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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
Great premise, relatable story of your first love, but the writing itself was a little too much. The run on sentences and choppy dialogue were hard to follow at times. I appreciate the feel the author was going for, but for me it didn't pan out.
A boy and a girl fall in love. The girl keeps a box of mementos collected during a relationship, but after the relationship ends then the things in the box explain why they broke up.
3.5 Stars
Okay, so, the thing with this book... The first 140ish pages bored me quite a lot, because The problem I had with this story was the way it was written: the way Min kept talking about old movies I really didn't care about, the way the sentences were awfully long so I had to read them more than once to quite grasp what the author was trying to say, and also the way this book was more of a long ramble than a story being written on paper because of its punctuation.
I did quite like the plot a lot though, and once I got past the first half of the book I really just couldn't put it down. The stories behind the objects became a lot more interesting and the comparisons to old movies and whatnot were diminished, so I quite enjoyed that too. Also, not to mention the drawings, which were also so very cute.
All in all, it was a non-traditional and very unique, heartbreaking story that I did quite enjoy, so cheers to Min and her determination and uniqueness, and f*ck you, Ed Slaterton.
Okay, so, the thing with this book... The first 140ish pages bored me quite a lot, because The problem I had with this story was the way it was written: the way Min kept talking about old movies I really didn't care about, the way the sentences were awfully long so I had to read them more than once to quite grasp what the author was trying to say, and also the way this book was more of a long ramble than a story being written on paper because of its punctuation.
I did quite like the plot a lot though, and once I got past the first half of the book I really just couldn't put it down. The stories behind the objects became a lot more interesting and the comparisons to old movies and whatnot were diminished, so I quite enjoyed that too. Also, not to mention the drawings, which were also so very cute.
All in all, it was a non-traditional and very unique, heartbreaking story that I did quite enjoy, so cheers to Min and her determination and uniqueness, and f*ck you, Ed Slaterton.
Two words: Hawk Davies.
Handler made me want to listen to Hawk Davies and I would like to offer Handler a big ole "screw you" for that. I wanted to watch the movies and listen to Hawk Davies and I can't. But that is a testament to the writing abilities of Handler. He made me love things that exist only in his mind and in this book. So I love you, Handler. But I hate you too. Because my heart aches to hear the music that flowed through this book and I never will. I had the feeling. And if that feeling only exists in the world of Min and Al and Ed and Why We Broke Up... Well, I'll be back again and again. Even if it's only to have that feeling again.
Handler made me want to listen to Hawk Davies and I would like to offer Handler a big ole "screw you" for that. I wanted to watch the movies and listen to Hawk Davies and I can't. But that is a testament to the writing abilities of Handler. He made me love things that exist only in his mind and in this book. So I love you, Handler. But I hate you too. Because my heart aches to hear the music that flowed through this book and I never will. I had the feeling. And if that feeling only exists in the world of Min and Al and Ed and Why We Broke Up... Well, I'll be back again and again. Even if it's only to have that feeling again.
DNF. Interesting writing style, but I just didn’t care for Min or Ed and the story of their break up.
I did not, as was the case with many readers of this book, have any trouble getting into it right from the start. I wasn't particularly sure I liked Min, however-- actually, I'm still not sure I like(d) her. I am, however, on her side.
For me, I didn't find the stream of consciousness that takes place toward the beginning of the story to be bothersome in the slightest. Perhaps that's because I recently attempted to read Only Revolutions by Danielewski, and absolutely hate hate hated the way the 'stream of consciousness' was done there.
In "Why We Broke Up," I found the stream of consciousness to be charming and helpful. When Min uses stream of consciousness at the beginning, describing a day in the life of a typical high school student, it really captured the feeling for me. Suddenly, I was there, back in high school, and I knew precisely what Handler was doing by giving Min this stream of consciousness.
While the stream of consciousness doesn't bother me, as it did many readers, I also wasn't ultimately MOVED by the book, as so many others were. I read one review that said the novel would break my heart. It didn't-- it didn't even come close. But, that's okay. Heartbreaking is not a requirement to me thoroughly enjoying a book.
I can see, though, how it could be described as heartbreaking by someone. Perhaps it didn't strike me as such because I kept imagining Min, ten years from the happenings in the book, moderately happy and significantly less selfish.
All in all, I found the concept for the book to be a very interesting one-- I really enjoyed how Handler handled the second person (and I only found one slip up, where Min says "Ed said," as opposed to "you said," or "Ed, you said," etc. The second person in this case doesn't provide poignancy (as it does in Elliot Perlman's "Seven Types of Ambiguity," but it works very well for this format.
I enjoyed this book-- and, it might even be something I'll read again someday, which isn't something I say often. I thought the art was a very nice touch, it was lovely to see the items--insignificant and weighty drawn out--the box every girl had--or even still has--of her first love.
Glad I picked this up.
For me, I didn't find the stream of consciousness that takes place toward the beginning of the story to be bothersome in the slightest. Perhaps that's because I recently attempted to read Only Revolutions by Danielewski, and absolutely hate hate hated the way the 'stream of consciousness' was done there.
In "Why We Broke Up," I found the stream of consciousness to be charming and helpful. When Min uses stream of consciousness at the beginning, describing a day in the life of a typical high school student, it really captured the feeling for me. Suddenly, I was there, back in high school, and I knew precisely what Handler was doing by giving Min this stream of consciousness.
While the stream of consciousness doesn't bother me, as it did many readers, I also wasn't ultimately MOVED by the book, as so many others were. I read one review that said the novel would break my heart. It didn't-- it didn't even come close. But, that's okay. Heartbreaking is not a requirement to me thoroughly enjoying a book.
I can see, though, how it could be described as heartbreaking by someone. Perhaps it didn't strike me as such because I kept imagining Min, ten years from the happenings in the book, moderately happy and significantly less selfish.
All in all, I found the concept for the book to be a very interesting one-- I really enjoyed how Handler handled the second person (and I only found one slip up, where Min says "Ed said," as opposed to "you said," or "Ed, you said," etc. The second person in this case doesn't provide poignancy (as it does in Elliot Perlman's "Seven Types of Ambiguity," but it works very well for this format.
I enjoyed this book-- and, it might even be something I'll read again someday, which isn't something I say often. I thought the art was a very nice touch, it was lovely to see the items--insignificant and weighty drawn out--the box every girl had--or even still has--of her first love.
Glad I picked this up.
The first thing I thought when I picked this book up was, "Why is this thing so blasted heavy?"
It's deceptively heavy because the pages are all glossy... like a children's book. It's illustrated, too. So, mega nostalgia waves were hitting me as I read it. I read it on Easter Sunday, by all accounts a Sunday I can spend a lot of time not doing much else but reading, so the 300+ pages weren't that daunting. Plus, the content and tone were entertaining. Teenagers fall in love all the times. This story was very honest about it. And the narrator, though she thinks of herself as nothing special sure has style when it comes to telling a story.
The story is of a box of things, each representing a stage in a relationship, that ultimately lead to "Why We Broke Up".
It's deceptively heavy because the pages are all glossy... like a children's book. It's illustrated, too. So, mega nostalgia waves were hitting me as I read it. I read it on Easter Sunday, by all accounts a Sunday I can spend a lot of time not doing much else but reading, so the 300+ pages weren't that daunting. Plus, the content and tone were entertaining. Teenagers fall in love all the times. This story was very honest about it. And the narrator, though she thinks of herself as nothing special sure has style when it comes to telling a story.
The story is of a box of things, each representing a stage in a relationship, that ultimately lead to "Why We Broke Up".
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story wouldn't be the same without the illustrations.
From a writer's perspective, I really liked the concept because instead of chapters to divide the book, there are several illustrations of objects that had some terminal significance in the eyes of the protagonist, Min during her relationship with Ed, who ultimately breaks her heart.
Those objects served as excellent writing prompts to direct the plot from start to finish. The plot is not original, especially in the young adult genre: Girl meets boy; Boy is really sweet for all of the many days (about 14) of their long-term (short-term) relationship up until he gets what he wanted from the girl; Boy moves on to another girl.
So, while the plot isn't original, the author finds a new way to tell it. Those objects that the story is written about are the relics of a relationship. A movie ticket stub that led to a memorable first date... two bottle caps that encapsulated a chance encounter at a party... a box of matches that provided a tool to express heated emotions... a roll of film to capture memories that were shortly treasured... a bracelet associated with physical touch... a token that served as a souvenir of a foolish jukebox song... two keys with symbolic meaning at a costume party... and so many other mementos that collectively tell the story of the roller coaster emotions of two high school students and why they ultimately broke up.
I can almost imagine the author, at the outset, collecting some random objects and attempting to build a compelling story around them, and I like the result because it speaks to our sentimentality and the value we place on items that may be materially worthless while simultaneously holding priceless memories of strong feelings; Objects that are only treasured as long as the relationship is untarnished. Throughout the story, Min not only tells her story through those objects, but is also constantly comparing the scenes of her life to the scenes of famous classic black and white movies that she enjoys watching (movies and actors that were apparently made up just for this book but were described so well and realistically that I went to imdb.com to try and look some of them up, to no avail... Which is one more pretty cool thing about this book).
Once the relationship ends, does the disposal of those sentimental objects erase the painful memories? Not necessarily, although it probably serves as an effective way to lessen the sorrow. This story is a reflection of how we typically deal with disappointment in our lives, but are we effective in how we carry that out? I believe the author leaves that up to the reader.
From a writer's perspective, I really liked the concept because instead of chapters to divide the book, there are several illustrations of objects that had some terminal significance in the eyes of the protagonist, Min during her relationship with Ed, who ultimately breaks her heart.
Those objects served as excellent writing prompts to direct the plot from start to finish. The plot is not original, especially in the young adult genre: Girl meets boy; Boy is really sweet for all of the many days (about 14) of their long-term (short-term) relationship up until he gets what he wanted from the girl; Boy moves on to another girl.
So, while the plot isn't original, the author finds a new way to tell it. Those objects that the story is written about are the relics of a relationship. A movie ticket stub that led to a memorable first date... two bottle caps that encapsulated a chance encounter at a party... a box of matches that provided a tool to express heated emotions... a roll of film to capture memories that were shortly treasured... a bracelet associated with physical touch... a token that served as a souvenir of a foolish jukebox song... two keys with symbolic meaning at a costume party... and so many other mementos that collectively tell the story of the roller coaster emotions of two high school students and why they ultimately broke up.
I can almost imagine the author, at the outset, collecting some random objects and attempting to build a compelling story around them, and I like the result because it speaks to our sentimentality and the value we place on items that may be materially worthless while simultaneously holding priceless memories of strong feelings; Objects that are only treasured as long as the relationship is untarnished. Throughout the story, Min not only tells her story through those objects, but is also constantly comparing the scenes of her life to the scenes of famous classic black and white movies that she enjoys watching (movies and actors that were apparently made up just for this book but were described so well and realistically that I went to imdb.com to try and look some of them up, to no avail... Which is one more pretty cool thing about this book).
Once the relationship ends, does the disposal of those sentimental objects erase the painful memories? Not necessarily, although it probably serves as an effective way to lessen the sorrow. This story is a reflection of how we typically deal with disappointment in our lives, but are we effective in how we carry that out? I believe the author leaves that up to the reader.