Review: What Love Looks Like by Jarlath Gregory

What Love Looks Like is The O’Brien Press’s newest addition to Irish LGBT+ YA fiction. Last year, The Queen of Coin and Whispers was the LGBT+ fantasy we needed. This year we get a romance that takes place on the streets of Dublin.

Ben is a 17 year-old living in Dublin at the time of the Marriage Equality Referendum. It has only been a few months since the Yes vote and our main character is in search of love. Along with friends Chelsea and Soda, he spends his time frequenting the Panti Bar drag shows or discussing bad dates. Ben is on the lookout for a boyfriend.

Overall, the story is heart-warming and bound to bring a smile to the reader’s face. As the author explained in the afterword, there are not many stories for queer teens about a happy character with a nice family and with a satisfying ending.

At the same time, the novel is realistic and attempts to face up to the challenges that are still faced by LGBT+ youths, despite the recent legal acceptance. At times, Ben himself falls victim to homophobia or other microaggressions. Still, he and his friends know how to handle such situations.

The story is not perfect, as the book may not always be as inclusive as it hopes to be, especially in terms of body positivity. Still, it gives us a happy ending that we all deserve.

Sara Chudzik