Lover Birds

By Author / Illustrator

Leanne Egan

Genre

LBGTQ+

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Harper Fire

ISBN

9780008626570

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-07-2024

Synopsis

With an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance, and perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Becky Albertalli, Lover Birds is a beautifully-written, inclusive and heart-pounding romance.

When Isabel Williams moves to Liverpool, she criticises seemingly everything in Eloise Byrne's life - her city, her accent, her trademark boldness - so if, when she catches Isabel staring, Eloise feels her pulse race, it must be because they hate each other. It surely couldn't be for any other reason, could it?

Eloise needs to get her ADHD under control in time for A-Levels, but when she meets Isabel, school becomes the least of her concerns. What begins as outright contempt turns into an oddly satisfactory rivalry, but for their rivalry to shift further into romance, their relationship must withstand Isabel's classism, Eloise's distrust, and whatever secrets their friends are hiding from them.

With a wonderful cast of characters, an irresistible romance, and an incredibly moving and powerful portrayal of ADHD, Lover Birds is an unmissable debut from an extraordinary new voice in YA fiction.

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Reviews

Lorraine

Eloise already has her friend group and they do everything together. When a new girl, Isabel, arrives at school as they hit sixth form, and with a recent ADHD diagnosis to contend with, suddenly her world seems to turn upside down. Friendships fracture, and where she thought she hated Isabel, she finds herself spending more and more time with her. Avoiding her problematic group of friends, and schoolwork, doesn’t help, and soon feelings and relationships have to be dealt with. But does Eloise even know what her true feelings are? Do her friends?

I began Lover Birds eager to find out who the characters were, with the promise of romance, and the unusual setting of Liverpool. However, I found myself struggling to engage as although the main character is vibrant, the suspense of the imminent romance is protracted.

The author is attempting many things with this book, and I think that's where it becomes problematic. Eloise's ADHD and the resulting issues for her learning are explained throughout, whilst also covering other related bodily actions and ways to combat these, for focus and to avoid harming oneself. This may have been enough for a book in itself, but the plot also includes revelatory LGBTQ relationships, sexual blackmail, and fractured friendship groups. It is difficult to focus on one storyline and the narrative becomes diluted partway.

Having said that, some of the characters are very engaging and LGBTQ matters along with sexuality are dealt with sensitively. I feel the author could have used colloquial language to highlight and immerse us in the Liverpudlian setting, and in my view may have fallen back on common character tropes, which seems a shame with such an opportunity for something different. Some swear words.

368 pages / Reviewed by Lorraine Ansell, school librarian