Min is writing a letter to her ex-boyfriend, accompanied by every remnant of their past relationship. He will get the letter with the box after she drops it off at her front door, and become painfully aware of every step in their relationship that led to their inevitable break-up.
Ed should not have been at Al's bitter-sweet sixteen party, but there he was drinking a Scarpia's Bitter Ale. Min was confident walking up to him and shortly after he asked for her phone number it was official: Min was the girlfriend of a basketball player. All of a sudden Min finds herself ditching her normal friends for Ed's basketball practices and Ed's friends who think she's artistic.
Why We Broke Up is a fun if not heartbreaking look at a relationship after it happened. From the title you know it doesn't work out for Ed and Min, but that doesn't make Min any less enduring, or Ed any less crush-able. Of course, there are some awesome supporting characters like Min's friend Al, who is always there for her, and driving her to drop off the box of memorabilia. There's Joan, Ed's sister who seems to both like and dislike Min, even though they are very much alike among other friends and family members.
Peppered with illustrations by Maira Kalman readers are able to see and read about the items, see why they were important, and most importantly hear how each piece lead to a relationship destined to fail.
Fans of books like Pete Hautman's The Big Crunch and Stephen Emond's Winter Town will enjoy this bittersweet love story, and for those broken hearted this February 14th this might just be the book for you.
I'll see you @ the library!
Katie (Kristin Chandler's Girl's Don't Fly is on my soon to read radar!)
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