You know when you meet someone for the first time and you start talking and then suddenly two hours have passed and you know their whole life story and they feel like a best friend? Reading “Everything I Know About Love” feels exactly like that. 

Dolly Alderton’s memoir is a love letter to her twenties, a powerful exploration of love, friendship, and self-discovery. Known for her career in journalism, Alderton’s storytelling is authentic and original while uncovering her evolving understanding of love.

This book explores the reality of being a young woman in her twenties, offering an unfiltered, unapologetic glimpse into Alderton’s life: a rollercoaster of boys, dating, sex, parties, friendships, fallouts and heartbreak set against the backdrop of 2010s London. Reading this book feels like living through these experiences alongside her. 

Like the British equivalent of “Sex and the City,” the tone is that of a cool big sister sharing advice and helping you to avoid her mistakes: tragic, raw and intimate. 

Alderton’s writing relies on humor as a powerful tool for narrative. Her use of witty observations, hyperbole and self-deprecating humor entertains readers, making even the most mundane of experiences seem funny. 

One such story is that of her experience getting so drunk she thought she was in Oxford when she was really in the Oxford Circus tube stop. While this story should be embarrassing, she tells it in a self-deprecating way that speaks to the absurdity of her earlier years. Readers are laughing with her instead of at her. 

Despite the overtone of humor, an undercurrent of grief and sorrow is woven through the pages of this memoir. Alderton doesn’t shy away from the messy details of life, touching on topics such as loss, depression, eating disorders, loneliness and anxiety. The reader walks with Alderton through the death of her best friend’s sister, therapy sessions, and breakups. However, just when things start to feel hopeless Alderton grabs your hand and leads you back to her cramped apartment, brimming with stories, roommates and warmth.

One of the central themes in the book revolves around the fear of growing older and the anxiety about wasting one’s youth. Alderton skillfully describes the inner conflict of wanting to stay in her comfort zone while grappling with guilt over missing out on life’s opportunities in her youth. She explores this theme with such depth and poignancy that readers can’t help but empathize with her depiction of these emotions.

In a genre teeming with cliche advice and bogus self help, Alderton’s exploration of love is a breath of fresh air. While the memoir is initially focused on romantic relationships, it gradually shifts its focus, culminating in a celebration of platonic love. Readers realize along with Alderton herself that the greatest loves in her life have been within her female friendships.

While Alderton’s storytelling is captivating throughout most of the book, the insertion of lists, emails, texts and recipes in between chapters feels disjointed and serves little purpose other than disrupting the pacing of the book. While it is clear that Alderton is attempting to connect with readers on an even deeper level through the addition of these pages, the execution falls short. These elements, though creative in their own right, feel out of place amidst the personal essays.

Though it has its faults, the relatability of the story keeps readers engaged. This book discusses issues that resonate with all women in their twenties, regardless of whether the reader aligns with the party-girl lifestyle of Alderton’s stories. It unflinchingly dives into the struggles of being a young woman in a realistic and unfiltered way, offering advice when wanted and sympathy when needed. 

Alderton’s descriptions of her awkward dating life and fear of aging are so vividly written that readers feel as though they are right there with her, relating to every one of her experiences.

Reading “Everything I Know About Love” feels like a call from your mom or a hug from a friend; it’s the kind of book you didn’t know you needed until you’re in the middle of it.