Review: Instructions for a Broken Heart

Aug •  25 •  2011

Title: Instructions for a Broken Heart
Series: No
Genre: Young Adult- Contemporary
Author: Kim Culberston
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: May 1, 2011
Book: Bought

“Three days before her drama club’s trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled “Top Twenty Reasons He’s a Slimy Jerk Bastard,” instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip. At turns hilarious and heartwrenching, Instructions for a Broken Heart paints a magical Italy in which Jessa learns she must figure out life-and romance-for herself.”
I started this book and BAM! I was hooked and heart broken. Written exceptionally well, Ms. Culberston captures her readers with a great story line that we all experience.
What I liked most about this book is the great plot line. Getting over a breakup/cheating significant others is hard. And it even harder when you have to watch them on a school trip! How messed up is that?? I like that through out the plot line the main character, Jessa, grows so much and learns so much. I like how she saw things differently. Some of the things she said made sense. I adored that she stood strong and got some revenge. Though she learn some of those thing did not make her feel better.
The characters of this book are very well develop. I adored the Jessa’s friends who help her along the way. There were some other nasty secrets that were revealed that made me gasp so much. I am not sure how Jessa is able to handle everything but really this girl got her some back bone. I think I would have had a break down if that were me.
The love interest in this book isn’t all developed but I like it like that. It left hope for the reader and hope for Jessa that their could be another love. Not all is lost, but that Jessa gain knowledge and experience. I can say that the ending of this book did leave me smiling. I adore that Jessa grew up. She never thought she see the light at the end of the tunnel but she made it.
This is a great book a love that is once had but lost. A love that she thought would stand the test of times and didn’t. A great coming of age story about love and it’s experiences. What is true love anyway? As Jessa begins her new life, she answers many questions she never thought she get.
I give it 4 BITES!
Happy Reading!

6 Comments

  1. Jessa sounds like such a strong character! Great review Savy 🙂

  2. Alison Can Read
    Aug 25, 2011

    I enjoyed this book and really liked Jessa’s growth. But I did think it went on a little too long (although as I mentioned in my review that was partly because I read it on an endless car trip)

  3. Aimee
    Aug 25, 2011

    Great review! I’ve been looking into this one for months but have yet to actually make the purchase. I think I will now!

  4. Jenny
    Aug 25, 2011

    I love that this one is set in Italy, that’s one of my very favorite places and it’s definitely a good setting for a little romance:) I enjoy characters that grow a lot during the course of their story, it always makes for a more interesting read:) Nice review Savy!

  5. Sweet! A character growth book! I love those. I think I’m going to add this to my wishlist.

  6. Sash and Em
    Aug 25, 2011

    This looks so CUTE! nice review

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