A girl, Lula, has a crush on a gay boy, Rory. They're both X-Files fans, which I feel like might be a thing that illuminates their relationship. I finished this book more than two weeks ago, and in my triptan-addled brain, I don't remember much about it, but I still think it was well-written and nuanced.
Lula was abandoned by her mother and is being raised by her grandparents. The loss of her parents fucks her up more than Lula's loved ones know.
I know. I know. It's not that, it's just...lately I've been thinking, what if I'm always going to be this superfluous person, roaming the planet all alone, never fitting in, never connecting with anybody because I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place? you know how, like, when two people are in love, and everybody says, oh, it was meant to be? It was written in the stars? Lately I can't help thinking: what if I'm not meant to be with anybody because I wasn't even meant to be?
Lula's distress is somehow relatable, even if it's not your experience, and maybe seems overblown. I was a depressed, fucked up, teenager, too. I like the artistry of this description
My mother came back from the bathroom and sat down, shaking her napkin out like a matador and landing it in her lap.
Lula has her selfish moments, but she's struggling.