Digital Editor, Halima Ahad, reviews Vex King’s Things No One Taught Us About Love, complimenting its take on personal relationships

third year eng & creative writing, aspiring journalist, former culture editor and current digital editor <3
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Images by Halima Ahad

Things No One Taught Us About Love marks the ending of Vex King’s Good Vibes collection. Throughout the collection, King has touched upon three key themes to better yourself in and outside your relationships with others. The first, Good Vibes, Good Life explores self-love and its meaning in society today, Healing Is The New High teaches self-growth within your healing journey. Things No One Taught Us About Love uses both of these themes by putting this into practice with your relationships with others.

The book begins with a Preface and Introduction in which King explains why he chose the theme of relationships to mark the ending of his Good Vibes collection. He puts his personal experiences into play for readers to understand how they can better themselves personally, and interpersonally.

He ends the Introduction with a poignant sentence ‘We are going to investigate the true nature of love’, which sums up the book well. Although we can never understand love’s true meaning, King helps readers investigate this and put it in the perspective of real life.

Although we can never understand love’s true meaning, King helps readers investigate this and put it in the perspective of real life

The book is then split into five key sections where readers can delve into the intimate aspects of improving themselves within their relationships. The first of these sections, and one of my favourites, is ‘The Nature of Love’ in which King puts a fresh perspective on the individual outside of their relationship.

One quote which really stood out to me was ‘You are love, it is your nature, deep in your centre. Your journey through life, your relationship with another human being, is a reflection of that.’ King really highlights here how love can be found within. As someone who has had ups and downs in her self love journey, King has a really nice way of wording things which make you introspect your individual actions and behaviours in a sweet and vulnerable way.

King has a really nice way of wording things which make you question your individual actions and behaviours in a sweet and vulnerable way

As the book progresses, readers are then shown how they can improve their individual behaviours within their romantic relationships. One chapter which really stood out to me in terms of this was ‘Connection is work, not just a feeling’ as it keeps to its word. At first I thought romantic love was something mainly put into play by both partner’s behaviours and feelings but King really made me question this.

In the chapter, King takes readers through the key aspects in order to improve their relationships such as encouraging your partner and making certain compromises in order to last. Within the digital age, love and attraction are based off likes and almost instantly without delving into another’s interests more deeply. King questions this ‘connection’ and whether it needs to be explored in more depth.

Overall, the book is a fantastic read within the Good Vibes collection. I am so glad I had the chance to read all the books in King’s collection this year. They have given me a chance to better myself and my relationships with others day by day. I cannot wait to see more from King’s self help books as I know he will not disappoint.


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