Friday, March 16, 2012

Why We Broke Up

Written by Daniel Handler.  Illustrations by Maira Kalman.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company, 2011.

If you couldn't tell by the title, this is the story of a breakup.  It tells the story of Min Green, a teenager who is trying to recover from her first heartbreak.  The story is told through a long letter Min is writing to her ex-boyfriend Ed Slaterton listing the reasons why they broke up.  She is also on the way to Ed's house to deliver a box filled with mementos of their relationship.  Each book chapter (and section of the letter) focuses on a particular item in the box and how that item played a part in their relationship and subsequent break up.  Min loves old films and movie stars and Italian coffee shops.  Ed is the popular jock at school who secretly is really good at math.  Despite their differences, they are attracted to each other and begin a relationship.  Each item in the box chronicles their relationship, from the beer bottle tops at the party where they met, to a comb from the hotel where they stayed.  At the end of the story, Min will literally dump these items on Ed's doorstep, as a girlfriend is dumped.

I enjoyed the format of this book.  The letter writing style gives the reader an intimate look into Min and Ed's relationship, and also Min's thoughts and feelings.  The inclusion of the items really involved me in the story, because I wanted to find out what went wrong.  When I did find out, all I can say is, I was one angry girl.  I really felt for Min and her infatuation, and her heartbreak as she discovers her first love is not meant to be.  This book was a Honor Book for the 2012 Printz Award, and well deserving.  Check this one out!

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