This book was able to rip my heart out of my chest. Grace and Henry were never meant to be and it hurt me a bit cause I wanted a happy ending for Henry but Grace was grieving, and they were just too toxic for each other. I officially broke down when Grace ran away and he found her at the place they trespassed to and she just shut down and told him how she felt. I had to take a break when she said took off the dress and said she was going to marry Dominic in that dress. My god when Henry goes to the cemetery alone to talk to Dom's grave. Just the anger Henry had at Dom for leaving Grace. Their last kiss hurt, when he asked her why she kissed him like she loved him and she responds saying "that's the only way I know how." ( )

3.5 Stars ( )

3.0

Here is the thing about the manic pixie dream girl trope, It's done all wrong. People like to say that that the manic pixie dream girl doesn't exist, It is the product of some lonely male's imagination. I don't agree.

I think that what they get wrong is the person falling in love with her. I think what they don't see is what causes the mania, the awkwardness, the different drum that calls to the MPDG.

Our chemical hearts got something correct. The author hit it on the nose with Grace Town. A female who is wrapped in trauma and loneliness. That trauma and loneliness manifests itself it ways that those around her may call "quirky", "odd " or "special." That aloofness credited to her "marching to her own drum," instead of someone just desperately trying to move forward.

I've known those girls. I was that girl. I read Shakespeare, wrote and performed poetry, always had a book in my hand, and wore ripped dreams with my favorite quotes written on them. One day I wore a big flowered hat with a daisy and a floor length vintage skirt, the next kool-aid died hair and leather. I kept to myself. I sat under a stairwell reading books and eating lunch. I felt different and off. I had trouble making friends. I had anxiety, and I was cloaked in trauma. I knew other girls like me. Awkward, different, bouncing from ecclesiastical to sad. Trying to find themselves. Different in all the ways that usually kept us where we wanted to be. Separate.

Then there is the Henry Pages. The boys that you read or see in the manic pixie dream girl works of fiction that are sensitive and see something in that female. The Henry Page character is just as much a trope as the MPDG, but that is rarely discussed. I was friends with the Henry Page. He hung on the peripheral. But, the girls I always saw them dream of being with were the blessedly ordinary girls, or the popular girls, or just anyone in between that could make them feel more extraordinary. Someone that made them feel a little less awkward. Like, "if I can get her I have cracked the code."

I appreciated this book for its depiction of trauma, of trying to let go, of using someone as a buoy to keep your head above water. I appreciated that feeling of loving the idea of a person versus the reality. That selfish and crazy feelings of first love. But, for my MPDG/B loving soul, give me the Charlie's from "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". Give me the soul of the person who is recognizably awkward, just trying to not say the wrong things, trying to fit in, and lost loveless in their turmoil. Someone almost but not quite ever...there. ( )

TW: Self-harm, Depression, Car accident,Death of a teenager

[b: Our Chemical Hearts|28186273|Our Chemical Hearts|Krystal Sutherland|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1463228676l/28186273._SY75_.jpg|46870340] is the debut novel by Krystal Sutherland which aims to portray the bittersweetness that is love, first love in particular.
The main romance is Male/Female, Henry Page and Grace Town.
I recently read [b: House of Hollow|54613751|House of Hollow|Krystal Sutherland|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595266293l/54613751._SX50_.jpg|75856299] by this same author and liked it better.
It took me a long time to get through this book.


I was quite conflicted with this book, there were so many aspects that I didn't enjoy, I didn't ship the romance, maybe if it was a friendship, it would have suited them but not as a romantic relationship.
Henry too was also a character I struggled with, he was problematic, the way he called Grace broken annoyed me. He was quite jealous of her ex who is not even around!
He's such a pathetic character sometimes, he also needs to grow up and he treated Grace as broken and ill, he should have stepped up and talked more mature.

I loved the side characters more, Sadie was someone who I would want a novel about, Lola and Murray were funny in some aspects, they are such good friends. Lola was great, she called Henry out when he was being an idiot, she also gave great life advice. "Don't date a girl who hasn't read Harry Potter"

I was disappointed that this book was set in America, Murray was the only Aussie character and his slang was overused. Why all the slang? We don't need the slang in an Aussie character.

Grace's mental health issues were poorly done, she was so broken apparently and she was treated by crap by Henry. Everyone found her weird for her actions and basically ignored the fact that this poor Girl needs help, she's obviously suffering and no one cares.

Overall, a disappointing book filled with an annoying male character and great side characters.

( )

Honestly my favorite book out of what've read, this book showed me a bit of a different view on soulmates; we don't simply have soulmates, we make them ( )