Why We Broke Up documents Minerva’s, a highschool junior, young love story with Ed Slaterton, co-captain of the basketball team and her unexpected first love. Min begins from the moment she lets the box of all his things fall with a thud at his doorstep. From there, Min presents each of the box’s contents with an episode of their relationship, all together weaving a story of her relationship with Ed and why they broke up.

Why We Broke Up is a beautiful story of teenage love and the growth coming with it. Min is representative of each one of us and Handler writes a story relatable to each and every reader. Each character is amazingly relatable and contributes insightful experience to the story. The centerpiece, Ed and Min’s relationship, develops throughout the novel and reveals the different obstacles and emotions we all experience throughout life. The writing is simple yet impactful and each reader can strongly connect to Min’s unique voice.

I would mainly recommend this novel to teenage readers who enjoy realistic fiction or would like to get into reading. Similar materials include To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han or for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.