These Books Are Ace!
As an avid reader and a member of an asexual book club, I read a lot of books about asexuality or containing asexual characters and/or themes. This Pride season, I would like to recommend five fiction books with asexual main characters which I have enjoyed reading in the last twelve months. All of these are different from genres and so there really is something for everyone.
For the Sporty Sapphic… How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly
Looking for a sapphic romance, but ace? As a lesbian who reads a lot of sapphic romances, I was thrilled to discover this one with an asexual mc. I can see this being a wonderfully validating read for those newly out or discovering asexuality. There is spice in this book, so just be warned if that’s not your thing.
Julie Parker is a basketball coach at East Nashville High. One day, Elle Cochrane, Julie's basketball idol, turns up on her high school court as a guardian to one of her players. Julie ends up asking Elle to be her assistant coach and soon they are "pretend" dating while Julie works out if dating and romance stuff is something she's interested in.
What I loved was the vulnerability between our leads. They discuss sexuality, mental health, rewarding work, parenting, and pressures of sport. I felt these conversations were balanced and had a natural flow.
For the Adventurous Aromantic… This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria
This is a wonderful 2POV YA fantasy adventure following our protagonist, Karis, and Alix, the automaton she befriends.
The labels ace and aro are not mentioned, but I really liked the representation here. In fact, I love how Karis's sexuality is explored in the background, and I like how we don't get pulled out of the story for an asexual 101; she just is herself. There could have very easily been a romance between Karis and her friend Dane - this is even commented on - but they continue to remain close friends throughout which was a refreshing change for this genre of book
The story reminded me of Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve, a book I very much enjoyed when I was younger, and I would recommend This Golden Flame to anyone who loved that, and similar, series.
For the Rule Breaker… The Meister of Decimen City
This is such a fun book. Rex is an asexual super genius, and the story opens with her lab-grown dinosaurs on a rampage down Main Street.
Rex, we learn, is a romantic asexual who wants romantic relationships, but is uncomfortable with some of the physical expectations that often come with that. I have yet to read about a romantic relationship that doesn’t involve kissing anywhere else. But here it is presented as perfectly reasonable, and the relationship is still held in the same regard as any other.
It is impossible to really relay any sort of plot synopsis for such a crazy book. But I will say that I really liked how the human condition aspects of this story are not fed to us, they are complex explorations that we must piece together. And look out of the cheese analogy for the ace experience - it made me giggle.
For the Deep Thinker… Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd
The book is split into two parts: book 1 and book 2. Both are narrated by Natsuko, the character I perceived as aromantic.
In book one, we see Natsuko’s sister wanting breast implants and the sister's 12-year-old daughter learning about puberty and what's about to happen to their body. The two of them have conflicting views when looking at womanhood and society beauty standards, and this is explored.
Book 2 is set eight years later. We still follow Natsuko, but now she's an established author and we follow her trying to write her second novel. We also follow her as she investigates how, as a single person with no desire of a having a partner, she can have a child of her own.
Natsuko’s sexuality is not discussed, but the themes around choosing to be a single parent and not wanting a romantic relationship, as well as what it means to perform femininity, relate to discussions amongst the ace and aro communities.
For the All-Rounder… Being Ace: An Anthology edited by Madeline Dyer
This collection of YA short stories should be a go-to for anyone looking for asexual representation in literature.
Fourteen authors tell "queer, trans, femme, and disabled stories of asexual love and connection" from various genres - sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary.
For example, my favourite of the tales is the cosy sci-fi story Across the Stars by Akemi Dawn Bowman which explores grief and stepping out of your comfort zone with the mc happening to be ace. "I've got nothing against falling in love - I'm just not sure my idea of love is the same as most people here." I also like the friendship depicted in Give Up the Ghost and the discussions around virginity myths in Smells Like Teen Virgin.
