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A review by bookph1le
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki
3.0
This was one of those where I obviously am missing something. Of course, that's because books, like most things, are subjective, so what works for some people won't necessarily work for others.
In fairness, I also think a lot of my attitude about YA lately comes from my being not at all YA. I get impatient with a lot of YA's themes, even though I don't get impatient with actual YA people. Teenage years are confusing and awkward and hard. I don't care how old I get, I won't forget that.
But so many of the YA books I read are just so angsty, and this one was no exception. A huge part of my problem was my inability to understand why Freddy lets Laura walk all over her. What is special about Laura? She flakes on Freddy constantly, is never there when Freddy needs her. I got tired of seeing Freddy be such an absolute doormat.
I think what kept me from flat-out disliking this book was Freddy's relationship with Doodle. I really liked that subplot, and I really appreciated that Freddy's actions had stakes, since sometimes stakes seem sorely lacking in YA.
All in all, while I appreciated the message of this book, that being in a relationship that makes you miserable and constantly leaves you wondering is not a healthy relationship, I wish the book had focused more on this and less on some other elements. I think it tried to cram too much in, and in the end it felt too message-y for me and not enough like a natural story.
In fairness, I also think a lot of my attitude about YA lately comes from my being not at all YA. I get impatient with a lot of YA's themes, even though I don't get impatient with actual YA people. Teenage years are confusing and awkward and hard. I don't care how old I get, I won't forget that.
But so many of the YA books I read are just so angsty, and this one was no exception. A huge part of my problem was my inability to understand why Freddy lets Laura walk all over her. What is special about Laura? She flakes on Freddy constantly, is never there when Freddy needs her. I got tired of seeing Freddy be such an absolute doormat.
I think what kept me from flat-out disliking this book was Freddy's relationship with Doodle. I really liked that subplot, and I really appreciated that Freddy's actions had stakes, since sometimes stakes seem sorely lacking in YA.
All in all, while I appreciated the message of this book, that being in a relationship that makes you miserable and constantly leaves you wondering is not a healthy relationship, I wish the book had focused more on this and less on some other elements. I think it tried to cram too much in, and in the end it felt too message-y for me and not enough like a natural story.