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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
DNF. Couldn’t handle the run-on sentences and annoying main character’s narrative.
Why We Broke Up is the letter that everyone who's every had there heart good and truly broken dreams of writing to their ex. I had heard this in other reviews, but then experienced for myself just how wrong for each other Min and Ed really are. There is no chemistry, nothing in common... I had a hard time understanding why either of them wanted to be with the other. I absolutely loved Daniel Handler's writing, his soft and highly intelligent voice of Min. Each character had a unique way of speaking that really showed their individual characters. The art was cute, with simple lines and easy colors, but wouldn't have worked any other way. So while the actual relationship between Min and Ed was horribly boring and didn't make a lot of sense, this book was still quite entertaining.
This book is a letter written by Min (short for Minerva) to her ex-boyfriend, Ed, telling him why they broke up. In the beginning of the book, she drops a box on his porch, and the book details all of the objects in the box, each representing a reason why they broke up. The book is witty and quite creative, with paintings of each of the objects.
This was only OK...until the very end and then, for me, it got much more enthralling. Maybe it is because I am a high school teacher and don't see this side of my students or maybe it is because I couldn't really relate to the high school love/drama/romance myself (I didn't fall in love until after high school), but either way, I felt like the characters weren't at all believable, although I so really wanted the characters of Min, Lauren and Al to be. The pictures interspersed in the book, though, are colorful and definitely add to the text.
I picked up this book by chance, and although as soon as I read the description I thought I may be a few years too late reading it, I decided to give it a try because I was interested to se Handler’s writing, and if was much different from his work as Lemony Snicket, which I used to really enjoy.
The story of this book is nothing spectacular - teenage love and break up - but the writing style is different to many other YA novels. On the one hand, I found it a bit dull and boring. All the references to old films and Hollywood didn’t mean much to me as I am not familiar with them, but I think for a film enthusiast they would be interesting and witty. On the other hand, I couldn’t put the book down. Not in a way that I had to read it all in one sitting because of how interesting the story was, but I think for the first hundred pages or so I expected there to be something more than “just” that. I almost gave up on this book a few times as I found the whole thing a bit too dramatic, and at the same time boring, through Min’s eyes. The whole story takes place over about a month - is that really enough to even get hurt by someone? But I guess it was her first love so we can forgive her.
All in all, mixed feelings about this book. I think 13-15-year-old-me would have really enjoyed this book, maybe even found the main character quirky or relatable. However, I’m not sure if I knew from the beginning how the story will end if I would have stuck with it. The biggest issue for me was the fact that I was expecting something different, some twist, maybe some chapters with Ed’s or Al’s perspective, but I was disappointed to see that each chapter was basically the same thing.
The story of this book is nothing spectacular - teenage love and break up - but the writing style is different to many other YA novels. On the one hand, I found it a bit dull and boring. All the references to old films and Hollywood didn’t mean much to me as I am not familiar with them, but I think for a film enthusiast they would be interesting and witty. On the other hand, I couldn’t put the book down. Not in a way that I had to read it all in one sitting because of how interesting the story was, but I think for the first hundred pages or so I expected there to be something more than “just” that. I almost gave up on this book a few times as I found the whole thing a bit too dramatic, and at the same time boring, through Min’s eyes. The whole story takes place over about a month - is that really enough to even get hurt by someone? But I guess it was her first love so we can forgive her.
All in all, mixed feelings about this book. I think 13-15-year-old-me would have really enjoyed this book, maybe even found the main character quirky or relatable. However, I’m not sure if I knew from the beginning how the story will end if I would have stuck with it. The biggest issue for me was the fact that I was expecting something different, some twist, maybe some chapters with Ed’s or Al’s perspective, but I was disappointed to see that each chapter was basically the same thing.
After the first sixth of the book, I could tell Min why she and Ed broke up.
Min and Ed were just epitomes of tropes: Min's being the "I'm not like other girls" one to a dangerous level and Ed's being the stereotypical (meathead) jock. Their relationship itself (artsy outcast type person and a jock) is its own stereotype. They were opposites and neither of them was willing to change. Also, Ed was morally bankrupt. Imo, they were doomed from the start.
The red flags were flying high from the beginning and Min ignored them. All the signs of Ed's crappiness and impending infidelity were there. Bro very obviously didn't like or respect her for her hobbies/interests and highkey only wanted to take her virginity. I was seeing RED because Min couldn't pick up on this. Despite being infuriating, my main issue isn't with this type of thing as people often miss red flags. My problem was with the writing.
The angst was on overdrive and the way Min wrote was akin to a 10 y/o versus a studious junior in high school. It almost seemed like the author was mocking adolescent relationships (or maybe this was written as satire) because the childishness was sending me. She was SO PRETENTIOUS/ANNOYING and her narration did not read like a real human being had written. It felt robotic and the dialogue was just too romantic (romantic meaning seeing through rose-colored glasses) to be between real people (almost like Romeo and Juliet but exaggerated).
I also kept reading out of the hope that there would be some decent lesson to learn. I could have learned that red flags are a real thing if the premise and execution of this relationship weren't so unrealistic, robotic, and cheesy. Like bruh.
Min and Ed were just epitomes of tropes: Min's being the "I'm not like other girls" one to a dangerous level and Ed's being the stereotypical (meathead) jock. Their relationship itself (artsy outcast type person and a jock) is its own stereotype. They were opposites and neither of them was willing to change. Also, Ed was morally bankrupt. Imo, they were doomed from the start.
The red flags were flying high from the beginning and Min ignored them. All the signs of Ed's crappiness and impending infidelity were there. Bro very obviously didn't like or respect her for her hobbies/interests and highkey only wanted to take her virginity. I was seeing RED because Min couldn't pick up on this. Despite being infuriating, my main issue isn't with this type of thing as people often miss red flags. My problem was with the writing.
The angst was on overdrive and the way Min wrote was akin to a 10 y/o versus a studious junior in high school. It almost seemed like the author was mocking adolescent relationships (or maybe this was written as satire) because the childishness was sending me. She was SO PRETENTIOUS/ANNOYING and her narration did not read like a real human being had written. It felt robotic and the dialogue was just too romantic (romantic meaning seeing through rose-colored glasses) to be between real people (almost like Romeo and Juliet but exaggerated).
I also kept reading out of the hope that there would be some decent lesson to learn. I could have learned that red flags are a real thing if the premise and execution of this relationship weren't so unrealistic, robotic, and cheesy. Like bruh.
I liked the idea of this book. Of a girl giving back all the romance's treasures to the one who broke her heart. I think we all have momentos we collect during a relationship which we can no longer bear to look at when the thing ends. But Handler's obsession with run on sentences and jumping to the conclusion of the story before he even sets up the preamble made it a confusing reading experience. Sometimes Min would jump to a conclusion and I felt like I turned 2 pages instead of 1. Sometimes the other characters would be equally confused so I'd feel a bit better but other times there was some secret telepathic communication going on between them and I was totally out of the loop. I always feel this way after reading his books. I don't know why I keep torturing myself with them.