Only Love Can Break Your Heart

by Katherine Webber

From the author of the acclaimed Wing Jones comes a 'break-up' book about a Japanese-American teenager, set in the Palm Springs desert, California. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon's Everything, Everything and Sara Barnard's Beautiful Broken Things.

Sometimes a broken heart is all you need to set you free…

Reiko loves the endless sky and electric colours of the Californian desert. It is a refuge from an increasingly claustrophobic life of family pressures and her own secrets. Then she meets Seth, a boy who shares a love of the desert and her yearning for a different kind of life. But Reiko and Seth both want something the other can’t give them. As summer ends, things begin to fall apart. But the end of love can sometimes be the beginning of you...

• ISBN10: 1406382086
• ISBN13: 9781406382082
• Publish Date: 2 August 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Walker Books Ltd
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

This was a story about a young women still trying to cope with the death of her oldest sister. She had been playing a part and avoiding talking about her sister, but it seemed like her coping mechanism was no longer working.

This story focused on Reiko, her grief, and the messy relationships she had. I was a little sad about the direction Webber went with the love interest. I was hopeful about that connection, but I guess that was not the type of journey the author had in mind for Reiko.

I did appreciate the way Reiko grew and changed over the course of the story, and I loved seeing the bond between her and her brother grow. I also enjoyed the moments she shared with her dad.

So, though this was not the warm and fuzzy book I was hoping for, it still had some strong elements that kept me reading.

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[Joséphine]

November 8, 2018

Full book review is now up on Word Revel.

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August 23, 2018

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Initial thoughts: Again, Katherine Webber delivered. After reading Wing Jones last year, I couldn't wait for her sophomore novel, and I must say, the wait was worth it. Only Love Can Break Your Heart demonstrates how messy relationships can be, be they romantic, platonic or familial. Honestly, I was tearing by the end of the book because (1) Reiko's experiences were tough, and (2) I appreciated the realism of this story. The characters made me uncomfortable and mad at various points, but the friendship of Reiko and Dre gave me hope.

In some ways, Only Love Can Break Your Heart was a similar to Wing Jones in that reality and fantasy/imagination were blurred. That's one aspect that I'm not the biggest fan of and what stopped me from giving 5 stars. Nonetheless, a great book for those who like their YA contemporary novels on the grittier side.

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Note: I received an advanced reading copy from a local distributor in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.