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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
There were these occasional spots of genius, but overall, this book was pointless. If you're interested in a book that incorporates picture with text, there are some good ones out there, but this is not it.
The plot was excessively simple, but tried to be complicated. It was a whole lot of things not quite happening, and the main character was terribly unpleasant.
The plot was excessively simple, but tried to be complicated. It was a whole lot of things not quite happening, and the main character was terribly unpleasant.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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 book taught me some things. It was witty, smart and heart wrenching. Was not expecting the final reason of why we broke up. I love that it was easy to relate and turned my day upside down when I finished it. I wish we knew more about Joe. I don't mind Min. I don't like the way he handled some situations and just I wanted to shout WAKE UP. But I could relate to her, can't we all? She is romantic and naive and blinded by love. Haven't we all been Min once? At least now she has woken up. I recommend this book to anyone with a broken heart. I also recommend checking out the 'why we broke up project'.
So Daniel Handler's alter ego is Lemony Snicket which, believe it or not, explains a lot. The writing in this novel, Min's letter to Ed explaining why they broke up (I know, a total shock based on the title . . . I kid), has a lilting, lyrical quality readers will recognize from the Series of Unfortunate Events books. Unfortunately, as it did in those books, the tone does more to distance readers than draw them in. The Baudelaires never felt like authentic children and Min doesn't feel like an authentic teen.
Numerous times while going through this novel I had to stop and confirm it was in fact a YA novel because the writing, the tone, even the whole premise of the story felt decidedly adult. The object-as-explanation device is similar to the box of tapes Hannah Baker leaves after her suicide in 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Still, even with the addition of lovely illustrations by Maira Kalman, the idea never quite works here.
Min is not very likable. Ed is very, very unlikable (I mean, Min did break up with him after all) and never feels like a character in the plot, acting more as a inanimate object in Min's story than a real part of it. And then there's Al--an innocent bystander to this relationship train wreck. (To be fair, I also couldn't get past the big-book-length-breakup production for a relationship that didn't even last two months--I mean, really?)
Novels written as letters are hard. Love, Stargirl is one that worked well drawing readers into the story and the characters. On the other hand, with her sendoff to Ed, Min pushes everyone away.
Numerous times while going through this novel I had to stop and confirm it was in fact a YA novel because the writing, the tone, even the whole premise of the story felt decidedly adult. The object-as-explanation device is similar to the box of tapes Hannah Baker leaves after her suicide in 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Still, even with the addition of lovely illustrations by Maira Kalman, the idea never quite works here.
Min is not very likable. Ed is very, very unlikable (I mean, Min did break up with him after all) and never feels like a character in the plot, acting more as a inanimate object in Min's story than a real part of it. And then there's Al--an innocent bystander to this relationship train wreck. (To be fair, I also couldn't get past the big-book-length-breakup production for a relationship that didn't even last two months--I mean, really?)
Novels written as letters are hard. Love, Stargirl is one that worked well drawing readers into the story and the characters. On the other hand, with her sendoff to Ed, Min pushes everyone away.
I think I'm done reading YA romance of any kind.
Spent the whole graphic novel forcing myself to care. Still couldn't.
With Daniel Handler being one of my favorite authors, I wasn't expecting this at all.
With Daniel Handler being one of my favorite authors, I wasn't expecting this at all.
This book was doomed to be unimpressive to me within the first 50 pages. The basic premise is that Min is breaking up with Ed, and telling him (and us) why through giving back little keepsakes of their relationship.
The problem is though, that I didn’t like either character. And actually, as soon as we met Ed on page 14, I kind of hated him. He’s awful. He’s homophobic and he’s a jerk to Min, laughing about the fact that she doesn’t want to immediately sleep with him with his friends. I just don’t get it.
So yes, I didn’t care about these characters and I certainly didn’t care about their stupid relationship. It was insta-love and there was nothing endearing about them as a couple at all. When you don’t care about the relationship, you don’t care about the break-up. So the whole premise of the book falls flat.
I have to mention the writing too. I hate Min’s narration. Sometimes a sentence would be so weirdly worded I’d have to read it three or four times before I could actually comprehend was it was trying to say.
This book isn’t terrible, despite that fact I’m giving it 1 star. I’ve taken off a star because some variation of the phrase “you’re not like other girls” is used no less than four times. I loathe this sentiment more than anything in literature. Hate it with a passion, and to be bashed over the head with it so many times (from other girls too!) did not do this book any favours.
The problem is though, that I didn’t like either character. And actually, as soon as we met Ed on page 14, I kind of hated him. He’s awful. He’s homophobic and he’s a jerk to Min, laughing about the fact that she doesn’t want to immediately sleep with him with his friends. I just don’t get it.
So yes, I didn’t care about these characters and I certainly didn’t care about their stupid relationship. It was insta-love and there was nothing endearing about them as a couple at all. When you don’t care about the relationship, you don’t care about the break-up. So the whole premise of the book falls flat.
I have to mention the writing too. I hate Min’s narration. Sometimes a sentence would be so weirdly worded I’d have to read it three or four times before I could actually comprehend was it was trying to say.
This book isn’t terrible, despite that fact I’m giving it 1 star. I’ve taken off a star because some variation of the phrase “you’re not like other girls” is used no less than four times. I loathe this sentiment more than anything in literature. Hate it with a passion, and to be bashed over the head with it so many times (from other girls too!) did not do this book any favours.
I was so ready to love love love this book, but it just never really got me. Maybe it was because all the characters' voices sounded the same? Or because from the very beginning? Or because I knew ? Or because I saw the whole coming? It's all of these things are more. I was prepared to lose myself in teenage love and heartbreak, since I still remember it so well, but it never really happened.