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epeolatrist's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There were parts of this book that I loved and parts that I didn't care for. First things first, Why We Broke Up is a fun little book. The illustrations are cute and interesting and I honestly thought that they tied the story together quite well. Unfortunately, the illustrations didn't make up for the parts that I didn't really care for.
Let's start with Ed Slaterton as a character. Ed is a slimy, dull, and unlikeable character. And I think that that's the point of his character, because Min is vibrant and intelligent while he's just blah. I don't really think that readers are supposed to like him. I didn't. I tolerated him, but every time that I had to read his dialogue, I got frustrated with all the "OK"s and the "Um"s.
I will say that I think Min's character is written well and I think that her quirks are what made the story more interesting, for me. Her words at the end of the book, especially, got to me. I truly felt that they were the feelings of a teenage girl, and that made me both happy and sad. To me, she felt more real than any other character in the story, which is refreshing.
I won't lie, there were lots of parts to this story that had me turning pages as fast as I could, waiting to see what was next. However, there were equal amounts of parts that I thought were drawn out and boring. The first half really didn't grab me and I debated leaving it on DNF. I'm glad that I didn't, but if you can't trek through the boring parts, I don't recommend this one to you.
Overall, I liked Why We Broke Up. Is it one of my favorites? No. Will I reread in the future? Probably not. But the book is unique with its art and all of the movie references, which I thought were a nice touch. During the first half of the book, I feared that this one would be a dud, but it turned out okay and I'm generally happy that I gave it a chance.
Let's start with Ed Slaterton as a character. Ed is a slimy, dull, and unlikeable character. And I think that that's the point of his character, because Min is vibrant and intelligent while he's just blah. I don't really think that readers are supposed to like him. I didn't. I tolerated him, but every time that I had to read his dialogue, I got frustrated with all the "OK"s and the "Um"s.
I will say that I think Min's character is written well and I think that her quirks are what made the story more interesting, for me. Her words at the end of the book, especially, got to me. I truly felt that they were the feelings of a teenage girl, and that made me both happy and sad. To me, she felt more real than any other character in the story, which is refreshing.
I won't lie, there were lots of parts to this story that had me turning pages as fast as I could, waiting to see what was next. However, there were equal amounts of parts that I thought were drawn out and boring. The first half really didn't grab me and I debated leaving it on DNF. I'm glad that I didn't, but if you can't trek through the boring parts, I don't recommend this one to you.
Overall, I liked Why We Broke Up. Is it one of my favorites? No. Will I reread in the future? Probably not. But the book is unique with its art and all of the movie references, which I thought were a nice touch. During the first half of the book, I feared that this one would be a dud, but it turned out okay and I'm generally happy that I gave it a chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Chronic illness, Death, and Grief
barefootbetsy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A fun and interesting impulse read!
I’ve enjoyed the author’s other books (under the name Daniel Handler) and think that folks who also enjoy his other books would also enjoy this one.
I’ve enjoyed the author’s other books (under the name Daniel Handler) and think that folks who also enjoy his other books would also enjoy this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Homophobia
Minor: Infidelity
The homophobia was largely called out as a bad thing when it happened and was primarily a couple of characters regularly using the word “gay” as a pejorative (or saying “that word I can’t say” after being called out for it) and insisting that another character must be gay (implying that it was a negative thing). Most of the ableism was internalized, but definitely used some terms I wish hadn’t been used (like m***n) and the ableism was not called out, likely since it was primarily internalized.