Review Detail

What grabbed me first, I hate to admit, is the incredibly cool cover. The Museum of Heartbreak is the perfect book to throw in with your towel and sunscreen as you head down to the ocean. It is a quick light read that also deals with some pretty important issues of hope, friendship, love, discovery, and of course heartbreak.

What I loved: The story is perfect for this time of year. After finishing up two incredibly dense books this is what I needed. I really enjoyed Pen as a character. Her love of words and books, her uncertainty, her foibles, and the desire to have things stay the same but also change- reminds me a lot of moments in my own teen years as well as my friends.
Pen collects artifacts from her life and which each artifact comes a memory and a revelation about her as a person.

What left me wanting more? I wish there was more. There were definitely points in the book where I wish there was more on the other characters in the book as well. In a way I am contradicting myself- I love the fact that the book was quick and I could read it in one sitting at the beach, but on the other hand I wish it was longer so I could get to know the other characters just a little bit more. And like many summer time books, at times the plot was a little predictable, but again for a summer beach read this is what I crave.

Overall: This is a fun read. It connects to the heart by sorting through issues that matter; the every changing dynamics of friendships, how to hold on to hope, the difficulties that can come with falling in love, and how heartbreak can sometimes make everything whole again. A comfy ready for a sunny day!