weekend read: Why We Broke Up

You’d think I wouldn’t get so attached to a fictional relationship when I know from page one that it’s not going to end well.

But I did, anyway.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (the guy who wrote all the Lemony Snicket books) is a beautiful story told from the point of view of Min, a high school junior who’s friends with all the drama geeks, the artistic kids, and the loners. One night at her best friend’s party, she meets Ed, the co-captain of the basketball team and the exact opposite of her. But, of course, they are attracted to one another and start dating.

The story Min tells is in the form of one really long letter to Ed explaining why they broke up. She’s on her way to his house with a box of all the things she kept from their relationship and she fills the letter with the stories of their relationship. The book also includes drawings of all the items filling the box and the artwork, though simple, really lends itself to the story in a way I can’t explain well. It’s just good.

As we near the end of Min’s letter to Ed, it’s hard not to see where it’s going, and even Min says she was dumb for not seeing it. But that doesn’t make it any easier to accept. I loved this story of young love, opposites attracting, and the painful heartbreak that ends the book. This is a young adult novel that adults will love and kids will connect with. You should definitely read Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, it’s a good one.

Love talking about books? Always looking for a good book to read? Want to know what I’m currently reading? Follow my Instagram account dedicated to all things book-related: @themarygrahamreads.