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3.11 AVERAGE
3.11 AVERAGE
It has thus far been next to impossible for me to explain to friends and family what my favorite part about this book was, but here is what it is: the narration is distanced by being third person, past tense, but it is ALSO kept near by being very storyteller-esque in a way that makes it clear that the only person who could be the narrator is our protagonist, Lucy. The past tense is given to be real, not a device ("Later, Lucy would wonder if…," etc.), but there is never an "I" slipped in, and while Lucy's story seems to have a very distinct beginning and ending, it is so very clear that it's really just a slice, that everything about Lucy's life before we meet her is important, even if we don't ever learn about it, and that everything that follows where she ends up in the last chapter will be even more so.
It is very compelling, and I would like to see it more in YA.
Also, I liked that the narrative was not predictable, and not necessarily nice. It's not MEAN, but there's a lot of weirdly likable grey area. The other heartbreakers are odd, and while it seems like being a heartbreaker would be a villain's role, they make a very reasonable case for the opposite to be true. I *would* have liked for there to have been a wider sexuality/demographic lens on the role of heartbreaker, to have had it not been presented as exclusively a girls-breaking-boys setup (because, srsly, how is Paisley NOT a heartbreaker?). I would also have liked to have met other heartbreakers in other communities or generations, and to have gotten a better sense of how their magic works and what they do with it, but not getting deep into the details (and magic) of being a heartbreakers fits well with the slice-of-Lucy's-life narrative structure that I already established I liked so well. So, catch-22.
Anyway, this is a fun book, and much more unique than it might seem from its shell.
It is very compelling, and I would like to see it more in YA.
Also, I liked that the narrative was not predictable, and not necessarily nice. It's not MEAN, but there's a lot of weirdly likable grey area. The other heartbreakers are odd, and while it seems like being a heartbreaker would be a villain's role, they make a very reasonable case for the opposite to be true. I *would* have liked for there to have been a wider sexuality/demographic lens on the role of heartbreaker, to have had it not been presented as exclusively a girls-breaking-boys setup (because, srsly, how is Paisley NOT a heartbreaker?). I would also have liked to have met other heartbreakers in other communities or generations, and to have gotten a better sense of how their magic works and what they do with it, but not getting deep into the details (and magic) of being a heartbreakers fits well with the slice-of-Lucy's-life narrative structure that I already established I liked so well. So, catch-22.
Anyway, this is a fun book, and much more unique than it might seem from its shell.
There was so much I did not like about this book. The magic was very out of place and felt forced. And the whole concept of this Magical Heartbreaking Club is weird and I did not like it. It seems ridiculous to think that these girls got their hearts so broken (some by guys that they weren't dating, just were in love with from afar) that they were like "NOPE EFF IT LET'S BREAK EVERYONE'S HEARTS SO THEY KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE". What a ridiculous concept. When you get your heart broken you typically don't want to hurt someone that way so you do everything you can to protect the next person you are with from ever feeling that way.
The trio was ridiculous. They are ridiculously hot girls because they use magic to break boy's hearts and oh yeah now that they have vowed to never love again they are just super awesome at everything. I rolled my eyes while typing that out. The parties that they host and go to are ridiculously extravagant and the fact that Olivia just happens to own a house and no one questions it is probably the largest part of the "fantasy" aspect of this novel.
And the ending. Like the whole book was "Tristan doesn't fall in love" so like let's just keep it that way. And if the next book is like, oh now Tristan is in love with someone, I might actually stab my eyes out.
Overall: 1.5/5 stars but rounded up to 2 for the star counter. Honestly, I only finished reading this because I was at work and had nothing else to do. Not really worth the read.
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The trio was ridiculous. They are ridiculously hot girls because they use magic to break boy's hearts and oh yeah now that they have vowed to never love again they are just super awesome at everything. I rolled my eyes while typing that out. The parties that they host and go to are ridiculously extravagant and the fact that Olivia just happens to own a house and no one questions it is probably the largest part of the "fantasy" aspect of this novel.
And the ending. Like the whole book was "Tristan doesn't fall in love" so like let's just keep it that way. And if the next book is like, oh now Tristan is in love with someone, I might actually stab my eyes out.
Overall: 1.5/5 stars but rounded up to 2 for the star counter. Honestly, I only finished reading this because I was at work and had nothing else to do. Not really worth the read.
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This story was well written, but the concept didn't sit right with me. I can't fully enjoy the book if I am against the main purpose of the characters. I feel the pain of others too strongly to enjoy a book where the main characters toy with the hearts of others.
Originally posted at: http://muggle-born.net/the-secret-sisterhood-of-heartbreakers-by-lynn-weingarten-book-review/
THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS by Lynn Weingarten requires readers to suspend their disbelief. The novel is contemporary sprinkled with a dash of magic.
I have a like/hate relationship with THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS. I knew that coming in I would not like any of the characters. They’re cruel and insanely bitchy, but this is one of those books that I was willing to give the characters a chance to make it up to me. They didn’t.
Lucy, the protagonist, is a little naive and a little obsessed with her ex-boyfriend. The moment we are introduced to Alex, I knew that he is Bad News. The boy is clearly not in love with Lucy, but she doesn’t see that. He wasn’t worth all the effort, and it was clearly a lost cause. But Lucy is determined to win him back, so she turns a blind eye against his flaws for the majority of the book. Worst of all, she’s a terrible best friend to Tristan. While he is always there for her in the book, Lucy is quick to abandon him when Olivia and her friends take her in. Lucy doesn’t really feel remorse towards how badly she treated Tristan – disappointing because he was one of the very few likeable characters in the novel.
The mission of the Sisterhood is pretty vindictive and cruel. This book is basically teaching teenagers that boys are their playthings. They are there for you to flirt and date, but when you get tired of them, they are disposable. Um, what the hell? I’m sorry, but just because a boy breaks your heart, it does not mean that it gives you the right to break the heart of others for fun. Weingarten attempts to give her characters a conscience, but it fails hard. I don’t buy it at all that the characters have a bit of compassion in them.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed Weingarten’s writing style – so much that I ended up reading this book in one sitting. I think partially that this has to do with the fact that I wanted to know if the characters were going to disappoint me. I had to know, and I couldn’t put the book down. THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS is a breezy read.
Despite being a quick and breezy read, THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS by Lynn Weingarten is not the kind of book I would recommend. In fact, I am making quite sure that my younger cousins stay far away from this book. And to think that this is the first in a series…
THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS by Lynn Weingarten requires readers to suspend their disbelief. The novel is contemporary sprinkled with a dash of magic.
I have a like/hate relationship with THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS. I knew that coming in I would not like any of the characters. They’re cruel and insanely bitchy, but this is one of those books that I was willing to give the characters a chance to make it up to me. They didn’t.
Lucy, the protagonist, is a little naive and a little obsessed with her ex-boyfriend. The moment we are introduced to Alex, I knew that he is Bad News. The boy is clearly not in love with Lucy, but she doesn’t see that. He wasn’t worth all the effort, and it was clearly a lost cause. But Lucy is determined to win him back, so she turns a blind eye against his flaws for the majority of the book. Worst of all, she’s a terrible best friend to Tristan. While he is always there for her in the book, Lucy is quick to abandon him when Olivia and her friends take her in. Lucy doesn’t really feel remorse towards how badly she treated Tristan – disappointing because he was one of the very few likeable characters in the novel.
The mission of the Sisterhood is pretty vindictive and cruel. This book is basically teaching teenagers that boys are their playthings. They are there for you to flirt and date, but when you get tired of them, they are disposable. Um, what the hell? I’m sorry, but just because a boy breaks your heart, it does not mean that it gives you the right to break the heart of others for fun. Weingarten attempts to give her characters a conscience, but it fails hard. I don’t buy it at all that the characters have a bit of compassion in them.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed Weingarten’s writing style – so much that I ended up reading this book in one sitting. I think partially that this has to do with the fact that I wanted to know if the characters were going to disappoint me. I had to know, and I couldn’t put the book down. THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS is a breezy read.
Despite being a quick and breezy read, THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS by Lynn Weingarten is not the kind of book I would recommend. In fact, I am making quite sure that my younger cousins stay far away from this book. And to think that this is the first in a series…
Lucy is completely in love with her boyfriend, Alex---so much so that she's decided that when he gets back from vacation, they're going to have sex for the first time (her first time, period, not just with Alex). And then he breaks up with her. She's devastated, so when three beautiful girls tell her that she doesn't have to be upset anymore, she grabs at the chance. What they're offering, though, is completely unusual. They're part of an exclusive club, the Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers. If she can make a guy love her and break his heart in seven days, she can join. And if she does join, she'll never have her heart broken again.
I wanted to love this book, but I just didn't. The biggest drawback for me was Alex. I didn't understand why anyone would love him the way that Lucy does. He sounds like a complete jerk, the kind we'd all be lucky to be rid of. But Lucy wants to use the magic that the sisterhood offers to get him back. (And get him back for keeps, not to break his heart in revenge.) He treats her poorly (he never lets her talk and he doesn't take her seriously) and he seems to view her as an afterthought. That's not love.
I did love the idea---who doesn't entertain revenge on someone who's hurt us? But the execution fell short for me. I didn't really get to know Lucy very well, so it was hard to care much about what happened to her. Still, as someone who's had her heart broken, I definitely empathized.
What I did appreciate was the ending. This book didn't go where I thought it would, and I enjoy any time a book can catch me off guard.
I wanted to love this book, but I just didn't. The biggest drawback for me was Alex. I didn't understand why anyone would love him the way that Lucy does. He sounds like a complete jerk, the kind we'd all be lucky to be rid of. But Lucy wants to use the magic that the sisterhood offers to get him back. (And get him back for keeps, not to break his heart in revenge.) He treats her poorly (he never lets her talk and he doesn't take her seriously) and he seems to view her as an afterthought. That's not love.
I did love the idea---who doesn't entertain revenge on someone who's hurt us? But the execution fell short for me. I didn't really get to know Lucy very well, so it was hard to care much about what happened to her. Still, as someone who's had her heart broken, I definitely empathized.
What I did appreciate was the ending. This book didn't go where I thought it would, and I enjoy any time a book can catch me off guard.
I think this book could have been so much stronger than it was. Good idea, but weak execution for me. I didn't like the Heartbreakers at all and the ending horrified me a little, although to be fair, when something bad happens to my favorite supporting character, I get horrified. I liked Weingarten's writing, but was unhappy with, ultimately, the plot.