In ‘Love Me’ by Gemma Weekes, you get to discover the story of this London girl named Eden, who’s in her mid-twenties, directionless and insecure. Eden is a girl who had the chance to fall in love with her best friend in her teenage years. Her family situation is not ideal, nor is her professional one. But when Zed comes back into her young adult life in London, that’s when you discover a whole other chapter (pun intended) to Eden’s story. I’m sure we can all agree that "a first love shouldn't bloom so fierce/It shouldn't be like a fist forever clutched around the heart muscle…". I won’t tell you that this is a boring love story because it’s not. I’m also not going to tell you that the story is just another piece of prose, because again, it’s not.
East London
The author/poet from East London wrote this story using very simple and direct language. The story itself is poetic and the structure of the plot is only going to leave you wanting more. After you follow Eden’s adventures throughout the summer in New York, you’ll want to know what happens next.
I am aware that when people comment about a movie or a book, they will all say the same thing: ‘everyone can relate to the story…’. So, I’m going to tell you why it’s particularly the case here. I read the book when I was a bit down. As it always happens at some point, my love life pretty much sucked. When Zed came back in Eden’s life, after ten years, their history was explained, bit by bit. It helped me to accept the fact that at some point, that things will not work out and that’s alright. When my brain focused on the complexity and beauty of Eden’s life, let me tell you that I did feel better. Their story brought me comfort.
Lonliness
At some point in our lives we feel lonely and have this feeling that we don’t control anything anymore. But even if Eden is a fictional character, it reminds you that life is not always going to be perfect. The best way to deal with it could be to talk about it with people you trust. You want to know another way? On a sleepless night, just take your blanket, lay down on the couch in your kitchen and read the book. It’s a great way to just move on.
I’m going to leave you with the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald which I believe resume the story: “And in the end, we were all just humans.. drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness.”
PS: when you’re reading the second part set in New York, listen to Fela Kuti.
