It's not that I didn't like it.
I did.

Well.
It's hard to explain. Just a peculiar feeling.
It leaves quiet in its wake. ( )

It's not usually a good idea for me to start reading a book because I think the cover is beautiful. That almost never ends well. But this cover is so beautiful, with its calm and dreamy pink wash, and the inside flap description is spare and intriguing...I couldn't help myself.

And, at first, I regretted it. I'm not wild about the writing, which seems at times to try too hard for a casual and teen-y voice and references bits of pop culture that I suspect are over the heads of the book's intended teen audience. And Clementine, the main character, is at first so on-the-nose with her angst that I couldn't help feeling as though she'd been dumbed down for that same teen audience.

Then, instead of merely huddling in her guilt and grief, Clementine started talking to the people around her, and with each conversation, the characters, including Clementine, took on depth and dimension. When the reason for that guilt and grief finally revealed itself, I discovered that I wanted very much for her to come to grips with the consequences of her choices and find a way to forgive herself.

I enjoyed the love story, too---more than I usually do when it comes to contemporary young adult fiction---and I particularly liked that when Clementine finally started paying attention to the world and the people around her, she discovered that other people were in the midst of their own difficult journeys.

I'm glad I picked this up. It's not perfect, but I grew to love the characters and wish the best for them. And it provided an always-needed reminder that relationships ebb and flow and that sometimes the hardest thing to do is forgive yourself for your mistakes and keep trying. ( )

I was a tad confused throughout most of this book, but once I figured things out it flowed pretty easily. The main character was a little more whiny than I like and she came off as a major b*tch to not only her family but just about everyone they came into contact with. She did loosen up and start enjoying herself. The ending left me wanting more. ( )

full review soon!

I chose to put this book on my wishlist immediately because I wanted to connect so badly to a young adult contemporary novel. I haven’t found a good one with a strong female lead since Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen. The synopsis sounded so great.

Unbreak My Heart is an accurate portrayal of a 16 year old’s life. At least, of my life when I was that age. I treated my little sister the same way, except probably a little more harshly. It made me want to cry from the beginning, the descriptions were so spot on, with the exception of boating.

Clementine has a broken heart from falling in love with her best friend’s boyfriend and is the only one of the two accused of being in the wrong. She is then dragged out for a whole summer’s worth of vacation on her family’s boat. While discovering her feelings towards her broken friendship in her journal, she bumps into a cute boy named James. Of course, things are awkward because they are teenagers, but they help each other find happiness and understand that they are not the only ones who feel sadness and that you can't let your emotions get the better of you.

I didn't find Clementine annoying, even though she constantly thought about herself and wrote everything down in her diary. I found it to be an accurate portrayal of how a young teen thinks about the world and her family and friends. Unbreak My Heart was exactly what I needed to be reminded of my life as a teenager. It probably sounds dumb to people that don’t see the appeal in older people reading young adult books, but sometimes it is nice to be reminded of what it was like to be that young and remember old feelings.

This was such a cute, fun, fast read. Perfect for the summer! ( )