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Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker (Book Review)

Posted June 20, 2012 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 5 Comments

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker (Book Review)Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Published by Bloomsbury Children's on May 22, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 232
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

So, I noticed the other day that I’m reading a lot of books right now with titles that are also songs. First it was Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins (Justin Bieber’s Somebody to Love), then it was the one, and next I’m reading Just Say Yes by Philippa Ashley (Snow Patrol’s Just Say Yes). This is causing me to sing more than I read! Seriously, though. I loved this book so much, and even though Toni Braxton’s love ballad thoroughly wedged itself into my mind and remained there for days, it was SO worth it. This is definitely a new favorite of mine, and I can totally see reading this book again. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Melissa did such a good job at capturing the inner turmoil and despair that a teenager goes through after a heartbreaking situation. I’ve been where Clementine is, and I hurt right along with her. It’s amazing how these heartbreaks do control every thought and action. Crying and self-deprecation almost always happen, and sometimes it takes quite a while to get over it. Clem’s world might not have ended, but she sure thought it had. The emotions in this story were real and pure.

2. I was surprised when I came to realize rather quickly that Clem was getting over a lost friendship, and not a lost relationship. I think it made Clem more relatable, though, as I think we’ve all gone through major spats with our best friends. It’s so hard to be a teenager! Haha. I’m so glad I’m done.

3. Clementine was real. She was me, actually. I loved her flaws, and that as she healed she was able to make sense of those flaws and become a better person. I’ve never cheated on anyone, but I know the ramifications of cheating, because I’ve been cheated on. Of course what she did was wrong, but the fact that she recognized that and turned it into something to learn from rather than something to be mad about was refreshing. Her character development was so enjoyable to read about.

4. Clem’s family is amazing. I think part of why I love reading books geared towards young adults is because they are still tied closely to their families. Their parents have influence over them still, and they mostly still live at home. Her parents are wonderful, and I hope that I can have the kind of relationship with my own kids someday that they have with their daughters. Clem’s sister, Olive, reminds me so much of my little sister–always wanting to tag along, looking up to you, silly humor, sweet disposition, biggest fan. It made me reminisce on the times when we would set up forts in the living room or immaculate Barbie cities in our bedrooms… late night dance parties to Britney Spears in the light of my lava lamp.

5. James, a.k.a. Red, is my new favorite young adult male character. If I could wrap him up, and add about 10-12 years to him, I’d take him for myself! What a likeable, happy, artistic, charismatic, and hilarious guy. He knows Clem is sad about something, but he’s giving her the time to tell him on her own. He’s also sad about something in his past, and as the two get to know each other better, they help each other heal. I love his philosophy, which is basically this: you can be sad and you can mourn what you’ve lost, but the memories you created before that loss are yours forever. Never discount the happy times in life, just because they ended unhappily. I can learn a lot from Red. 

6. Don’t get me wrong, this story is not all sad and depressing! Clem and her family spend the summer aboard a sailboat, spending time together, eating disgusting meals made only from canned foods, eating s’mores by blow torch, star gazing, sunbathing, laughing, and bonding. Clem, Olive, and red spend many hours hanging out trying to catch fish, perfecting their Little Mermaid moves, giggling, and teasing each other. An elderly couple is another hilarious addition to the story, and not only made me laugh with the things they said, but warmed my heart with their views on true love. I laughed and smiled a lot. And: ding ding ding! I did not cry. There was no reason to!

7. This book makes me want to do great things. It makes me want to get over my own little heartbreaks along the road, and spend more time with my family. It makes me want to value my mom and sister more. And it makes me want to get a sailboat and go sailing all summer! I can finally attest to the fact that long trips altar the person you are. They let you step away from normal life and learn about yourself. I got to experience this on my recent trip to Europe, and I want to do it again! You know that term “wanderlust” that everyone speaks of? It’s not about the love of traveling, I’ve decided. It’s about the love of getting away from your life so that you can discover what you life is all about. Clem got to discover this as well, and I was rooting for her.

Clearly, I loved this story! I love flawed characters who can pull themselves out of their pits of despair and come away better people. I love sweet, simple romances that bloom from deep conversation and friendship rather than instant attraction. And I love it when those romances turn people into better versions of themselves. I love strong families who support one another. This really is the perfect summery beach read that will have you smiling and thinking back on what it was like to be a kid. I think that’s another reason I love YA: it reminds me of the really simple times in life, when I would not have been embarrassed to pretend I’m Ariel, breaking the surface of the water.


Top Ten Books With Hearts on the Cover

Posted February 8, 2021 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 22 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is a Valentine’s Day/love freebie! I’m excited to see what you all did with this topic. The possibilities were endless, but I decided to share books from my collection that have hearts on the covers! Some of these books are favorites, and others are on my TBR.

Boomerang by Noelle August (LOVED this.)
Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec and Andi Arndt (Definitely a favorite!)
Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely (Super fun, especially on audio.)
The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren (Not my favorite of theirs, but still really enjoyed!)
The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett (LOVE Jenn Bennett)
Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West (TBR)
Heart-Shaped Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves (SO good. I need to read the sequel!)
RomeAntically Challenged by Marina Adair (TBR)
By the Book by Amanda Sellet (TBR)
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker (A long-time favorite.)

Have a happy Valentine’s Day this weekend!
I will be eating pasta and lemon cream cake and reading a really great book. :)


Top Ten YA Characters I’d Love An Update On (Now That They’re Adults!)

Posted November 22, 2021 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 9 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is “Characters I’d Love An Update On.” Many of you know that I started out a a YA book blogger just over 10 years ago here on That Artsy Reader Girl. I pretty much only read YA at that time and devoured it. My tastes have changed and I shifted to adult books when I realized I was struggling to connect with YA characters anymore, but I still look back on my old favorites sitting on my shelves and remember how much I loved the characters and the stories. So today I’m putting a bit of a spin on the topic and focusing on YA characters that I’d love to catch up with and hear what they’ve been up to since they left their teen lives behind.

1. Zorrie from Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
Did her love of astronomy stay with her into college? What’s she doing for work now?

2. Lina from Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Is she still living in Italy? How’s her dad (I LOVED him)?

3. Jesse and Lucy from Love, Lucy by April Lindner
Are they still together?? I hope so!

4. The entire gang from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
I love this crew, and I just want to know what they’re all doing now and if anyone has had babies.

5. Bennett from Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
I just love him.

6. Sophie from Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams
Is she still cooking? Is she a famous, food blogging influencer now?

7. Clementine from Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Are she and James still a thing? Does she have a really amazing friend group now?

8. Bria from Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
Did she find a career in the arts? Is she still traveling?

9. Anna from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I just want to know what’s happening with her!

10. Sarah from My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite
Did she get the love story she’d always read about?

Which characters would you love to catch up with?


22 YA Contemporary Romances Teen Me Would Have Loved

Posted April 27, 2020 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 20 Comments

Happy TTT! Is it just me, or are the weeks both flying AND dragging? I feel like I’ve been in isolation forever, yet I also feel like I’m writing up TTTs every single day. It’s weird how that happens. Oh, before I forget. I’ve updated the TTT topic schedule through June (including TTT’s 10th birthday topic) and will be adding July soon!

Today’s topic lets us think back to a simpler, less chaotic time in our lives. As you can see by my post’s title I switched the topic up a little, but the actual topic is Top Ten Books I Wish I’d Read As a Child. Maybe you weren’t much of a reader as a kid (a.k.a. me), maybe the book you’re thinking of hadn’t been published yet, or maybe you just simply didn’t have the opportunity to read it then. Whatever the reason may be, tell us about the books that little you would have really loved or really needed to read.

I turned 13 in 2000, and contemporary YA romances were just not a thing back then. Actually, YA lit was barely a thing and if it was nobody knew about it. lol. When I went to the bookstore, I never saw any evidence that there were books written just for me. Apparently there was a shelf of “teen reads” in the back by the huge kids section, but I never noticed it. I read historical romance and mysteries instead. YA has now exploded and become an expansive ocean of books that I wish existed when I was a teen. The titles I’m sharing today are all 5-star favorites of mine, and I know I would have loved even MORE if I’d been able to read them as a teenager instead of as an adult. And no, I couldn’t limit it to 10! The book links will lead you to my review, which is where you will find more info on the book and all my thoughts!

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Save the Date by Morgan Matson
The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland
From What I Remember… by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
Love, Lucy by April Lindner
Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore Stultz
Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams
Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Just One Night by Gayle Forman
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman by Louise Plummer*
(*This is the only one of my picks that was actually available when I was a teen.
I SO wish I’d known about this hidden gem! It’s exquisite!)

Are there any YA contemporary romances you wish you’d been able to read as a teen as well?
Or any books at all that you’ve read, but would have loved to read as a teen/younger child instead?

 


Top Ten Platonic Relationships In Books

Posted November 26, 2018 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 14 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is about those wonderful non-romantic relationships we read about in books that warm our hearts and make us smile. I cannot get enough of these kinds of relationships in my books, so I can’t wait to jump around the Linky and find more books to add to my TBR! My list focuses on best friends and wonderful families.

1. Cinder and Thorne in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
One of my favorite platonic boy-girl friendships.

2. Cinder and Iko in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
A girl and her devoted android.

3. Roar and Aria/Perry from Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi 
Roar is the BEST friend ever. And Roar and Perry have the very best bromance I’ve read.

4. The Weasley Family in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
This family. I don’t need to say much more than that.

5. Lucien and Feyre in A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
It’s always nice to have a snarky guy in your corner to make sure you’re doing ok.

6. Kylie and Will in From What I Remember… by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
Will is the best friend that everyone needs!

7. The Family in The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland
Everyone loves each other, even though they all carry scars from difficult pasts. Their trials brought them together, though, into this tight make-shift family that I LOVED.

8. Clem’s Family in Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Her parents are wonderful, and her sister reminds me so much of my little sister–always wanting to tag along, looking up to you, and being your biggest fan. he also has a sweet disposition and a goofy sense of humor.

9. Maggie and Roux from Also Known As by Robin Benway
Roux is a mean girl who got a huge dose of karma, and is now the social outcast. Her new status has made her very uninhibited, and the girl has no filter. She gloms on to Maggie, and the two become inseparable.

10. Angelo (Maggie’s Honorary Uncle) from Also Known As by Robin Benway
He’s this suave, debonair, dapper older gentleman who is also part of The Collective (the spy organization Maggie and her parents are members of). He is a very close friend of Maggie and her family. I love his relationship with Maggie most of all. He is just so loving, and he adores her in this grandfatherly way. I just found him to be so charming and likable.