“I started making plans, thinking we would get that far.” ― Daniel Handler ― Why We Broke Up

I had so many hopes for this book, and I will be a bit devil’s advocate here with this review and comments on this book.

I bought it knowing a bit of it, and I did not even know it was an illustrated book which makes it even more amazing to read!

I started reading the book slowly to grasp every single word and feeling said in the book. However, after a few pages, I was reading slowly to actually understand this whole damn rambling that Min does on the book. I totally understand that going through a break up is not easy, and there are so many things in your mind that you cannot put them together. This is clearly the case on this book, too much to say, too little time, and a countable amount of pages to use.

The author style on this book is awful and amazing at the time. Too many commas but too little pauses. One feels like this woman will never shut up or take a breath.

I like the idea of actually returning every single memento of a relationship back. It is like a bomb of “I JUST CANNOT STAND YOU NEITHER YOUR SHIT,” and an awful and beautiful way to harm someone. Sending his things back is a way to demonstrate how less one cares now, how one does not appreciate any of the memories as they were not good and soon will be just rubbish in the dark side of one’s mind.

8de03cfbd2b26946f7087e5a36ea03d8 In the beginning, I found Ed just careless, just a boy, and Min to be a little annoying shit. Different people are nice, but damn, there is a limit and being annoying is not the same as being different. If you like the guy, but the things that he does are not for you, and you just do not like them, why in the name of Arceus are you still there? You are not even hurting yourself by faking interest, you are harming the person that is building feelings for someone that likes to do things that he likes.

Then after building all this drama and hate towards the main character, we have the great author idea of flipping the coin or turning the table. What a horrible way to do a “plot” twist. I have read other novels, short novels, and stories that have a decent or do a great job on hiding facts, clues, and gaps that will make sense at the end or within the story. However, in Why We Broke Up there is not a damn clue on the whole book on why she is doing this hateful box just the weird and suspicious relationship with Ed’s girlfriend.

I still think the idea of the box is beautiful, I am a person that hold grudges, and I am so sorry for that, and this way to breaking up with him, even though he may not even care that much, it was amazing for her to get done with all that shit.

I already talked that Min, the main character, is annoying and too intense on what she feels and likes. She does not think through and acts first and ask questions later. Not the right way to do business, to be honest. She misses, as we did because there were not given to use, to see the clues and the flaws on the teenager relationship that she was on, which is normal for a teenager. She does not listen to his/her friends or mother. She was too weird and too crazy as a matter of fact. I mean, the whole party idea and their “anniversary”… please… who will not freak out?

Then we have Ed who goes beyond stupidity. He was in fact just a careless and moronic teenager. I advocated a bit to his side through the whole novel hating the main character, but this is the author’s fault. I still think that Min was too much to handle and that Ed, a little bastard, did a nice… job? I do not know… I still blame this to Min… I am sorry, but she hides her one prejudice on her friends’ “prejudice.” They saw what she saw, but she ignored it and they did not. So, do not blame others for your bad decisions.

The idea was good, the characters, main character, was well developed. Round and dynamic as we can see how she evolves through the novel. Ed the same character from beginning to end. Flat and stupid, but I will not recommend this book. It has good quotes though.

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