Review: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

February 21, 2012

Penguin Young Readers Group

Synopsis:
Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

My Review:
THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU AND ME is a powerful YA debut about death and the power of forgiveness. I didn't at all expect to love it as much as I did! One of my favorite things about the book is the music titles for each chapter. They really set the mood and made me enjoy the story that much more! I am definitely going to have to do a re-read in the future with the music for each chapter playing in the background!

Brie is one majorly complicated case. She literally dies of a broken heart and holds so much pain and anger towards Jacob, who caused said broken heart. Brie must be one heck of a romantic to die from such a cause! I honestly couldn't believe it at first, but the more I got to know Brie, the more I could understand the way she went out.

I can't tell you how many times I wanted to cry for Brie. The sadness that she feels as she watches her family fall apart from her death is heart-wrenching. I cannot imagine what I would do in her shoes if I had to witness the affect my sudden death had on my family. I could feel her pain and her family's grief at her loss. There were so many times that I felt like I was going to breakdown because of how sad it was. In the end, the powerful message of the story kept me going.

Patrick, the guy who helps Brie move through her five stages of grief, is a bit of an enigma. He can be so cute and funny at times, but there were times that he would show what emotions he was hiding and I just wanted to understand him. This is as much his story as it is Brie's. The twist that connected him and Brie shocked me to the core, and I was not at all expecting it.

One of my favorite silly parts of the novel is Patrick's nicknames for Brie, since it is a cheese you know. My all-time favorite nickname for Brie was Cheeto. It made me laugh every time he came out with it and it really lightened up the darker moments in the story.

THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU AND ME is more than just a novel about death. It is about living life to it's fullest and recognizing that impossible things may be possible. While 2012 may have barely started, I can say with absolute conviction that this will be going in my top ten favorite YA novels of 2012.

My Rating: