Title: Why We Broke UpAuthor: Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
ISBN: 0316127264 (ISBN13: 9780316127264)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: December 3rd 2013
Grab a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
Synopsis:
"I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.
Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped."
I've never been into a break up nor have I been in a relationship before, but man, I felt that.
This book has been sitting on my to-read pile for quite a few years now and it's only recently that I got around and finally pick it up to read; it was easily the best decision I've made this summer. I kind of feel bad that I didn't read this before, but now that I am currently seeing someone, reading this book now seems like the perfect timing for me. I have never been in a relationship before and this is my first time seeing someone, so reading this book somehow opened my mind about the truth of how relationships work in the real life: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful.
Why We Broke Up is told in the point of view of Min Green who, throughout the book, wrote letters of her account of her brief relationship with her ex-boyfriend Ed Slaterton all the while explaining the reasons why they broke up through the knick knacks she collected during their time together.
If you all didn't know, one of the authors of this book, Daniel Handler is quite popular in the literary world for his series A Series of Unfortunate Events; in which he wrote under the pen name Lemony Snicket. I haven't actually read that series before so I'm not exposed to his writing style, so I'm surprised how much I enjoyed his writing style. The way he wrote this is so good that reading it feels like you're inside Min's mind. As you read what's running inside Min's consciousness, it also feels like you're feeling what she's feeling and thinking at that moment. There are also a lot of passages and quotes in the novel that are either poetic or a straight up punch in the gut.
Another reason why I love this book is because of it's realistic portrayal of how relationships work in real life, especially when it happens instantaneously. The book did not sugarcoat the truth about instant relationships, but rather gave the ugly, unfettered truth about it. I also love how human the characters are, they're flawed and make mistakes just like real humans do, and I love them for it.
Overall, Why We Broke Up is an exceptionally beautiful book that deserves to be read by anyone with a beating heart.
Another reason why I love this book is because of it's realistic portrayal of how relationships work in real life, especially when it happens instantaneously. The book did not sugarcoat the truth about instant relationships, but rather gave the ugly, unfettered truth about it. I also love how human the characters are, they're flawed and make mistakes just like real humans do, and I love them for it.
Overall, Why We Broke Up is an exceptionally beautiful book that deserves to be read by anyone with a beating heart.
"You either have the feeling or you don't."
My rating:
Author Bio:
