Elle reviewed Sounds Fake but Okay by Sarah Costello
Very recommendable for the right person
4 stars
Sounds Fake But Okay is a long-running podcast about asexuality and culture. With so little representation and focus on asexuality, especially at its inception, simply existing has had a lot of value.
The same can be said of it in book form. Having accessible, personal, and humanized accounts of asexual existence is essential.
While the book leans a fair amount on various quotes and anecdotes, it also weaves a story about what it means to be on the ace spectrum in a decidedly allosexual world. How that being outside such a central cultural norm fits very neatly and obviously into queerness.
It can at times feel a bit like people talking at you. Like when you hit a particular area of interest of someone and they go off. But that's not necessarily all bad. The kind of emotion and passion around the subject is needed when there's …
Sounds Fake But Okay is a long-running podcast about asexuality and culture. With so little representation and focus on asexuality, especially at its inception, simply existing has had a lot of value.
The same can be said of it in book form. Having accessible, personal, and humanized accounts of asexual existence is essential.
While the book leans a fair amount on various quotes and anecdotes, it also weaves a story about what it means to be on the ace spectrum in a decidedly allosexual world. How that being outside such a central cultural norm fits very neatly and obviously into queerness.
It can at times feel a bit like people talking at you. Like when you hit a particular area of interest of someone and they go off. But that's not necessarily all bad. The kind of emotion and passion around the subject is needed when there's so few voices to go around.
There isn't anything particularly revelatory here. If you're already well-versed in the subject, this isn't going to be a deep dive into theory. I think Sounds Fake But Okay operates best as a long letter to someone new or unconfident in their asexuality and could use words to reassure, show they're not alone, and give some ideas of how they can move forward.
And I think that's a good thing.