Review : The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel & Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Posted by on June 24, 2014 2:00 am in 2 stars reads, 3 stars reads | 1 comment

the break-up artistThe Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel
Pages : 319
Genre : YA, Fiction
Stand alone
My Rating : 3/5

About the Book  :

Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash. Some work at the mall. Becca Williamson breaks up couples.

Becca knows from experience the damage that love can do. After all, it was so-called love that turned Huxley from her childhood best friend into a social-world dictator, and love that left Becca’s older sister devastated at the altar. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, Becca strikes back—for just one hundred dollars via PayPal, she will trick and manipulate any couple’s relationship into smithereens. And with relationship zombies overrunning her school and treating single girls as if they’re second-class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even Becca’s best friend, Val, has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend.

One night, Becca receives a mysterious offer to break up the most popular couple in school: Huxley and raw football team’s star player, Steve. To succeed, she’ll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date—starting rumors, sabotaging cell phones, breaking into cars…not to mention sneaking back into Huxley’s good graces. All while fending off the inappropriate feelings she may or may not be having for Val’s new boyfriend.

No one said being the Break-Up Artist would be easy.

My Thoughts :

While I love YA contemporary novels, I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about this one when I got into it. The premise sounded unique and fun, and I wasn’t sure what to expect: romance? Parody? Humor? Soul-searching?

In fact, The Break-Up Artist had a bit of everything! It starts more like the setting of a romcom, but it turns out to be much more; the book is about friendship, love, and the decisions we make. While Becca is all hard and cold and revenge in the beginning, she quickly finds that her actions have consequences, and that dealing with those isn’t as much fun.

I had mixed feelings about Beccas but in the end, I sort of liked her. She did what I want my flawed characters to do : she learned from her mistakes and owned up to them.

I also loved that, while the book seems to be about romance (or non romance!), it’s also about friendship and family. Becca’s sister features heavily in the book, and her parents are present too. It made her world feel more complete than in many other similar novels.

I did feel the book dragged a little, and the writing didn’t engage me as much as I would have hoped; which is why this book wasn’t perfect fit for me. But overall, it was great fun and I would recommend it to any reader looking for something light in the summer!

The Break-Up Artist is available for sale now! Thanks to Harlequin Teen for generously providing a e-copy of this book!

* * *

something like fateSomething Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
Pages : 268
Genre : YA, Fiction
Stand alone
My Rating : 2/5

About the Book  :

Erin and Lani are best friends . . . and total opposites when it comes to everything, including boys. But then Erin starts dating Jason, and when Lani meets him, sparks fly. Lani is a loyal friend to Erin, but when junior year ends and Erin goes to camp for the summer, she leaves Lani behind . . . with Jason. Will Lani be able to put her friendship with Erin first, or will she be tempted by the guy who may just be her soul mate?

My Thoughts :

In the past, I have been deeply disappointed by authors I had previously loved, but I also have been greatly surprised by authors that hadn’t work for me. This is why I always love giving authors more than one chance; sometimes an aspect of the story can totally make your opinion of a novel, even though you love the author’s writing. Or the writing will put you off, yet the story will captivate you.

It’s in that spirit that I decided to give Susane Colasanti’s fiction another chance. I had read her twice before (once on paper, once on audio) and had a hard time with her writing, but I persisted.

And I can sort of see why some people enjoy her books, but Something Like Fate still didn’t work for me. The chemistry wasn’t there between the characters, and therefore it wasn’t there between me and the book. The talk used for the teens also turns me off a lot. It’s very much “teen talk” and this isn’t something that works for me. I found the whole thing a bit empty, and I couldn’t empathize with Erin.

Not all readers agree with me though, of course! See the book’s Goodreads page to see why others loved it! 🙂

1 Comment

  1. I haven’t been reading too many books in the young adult category lately. I’m thinking that The Break Up Artis sounds intriguing and might be a nice change of pace for me.

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