Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by willoughbyreads
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
3.0
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.