Instructions for a Broken Heart [Paperback]

Kim Culbertson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 1, 2011

Top 20 Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard
Jessa: To help you get over your train wreck EX, I've enclosed 20 envelopes. Each one has a reason why Sean is a jerk and not worth the dirt on your shoes. And each one has an instruction for you to do one un-Jessa-like thing a day. NO CHEATING!
Ciao! -C

When Jessa catches her boyfriend, Sean, making out with Natalie "the Boob Job" Stone three days before their drama club's departure to Italy, she completely freaks. Stuck with a front-row view of Sean and Natalie making out against the backdrop of a country that oozes romance, Jessa promises to follow all of the outrageous instructions in her best friend's care package and open her heart to new experiences. Enter cute Italian boy stage left.

Jessa had prepared to play the role of humiliated ex-girlfriend, but with Carissa directing her life from afar, it's finally time to take a shot at being a star.

"Instructions for a Broken Heart transported me-to Italy, back to high school, to the wrench and ache of a first breakup and the exhilaration of self-discovery...with multifaceted characters and realistic complexities, this unforgettable novel is a journey I'm so glad to have taken."
-Eireann Corrigan, author of Accomplice

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Culbertson balances the story between teen angst and a nice Italian travelogue. The author has a flair for evocative descriptions. . . The major strength here is in the literary quality of the writing, although teens may be more interested in the characters' relationship." - Kirkus

"While contemporary was never my favourite thing before, truly I'm finding a wonderful and eclectic mix of books to satiate my contemporary appetite now. Instructions for a Broken Heart doesn't have the most original of premises - cheating guy, good best friend, chance to find oneself etc. - but author Kim Culbertson has delicately balanced a strong setting, a great cast of characters and a coming-of-age story that anyone can relate to. Laugh out loud funny, tender and sweet, Instructions for a Broken Heart is one of those books that makes me feel like the character might just be me or my best friend.

The strongest part of Instructions for a Broken Heart was the main character, Jessa, in my humble opinion. It is so easy to draw a character that becomes weak and spineless in her situation, but Jessa's personality was perfectly played. She hesitates, she's flawed and she has self-doubt, but it's not in the crippling "woe is me" sense of the word. Jessa wants to find happiness and she wants to have a great time in Italy. The way the list gives her a chance to step outside herself, introduce a cast of fantastic secondary characters and show us a world of adventure was a skill in and of itself, making me enjoy and relate to Instructions for a Broken Heart that much more.

All in all, Instructions for a Broken Heart was a sweet, heartfelt and extremely approachable book. It exceeded my expectations, which were already high. I give it a strong 4.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction." - i swim for oceans

"There seems to be just the right amount of drama amongst the characters without being contrived. This is a quick read that moves at a rapid pace...The book will circulate well in libraries that have a strong following of teen romance and teen angst novels." - Library Media Connection

"I definitely recommend this book for those who like realistic chick-lit and books by Sarah Dessen. Jessa was a mess at the beginning of the book, and grew into an entirely new person by the end. Speaking of which, the ending I didn't see coming at all! There were two or three twists in the story, and I was literally smiling on the last page. Everything just worked out so perfectly, yet it wasn't cheesy or unrealistic! You'll just have to read the book to find out what I mean..." - Books Obsession

About the Author

Kim Culbertson has taught high school English, creative writing, and drama for over ten years and sees her writing as an extension of her teaching. She lives in the Northern California foothills with her husband and daughter, where she loves to drink coffee and look at the clouds. Visit kimculbertson.com

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402243022
• ISBN-13: 978-1402243028
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #897,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kim Culbertson technically writes for teenagers, but some grown-ups like her work. Sourcebooks Fire published her first YA novel Songs for a Teenage Nomad (2010) and her second Instructions for a Broken Heart (2011), which was named a Booklist Top Ten Romance Title for Youth: 2011 and won the 2012 Northern California Book Award for YA Fiction. Her third YA novel Catch a Falling Star will be published by Scholastic. When she's not writing for teens, she's teaching them. She's a college advisor and teaches creative writing and English in Northern California. Kim wrote her eBook novella The Liberation of Max McTrue for her students who, over the years, have taught her much more than she has taught them.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 20 Reasons You Want To Read This Book May 3, 2011

By Tanya Egan Gibson

Format:Paperback

1. You love gorgeous writing.
2. You like/love/would like to go to Italy.
3. You appreciate romance but hate saccharine.
4. You remember having your heart broken for the first time.
5. You like/love/need to be reminded that life isn't all gloom and doom.
6. You have fantasized at some point in your life about throwing an orange soda (or something equally messy) at someone who really deserved it.
7. You are not the kind of person who would actually throw a neon drink at someone.
8. You want to read a book with heart.
9. You want to read a book with a brain.
10. You have read too many books that lack either #8 or #9 above and are yearning for a book that balances the two.
11. You like real, complex characters, not "types."
12. You have been a good friend.
13. You have been a bad friend.
14. You know #12 and #13 above don't exist as absolutes.
15. You, like Jessa, the protagonist, love how plays and scenes within them are "So clean.... No fussy, messy strings and roads that led nowhere."
16. You love the messiness of real life, too.
17. You wish you had told an ex that his/her cologne smells like "possum pee."
18. You believe "Practicality can be its own prison."
19. You understand what it's like to feel too much.
20. You believe that discovering who you really are is the coolest field trip ever.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Travel, Romance, Teen Angst...What Else Could You Want? December 7, 2011

By CJ Blake

Format:Paperback

Instructions for a Broken Heart is a great second book from author Kim Culbertson. She writes with an appreciation for language and the impact her words can have on the reader's experience. She writes to not only entertain, but educate her audience. Ms. Culbertson's writing is geared toward a more sophisticated YA reader who wants more than just spoon fed entertainment. I can't wait for her next book.

Check out Songs for a Teenage Nomad her first book...it is really great!

PG13
YA Crossover

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic Contemporary YA fiction May 27, 2011

By Deborah VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Kim Culbertson's first book, Songs for a Teenage Nomad, made my Best Reads of 2010 so I was really looking forward to her next book. She writes in style that I really enjoy and gives insight to characters that most YA writers tend to skim over. I really enjoy how her books are more about what the characters are feeling as opposed to just things that happen to them. This story is about about teenage love, drama, friendship and everything in between mixed in with an armchair vacation to Italy.

Jessa's had the worse thing that could happen to a teen girl. She catches her boyfriend in the act of cheating with her right before they are set to go on a school trip to Italy together. You can't run away from the pain and hurt and have a good cry or recover when your ex-boyfriend is down the aisle with his new girlfriend. In order to help Jessa get through this time, her best friend Carissa has written instructions on what to do to get over Sean. Through these instructions, Jessa learns more about Sean, Carissa, and her own self.

I feel as if Carissa is at sort of a disadvantage in this story because we only get to know her character from the letters she's written Jessa as well as conversations other characters have about her. We don't get to her personally from her and she's not there to defend her actions or viewpoints. Sometimes it even seemed as if the things she was getting Jessa to do towards Sean are things that Carissa wanted to do herself but couldn't. I personally would have like to read a book from her point of view of the whole situation as well.

There's a scene that happens with Jessa and her teacher that thankfully does not go further than it does. I've seen this type of seen happen quite a bit in other YA books and while I know that it can happen, I really don't like it because of all the trouble it causes (among other issues). Things don't get too awkward between them afterward and it's almost forgotten about by the end of the book. One plot that I did wish have more closer involved "Cruella" because I didn't feel as if we got full justification of why she acted the way she did.

All the scenes involving the actual trip were fun to read and it made me feel like I really was traveling along with the group. Italy is one of the places that I would love to see before I die so every little bit I discover in stories is a joy to read. What I got most out of this book is remembering all the pain from past heartbreaks when I was in high school and college. It just made me remember that even though you feel like you're never going to heal your broken heart again, that eventually it will happen.

This is one of the reasons why I love contemporary YA fiction. I like realism in my books and authors like Culbertson make me feel as if I'm reading a real story about a teen girl who I can empathize with. Jessa doesn't always make the right decisions but she does everything with her heart. And I can totally relate to it. I am looking forward to see what Culbertson will put out next.