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Why We Broke Up | February 8, 2012

by Daniel Handler (Little, Brown and Company, Dec. 2011)

Yes, Valentine’s Day is creeping ever closer and what better way to celebrate than with a another YA relationship novel? The thing is, Why We Broke Up, by Daniel Handler (of Lemony Snicket fame), isn’t just another love story — it chronicles from beginning to end the awkward first conversation, the epic egg sculpture creation, the navigation of very different friend groups, and, at last, to the dumping of the ex’s belongings on their doorstep. Not only is the telling of Min and Ed’s doomed-from-the-beginning romance effortlessly portrayed by a very smart but still very adolescent Min, there are very cool color pictures illustrated by Maira Kalman throughout the book portraying all the “stuff” Min is now returning to Ed. Even though you know how it ends, you won’t be able to put the story (or that pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream) down until you’re done.

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