Lauren Strasnick

When Natalie and Dan met it was electric. An instant connection. He admired her success and talent as an artist, and she liked his good-guy appeal and attentiveness. It was so good-- until it wasn't anymore.

Now, Natalie is sending Ben 16 letters to tell him her version of love-gone-wrong. He doesn't exactly see things the same way, but Natalie is determined to have the last word.

In case you didn't know, I'm a HUGE Lauren Strasnick fan. I love that her characters are never perfect. I love that her chapters are short and meaningful. I love that everything that happens in her book means something to the plot. She's so good at staying focused and not wasting words.

16 Ways to Break a Heart was a dark romance book. Natalie writes Dan notes recapping their relationship and how it went from good to house-burning-down. Dan and Natalie were cute at first, but there was SOMETHING about Natalie right from the beginning that had me feeling WAYS. I was definitely wishing I could jump in the book and warn him away from her.

Don't get it twisted: this book is about a toxic relationship. Even the good parts were tinged with something off. I think the cover and synopsis kind of make this look/sound a little cutesy, and it is NOT that. It is 2 people who kind of bring out the worst in each other. And Natalie is a bit of a stalker.

I personally liked that all the characters were flawed. Initially I was rooting for Dan. He's not an angel, but at least he was upfront about the fact that he was a liar, a coward, and a maybe-cheat. I can accept flaws better when someone cops to them. But once he started resenting Natalie for her successes, I knew me and Dan wouldn't be besties any time soon. Also, he needs some work on how to treat women.

I found it interesting that this book took a realistic look at a young relationship. There isn't a right person and a wrong person, which I think is what happens in many relationships that go bad. We end up hurting each other and get to a point where we can't seem to stop.

I think reading this book in combination with [b:Bad Romance|29102896|Bad Romance|Heather Demetrios|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475530166s/29102896.jpg|47434524] by Heather Demetrios would be a good recommendation for any teen getting into the dating pool. Both show some harsh realities.

OVERALL: I loved this dark romance. It's a quick read that shows how relationships can go from good to bad really fast. Throw in jealousy, possessiveness, resentment, immaturity, and need for retaliation and it's a relationship ripe for implosion.

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Holly has just had a one night stand with Paul, a popular guy at her high school with a long-term girlfriend. Holly doesn't really know why she did it, except that her mom recently died of cancer and her feelings are all sort of numb. Unbelievably Paul persues her and convinces her to have a secret sexual relationship. That's great and all, but then she makes friends with Saskia (Paul's g/f) and also there's that neighbor boy Nils.... The harder she tries to end it with Paul, the harder he tries to change her mind, and the longer it goes on, the greater the chances are for major disaster!

I really really liked this book in a 'my heart hurt' kind of way. I felt bad for Holly even though what she was doing was wrong. I really wanted everything to work out for her, but I guess a lesson had to be learned there. I still wish it would've ended a with a little more resolution.

I thought the subject matter was pretty great. How many books tackle the subject of casual teen sex/friends with benefits in a realistic way? This one did an awesome job showing that sometimes people do bad things because they can't help themselves. A lot of people use sex as a need for comfort and love, but sex doesn't always equal love and that's a lesson a lot of young girls learn the hard way (like Holly). I know losing her mother wasn't an excuse for what she did, but I didn't see her as a villian. She was letting herself get talked into something because she wanted someone to care about her. I just felt like I could understand her so much. What she did to Nils was really shitty, but he should've been a better friend to her before and after :(

I also thought the way this book was written was cool. Some chapters would be only a page long, yet they were still incredibly powerful. It was so minimalist or something, but it worked!


"You are very loved. You need to work harder at loving yourself."
~Amazing quote... and so true!

MY BLOG:
http://pinkpolkadotbookblog.blogspot.com/… (mer)

Holly feels numb after her mother’s death and so she loses her virginity to Paul, whom she hardly knows. This is no tragedy at first, but Paul goes out with the willowy, pretty Saskia. At first Paul is obsessed with Holly because she cannot understand what Paul sees in her and she does not answer his phone calls. She is flattered but then she begins to become friendly with Saskia and things get more complicated. As time goes on, Paul begins to intrude on her life more and more, showing up at her house late at night and refusing to go away until Holly lets him in. Things continue in this vein with Holly sleeping with Paul when he wants. Nils is the requisite best friend, next-door-neighbor/potential love interest where they share their lives with each other in the Shack, their backyard shed hangout, though Holly neglects to share her relationship with Paul. Holly is struggling to make meaning of her mother’s death while pretending that everything is fine to Jeff, which is what she calls her dad, and Nils. While the story line seems cliché, Strasnick makes Holly likeable and believable and her circumstances heartbreaking. The denouement is predictable but nonetheless devastating and sad but Holly somehow emerges okay. Students who like Deb Caletti, Sarah Dessen, and Laurie Halse Anderson will enjoy this book.… (mer)