Reviews

Symptoms of a Heartbreak, by Sona Charaipotra

jcharlton's review against another edition

2.0

YA literature but I’m rating compared to grown up stuff. i didn’t know I was starting YA book until I started. I couldn’t get behind this 16 year old trying to be an adult but still was a kid. And the first day of
Residency not starting until 9am made me disbelieve the rest of the residency stuff too.

liralen's review against another edition

3.0

Fun premise, but my strongest enduring takeaway was that this sixteen-year-old, at least, does not have the emotional maturity to practice medicine. She has the skills and education (somehow), but so many of the decisions Saira makes are very fuelled by her teenage emotions. I guess there has to be some kind of push and pull there when this is the premise of the book—professionalism against teenage idiocy?—but I wish Saira had learned something from that. Instead we just have an Evil Villain Is Evil, whose valid concerns about Saira are written off at the end of the book as mental unstability. So...I read it for the fluff, and it turned out to be too fluffy for me. Serves me right, I guess!

megs_s's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

thealmightykatt's review against another edition

3.0

Enjoyed the concept of the story and the diversity that I have yet to see across other YA fiction. However, it bothered me that the main character didn't face any consequences for her actions.

chrisluvreads's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

kenzie_kate's review against another edition

3.0

I did not have high hopes for this book because it had a really low rating on goodreads, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm super glad I decided to pick this up. I really liked Link. I loved all the side characters except like two. I didn't like Saira very much, but I think she's supposed to be flawed and slightly unlikable. This book was cute, it was sad, but it was not like The Fault in Our Stars sad or even Five Feet Apart sad, because this book as shown by it's GR rating obviously has some issues. My issues with it were, it has some pacing issues, it kind of drags sometimes. I honestly don't mind a dragging pace that much usually though. And some references are not super well explained, whether that be some cultural references as our main character is Indian, or medical references, again it didn't bother me too much. Overall this was a good book, great for a solo debut. It could've done some things better but overall it was ✨good✨

anniekatherine's review

2.0

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. Super smart girl, hospital setting, diverse characters, all the good things that I normally love.

But this book fell so flat and was so boring that it was a struggle to get through. I didn’t care about anyone- about link, about Saria, about the families... anything. I would have loved to see flashbacks to Harper, more of the cases, more doctors... just more heart, I guess.

rebar351's review

5.0

Had this book on my TBR for the longest time. So glad I got to finally read it. I really enjoyed this book!! I like medical shows and this book was right up my alley!! Highly recommend!

lakenhorton's review against another edition

2.0

I love the cultural references and representation, although I did not understand them. I guess for me there were no real solutions to all the chaos that came about. And I think that it fell short for me in that sense. I just wanted some closure for Vish and Lizzie and everyone except her love interest.

cakt1991's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Symptoms of a Heartbreak caught my attention briefly when it first came out, but it’s only now that I‘be read more from Sona Charaipotra that I’m getting back to it. The premise also excited me, drawing comparisons to Doogie Howser. 

I really liked Saira as a lead. She’s a “Girl Genius,” and that’s emphasized throughout the book. However, she has to navigate this identity and being a newly hired doctor. So many “child genius” narratives highlight the struggle for these kids to balance being a normal kid with the challenges that fit their aptitude, and this book is no different in that. I like that Saira’s social life is pretty normal in that she has friends and crushes. The romance that develops between her and Link leads to an ethical issue at the hospital, and I appreciate how this illustrates the complex nature of her situation: she’s intellectual enough to be out in the world working, but emotionally, her brain is still that of a typical teenager, and she doesn’t have the impulse control many of her older colleagues would. 

And the romance is so dang sweet! I did get a bit concerned, as the other comp was The Fault in Our Stars, but this is a case where the child cancer plotline is resolved optimistically. It’s more of a subplot than I thought it would be, but the bits the story gave were great! 

There’s also a generous infusion of Punjabi-Indian culture, and it’s done so naturally, as a facet of who Saira and her family are. Food figures prominently, and it made me incredibly hungry. 

Pacing wise, it’s a bit slow at times, especially at the beginning. But there’s a lot going on, and personally I wasn’t bored. 

This is such a sweet book, touching on some difficult, complex subjects with care. If you enjoy stories that focus on tough topics with a light touch and a dash of culture, I think you’ll enjoy this book.