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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
I loved the premise of this book but didn't find the book enjoyable. I didn't care for a majority of the characters and found it difficult to like Minnie and Ed's relationship. I didn't like Minnie's narration either. It jumped around around a lot and didn't flow very well. I also didn't like all of the movie references; it didn't add anything to novel and often made the story very hard to follow. Overall, I was very disappointed with the book. It could have been a lot better. I would not recommend this book.
Thoughts:
-I saw someone review this as feeling like you've just gone through a breakup, which is kind of true. For me, though, it felt more like I was reminded of a past relationship of mine in the sense that you know something's off in the relationship, but you're too infatuated or "in love" with the person to notice any problems.
- The story is told in letters which makes the style like a stream of consciousness type. There's lots of run on sentences that were kind of hard to get used to & annoyed me a bit, but I think it does add a unique style to the book. Also I realized that I talk in run on sentences all the time so that probably annoys the heck out of people, haha.
-I saw someone review this as feeling like you've just gone through a breakup, which is kind of true. For me, though, it felt more like I was reminded of a past relationship of mine in the sense that you know something's off in the relationship, but you're too infatuated or "in love" with the person to notice any problems.
- The story is told in letters which makes the style like a stream of consciousness type. There's lots of run on sentences that were kind of hard to get used to & annoyed me a bit, but I think it does add a unique style to the book. Also I realized that I talk in run on sentences all the time so that probably annoys the heck out of people, haha.
I can't decide how I feel about this book.
I think I wanted this story to be something that it wasn't, largely because I wanted to love Daniel Handler for what I expected him to be. And I'm not sure I can articulate what I expected him to be. This book was funny at times, like I expected. It was critical and sarcastic, like I hoped. It was unique: great long paragraphs of lists contrasted with short, back-and-forth dialogue all set against the backdrop of artwork that moved the story along. Super interesting. Still, it was almost too sad. Not sad, maybe, but nihilistic? Neither of those are the right words. Throughout this book, the main character reaches crossroad and, every time, makes the wrong choice. That, in itself, isn't even deplorable in a literary sense, but being inside Min's head, being voyeuristic to the deep intimacy of this letter that she's sending, means that every wrong choice she makes adds to the reader's emotional baggage. I feel heavy after having read this.
I do want to appreciate that Handler may have been intentional with the emotions he's leaving me with. This character makes a lot of choices that cause her, and those around her, pain. I wonder if the reason I am so deeply hurt by this book is because those choices are not being glorified or romanticized. Or maybe they are? This book would be entirely redeemed for me if I believed that it is a critical vignette of what it looks like when you separate yourself from those who love you for the sake of romantic affection and put yourself in a vulnerable position for pain. That is a situation I'm familiar with, in my own life and in the lives of those I love. If I believed that Handler was trying to expose the narrative of "all I need is his love, I don't care what they think" for the poison it is, I would be content. But I'm not sure. And I feel heavy.
I think I wanted this story to be something that it wasn't, largely because I wanted to love Daniel Handler for what I expected him to be. And I'm not sure I can articulate what I expected him to be. This book was funny at times, like I expected. It was critical and sarcastic, like I hoped. It was unique: great long paragraphs of lists contrasted with short, back-and-forth dialogue all set against the backdrop of artwork that moved the story along. Super interesting. Still, it was almost too sad. Not sad, maybe, but nihilistic? Neither of those are the right words. Throughout this book, the main character reaches crossroad and, every time, makes the wrong choice. That, in itself, isn't even deplorable in a literary sense, but being inside Min's head, being voyeuristic to the deep intimacy of this letter that she's sending, means that every wrong choice she makes adds to the reader's emotional baggage. I feel heavy after having read this.
I do want to appreciate that Handler may have been intentional with the emotions he's leaving me with. This character makes a lot of choices that cause her, and those around her, pain. I wonder if the reason I am so deeply hurt by this book is because those choices are not being glorified or romanticized. Or maybe they are? This book would be entirely redeemed for me if I believed that it is a critical vignette of what it looks like when you separate yourself from those who love you for the sake of romantic affection and put yourself in a vulnerable position for pain. That is a situation I'm familiar with, in my own life and in the lives of those I love. If I believed that Handler was trying to expose the narrative of "all I need is his love, I don't care what they think" for the poison it is, I would be content. But I'm not sure. And I feel heavy.
Mostly, I just found this book tiring. It was hard to care about the characters and their short-lived relationship. The entire thing seemed like one big, "You were an asshole, and that's why we broke up." I went into this book thinking that it would be really emotional, and that it would be more of a, "We loved each other, and we were great together, but sometimes things just don't work out, and that's not anyone's fault." It's a gorgeous book, and the artwork ties in really well with the story, but unfortunately the story did not grip me or move me. I was mostly just reminded of my own shitty relationships and also that this is something that everyone must go through at some point in their lives. It was nice, but not completely effective in what I wanted it to do.
A beautiful contemporary novel that follows a young girl going through the things that remind her of her ex boyfriend, ultimately revealing why they broke up. This novel has a very original format that allows the reader to experience a story in a completely new way. What a fabulous book.
I love Daniel Handler. This book broke my heart. I wonder what it would be like to read this in your teens rather then in your twenties. I kept thinking "don't do it Min, don't do it.."
4.5
Ok, so all the reviews saying this book is angsty and artsy are right. But I've never read a story so uncannily accurate to what highschool first love feels like. And I really had trouble wrapping my head around the fact that the author is a guy when the main character's POV is so...teenage girl. There's literally no way. And I mean this as a compliment because certain passages could have come straight out of my high school journal. (I've grown a lot since then, don't worry.)
Like the characters are cringey and there's so much PDA and they're so overeager (she says she thinks she loved him from the first date!), but that's exactly what I remember feeling. I remember experiencing "love at first sight" like that where you can remember the entire date in perfect detail for months after and can't fall asleep for a week. Reading this book brought me backkkk. And not just my own hs fling but it reminded me of my other friend's high school relationships too (in so so many ways. The saying I love you too soon, meeting the friends too soon, friends disapproving (with good reason!)). I don't understand how people feel like it's unrealistic unless they're forgetting the main characters are indie high schoolers. In general, the high school atmosphere was also pretty similar to my personal experience (I swear to God I've met people just like Trevor, that scene triggered my fight or flight) (Side note, I don't know how people said they didn't see the ending coming when I feel like it was alluded to pretty early on.)
The drawings were really nice! The dialogue itself was also very realistic, both in like accuracy and romantically. Like it felt like reading a transcript, in a good way though, because most of the book is dialogue so you really get a front-row seat to their romance. And there are little details (like the fact that Ed's family keeps elastic bands on the kitchen cupboard handle or some of the odder objects she put in the box) that made it feel really real. Still not convinced this isn't a real story. It's so uncannily personal.
Kinda a random side note, but I really like Daniel Handler's descriptions of food lol, and they're always really...fancy?(that's definitely not the right word) sounding food lol. He has good taste. If he ever makes a cookbook someone let me know asap.
This book gave me such a melancholic feeling, I did read it on a rainy day so honestly, I don't know if it would have the same effect on like a usual sunny day.
I took off 0.5 because I did feel like sometimes it could be too self-satisfied/smug I guess? Or the writing could be really hit or miss for me. (Oh and I wasn't really sure why she was mad at him at Halloween)
Ok, so all the reviews saying this book is angsty and artsy are right. But I've never read a story so uncannily accurate to what highschool first love feels like. And I really had trouble wrapping my head around the fact that the author is a guy when the main character's POV is so...teenage girl. There's literally no way. And I mean this as a compliment because certain passages could have come straight out of my high school journal. (I've grown a lot since then, don't worry.)
Like the characters are cringey and there's so much PDA and they're so overeager (she says she thinks she loved him from the first date!), but that's exactly what I remember feeling. I remember experiencing "love at first sight" like that where you can remember the entire date in perfect detail for months after and can't fall asleep for a week. Reading this book brought me backkkk. And not just my own hs fling but it reminded me of my other friend's high school relationships too (in so so many ways. The saying I love you too soon, meeting the friends too soon, friends disapproving (with good reason!)). I don't understand how people feel like it's unrealistic unless they're forgetting the main characters are indie high schoolers. In general, the high school atmosphere was also pretty similar to my personal experience (I swear to God I've met people just like Trevor, that scene triggered my fight or flight) (Side note, I don't know how people said they didn't see the ending coming when I feel like it was alluded to pretty early on.)
The drawings were really nice! The dialogue itself was also very realistic, both in like accuracy and romantically. Like it felt like reading a transcript, in a good way though, because most of the book is dialogue so you really get a front-row seat to their romance. And there are little details (like the fact that Ed's family keeps elastic bands on the kitchen cupboard handle or some of the odder objects she put in the box) that made it feel really real. Still not convinced this isn't a real story. It's so uncannily personal.
Kinda a random side note, but I really like Daniel Handler's descriptions of food lol, and they're always really...fancy?(that's definitely not the right word) sounding food lol. He has good taste. If he ever makes a cookbook someone let me know asap.
This book gave me such a melancholic feeling, I did read it on a rainy day so honestly, I don't know if it would have the same effect on like a usual sunny day.
I took off 0.5 because I did feel like sometimes it could be too self-satisfied/smug I guess? Or the writing could be really hit or miss for me. (Oh and I wasn't really sure why she was mad at him at Halloween)
I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up from the library. After reading his globally-known and loved books - A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions series, reading that he wrote a book from the perspective of a young girl going through a breakup was, to put it simply, WEIRD. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. The illustrations were beautiful, and the writing was so raw and real, I had to constantly pause and think to myself, Daniel Handler is a GROWN MAN. How the hell he managed to capture the essence of a teenage girl so poignantly remains a mystery. I myself have never had any intimate relationships, but this made me sympathise with Min Green (the protagonist) and it made me want to kick the fu**ing soul out of Ed. It also made me yearn to have a friendship like Al and Min. I loved it. It was beautiful, and I hope Daniel Handler or Lemony Snicket will grace the world with another soul-shattering book like this one.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read this lovely book on the way to Disney World (and back). I really loved its method of storytelling, by providing pieces of Min and Ed’s relationship through the items Min returns. I got All Too Well (The Short Film) vibes from this book, as well as The Last Five Years, slightly. But the relationship, while short-lived, feels real, and I think any high-schooler could relate to it. Not my favorite book ever written but still good job to Daniel Handler. I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read it at a younger age - 23 is a bit past the high school love stage.