Why We Broke Up

By Daniel Handler
354 pages

Min and Ed have broken up, and to bring closure to herself, Min has written Ed a long letter chronicling their relationship and why it was doomed.  And doomed it was, many of their friends and acquaintances knew it from the beginning, and while reflecting, Min sees it clearly too.  Two very different kids, with very different friends, families, interests and aspirations.  Throughout the book, we watch Min give up so much of her identity to invest in this relationship...why?  There really isn't a clear reason why the two fall so madly for each other so quickly, but I think most of us can identify with that feeling.  Min wonders this too, after the fact, but acknowledges that at the time she was blind to the warnings and imperfections in their relationship.  While reading this, I was irritated with Min for blowing off her friends and being blind to the obvious warning signs, and strongly disliked Ed for most of the book because of his arrogance and egotism.  This book is very honest, throughout you feel Min's bitterness towards Ed, but still some lingering tenderness too.  I would love love love to see a sequel from Ed's point of view, not necessarily a letter like this one, but something that explains his side, lets us know if he was truly as arrogant as he was portrayed or if that was just Min's bitterness, and answers the burning questions, did he truly love Min?  And if so, why make the choices he made?