*Spoilers mentioned*
After classes ended, I found myself with a surplus amount of free time, so I inevitably took up reading again. During the last semester of my degree, I had barely enough time to complete my work, let alone read for pleasure. But the day after I was freed from the jail I like to call school, I walked around my neighbourhood and picked up Old Enough by Haley Jakobson from a free library.
Old Enough has made its way to my top five list of books with ease. It follows a young bisexual woman who enters college and discovers a world where she finally fits in. Savannah Henry, or as her new friends call her, ‘Sav’, discovers her bisexuality through her first semester as she navigates her new place in the world. The narrative weaves from past to present, which helps contextualize Sav’s present-day reactions.
Chapter one takes place on Sav’s first day of Gender and Sexuality Studies 101, where Sav meets her friends Candace “Candy” and Vera. Readers are immersed in Sav’s present-day post-secondary life, where she expresses her desire to have a friend group of people who understand her. Friendship and relationships are two key themes in the novel as Sav mourns her friendship with childhood friend Izzy as she outgrows it and finds new friendships in Candy and Vera, who become a powerful group that endures the throes of queer dating in college.
The second chapter introduces Sav’s sixteen-year-old self and her idealistic relationship with her Izzy. It’s summer, and they are tanning and gabbing about boys and whatnot. Readers are also informed of Sav’s crush on Izzy’s older brother, who brings his girlfriend of the season over to their house. As the story progresses, we go back and forth from Sav’s former years to college and see how she develops into a young woman.
The use of sensory details and vivid imagery in Old Enough stands out to me from the beginning. Jakobson writes imagery in a similar way that I do, and I found myself having visceral reactions to moments in the novel. The way she illustrates girlhood and summer are strong and full of tangible details that ground the reader. The scenes and dialogue are impeccable, and in her author’s note, she thanks the students she interviewed because she attended acting school.
The portrayal of sex and relationships is intriguing, specifically in the differences between Sav’s interactions with men in comparison to women. The intimacy she has with her ex-lover, Nova, is emotional and comfortable, and she allows her to take control over her. In comparison to her sex with Matt, Sav is uncomfortable and rigid. This is partly due to her experience being sexually assaulted by Izzy’s older brother. She keeps the assault to herself, as many survivors do, until she can’t help but confront it because it impacts her education. Izzy’s engagement triggers Sav’s recovery as she is plagued with the thought of running into Izzy’s brother at the wedding.
Professor Tolino, who teaches Gender and Sexuality Studies 101, helps Sav out of her shell when she notices her declining participation in class. She holds her back after class and expresses genuine concern for her well-being, which leads her to let out the secret she had been holding in since high school. Her professor plays an integral role in her growth as she uplifts Sav and encourages her to be her bold self. As the book progresses, it’s revealed that Izzy cyberbullied Sav after she found out she had ‘slept’ with her brother. She turned everyone at school against her, yet somehow, they reconciled their friendship, which I found a bit unrealistic. At the end, Sav and Izzy have a conversation about the situation, and Izzy doesn’t let Sav call it rape. It’s unclear whether or not Sav attends the wedding, but I hope she doesn’t.
Old Enough is a powerful story about surviving and reconnecting with yourself. It’s full of juxtaposing themes and scenes of comfort and discomfort. This feeling of conformity is extremely relatable to those who have to return home and play a past version of themselves. I read it in three days, and I literally couldn’t put it down. I read it at the beach, on the bus (I get motion sickness), and before bed because it was all I could think about. If you get the chance to read Old Enough, you should because it is truly an emotional roller coaster that will have you both laughing and crying.