I Don’t Know What to Call It is about a failed romance between a seemingly “perfect for each other” couple and is loosely based on the author’s on / off relationship with her significant other. The short story satirizes romantic tropes and clichés found within the young adult novel genre by narrating the brief relationship between a hunky hipster loner and bohemian grunge girl. The book is geared toward the young adult, mid-20s audience who while being drawn to such novels and movies about romantic innocence and heartbreak, can recognize and appreciate the author’s criticism of the genre.
The book juxtaposes a semi-poetic, Hallmark aesthetic with references to social media platforms such as Instagram and Tumblr. The narrative is similar to the flow of a romantic comedy with characters that embody the stereotypes of the “clueless about love” protagonist and the “manic pixie dream girl” he can’t help but be drawn to. The majority of the images included in the book are sourced from social media sites and Google searches to show how young adult romance has been reduced to stock images of hand-holding and angsty quotes.