Old Enough
Books | Fiction / Coming of Age
3.8
Haley Jakobson
A debut novel “as astute, funny, and loving as your best friend from college”* about a young bisexual woman who is pulled between a new sense of community and loyalty to a friendship she’s outgrown*Isle McElroySavannah "Sav" Henry is almost the person she wants to be, or at least she's getting closer. It’s the second semester of her sophomore year. She’s finally come out as bisexual, is making friends with the other queers in her dorm, and has just about recovered from her disastrous first queer “situationship.” She is cautiously optimistic that her life is about to begin. But when she learns that Izzie, her best friend from childhood, has gotten engaged, Sav faces a crisis of confidence. Things with Izzie haven’t been the same since what happened between Sav and Izzie’s older brother when they were sixteen. Now, with the wedding around the corner, Sav is forced to reckon with trauma she thought she could put behind her. On top of it all, Sav can’t stop thinking about Wes from her Gender Studies class—sweet, funny Wes, with their long eyelashes and green backpack. There’s something different here—with Wes and with her new friends (who delight in teasing her about this face-burning crush); it feels, terrifyingly, like they might truly see her in a way no one has before. With a singularly funny, heartfelt voice, Old Enough explores queer love, community, and what it means to be a sexual assault survivor. Haley Jakobson has written a love letter to friendship and an honest depiction of what finding your people can feel like—for better or worse.
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More Details:
Author
Haley Jakobson
Pages
384
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
Published Date
2023-06-06
ISBN
0593473000 9780593473009
Community ReviewsSee all
"Haley Jakobson blew me away with her debut. This fun, fresh, and heartbreakingly relatable novel was exactly what I needed in the post-pride blues. The novel has it all: young queer love, college growing pains, a non-binary love interest, and queer friendship/community that makes your heart swell. Stunning debut. 10/10. "
"Actual rating: 3.5 stars<br/><br/>This started a bit rough, especially with the cringy dialogue that felt like it was trying too hard. It also was odd that the chapters from the past were in second person. Plus, I didn't understand why she was so negative towards Izzie. Finally, about halfway through, it all starts to come together and we finally understand Sav's trauma responses and see her dealing with things rather than continuing to lie. It was nice to see her develop this new community of friends, while acknowledging she still loves and cares about Izzie, but perhaps has to let her go for her own wellbeing."