A Review of 'Why We Broke Up' by Daniel Handler

"This is the box, Ed.

Inside is everything.

Two bottle caps,
a movie ticket from Greta in the Wild,
a note from you,
a box of matches,
your protractor,
Joan's book,
the stolen sugar,
a toy truck,
those ugly earrings,
a comb from the motel,
and the rest of it.

This is it, Ed.

The whole story of why we broke up."

If you're familiar with Lemony Snicket, this will be a wonderful and slightly different read for you (if you didn't know, Daniel Handler and Lemony Snicket are the same person)!

This is such a beautiful book and I'm so glad that I have a copy of my own!  I loved everything about it.  The weight of the entire book, the glossy pages, the beautiful yet seemingly simplistic illustrations, the format of the story...

I'm in love with the concept of a break-up letter (hmm...).  I've never had to write one, much less break up with anyone.  It's really sad to see something like a relationship fall apart, but sometimes it is inevitable.  I can't decide if Min and Ed's relationship was destined to fail or not.  There were glimpses of both angles to this argument.  Min and Ed came from totally opposite worlds and neither seemed willing to share in the other's worlds.  Min hated attending basketball games, watching sweaty men run up and down the court.  Ed hated sitting in dark theaters for hours watching obscure foreign films.

Actually, I can't blame Min... basketball games sound awful... this coming from a person who has a hard time caring about sports of any kind.

In any case, I thought each of the characters was well-written and interacted with the other characters in interesting ways.  Min was definitely a good choice for the narrator, however, I'm wondering what this story would be like from Ed's perspective.  What would it be like for him to leave and be left by this really great girl and then have all of the things that this girl ever associated with you returned?

This book was quite an experience and I'm really glad that I have a copy of my own.

If you're looking for a love-story, a heart-breaking story, and something a bit simple, this would be a good book for you!

I give 'Why We Broke Up':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude