Synopses & Reviews
A debut novel "as astute, funny, and loving as your best friend from college"* about a young bisexual woman who is pulled between a new sense of community and loyalty to a friendship she's outgrown
*Isle McElroy
Savannah "Sav" Henry is almost the person she wants to be, or at least she's getting closer. It's the second semester of her sophomore year. She's finally come out as bisexual, is making friends with the other queers in her dorm, and has just about recovered from her disastrous first queer "situationship." She is cautiously optimistic that her life is about to begin.
But when she learns that Izzie, her best friend from childhood, has gotten engaged, Sav faces a crisis of confidence. Things with Izzie haven't been the same since what happened between Sav and Izzie's older brother when they were sixteen. Now, with the wedding around the corner, Sav is forced to reckon with trauma she thought she could put behind her.
On top of it all, Sav can't stop thinking about Wes from her Gender Studies class — sweet, funny Wes, with their long eyelashes and green backpack. There's something different here — with Wes and with her new friends (who delight in teasing her about this face-burning crush); it feels, terrifyingly, like they might truly see her in a way no one has before.
With a singularly funny, heartfelt voice, Old Enough explores queer love, community, and what it means to be a sexual assault survivor. Haley Jakobson has written a love letter to friendship and an honest depiction of what finding your people can feel like — for better or worse.
Review
"Jakobson lands the intensity of college friendships and sexual relationships with exquisite depictions of Sav and her cohort...This writer shows plenty of promise." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Jakobson brilliantly blends complex ideas and relationship dynamics with Savannah's witty stream of consciousness and sharp dialogue...This poignant rendering of one young woman's journey out of denial and shame into a budding self-love is essential reading." Kirkus
Review
"Jakobson's characters are a delight, their dialogue intoxicating, their mistakes and attempts at reconciliation beautiful to watch. Readers will down this breathless debut in one sitting, sending gentle prayers up to their 20-year-old selves." Booklist (Starred Review)
About the Author
Haley Jakobson (she/her) is a bisexual writer living in Brooklyn, New York. In her work she explores queerness, mental health, and trauma. Haley loves bodega sandwiches (no cheese), writing on the subway, and will change your mind about Geminis. Old Enough is her debut.