David handler why we broke up

He asks her over, and they swap novels. He agrees to read the Van Houten and she agrees to read his—based on his favorite bloodbath-filled video game.

The two become connected at the hip, and what follows is a smartly crafted intellectual explosion of a romance. From their trip to Amsterdam to meet the reclusive Van Houten to their hilariously flirty repartee, readers will swoon on nearly every page. He takes on Big Questions that might feel heavy-handed in the words of any other author: What do oblivion and living mean? Already have an account? Log in. Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Sign Up. Pub Date: Dec. Page Count: Publisher: Little, Brown. Review Posted Online: Oct. No Comments Yet. More by Daniel Handler. Reader Votes Google Rating. I hated I'm going to try to keep my review brief I hated the "prose", if that's what you call 2-page paragraphs of metaphorical crap that's nearly impossible to follow. What I'm saying is that I really didn't like this book at all. We clear? View all 9 comments.

Jan 25, Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it liked it Shelves: physically-owned-books. Why We Broke Up happens. This book is kind of written that way. It is about a box of Ed Slaterton treasures Min Green collected during the entire course of their relationship. It is a very cute concept with t 3. It is a very cute concept with the matching illustrations that made the entire thing interesting. The book is basically one long letter written by Min to Ed and in it she explains how each token inside the box contributed to the reasons why they broke up.

Broken and emotional, you could truly feel every emotion of Min through her narrative. She uses appealing imagery and vivid descriptions that will remind you of that time when you were experiencing the worst or perhaps most painful break up. The long, almost endless run-on sentences which she kept using reflect her raw and honest feelings, her anger at her experience, at Ed and even at herself. The only thing that annoyed me is her out of place cursing. Of course, you can always go for the easy way out and that is to maybe do this?!

Once upon a time, I did something that slightly resembles what Min did. My reason in oblivion Forgot I had opinion I drank your poisoned potion Caught in lifeless motion In my nearly endless slumber Just about as long as forever A drop of antidote from nowhere Awakened I am elsewhere… A loud sigh of relief I exclaimed From sure doom I was saved Vulnerable- I shall be never I have discovered the permanent cure!

View all 51 comments. This book will make you fall in love and then break up with you without a second glance. I loved it. Jan 25, Jon rated it did not like it Recommends it for: People who want to tear their eyes out. My old review was pretty terrible so one of these days I'll rewrite it! View all 20 comments. I felt like the story was going so fast, and I got irritated with Min's voice the story is a letter Min wrote to her ex-boyfriend, some jock guy from her school called Ed.

And Ed? I couldn't even picture him in my head. Seriously, I just saw a blob. I even skimmed to see why they broke up, and it was very annoying. If I actually read the entire book, I'm pretty sure I would have gotten a headache. Now, with the way Min talked This was the main reason I didn't like this book. There were many run-on, never-ending sentences!! I started thinking, 'AHHH! It also didn't help that the ARC was pretty heavy to hold.

Thanks Crystal for letting me borrow it; I wish I had liked it, but unfortunately, I couldn't finish it. View all 28 comments. Shelves: reads. View all 4 comments. Oh wow. What an astonishingly infuriating He treats her like trash and she Ohhhh, AND!! Of course she has a best friend who treats her like gold and is madly in love with her but, does she give him a second thought?? What the fuck kinda lesson is that?? View 1 comment. Feb 13, Fares rated it did not like it. Oh dear God, finally! It's over.

Forget half stars guys, goodreads needs to add some sort of negative stars. I'd gladly buy a physical copy of this just so I can burn it. I'm sorry to the author and everyone that worked on this but I so regret reading it, to put it bluntly. View all 12 comments. Aug 05, Lala BooksandLala rated it it was amazing Shelves: favourites. Holy Numbersign Exclamationmark this was so good! Simple, relatable, honest. Daniel Handler successfully wrote a YA contemporary that didn't TRY so damn hard - this is simply a girl in high school navigating a relationship and break up.

It didn't try to reach some immense philosophical level, or dive into character's backgrounds and try to find some meaningful depth behind their actions, and it didn't have an unrealistic character arc where lives are changed forever in a span of 2 months.

We got Holy Numbersign Exclamationmark this was so good! We got just a peek into Min's life and her relationships and it. Rating: 3. I hated this book with a passion. Somewhere in the middle, this book ceased being about Min and started being about me or my friends or my family. It started morphing into a deep and provocative look into relationships, the cracks that form even from the beginning, the lies we pretend not to see, and the desperation we have to hold on and regain those blissful moments we had before.

To simply put it, it was remarkable. Min Green, our enigmatic protagonist who is obsessed with old movies, wants to become a director, and is so, so different from Ed Slaterton. Ed Slateron, our swoon-worthy romantic interest who is obsessed with basketball, has a cool older sister, and whose relationship with Min Green is so, so unexpected.

When these two meet at a party, somehow, against all odds, they wind up falling for each other. Why We Broke Up is told from the perspective of Min as she writes Ed a letter, pouring her heart out and analyzing everything that went wrong in their relationship, one object at a time.

Essentially, she tells them why they broke up and why their beautiful romance, which defied the very laws of high school hierarchy, was torn apart and ruined, despite its prior perfection. It reads like a fluid story and I loved how Min would insert a small bit of cryptic bitterness at the end of nearly every chapter, explaining how that event in their relationship slowly led to her breakup with Ed. I loved Min — I mean, can she just be my best friend already? I loved how her passion for old movies was so prominent, oozing off of every page and making her such a realistic character.

What else is absolutely amazing about this book? Furthermore, I think it provides such a strong sense of closure that you feel satisfied, despite the ending. I wish I knew. In fact, I think the narration will grate on a lot of readers because it has run-on sentences and seems so pretentious at times. Ultimately though, I think this only added to the reading experience. It made it that much more unique and special and astounding. Before I forget - Ed Slaterton, this one's for you: Now, doesn't that feel so much better?

View all 11 comments. Sep 10, Jude rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites , best-romance , feminist-novels , winter-books. I had no intention of reading this book, whatsoever. I got it because I won a box of books last year and this book just happened to be in it, it was just one of those books that somehow happens to rest upon your shelf. No biggie. A certain series of events led me to pick up this book: I broke up with my partner - I was sad and mopey and sad and then I just turned my head and this book was on the shelf.

I began reading and this thing was simply amazing. When you break up with someone you usually can only see the good things, everything that you will miss and that you lost.

I love it, I miss it. In my case I got back with my partner, and I kinda blame this book and The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind for it - also me, of course, I made the decision to get back with my partner.

So I got back into my relationship only to break up a month after. All I can say is that this was a beautiful, real, raw and gorgeous story. The illustrations were gorgeous and they really added more to the story, making me want to turn the page to see what the next item would be. Book 3 for booktubeathon Wowee I'm sad but it's the good kind of sad I think? So many things so many things. Ed is the worst 2. I love Min 3.

I enjoyed the writing style for the most part even though sometimes it got to be a little too much and I felt my eyes skipping down past to the next part. All in all pretty good. Mar 06, Kim rated it it was amazing Shelves: holy-shit , the-kids-are-all-right , mmxii. I have never experienced a break up. Nope, I am one of those that never really tried so never really had to deal with the whole dramarama of break up.

I am a pussy. I know this… So, what do I do? I read books. I read books that break my heart, that make me wistful for that time when time goes by so fast when you're with the one and when girls sit in their rooms staring out their window for months waiting for their shiny vampire to remember her.

I read books that detail breakups through music and death and stupid high school crap reasons. And, I love them. I really really do. I must really hate myself.

Why we Broke Up. I should have known, right? In fact, I did do this with my husband who was not yet my husband. I did it like 5 times…. Yeah… smart one, that guy. But, those letters were awesome…. This letter comes with a treasure box of collected memories and illustrations of items in that box.

This letter is like if Griffin and Sabine were to call it quits. Never got that far. Min is everything that I wish or thought or wished I thought I was in high school. I can relate to Min, I can appreciate her innocence and her blindness and her pain. I can want to kick Ed in the balls and cut off his hands so he never plays basketball again. I would do this for Min. I can tell you that pages , and is my new mantra. It will take me awhile to get that down but it will be worth it.

Xoxoxo Do not read this break up story. Close your eyes. Turn off your laptop. Do not read this particularly miserable break up story. Hug a skunk that has lost a battle with the semi whose driver was too busy eating a ham sandwich he picked up from the tiny diner with the one light above the day old donuts that were flickering exactly in tune with the polka music playing quietly from the radio belonging to the man in the corner smoking a pipe for some unhygienic reason.

Hug that poor, dead skunk because it will be more pleasurable than reading this dreadful, tired breakup story. Turn around now. You still have time. Pretend your eyes never fell upon these words and leave your home right now to talk to your local government representative about pulling all military funding to turn public buses in to ice cream trucks.

Ask him to abolish marriage for group hugs. Suggest all textbooks smell like fresh cookies. Buy a kitten on your way home, take him to dinner and pretend you never laid eyes on this break up story. I warned you. Now you are. Now, to lighten the mood Happy Dating. Jun 13, Fred rated it it was amazing Shelves: immediate-re-reads. This is a book where describing what happened kind of misses the point, because it's not really about that.

But, I've gotta start somewhere, so The letter accompanies a box, filled with "the prizes and debris of this relationship, like the glitter in the gutter when the parade has passed, all the everything a This is a book where describing what happened kind of misses the point, because it's not really about that. The letter accompanies a box, filled with "the prizes and debris of this relationship, like the glitter in the gutter when the parade has passed, all the everything and whatnot kicked to the curb.

A relationship that begins with a beverage named after one of the all-time creepiest opera villains might portend problems, but Min and Ed's relationship ignites with improbable incandesence. Until suddenly, one day, it dramatically doesn't any more, and Min is left sorting through the souvenirs, trying to make sense out of what happened. There are many wonderful things about this book..

But two things really stood out for me: the beautiful and dizzying language with which Min tells their story; and the world that the author creates, one that is so close to ours, but just slightly askew.

There are revival movie houses like the Carnelian, which show a series of fascinating, if fictitious, films of mystery, poetry and wonder. There's no facebook or cell phones to distract our characters from engaging directly with each other. Sometimes, there's an almost hallucinatory quality to the prose, especially the scenes of Ed's bonfire and Halloween party that are really extraordinary and almost disturbing.

And at other times, the luminous, tender and lyrical descriptions of Ed and Min's times together are so emotionally vivid and impactful that it's easy to get caught up in their improbable experience. This really seems more like an extended poem than prose, and it's a beautiful reading experience.

Min is a special girl, to the point where the final few pages are particularly painful. Her story will stay with you long after you close the covers of this lovely and beautifully illustrated book. And speaking of the "story," this is not just an extended improvisation of linguistic loveliness, it's a compelling story that draws you in an unfolds with twists, suprises, and all the narrative goodness a major book provides.

So, it's got fantastic magical language, awesome characters even Ed, as flawed and frustrating as he is, is fully realized and not without his appeal and a gripping story. Definitely worth investing your precious reading time! View all 6 comments. Apr 02, Kristi rated it did not like it. I loved the premise of this novel. Absolutely loved it! I thought it was genius. What can I say? I think I was so excited about the premise of this novel that once I was done reading I felt very underwhelmed.

The only reason I kept reading is because I wanted to see why they broke u I loved the premise of this novel. The only reason I kept reading is because I wanted to see why they broke up. And it was exactly the reason I thought it was going to be. I should have just skipped ahead and saved myself hours of reading.

The entire novel Min is making references to these old movies. Normally I am down with that sort of thing, but this got to the point where it was just down right annoying. What was the reason these two were together in the first place? On another note, I short of wished I would have had a finished copy just to see the finished artwork.

I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship.

This is a new edition of this stunning, internationally acclaimed YA novel. Rate Product. I have to begin of with saying that the book was different and that's what caught my attention in the first place. It was interesting, it kept me reading.