PRAISE FOR ACE

A long overdue addition to the catalog of sexuality writing and resources. Chen thoughtfully positions asexuality not as its own unique category or identity but as one more point on the vast, diverse spectrum of human sexual identities. A must-read for everyone: ace, allo, or anywhere in between.

—LUX ALPTRAUM, author of Faking It: The Lies Women Tell About Sex—And the Truths They Reveal

Angela Chen’s tenacious search for the precise language to describe her experiences is deeply moving and relatable. This book will inspire you to interrogate every assumption you’ve made about yourself, your sexuality, and your relationships. Ace is a revelation. We can’t stop thinking about it.

—AMINATOU SOW and ANN FRIEDMAN, authors of Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close

Accessible and eloquently written, Ace sensitively and accurately spotlights an interconnected series of outsider experiences. Few asexual-spectrum narratives so authentically and diversely capture the truths, the quirks, the tragedies, and the triumphs of our lives without alienating non-ace readers or appealing only to one subset of the ace population. Ace creates an inclusive tapestry of validating and eye-opening narratives that will give some readers an experience they may have never had before: seeing our ‘anomalous’ perspectives and emotions given the sensitive examination and validation we’ve always been denied. This book is a welcome addition to a very niche field and puts so many nuanced experiences into relatable, empathetic language.

—JULIE SONDRA DECKER, author of The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality

Though Angela Chen is a science journalist, Ace is nothing less than a cultural feat. It’s a powerful book that interweaves reporting and research about asexuality in ways that will remain with readers long after they’ve turned the last page. Asexuality has long been misunderstood, but after reading this masterpiece I know asexuality will be at the forefront of all of our minds as we think more deeply about who gets sidelined in broader conversations about gender identity and sexual orientation, and what that reveals about how we benefit from oppressing those different from us. Angela has achieved something that seems so simple but is actually difficult: allowing people to talk about and for themselves within a book that’s so heavily driven by hard-hitting reporting. Ace announces a new dawn, one in which asexual people are voicing their experiences without fear or shame. They’re here, simply living and demystifying misconceptions in the process.

—EVETTE DIONNE, editor in chief of Bitch Media and author of Lifting as We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box

Through painstaking research and her considerable skill as a storyteller, Angela Chen brings needed attention and nuance to an often overlooked spectrum of asexual experiences, encouraging readers to consider what exists and what is possible in terms of human connection, consent, understanding, and acceptance. A book that makes room for questions even as it illuminates, Ace should be viewed as a landmark work on culture and sexuality.

—NICOLE CHUNG, author of All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir