heathercide 's review for:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

3.0

---

I'd say this was a pretty good book. I certainly found it more readable and compelling than, I admit, Watership Down, which I've had to abandon 70 pages in because both the plot and prose just bored me to tears. Handler is, in my opinion, a much better and more interesting writer, though in truth this novel didn't feel too different than other good YA realism novels; tropes used include quirky female protagonist, male best friend who is obviously in love with the protagonist, though she herself is somehow unaware until the end, a made up, in-world obscure artist who the protagonist is obsessed with and wants to meet (though this is deconstructed a bit, and at the moment I can't remember any other books that do this besides The Fault in Our Stars). I will say that I really enjoyed all the made up film titles and plots that Handler used throughout; he clearly enjoyed this a little in A Series of Unfortunate Events, but he takes it to another level here, and I actually think it made Min's interest seem more real, not less. Also, a certain Very Famous Dish that had importance in that same series makes a brief mention here, which delighted me.