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A review by epeolatrist
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
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