Who says love needs to be two people, joined forever in emotional and physical intimacy? Who says love means romance and flowers and rings? Who says love needs to involve hugs and kisses and sex? Who says love can only look one way?
Apparently, Sasha’s (a.k.a. Sassy to her fans) PR team can. Because she’s nineteen and launched to sudden stardom with her debut pop album. Because her fans have been swapping ideas about the inspiration for all those love songs. Because, even though know she’s aroace-spec (aromantic, asexual) and those songs were inspired by the shows and stories she loves most, her agent says telling the truth will mean letting her fans down. And that’s a sure-fire way to bring her new career to a crashing end.
When leaked pictures of Sasha and her estranged best friend Kai make headlines, her team jumps into action. With her fans immediately assuming he’s the boyfriend who broke her heart and inspired all her incredible lyrics, it only takes a little pressure to convince Sasha that the best move is to go against what her heart is telling her. Her team convinces Kai to go along with the ruse and be her fake boyfriend for a six-month PR relationship. After two years with no contact, the two are forced into constant close proximity, pretending to be in love. Stepping deeper into the world of big-time celebrities and cover stories, Sasha is left questioning whether abandoning her sense of self is worth the success her team promises will follow.
Shapes of Love is the debut novel for author L.V. Penalba (she/they), who splits their time between Spain and Los Angeles. The book carries some heavy weight, asking questions like who gets to decide how you describe yourself and is it ever acceptable to let the beliefs and preferences of others guide your decisions, while exploring how an existential crisis of self can become the defining moment in a young person’s life. With deep topics such as sexuality, mental health, love and identity, Shapes of Love still manages to bring to life a light-hearted, quirky and often hilarious cast of characters.
With a deep dive behind the scenes of pop culture in the music and television industries, Penalba has shaped Sasha into a relatable and sympathetic lead. Supported by a wealth of open, honest and genuine dialogue woven into a memorable and entertaining story, there is something for every young adult reader in this wonderful story about family, love, and finding your people.
Who says love needs to be two people, joined forever in emotional and physical intimacy? Who says love means romance and flowers and rings? Who says love needs to involve hugs and kisses and sex? Who says love can only look one way?
