I’m Booked: “Everything I Know About Love”
Written by Ally Abruscato, Graphic by Anna Porter
Welcome back to another school year, SCAD students! Fall quarter is the perfect time to cozy up with a good book and pretend it’s not 85 degrees outside. If you’re already stressed with classes and are looking for a fun book to ease you back into reading, I’ve got the perfect suggestion.
Although “Everything I Know About Love” discusses some serious topics, Dolly Alderton’s witty commentary keeps it light. The memoir mostly covers Alderton as she navigates her 20 years. From seemingly endless parties to bad dates, Adlerton debriefs it all. Her tone is brutally honest and sarcastic in a way that will induce laughter and tears.
Maybe it is because my roommate and I started binging “Sex and the City” this summer, or maybe it is because my Hinge is filled with men holding up dead animals, but Alderton seems to perfectly encapsulate young love. Not in a “sitting on the swings holding hands with a cute boy” type of way but in a “sitting on my couch with my best friend on a Saturday night and feeling like I’m in the exact right place” type of way. Adlerton’s beautiful depiction of female friendships reminds us to hold our friends close while we can. As I start my senior year, I’m frequently emotional about the idea that a year from now, I have no clue where my friends and I will be. All I know now is that I want to spend every second with the beautiful people that SCAD has gifted me while I’m still here. Because there probably won’t be another point in my life when I’m so constantly surrounded by love.
Anyway, let me not get too teary in the basement of Java Burrito! Alderton’s uniquely casual yet elegant writing style is part of what makes this book so successful. One of my favorite lines, which will once again make me emotional in the basement of Java Burrito, is, “When you’re looking for love, and it seems like you might not ever find it, remember you probably have access to an abundance of it already, just not the romantic kind. This kind of love might not kiss you in the rain or propose marriage. But it will listen to you, inspire and restore you. It will hold you when you cry, celebrate when you’re happy, and sing All Saints with you when you’re drunk.”
The more I remember “Everything I Know About Love,” the more I enjoy it. Alderton appeals to the female experience and captures it in a raw and comical way. The way the book is divided makes it a quick and easily digestible book. However, she discusses intense topics such as drug use and eating disorders, so be careful with your own triggers. But overall, Alderton’s memoir is funny and heartbreaking in the best ways possible.
I’ll be back soon with another book review, but until then, I’m Booked.
As Editor-in-Chief, Ally Abruscato leads and supports a talented group of staff and contributors in pursuing their creative endeavors. At SCAD, Ally majors in Photography and minors in Advertising & Branding. She regularly offers pop culture insights through movie reviews, articles and her weekly column, “I’m Booked.” When she’s not writing or taking photos, Ally’s probably outside, reading or running.
