The Catastrophic History of You And Me [Hardcover]

Jess Rothenberg (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 21, 2012

Brie's life ends at sixteen: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart--literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy Brie loved and lost--and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul...who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Inventive, gorgeous, funny and yes...heartbreaking. You will absolutely love this book."

(Lauren Oliver, author of Before I Fall )

"Weaving significant contemporary issues into a romance flecked with humor, Rothenberg blends genres in a fresh and heartwrenching way. With echoes of Thornton Wilder's Our Town and Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall (2010), this is an emotional and thoughtful first novel with a twist."

(Booklist )

"carries readers to a complex afterlife full of surprises and challenges. In her debut novel, Rothenberg supplies readers with an imaginative and intriguing vision of what might happen after death."

(School Library Journal )

"Peppered with slang and pop culture references, Brie's voice is utterly adolescent, and her lively, flirtatious banter with Patrick...rivals that of any blockbuster rom-com."

(BCCB )

"This author has created a complex and intriguing story built around the afterlife. This is a good choice for fans of Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin or teens looking to get lost in a longer book."

(VOYA )

About the Author

Jess Rothenberg (www.jessrothenberg.com) lives in Brooklyn, New York. She received her BA from Vassar College and is pursuing her MFA in Children's and Young Adult Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She recently gave up her job as a children's book editor to write full time. This is her first book.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dial (February 21, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803737203
• ISBN-13: 978-0803737204
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JESS ROTHENBERG grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, graduated from Vassar College, and spent most of her twenties editing books for teens and middle grade readers. She lives in Brooklyn where she writes full-time, dances interpretively, and dreams of one day owning a sheepdog named Leo. THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU & ME is her first novel.

Visit her at www.jessrothenberg.com to find out more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Roller Coaster of Emotions! December 14, 2012

By Inky

Format:Hardcover

It's not normal if a book almost makes me cry. It's even more rare if a book makes me cry, let alone bawl. So I'm always shocked and impressed and in love with the books that do, or at least but me on a high-feeling kick. This book did that. I didn't cry, perse, but the first time I read the first chapter (I had to put it on hold, for review books) I almost bawled. THE.FIRST. CHAPTER. It's was incredible how well Jess was able to take the premise and concept behind this book, and transform it into an emotionally stunning ride. Because that is exactly what this is.

One thing I absolutely LOVED was how realistic the feelings and situations that Brie goes through where. Not necessarily in terms of, "Oh crap. I died," but more like, dealing with the loses, the love, the betrayal, and all the feelings that come through trials. I mean, WOW. Yes, she's dead, and NO, I can't relate to that (thank goodness!), all those other feelings just hit me. I mean wow. She has some intense struggles and just watching her go through them was one epic ride.This was an emotional adventure, versus a trip across the Afterlife.

Speaking of which, I really liked the take that we get on it. These kinds of books are always so different and unique in seeing the different ways that people portray things like this. I loved the whole aspect of having to overcome grief, because honestly, if I died right now, I think I'd be pretty freaked out, and just full of these feelings that would take awhile to go away. That added a whole new level to the book and it was interesting to watch Brie struggle through each one. The conclusions and everything was just real. Plus, with a hot dead guy helping her...you know it adds flavor.

Seriously? Patrick is hot. I loveth him.... He's hilariously funny, adding that wit and laugh that you need in a book like this, while at the same time adding a serious and darker meaning to the book. Which I will not even try to explain, because then this would turn into a spoiler review. But let me just say that I loved him so so so much. He was exciting and just watching their relationship was like everything you want to see in one. Including the kissing. Oh yes.

I'm so freaking impressed with how well Jess was able to do this book. The writing was fantastic, smoothly flowing, poetic in the right places, witty, intense, emotional, and romantic. And she even had the great forethought to write about a single character that might have just made my day: HAMLOAF.
I know, he's a dog, but seriously? HAMLOAF. I was telling my friend about how adorable and just super fun he was, and how I totally loved him. She laughed. I laughed. I mean he's a dog. But still. It was just the right element needed to give the book.....a sparkle. HAMLOAF. *awkward bookish fangirling*

Anyway, I adored this book. I sucked it all up and just reveled in this fantastic read. It has for sure boosted my contemporary kick, so if you know of any good ones......let me know.

Content: Milderate
(Language throughout-Deity,Da**,He**,A**, S***(x3). Some innuendo and mentions of doing "IT".) Read more ›

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Way better than you'd expect! June 13, 2012

By Evie Seo (Bookish blog)

Format:Hardcover

Charming, brilliantly imaginative, and absolutely unputdownable, The Catastrophic History Of You And Me is hands down one of the most genuinely original books I have ever read. This book is deliciously refreshing, full of sparkling new ideas and unforeseeable plot twists. It's sweet. It's touching. It's funny. Above all, though, it's an extremely perceptive book, especially on the complexity of young love, friendship, and revenge. Offering a mesmerizing blend of romance, mystery, drama and paranormal, The Catastrophic History Of You And Me makes for one extremely entertaining and utterly unforgettable read!

I didn't know it at the time, but that doctor was wrong.
My heart didn't fail. Someone failed my heart.
(quote from the book)

The plot of this wonderfully vibrant and inventive novel centres around sixteen year old Brie and her life, or rather her afterlife. See, Brie is dead. She died while on a date with her beloved boyfriend, Jacob. Her heart broke. The doctors called it a heart failure (or acute congestive cardiomyopathy, to be more precise), but the truth is teenagers don't usually die from heart failure, and neither did Brie. Her heart broke when Jacob told her that he didn't love her. It got severed in "perfect, equal, extraordinary halves". In other words, Jacob - the sweet, caring, supportive and supposedly loving boyfriend - killed her.

"Turns out, hell's not so much a burning, scalding pit of fire and misery. It's actually much, much worse than that. Hell is when the people you love the most reach right into your soul and rip it out of you. And they do it because they can." (quote from the book)

Turns out dying of a broken heart is only the beginning of Brie's many adventures.... There's a whole afterlife ahead of her, with many important choices to make. Plus, she is yet to uncover the many shocking secrets related to her death. And if you think dying means the end of her heartbreaks, you'll be surprise to find out just how wrong you are.

This book was so wonderful! Its was beautiful, compelling, multilayered, and practically impossible to put down. Full of totally eye-popping mysteries, mind-blowing surprises, and characters that, although dead, are in fact more alive than any other characters I've met before, The Catastrophic History Of You And Me is a book like no other out there. I had a fabulous time reading it. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked by some of the plot developments, and - in the end - I was left speechless. When I turned the last page, I was extremely sad, knowing that I won't be meeting any of the fantastic characters again. I felt that something special was coming to an end. It's rare for me to get so emotionally involved with the plot and so clingingly attached to the characters, and considering the fact that it was just one 400-pages-long novel, and not a series, I can't deny the fact that Jess Rothenberg did a phenomenal job with it.

I love when authors slowly build up tension, scattering little clues all throughout the book, keeping you totally absorbed and guessing. I love mysteries that are not only far from obvious, but also absolutely and utterly unpredictable. Most of all, I love well thought-out plot lines, with characters that are authentic, relatable and easy to love. The Catastrophic History of You And Me is all that and more. It's insanely addictive, with a storyline that is sure to satisfy even the pickiest readers. Jess Rothenberg's writing style is beyond excellent. She doesn't just tell the story, she weaves a magic spell, drawing you in with the vividly described settings and people, brilliantly alternating between the enchanting, exhilarating and heavenly, and the dark, eerie and disquieting. On top of everything else, she does a fantastic job keeping you on the edge of your seat, avoiding cliches and exploring paths that have never been explored before. In a genre filled to the brim with wonderful, poignant and fascinating novels, it isn't often that we come across a book that is truly unique and fresh. The Catastrophic History Of You And Me is, however, a book that really stands out. I can honestly say that I was amazed at how inventive it was.

"Love is no game. People cut their tears off over this stuff. People jump off the Eiffel Tower and sell all their possessions and move to Alaska to live with the grizzly bears, and they get eaten and nobody hears them when they scream for help. That's right. Falling in love is pretty much the same thing as being eaten alive by a grizzly bear." (quote from the book)

Despite what the bright, adorable cover might suggest, The Catastrophic History Of You And Me isn't free of dark, meaningful and thought-provoking elements. Yes, it's often humorous (I loved all the cheese-inspired nicknames that Patrick kept on coming up with for Brie!), and yes, it's most definitely extremely entertaining and fun to read, but it's also so much more than just that. This book explores issues such as infidelity, death, grief, revenge, salvation, and forgiveness, and it does it the utmost graceful, natural and convincing way. It's a real treat not only for fans of YA contemporary books, but for book lovers in general.

Bottom line is, Jess Rothenberg's YA debut is a precious gem. It's a poignant, bitter-sweet tale of love, heartache, longing, and regrets. It's also an important life lesson - smart, meaningful and memorable. Above all, it's a one-of-a-kind story that will capture you in a spell, captivate your imagination, and whisper straight to your heart. A book like this one is bound to resonate deep within, and I'm pretty sure that your heart will be aching, and your thoughts drifting back to it, long after you turn the last page. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Un-Put-Down-Able Debut. February 21, 2012

By Erica

Format:Hardcover

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg was one of those all around awesome kind of books. My love for this book was clearly meant to be from the moment I saw all the references to Disney Princesses and the chapter titles, which are the best. My favorite was "Shot Through The Heart and You're to Blame". Jess Rothenberg has written a remarkable debut that I did not want to put down.

By the time I had finish maybe five pages of this one, I had to stop and just marvel at the writing. Jess Rothenberg is one talented lady and the story was one that I could not help but to get caught up in. The Catastrophic History of You and Me perfectly balances the funny, lighter side of Brie's story with entirely heartbreaking moments.

I loved Jess Rothenberg's spin on the afterlife. It was completely unlike other books that deal with the same subject, and I can say that it was definitely my favorite portrayal I have read yet. I loved following Brie through her journey and seeing where it would take her next.

The one pitfall for The Catastrophic History of You and Me was Brie herself throughout part of the middle of the book. She just deviated from the character I loved at the beginning of the book. Hamloaf, you are most definitely the coolest dog to walk the pages of young adult. Patrick was a character who really grew on me as the book went on. At first, I was like I like you. You're kind of like a stand up comedian. But as the book went on, he become a much deeper character than that and I loved him.

Fans of Leila Sales will eat this one up, with its charming characters and funny plot. The voice in The Catastrophic History of You and Me is incredible. Once you start reading this one, you won't want to put it down.... Jess Rothenberg has written a heartbreakingly beautiful debut, and I am very eager to see more from her in the future. Read more ›