Author: Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket
Release date: December 27, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 354
How I got it: Library
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.Why We Broke Up was an intense, sweet, heart-breaking read that will resonate with anyone that's ever been hurt by anyone, even if it wasn't a significant other. So yeah I guess that's pretty much everyone.
Of course, if you're picky about the writing style you enjoy, you may not want to pick up this book. I personally really enjoyed Handler's constant run-ons and I think it fit well with the main character and how she was furiously trying to scribble her thoughts onto paper, but I know some people that would be really bothered by that.
I want to be Min's best friend. Even though she's completely obsessed with old movies and would have to spend days catching me up on them, it'd be worth it. She's smart, funny, and completely unique. And I was surprised by how likable Ed was, in the classic first-boyfriend kinda way. I found their romance to be sweet and touching and knowing they were going to break up make me sad. (Well until I read why they did.)
I also really enjoyed the illustrations! Each one was quirky and bright, and I loved being able to see all of the things Min was talking about for myself. Observe:
Why We Broke Up has been getting its share of negative reviews, but I'm afraid I have to disagree with them because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I highly recommend picking this one up for yourself to see what you think of it.
Plot: Kinda thin, but I liked the concept and the way things unfolded.
Characters: I loved Min, and Ed was good too.
Writing: Really cool and special.
Ending: YAY.
Kid friendly? There was swearing, and mentions of sex and making out.
Overall:
I would lightly hiss at people if they tried to talk to me while I read this.
There is something special about Why We Broke Up. It had a certain charm to it that was hard to not love. One of my favorite reads of 2012 so far.
Sounds awesome.
ReplyDeleteI love old movies so we could totally hang.
This book definitely made me want to get into old movies. (Even though they were all fake old movies, I think. It was still fun.)
DeleteI've heard mixed opinions on this and really didn't know if I was going to read it but you've convinced me I should, I like the idea of the book and those illustrations are lovely!
ReplyDeleteYay! I think you'll really like it--it's quirky and fun but it also makes me think ALL THE FEELZ. :D
DeleteI've been sat on the fence for so long with this one, but after reading your review, and seeing those illustrations, I definitely want to read this one!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to have swayed your opinion! :)
DeleteI really loved this one too...and wow, I had an ARC so my illustrations were not all pretty and colored like that but WOW. GOREGEOUS. Totally worth buying for that alone. I loved how well they connected. :]
ReplyDeleteYay, someone who agrees with me on this one! Agreed--the illustrations were so pretty and quirky. :)
Deletehey jessica. I check your blogs before picking up a book. :) so, would you recommend this to a guy? is it all girly and stuff? or not really? thanks in advance. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jace! That's so cool to hear--thanks for trusting my opinion. :) It's not really girly as far as contemporary goes, I think, unless you mind reading about relationships. But it's not mushy or anything. Hope that answered your question!
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