“If there’s one thing I believe in, it’s love. No matter what the universe throws at you, love will win in the end—as long as you don’t give up. There may be nothing left of your heart but splinters and cracked cement blocks, but you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and rebuild. You can’t quit. You can’t fall into despair. You have to keep going.”
Somewhere out there, Lara Jean Covey is searching for her missing identical twin sister—can someone tell her Nozomi Nagai is right here?
In all honesty, this book reminded me a lot of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in terms of themes and character and I loved that. We have Nozomi, who is spending her summer in San Francisco which marks the perfect time to reinvent herself and finally have the life—and romance—she’s always wanted. Too bad that the girl that immediately catches her eye has just been broken up with and isn’t looking for a new girlfriend. Or at least, not for a real one. A fake girlfriend who will show Willow’s ex-girlfriend just how much she’s missing out on and how Willow has totally moved on? Well, that’s a whole other playing field…
I really liked the different approach to fake dating in this one—it was an entertaining twist on one of the best tropes out there. Really, all the discussions surrounding love in this book were impeccable. Sugiura shows through heart-shaped-glassed Nozomi that some phrases like “love conquers all” aren’t always right, but that finding the right kind of love, the one that perseveres and grows stronger, is worth treading through the murky waters of rejection, loss and heartbreak. We get to see different approaches to relationships in this book and what people need from their partner to make it work and I loved how Nozomi started out as someone who wanted the perfect romance only to realise that the girl she’s chasing might not be the right fit, after all.
Nozomi as a protagonist was also amazing. I wasn’t kidding when I said Lara Jean Covey would love her— Nozomi is fun, believes in love conquering all, sees the best in people, has a bit of sass to her, and sometimes makes the wrong decisions because she doesn’t want to get hurt. But above all, Nozomi has a big heart, which yes, sometimes means she makes the wrong decisions, but also that she just wants to love and be loved. Watching her navigate first love was so entertaining. It’s messy and confusing and heartbreaking and at times really hard to read how Nozomi approaches love and makes mistakes, but that’s also the selling point of this book. Nozomi is one of those characters you just can’t help but love. Not to mention that she has one stellar big brother that made me equal parts glad and sad that I’m an only child. From the hilarious insults the two trade to moments where they stand up for each other, this is the kind of sibling you want in your corner.
There’s also a storyline concerning Nozomi’s paternal grandmother Baba who becomes increasingly more of a liability because of her dementia. Nozomi’s uncle wants to transition her into an assisted living facility and Baba is not having it. That aspect of the story was so painfully relatable for me that I can only applaud the author for how they dealt with this—the fear, the confusion, the guilt you feel when someone who used to take care of you is now in need of your care. Beyond that, Baba also thinks that being gay is just a “trend” and even though her son has been married for years to a man, she still thinks he will eventually end up with a woman. It’s always so harrowing to read about these parents, especially older generations, that think being gay is just a phase and even reject their own children because of it—Baba and her son eventually found a way back to each other, but Baba’s homophobia is deeply ingrained and makes Nozomi hide her own gender identity to keep her grandmother’s (conditional) love intact.
All in all, this book was the perfect mix of tough topics that makes YA contemporaries so relatable, and sweet first love moments that will make readers’ hearts beat faster. With fake dating, generational clashes and a love triangle that is more of a square, Love and Other Natural Disasters is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Kelly Quindlen!
Love and Other Natural Disasters is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 8th 2021.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
When Nozomi Nagai pictured the ideal summer romance, a fake one wasn’t what she had in mind.
That was before she met the perfect girl. Willow is gorgeous, glamorous, and…heartbroken? And when she enlists Nozomi to pose as her new girlfriend to make her ex jealous, Nozomi is a willing volunteer.
Because Nozomi has a master plan of her own: one to show Willow she’s better than a stand-in, and turn their fauxmance into something real. But as the lies pile up, it’s not long before Nozomi’s schemes take a turn toward disaster…and maybe a chance at love she didn’t plan for.
