Why You'll Never Find the One

January 2, 2023
Finding love gets a little easier with New Yorker cartoonist Akinterinwa’s insightful and fresh guide to dating that reframes conventional ideas of romance and pairs them with heavy doses of self-love. Regarding compatibility, she advises: “There’s no need to remain attached to the vision you’ve always had of a perfect partner, especially if you’ve grown in ways that enable you to be open to something different.” Chapters open with succinct lessons ranging from identifying love interests to using dating apps. (It’s mostly standard advice that, while not revelatory, bears repeating.) Autobiographically inspired vignettes feature a version of Akinterinwa who endures hapless romantic encounters and unpacks her insecurities in therapy. The comics are cleanly drawn, no-frills scenes with a dash of wit that will land best with millennials and the chronically online. She gives cursory mention of the need to disrupt heteronormative ideals, as well. Akinterinwa’s strength lies in how she interweaves her humanistic counseling expertise. The focus is on empowering daters and self-love as its own reward, versus scoring high-stakes with coupledom (“There’s no one knight in shining armor... and sometimes that knight is you.”) Give it a read before swiping right. Agents: Anjali Singh and Kayla Lightner, Ayesha Pande Literary.