Customer Reviews

Why We Broke Up

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm a fan of Lemony Snicket and his A Series of Unfortunate Events books, and I'm a fan of Maira Kalman's work. I had never read any of the books for adults by Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket). The blurb on "Why We Broke Up" says it is for "Ages 15 and up," but it was an excellent adult read.

The story is told in the form of a letter Min writes to break up with her boyfriend Ed. In addition to Min and Ed, Min's friends Al and Lauren, and Ed's sister Joan were all vividly drawn, primarily using dialogue. I enjoyed their witty banter as well as their more serious talks. Handler perfectly captured the feelings that go with being a teenager, and with being a teenager in love. Maira Kalman's illustrations perfectly match the tone of the book.

One of the book's many strengths is the handling of the character Ed. Handler makes Ed likable, and the reader roots for Ed and Min's relationship, even though Min's break-up letter makes it clear there is something to be angry with Ed about.

I don't know how 15-year old readers would view this book, but I suspect it would be a good book for an "arty" teenager.

"Dear Ed,

In a sec you'll hear a thunk."

So begins Daniel Handler's (AKA Lemony Snicket) latest YA offering, Why We Broke Up. The aforementioned "thunk" is the sound of a heavy box flung by Min Green hitting the porch of her ex-boyfriend, Ed Slaterton. The 350-page novel is comprised of the long, long, long letter that she includes as she returns to him the minutia of their relationship. This relationship is recounted from start to finish in the letter/novel through Min's apparently photographic recall. Scattered throughout the text are Maira Kalman's charming illustrations of the contents of the box, which range from bottle tops to ticket stubs to clothing.

With all the drawings and white space throughout the book, it isn't really a full 350 pages, and yet it felt longer. It was written as an angsty, teen, stream of conscious rant, and it was chock-full of pointless filler, such as detailed descriptions of dozens of fictional films, made by fictional people, starring fictional stars. You see, Min's the substantive one in the relationship. She's "different." Ed's a popular jock, co-captain of the basketball team. They're from different worlds, with different friends! And yet they struggle to make it work.

I've never been an adult that had the slightest problem reading and appreciating YA or children's fiction, but this was just an overly drawn-out, boring, and humorless waste of time. Ultimately, I found it unsatisfying on every level. And that, Daniel, is why WE broke up.

Note to parents: This novel includes frequent obscenities, underage drinking, references to drug use, lack of respect for parents and authority figures, and teen sex.

Why We Broke Up- by Daniel Handler is a story about love, and then breaking up. Min writes a long letter to Ed to accompany a box filled with trinkets she has collected from their relationship. I loved the premise of this story, and I even liked the characters, Min and Ed, who are from completely different worlds- Film fanatic Min who is into gourmet cooking, old movies, and coffee- and Ed, the co-captain of the basketball team, and is wildly popular.

I really liked how they fell in love with each other almost because of their differences. Each one stretching the other past their usual boundaries (from watching classic films, or goofball movies to romping around in the park early on a Saturday morning) their love was strained because of their different groups of friends and natural tastes. I resonated with how quickly they fell in love, and what they were willing to sacrifice to try and make it work.

What I didn't like about this book was Min's voice. She would ramble for page-long paragraphs about old films and half the time, I had a really hard time tracking what she was saying, or caring about that side-note. She wasn't a believable high schooler- she seemed like a 30-something single. I will be surprised if many high school students pick-up and finish this book, though it does raise some great points about self-esteem, cliques, sex, and friends. I just couldn't get past the long rambles from Min to really bond with her though.

Why We Broke Up is a title I was really really looking forward to (I mean a box full of things from a previous relationship and a break up letter? Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Especially since I'm one of those people who actually keep a box full of things... like that...) but it just didn't work out for me.

While I was curious to know about every object in the box and what it meant for Min, I just couldn't really connect with her character.

In the end, I couldn't really bring myself to finish this book considering I couldn't really connect with Min and that pretty much makes the book lose its oomph (can I also mention that this is probably the heaviest book in YA history? Really, it's insane how heavy this book is), which is a shame since I was looking forward to it.

Book Description

Ed and Min have broken up. Min is giving Ed a box that contains all the detritus from their relationship (e.g., a bottle cap, a cookbook, a film canister, a note)--along with a letter explaining the meaning of each item and a detailed explanation of why they broke up.

Written as a letter to Ed (a very very long letter, I might add), Why We Broke Up is a collaborative effort between Daniel Handler (who did the writing) and Maira Kalman (who did the drawing).

My Thoughts

Oy vey! What do I say about this book? I was very frustrated by this book--mostly because of the detailed, dramatic, ridiculous way that Min rehashes a relationship that lasted from October 5 until November 12. And yet, the very drama (verging on melodrama) and angst and relentless detail is probably what makes this book an almost eerily accurate portrait of a typical teenage relationship. In fact, the book reminded me of my own heightened feelings of pain and drama resulting from months-long high school relationships--the endings of which resulted in obsessive journal writing and multiple crying jags.

So the question to ask yourself is: Do you want to read a fairly long book about the break-up of a teenage relationship?

If you answered yes, then this book would be a good choice. Channeling the psyche of a teenage girl, Daniel Handler (AKA Lemony Snicket) does a credible job of capturing the melodrama of young love. I suspect that YA readers in the throes of their own relationship dramas will be able to relate to Min and Ed's experiences. In addition, if you have a young person in your life going through a break-up that seems ridiculously overdramatized to you, this book might be a good reminder of what that time in life is like.

If you answered no, then I would avoid this book as you will find it (like I did) a bit tiresome. To be 100% honest, I found Min annoying and a little stupid at times. I got tired of what felt like a real-time accounting of every moment Min and Ed spent together. Once again, a YA book that is probably not targeted to my demographic left me cold. (Surprise!)

Originally, I wanted to read this book because of the combination of the narrative and the art. I thought it would be cool to see the contents of the box and hear why each item led to the break-up. Unfortunately, the premise didn't really live up to my expectations. I didn't find Maira Kalman's art all that wonderful or inspiring. And you already know how I felt about the text. Although I'm all for experimentation in storytelling, this particular effort fell flat for me.

Recommended For

Readers who want to experience the psyche of a teenage girl in the aftermath of a break-up; fans of Maira Kalman and/or Daniel Handler

Why I Loved Why We Broke Up

I wasn't too sure about you at first,
Why We Broke Up. You have your
world and I have mine and never the
two shall meet and all that. You are
from the Snarky World, after all,
and I'm doing everything in my power
to be in the Kind, Compassionate World,
so we really never should have met at all.

But the more I read, the more I fell in love
with you, Why We Broke Up, you and
your clever words and your beautifully
simple art, words and art that lured me in,
lingered in my mind and then, of course,
my heart.

I saw it all coming,
you and your edgy self, the YA world
in which I once lived but now only
see through the pain-filled eyes of
every teen I meet. I knew it couldn't
last, that the crack in teenage love
that always runs smack down the middle
would finally snap and, like a tsunami,
slap away the entire beautiful world
before my eyes.

I loved you, Why We Broke Up, but
I knew you'd leave me, heartbroken,
bitter, wiser but
more wary Next Time.

And that's Why I Loved Why We Broke Up.

Daniel Handler is a great writer, and the illustrations were lovely. I enjoyed the book for the most part, easy to read etc., however, the narrator and main character was (to me) extremely unlikeable and not at all easy to relate to. She struck me as mopey, self-centered, and horribly idealistic. The characters were not well developed in the sense that they did not seem very "real". They all were multi-dimensional, but in a forced way. The twist at the end made me hate "Min" slightly less, but not enough to forgive all her major personality flaws. It was an easy read for the most part, although I felt myself getting bored about 3/4's of the way through. If you're someone with a short attention span, I probably would not recommend this book. If you enjoy cliche, whiny, "alternative" main characters, I would recommend this book.

This is a YA book written by a man who bears more than a passing resemblance to "kids" author Lemony Snickett, writing as a young woman who bears more than a passing resemblance to a VERY ANGRY young woman who is more than a little sad (and very funny) about the subject that forms the title of this YA book.

Got that? Good!

It is also a marvelously illustrated (although not in a "graphic novel" sort of way) book that depicts the various "things" and detritus that formed the physical items of their relationship that, while politically correct pundits will tell you they shouldn't, became the very be-alls (and eventually end-alls) that led to the subject that forms the title of this YA book.

Got that?

I'll wait........

Okay? Got that now?

Good!

It's also a marvelously funnysadbeautifullyillustrated book for ANYONE who was, is, or (precosciously) plans to be, a YA.

I think I loved it.

You will, too

First Impressions: A Series of Unfortunate Events is one of my favorite book series ever, so I was super excited to be able to review this new book written by the same author. I liked the synopsis of the story and it sounded pretty good. I also was excited to learn that this book has illustrations! That is always fun! I waited until I was in the mood for a contemporary novel and picked this one up.

My Review: As unfortunate (no pun intended) as it is, I couldn't bring myself to read this entire book. I read the first 100 pages or so, skimmed the middle, and read the ending. I hate it when I am excited for a book and it lets me down so much, and that is pretty much what happened with this book.

The story itself was fine and it is about love and loss and the after effects of breaking up. The plot follows Min, a teenage girl who writes an absurdly long letter to her ex, Ed, along with a box filled with everything to do with their relationship. Min and Ed couldn't be two different people and it is easy to see why their relationship failed. Their personalities are very predictable. Min is the mature, artsy, loves to cook type, while Ed is your typical popular jock. This is all fine and good, I don't mind a bit of predictability.

The problem I had lies with the character Min. Try as I might, I could not connect with her or feel bad for her at all. In fact, I rather despised this character and that is a big problem when you're dealing with a main character. She didn't come across as a high school girl to me. If I hadn't known better, I would say that she was in her late 30's and going through some kind of mid-life crisis. She goes on long-winded rants and babble throughout the story. It quite frankly didn't make much since to me. I skipped through a lot of these parts.

The best part of this book is the illustrations. I'm a pretty big fan of Maira Kalman and she did a great job giving visuals to go along with the story.

Final Thoughts: This book wasn't for me even though I really wanted it to be. I'm an adult and I can't picture too many teens being able to pick this one up and reading it all the way to the end. I actually enjoyed the illustrations more than the story. I might give it a recommendation depending on the reader, but I would be highly cautious.

The book is about Min explaining to Ed the reasons for why they broke up. She writes him a series of letters that mention all the things in the box she is returning to him. The artwork is about all the objects in the box. Amongst all the explanations for the objects, Min goes over various points in the relationship, like when they first meet, or when her friends first get to hang out with him, when she decides to lose her virginity to him, etc.
And the more you read about Min, the more you have to like her. She's smart, witty, sarcastic, a film genius, adventurous, confident, so willing to love and be loved in return, and she really doesn't care as much as everyone else does about what people think of her. I never really liked Ed. Granted, you know from the very beginning that they break up, and it became an almost game to find all the things wrong with him, and even to try to decipher all the times Min explains, "This is why we broke up."

I loved the idea of this book! I loved the art, and how each moment was connected to an object. I loved that it felt almost like a collection of short stories that were combined. And it also felt like one of those more realistic romance movies (like 500 Days of Summer). The concept was 100% unique. The artwork was gorgeous, yet also a little juvenile in a good way, adding to the YA feel. And it's clear from the first page of somewhat stream of consciousness teen angst that Handler can write very well. Some of the dialogue is just plain genius, really.

However, there was this large, ever-present disconnect for me. I loved Min; I really did. It's just she spoke like someone who grew up in the 1920's, was so intelligent, and so wise beyond her years. And in a way this makes sense because she loved the movies from that generation. Yet, it was so hard for me to see this wise teenager making all these poor decisions about Ed, and then also even making a box of items like this. I can see some of my friends arguing about how smart women can make the dumbest decisions when it comes to guys. And this is true. We can all make mistakes when it comes to love. Believe me, I know. But, when we're as wise and intelligent as Min, we second-guess more. And to an extent we know while things are happening that they are kind of bad decisions.

Min is oblivious to all her bad decisions! And I just found this so out of character for how she's portrayed in all other situations. She should have been second-guessing so many things, and thinking more things out. I'm not saying she never should have hooked up with Ed; I'm saying she should have hooked up with him, but still known to an extent how stupid this was. I'm not even feeling the box thing for her. So maybe what I'm saying is that for me to really believe that Min could not know how awful Ed was, and to even blame their break up on things like moments and objects, when the real reason is one big, bad awful thing he did, she shouldn't have been so wise. All the moments she goes over the relationship are so right, so dead on and beautiful in her understanding that it was hard for me to understand how this is the same girl. Maybe, if she wrote the letters years later and had more than a week to think about her mistakes it would be more believable for me.

Also, sometimes Min's movie talk got a little tiring (especially considering how all the movies were made up). Were the publishers afraid of copyright infringement? I feel like real old movies and actors would have been better, and maybe even would have educated some young adults about film. Why make something up when there is so much out there waiting to be learned?

I have great respect for Daniel Handler, also known as Lemony Snicket, for his children's literature. And I definitely have even more respect for him now. He was brave to try something different. And his dialogue was just so dead-on. I just wish that Min was more real to me as a character, or that maybe she became so wise a little later in life.