The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater by Alanna Okun is a YA novel all about crafting and creating. If you are someone who likes to create things, then this is a must read because it is all too relatable.
Knitting
Alanna is a knitter. She loves to knit. It is one of her hobbies (alongside writing) it helps keep her calm and she loves the idea of creating something out of nothing. It does not always turn out perfect, but it is still satisfying when you finish a project. She likes to create things both for herself and other people.
I am not a knitter, but I can relate to the art of creating. I am a writer. I like to write in my free time and as much as humanly possible. I like to write both for myself and for other people. I like to create things. Taking a blank page and filling it with words that I wrote and that people want to read is so satisfying. It makes me proud of what I do, and that is what this book is all about. Creating things and making something out of nothing.
Life Struggles
Alanna talks about different life events, such as friendships, relationships and breakups. She is a normal girl who experiences life the same way we do. She talks about “The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater” which is the idea that if you are dating someone and decide to knit them a sweater, you will probably break up before it is finished and now you have this half done project that you do not know what to do with.
The life events that she talks about are so relatable. She talks about family, friends, relationships and school. The struggles of everyday life while being a creator are very relatable.
Small Side Notes
Throughout the book she makes these small chapters about one to two pages long that just list things that she likes about knitting, why she loves it and how it helps her escape from the real world for just a moment.
If you are a creator of any kind, whether it is knitting, writing, drawing or anything, then this is a must read. It makes you realize that you are not alone in this world and we all mess up and have that one project that is our cures of the boyfriend sweater.
