16 Ways To Break A Heart

by Lauren Strasnick

[Leah]

In a bid to clear my Kindle of its many, many books (that’s an understatement) I am going through my Kindle in alphabetical order (there’s no other way – if I think too hard about what I want to read, then I end up not reading a thing) and culling any book that doesn’t immediately grab my attention. I culled the first book I tried, but 16 Ways To Break A Heart grabbed me immediately – it was such a quick read, but I loved the he says/she says nature of the book and the fact that Nat’s entire POV was through letters, whereas Dan’s was a proper narrative (I don’t mean proper, I just don’t have the right word).

16 Ways To Break A Heart is basically 13 Reasons Why without the suicide. And while you might be hiding behind a cushion screaming spoilers, if you *don’t* know 13RW is about suicide, you’ve clearly been living under a rock, so I’m not going to apologise for that. Nat and Dan have broken up in the present, but Nat’s letters to Dan allow us to see their relationship. Nat’s version, and then Dan’s version and let me tell you it isn’t pretty. It is the definition of a toxic relationship. The things we learn make them both look so freaking bad. And yet, they started out so well, meeting by accident! And it’s all cute and lovely! Until it isn’t. Nat is jealous, defensive, petty; Dan is a jerk. It’s very easy to just say Nat’s crazy, prone to screaming, etc, but Dan is no angel.

It’s hard to like any of the characters – they’re supposed to be 17, but they act as if they’re five-year-olds. They want to be in serious relationships, but they aren’t willing to stick it out or be in a relationship – Dan is with Nat, and yet he flirts with his best friend Ruby and this other girl Arielle who also has a boyfriend (and Arielle is no better, fyi) and the way he tries to come across as sweet and innocent is baffling, and in the end, the thing that comes right as the book comes to a close, proves without a doubt what kind of person Dan is. Again, Nat is barely better – lying about stuff, throwing around wild accusations (although the Ruby/Arielle stuff was spot on – Dan’s defense being that he only ever flirted with Arielle when they were fighting like WTF? What planet are you on, dude?)

16 Ways To Break A Heart was a frustrating read, I’m not going to lie. But it was also a quick read and I loved the letters/texts/prose that made up this book. I didn’t particularly like Dan or Nat, but I was captivated by their story, the way you’re captivated by a car crash on the motorway, or you watch something unfolding outside your window. It was just ridiculous, and yet it was super captivating, what can I say. That ending was just absurd, but a good absurd. I really liked this book, I can’t even tell you why, but I did. Lauren Strasnick has just written a really good book. I love it when I dislike the characters, but the book is just written with such a persuasive voice that you really, really enjoy it. I was sneaking chapters here, there, and everywhere whilst also trying to simultaneously watch the World Championships. I just needed to know what was coming next for Nat and Dan. I couldn’t stop reading.