiar with the author as a person and her previous writing. This doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a beautiful tribute to female friendships, building one’s own chosen family through friends, learning to accept oneself and to value the solitary moments in life while one has the possibility to experience them. What was really special about “Everything I Know About Love”, was seeing the author’s real friends’ names in the acknowledgements in the end, being surprised about the fact that they haven’t been changed for once! I’d be longing to find a similar book one day that would speak about love and friendships from somebody’s point of view who has moved around a lot and has lived in various countries (if you have one in mind, do leave the suggestion in the comments)! In the meantime, Dolly Alderton’s book is a great alternative if you’re in a bit of reading rut or are in the mood for some easy entertainment.

★★★☆☆ (3/5)

_{Edition: ISBN 978-0-06-296878-4
HarperCollins, 2020 (Originally published in 2018)}