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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
I couldn't even finish this book. It did not keep me interested and I couldn't connect to the characters.
I'd been wanting to read this book for a long time, but I was somewhat disappointed when I finally got to it. The format is intriguing--a set of letters connected to "objects" (matchbox, movie poster, etc.) that a girl returns to her ex-boyfriend at the end of the relationship. First I had to suspend my disbelief a little bit that she would have the fortitude to write SO MUCH at the end of the relationship, but that's not a huge issue. I had more of an issue with the writing itself. It seemed as if the book were trying very hard to go for a unique and "authentic" teenage voice, unpolished, but it really just felt as if I were reading a first draft. Several of the sentences really tripped me up and required rereading. And the voice wasn't strong enough to justify all that extra work.
The characterization was fairly well done, especially for Ed. Really, Ed was the most vivid aspect of this book, which is fitting, since it was all set up as a letter to him. What this book does best is really capture the wonder and excitement and rush of first love without romanticizing it or relying on cliches. It also is spot on in its depiction of the strain of dating someone who is very different from the circle you usually run in, and somehow trying to merge those two worlds, as well as the tension that comes from devoting less time to your friends in the first obsessive stages of love. The ultimate reason behind the breakup cut me to the quick and left me feeling as betrayed as Min. Then the end sort of petered out in an anti-climactic way that I don't even really remember anyway.
What this book does well, it does very well. It just wasn't the complete package I hoped it would be.
The characterization was fairly well done, especially for Ed. Really, Ed was the most vivid aspect of this book, which is fitting, since it was all set up as a letter to him. What this book does best is really capture the wonder and excitement and rush of first love without romanticizing it or relying on cliches. It also is spot on in its depiction of the strain of dating someone who is very different from the circle you usually run in, and somehow trying to merge those two worlds, as well as the tension that comes from devoting less time to your friends in the first obsessive stages of love. The ultimate reason behind the breakup cut me to the quick and left me feeling as betrayed as Min. Then the end sort of petered out in an anti-climactic way that I don't even really remember anyway.
What this book does well, it does very well. It just wasn't the complete package I hoped it would be.
Cute storyline, but the language used between the characters and the inner monologue of Min just didn't match up with their age. A lot of it felt contrived.
my first time reading some of dh's non-snicket work! at first i wasn't really sure if i was vibing with the ya romance but then the end ripped out my heart and stomped it on the floor. also i love min green with all my heart forever
I only picked this up because they didn't have the other book by Daniel Handler that I wanted to read. So I mean I wasn't too thrilled by it at first, but it ended up really captivating me. The story telling is so different and interesting and beautiful, and it's definitely one of the strangest and best "love" stories I've ever read. I can't even explain this book except that they just need to read it to understand. It's such an up and down of emotions where you feel her love and her heartbreak at the same time, and it's so confusing and wonderful and just...yes.
This book broke my heart, but I should have expected it. Ed is introduced at the popular jock that dates around and at no time are we lead to believe he's any different, but I feel like I was tricked along with Min.
The artwork is beautiful and the writing is truthful.
The artwork is beautiful and the writing is truthful.
3.5/5
While the cool concept of this book may have caught the eye of some, I was drawn by Daniel Handler. As you may or may not know, his pseudonym is Lemony Snicket and he is thus author of the beguiling Series of Unfortunate Events. I loved the first couple of books but still haven't got around to books 12 or 13 as the fun ran out. A similar event happened here.
The concept is that Min is writing to her ex-boyfriend Ed, telling him why they broke up while detailing the objects and events of their relationship. My first flag was that their relationship lasted from October 5-November 12, just over a month. Is a relationship of that length really worth a book-long screed? Especially a relationship of high-schoolers who are ostensibly restricted by school, extracurriculars, and parental guidance.
But I was swept away by Min's charming narration. Ed and his gang of athletes think of Min as different and compared to them, she is. She's whimsical, passionate about movies, and she seems like her own person. While the basketball players (and their girlfriends) are just like the all-too-typical depictions of popular kids, Min stands apart with her witty quips and her unusual object associations. She viewed the world differently.
I assume that is also part of the reason why she meticulously detailed the history of their relationship through the rather large collection of items she amassed during their short relationship. Alas as the possessor of an ARC, the artwork was not fully complete. That will be a reason to pick up the finished copy as I look forward to seeing what is only hinted at by the words. The words that do go on and on and on; frequent run-on sentences and a chatty tone originally charmed me but by the end, I was ready to break up with the book itself.
Overall: Ended up being too much: in style and length.
While the cool concept of this book may have caught the eye of some, I was drawn by Daniel Handler. As you may or may not know, his pseudonym is Lemony Snicket and he is thus author of the beguiling Series of Unfortunate Events. I loved the first couple of books but still haven't got around to books 12 or 13 as the fun ran out. A similar event happened here.
The concept is that Min is writing to her ex-boyfriend Ed, telling him why they broke up while detailing the objects and events of their relationship. My first flag was that their relationship lasted from October 5-November 12, just over a month. Is a relationship of that length really worth a book-long screed? Especially a relationship of high-schoolers who are ostensibly restricted by school, extracurriculars, and parental guidance.
But I was swept away by Min's charming narration. Ed and his gang of athletes think of Min as different and compared to them, she is. She's whimsical, passionate about movies, and she seems like her own person. While the basketball players (and their girlfriends) are just like the all-too-typical depictions of popular kids, Min stands apart with her witty quips and her unusual object associations. She viewed the world differently.
I assume that is also part of the reason why she meticulously detailed the history of their relationship through the rather large collection of items she amassed during their short relationship. Alas as the possessor of an ARC, the artwork was not fully complete. That will be a reason to pick up the finished copy as I look forward to seeing what is only hinted at by the words. The words that do go on and on and on; frequent run-on sentences and a chatty tone originally charmed me but by the end, I was ready to break up with the book itself.
Overall: Ended up being too much: in style and length.
A quick read from the author whose alter-ego is Lemony Snicket, I found this illustrated novel filled with the quirky candor and touch of eclecticism that denotes Mr. Handler’s skillful writing.
The story is written as a letter penned by heartbroken Min (short for Minerva), not an “arty” girl, but someone dubbed “different” by the likes of her ex-boyfriend, Ed—the popular co-captain of the basketball team, who this letter is written to.
Reading this jolted me out of my usual reading pace, striking me as choppy, initially. But as I continued reading, and as the crux of the breakup came to pass, I found myself more involved in the relatable characters and the experiences that surrounded them.
Rife with teen drama, yet grounded in the sarcastic authenticity that comes with it, the story—while somewhat repetitive at times, left me entertained enough. I did enjoy the deeper questions that arise from Ed’s family life and behavior, despite his being the antagonizing recipient of a box of items that spell out Min and his relationship.
While sometimes predictable, the book did lead me to wonder the opposite of what I usually do: if I’d have enjoyed it more if I read it when I was younger.
The story is written as a letter penned by heartbroken Min (short for Minerva), not an “arty” girl, but someone dubbed “different” by the likes of her ex-boyfriend, Ed—the popular co-captain of the basketball team, who this letter is written to.
Reading this jolted me out of my usual reading pace, striking me as choppy, initially. But as I continued reading, and as the crux of the breakup came to pass, I found myself more involved in the relatable characters and the experiences that surrounded them.
Rife with teen drama, yet grounded in the sarcastic authenticity that comes with it, the story—while somewhat repetitive at times, left me entertained enough. I did enjoy the deeper questions that arise from Ed’s family life and behavior, despite his being the antagonizing recipient of a box of items that spell out Min and his relationship.
While sometimes predictable, the book did lead me to wonder the opposite of what I usually do: if I’d have enjoyed it more if I read it when I was younger.
This review was originally published at Fluttering Butterflies
I really loved Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler! I thought the story to be utterly sweet and heart-breaking at the same time. I thought the format to be different and quite clever. I thought the unravelling of this relationship gone wrong happened at just the right pace and I enjoyed the mystery of what actually happened between the two.
Yeah, I just really enjoyed these glimpses into these teenage relationship - as a reader, I could relate to the early swoony stages of their romance but at the same time, we're thrown these little snippets of where things went a bit sour. Why We Broke Up is quite a short story, I really flew through the pages quite quickly and this is helped by the accompanying (gorgeous!) artwork by Moira Kalman. I thought the illustrations and the tone of the novel complemented each other really well and I couldn't see myelf enjoying the story as much without the pretty artwork!
The story starts with a box filled with all those bits and pieces that make up a relationship - movie stubs and little notes and stolen sugar from a restaurant. And together with all of these things is a letter from Min to Ed explaining why exactly they broke up. I loved that this is how the story is told, both in letter format which makes the narrative feel quite chatty and personal, but also using these objects (with pictures!) to tell a story of this short-lived but quite emotional connection between two people. We're witness to all the good stuff of getting to know each other's quirks and the introductions of our passions (classic films and basketball) but also to those little moments that don't feel quite right, the comments that are made that make us feel uneasy, that things that were chosen or done or didn't do.
I really got a sense of the therapeutic value that Min achieves through dissecting this relationship with Ed, going over the things that were done right and wrong. It was really bittersweet, this walk down all of the good and bad memories with Ed. It's definitely a walk that I'm glad that I took alongside Min. I think most of us can relate to this story of short-lived romance followed by heartbreak. This is a really beautiful book, one I recommend!
I really loved Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler! I thought the story to be utterly sweet and heart-breaking at the same time. I thought the format to be different and quite clever. I thought the unravelling of this relationship gone wrong happened at just the right pace and I enjoyed the mystery of what actually happened between the two.
Yeah, I just really enjoyed these glimpses into these teenage relationship - as a reader, I could relate to the early swoony stages of their romance but at the same time, we're thrown these little snippets of where things went a bit sour. Why We Broke Up is quite a short story, I really flew through the pages quite quickly and this is helped by the accompanying (gorgeous!) artwork by Moira Kalman. I thought the illustrations and the tone of the novel complemented each other really well and I couldn't see myelf enjoying the story as much without the pretty artwork!
The story starts with a box filled with all those bits and pieces that make up a relationship - movie stubs and little notes and stolen sugar from a restaurant. And together with all of these things is a letter from Min to Ed explaining why exactly they broke up. I loved that this is how the story is told, both in letter format which makes the narrative feel quite chatty and personal, but also using these objects (with pictures!) to tell a story of this short-lived but quite emotional connection between two people. We're witness to all the good stuff of getting to know each other's quirks and the introductions of our passions (classic films and basketball) but also to those little moments that don't feel quite right, the comments that are made that make us feel uneasy, that things that were chosen or done or didn't do.
I really got a sense of the therapeutic value that Min achieves through dissecting this relationship with Ed, going over the things that were done right and wrong. It was really bittersweet, this walk down all of the good and bad memories with Ed. It's definitely a walk that I'm glad that I took alongside Min. I think most of us can relate to this story of short-lived romance followed by heartbreak. This is a really beautiful book, one I recommend!