Synopsis
Acclaimed author of CHLORINE, Jade Song, returns with her latest novel, a literary exploration of the Gen Z condition, I LOVE YOU DON'T DIE - a lyrical, poignant, and heartfelt novel about the meaning of love, friendship, debt, depression and death in New York City.
Vicky has been obsessed with death for as long as she can remember. From living above a Chinatown funeral parlour to working at a celebrity start-up for bespoke urns, she has surrounded herself with it - right down to the collection of zhizha paper creations meant to be burned for the dead, that fill her apartment. Yet, though living in Manhattan and working her dream job is all she ever wanted, she still struggles to form genuine connections and find meaning in her life outside of her best (and only) friend, Jen.
That changes when a dating app leads her into a throuple with a couple who offer exactly the kind of love she needs. And for some time, it's perfect. But as her doubts grow Vicky must decide whether try and hold on to what she has, or to once again do what she does best . . . destroy.
Vicky has been obsessed with death for as long as she can remember. From living above a Chinatown funeral parlour to working at a celebrity start-up for bespoke urns, she has surrounded herself with it - right down to the collection of zhizha paper creations meant to be burned for the dead, that fill her apartment. Yet, though living in Manhattan and working her dream job is all she ever wanted, she still struggles to form genuine connections and find meaning in her life outside of her best (and only) friend, Jen.
That changes when a dating app leads her into a throuple with a couple who offer exactly the kind of love she needs. And for some time, it's perfect. But as her doubts grow Vicky must decide whether try and hold on to what she has, or to once again do what she does best . . . destroy.
Details
19 March 2026
9781804443538Imprint: Footnote Press
Reviews
Achingly, urgently, Jade Song probes at loneliness with some of the most poetic prose I've ever had the good luck to read. A dizzying and yearning story of love and loss, I can't remember the last time a book made me gasp like this one did. Death, sex, student debt - I Love You Don't Die is unflinching
Jade Song has written the novel on 21st century loneliness. I Love You, Don't Die is luminous, tender and an absolute gut punch. A melancholic must read.
I Love You Don't Die is a poignant meditation on love, loss, loneliness, and the human condition. Song's ambitious sophomore novel will break your heart completely.
I Love You Don't Die is a gorgeously penned meditation on death, life and love. With tenderness and sharp clarity, it illuminates who and what we truly value and asks what it is we are really living for. Song reminds us that amid the chaos of late-stage capitalism, we all leave behind far more than we allow ourselves to worry about. I relished every page.
