by Daniel Handler
3 out of 5 stars
This was a quirky, entertaining read, and, after I got used
to the narrative style (is that the right term?), I did enjoy and even looked
forward to listening during my drive to and from work.
It is YA, so you can
expect the usual angst and drama of the genre, as well as the humor. The story
is told as Min is writing a farewell letter (i.e., through a letter...a very
long, detailed letter with exhaustive detail and conversations past) to her ex
boyfriend while she's in the present tense riding to his house to dump her box
of relationship memorabilia (did I mention the drama?). So...yeah, it was a
little hard to follow at first, and while it sounds clever (and at times was),
mostly I found this technique annoying. But...I got used to it.
Her boyfriend,
Ed, actually seems like a decent guy, albeit the stereotypical somewhat shallow,
vain, unsophisticated high school jock. He sees something different in Min, and
the way he expresses his appreciation is sweet. I actually found myself
wondering if it was really Min who was at fault here, because she *is* kind of
needy and neurotic. But really, when you sift through it all, it wasn't
anybody's fault. I think the lesson here is the heart wants what the heart
wants, and sometimes this happens, unfortunately, before we humans are mature
enough to express ourselves or possess the empathy to deal with it. And,
sometimes two people can love each other but still not be a good fit. Still, it
sucks to have your heart broken, and who hasn't questioned the wisdom of
Shakespeare when your own personal heart is the one that's all achy breaky?
('Tis better to have loved and lost, blah blah blah). I give this 3.5 stars,
though it's not an option in the little button choices.
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