i will not be reviewing this title in solidarity with the ongoing st. martin's press boycott. if you want to find out more about the boycott, please visit https://r4a.carrd.co/

This is a very cute and wholesome story about friendship told through art. While the premise could be deep, because it is YA it is rarely surface level, which is okay but I wanted more.
I really enjoyed how unique the idea of this book is. I think if it wasn't this unique, it would be a lot like every other ya rom coms.
That being said, I so intend to buy this book for my friend who only reads YA romances as it gave what it needed to give and I think she would really like it.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

This was a super cute YA romance. It follows Chloe Chang who not only has to move from NY to LA, but gets dumped by her boyfriend. When the breakup first happens, all she wants to do is throw out the box of memories she's collected while they were together. Instead, she starts paying other kids to give her their breakup boxes, so she can create an art exhibit called Heartifacts. Along the way she meets Daniel. The guy who dates a girl only for the girl to always go back to their ex. When Chloe starts to get a crush on him, he's not only worried about being a rebound for her, but doesn't want what always happens to happen again. And at first he's right, the moment her ex comes to LA, she realizes she's not completely over him, and dives completely into her Heartifacts exhibit.

This story was super quick paced, and really cute! I loved the friend and the family scenes in this story. Especially the side plot with trying to find out her grandma's recipe for the pineapple cakes. I sometimes found Chloe's character to be a bit annoying, but I LOVED Daniel. Overall, a super cute read. 3.25 stars

I read this book not knowing what to expect. I was looking for a nice romance read with an entertaining plot.

Our main character gets broken up by literal mail as her ex sends back items that he had. She decides to transform them into an art exhibit and there meets the male main character.

The art part of it was interesting and different I just wish there had been more comedic relief to the romance part of it.

Thank you NetGalley for the book.

I got about a third of the way through this one before deciding to DNF.

First of all, for the story starting off with our main character getting unceremoniously dumped, girlie didn't seem heartbroken?? She also seems so young that I was baffled to hear them talking about her losing her V. The characters felt much younger than they were and I didn't really care for them.

About 1/3 of the way in, I was surprised that she was already kissing the new love interest. I felt no chemistry between them and around this point I just realized this wasn't the book for me.

I was hoping to enjoy the book more than I did, but it took me quite awhile to get through it. The main character continuing to not listen when everyone told her she wasn't over her ex was annoying. Her not taking into consideration Daniel;s feelings was annoying. Her magically getting over her ex by following a step by step guide was not believable at all. Overall would not recommend

Cute idea for a story in relation to using the breakup boxes in an art show. However, I just didn't think the story itself came together quite like the author hoped.

DNF at 15% I wanted to like this book. It has a cute premise, but I just can't with our main character. Yes, this is a YA book but she is so immaturity and honestly annoying.

I unfortunately could not get into the writing of this book, which is why I’ve decided not to finish it. ARTIFACTS OF AN EX had potential, but the clunky writing style just took away all my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen.

This book was cute, easy read young adult story about break ups and falling in love with everything in between. The rebound’s, being scared to get heart, knowing when you’re over someone, all while tying it to art. The premise I felt was a bit better than the what I got. As I read this book, I kept thinking the characters where older then they were which was throwing me off. It was a very wholesome book, it’s just they were “playing” very grown up roles in wanting to be artists and art curators while really high schoolers. The cover and description did draw me in and ultimately I finished the book as I wanted to see how Chloe and Daniel made out. 3.5⭐️

Loved this! What a fun, cute, swoony read! This was the perfect book to have in my hands when I needed a pick me up.

"I was expecting this book to make me cry via commentary on the nature of love, NOT via grandparent with memory loss feelings." - an approximate quote by me to my friends while reading Artifacts of an Ex. To be fair, it did also make me cry via commentary on the nature of love. It's a multi-faceted story.

Seriously though, I'm an adult dealing with a grandparent's memory loss, and as much as it sucks, I can only imagine how much worse it would have been if I were a teen when it started. Especially since, like Chloe, I have a tendency to want to be in control of everything. As much as I loved everything that this book had to say about love, self-expression, and the nature of art, the dementia sub-plot is what pushed it into favorite territory for me. I really hope it finds the teens out there who need it.

Artifacts of an Ex is a cute, lighthearted YA read. While it’s not the most sentimental read, it’s definitely a fun book that I would recommend for high schoolers!

"Artifacts of An Ex" by Jennifer Chen takes readers on a journey through heartbreak, self-discovery, and the unpredictable twists of love. Chloe Chang's unconventional response to being dumped—creating an art exhibit called Heartifacts from breakup boxes—is a unique and intriguing concept that sets the stage for a story of healing and personal growth.

The narrative kicks off with Chloe's determination to turn her own heartache into something creative and meaningful. The introduction of Daniel Kwak adds an unexpected twist, as their chance encounter leads to a creative partnership, friendship, and the inevitable complications of a budding crush. Chen captures the complexities of post-breakup emotions and the fragile nature of rebound relationships.

The central conflict arises from Daniel's reluctance to become another rebound in Chloe's life. His past experiences of being the guy who inadvertently leads girls back to their exes create a barrier to their potential romance. This tension adds depth to the storyline, exploring themes of trust and vulnerability in the aftermath of heartbreak.

However, the novel falls short in delivering a fully immersive and emotionally resonant experience. While the concept of Heartifacts is creative, the execution of Chloe's journey lacks the depth needed to fully engage readers in her emotional transformation. The plot feels somewhat predictable, and the characters, while likable, don't undergo significant development.

The exploration of Chloe's efforts to make Heartifacts successful and her struggle against flashy influencers adds a layer of conflict, but at times, it detracts from the core emotional arc of the story. The resolution, while satisfying, may leave some readers wanting more complexity in the characters' emotional journeys.

"Artifacts of An Ex" is a light and enjoyable read with a fresh concept, but it doesn't fully capitalize on the emotional potential of its premise. Jennifer Chen's writing style is engaging, and the themes of self-discovery and collaboration in the art world add depth to the narrative. While the story is enjoyable, it doesn't quite reach the emotional depth needed for a higher rating, earning it three stars for its creativity and entertaining elements.

Chloe's passion to be an art curator is so random and I would've loved to learn more, but I don't feel like it ever made sense. It all seemed to come so easily to her and I honestly was more interested in her planner obsession than the art exhibit. This is very specific to me, but I also had a hard time buying into her credibility as a curator by the way she described the fiber artists' works. I am no expert when it comes to that medium, but I was very confused by the words she used since I've never heard terminology used like that before.

DNF

2 ½ stars rounded up. I think this just wasn’t for me. The story was moving along at such a slow pace. It started out strong and then there was so much detail about things like planners and stickers and index cards- I just couldn’t stay engaged. I’m sure it’s a nice story, just not for me. For that reason I’ll keep it at 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed. This one may be one that I reread.

Teenagers Chloe Chang and Daniel Kwak form an unlikely partnership to elevate Chloe’s art exhibit, Heartifacts, to the next level. As the pair work together, feelings develop, but Daniel is dead set on not being another rebound—and Chloe needs to admit to herself that’s exactly what he would be. So she throws herself into working on Heartifacts, bringing in flashy influencers that threaten everything she wanted for the exhibit. In order to find the original message (and maybe even convince Daniel that she’s finally moved on from her ex), she’ll have to go back to basics.

We’ve all been there—what do you do with a relationship box when it becomes a breakup box? Well, Chloe takes the hurt that she is feeling and finds a way to turn it into something that can help her (and others) heal from her pain and find connection in a world that is becoming increasingly harder to connect in. Though just teenagers, Chloe and Daniel both are already thinking to the future, thinking to how they can affect the world around them and to make it better, and they carry themselves a lot of the time as older and more mature than their age, which is a breath of fresh air. But they still have those traits we know and love to hate about teenagers—they can be selfish, self-centered, and focused on all the wrong things. Chen finds a balance between these two sides of the characters in a lovely way.

One of the things I loved the most about this story was the way in which Chen handles human connection and detachment. In a world where connection takes place a lot more often virtually than in person, it’s easy to get lost in the influencers-as-marketing-tools of it all. I thought that utilizing this idea as the method through which a bit of a found family is formed was a clever choice. Chloe loses touch with what she’s trying to accomplish because of this virtual detachment, but she reconnects with it through human connection and I think a lot of us (myself very much included!) could learn a lot from this.

The romance was cute and respectful, but the pining and angst could’ve been turned up a bit more for my taste. I mean, these are teenagers—they needed to be way more dramatic than they were! While the non-romance plot of the book didn’t need it, I think the romance plot would have benefited greatly from the addition of Daniel’s POV to the story. But, overall, this was a super quick and fun read perfect for fans of light and fluffy contemporary YA romance.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

If you're looking for a quick, cute rom com of a book, this one hits that mark. It's sweet and a little bit cheesy, but overall a fun read. There were definitely times where the main character made decisions that I found questionable and a little cringe, but she is a teenager, and one going through first heartbreak, and I do think it realistically protrays some of the cringey ways we act when we are young and in love. And I liked the overall messages about love and healing. It's always interesting to read books that heavily discuss an feature visual art, to see how these two media come together. There were times I wished I could have had more of a visual than the book allowed, but overall it was cool and the kind of quick read you can pick up when you want something a little romance-y and a little heartbreak-y at the same time.

Artifacts of an Ex is a young adult contemporary romance following a young girl who has moved across the country from her parents and got broken up with via a USPS box. The receival of this "breakup box" sparks inspiration for an art exhibit in the young art curator/lover Chloe. In creating this gallery, she learns all about what love is and what love isn't- and might just find her own love along the way.

I had a lot of fun with this one, it is definitely a fun read for anyone but I think it would be particularly powerful for anyone going through a break up. I was captivated by Chloe's planning of the exhibit and actual planning in her planner for her social media platform. I found myself wishing to see it in real life because I LOVE those types of videos.

The descriptions of the exhibit/gallery were vivid and made me feel like I was actually walking through the space on a personal tour with Chloe. I loved watching it come together and reading about her journey into WHY she was creating this exhibit.

I also was very endeared to the characters. All the relationships felt so genuine and real, I felt like they were my friends by the end of the book.

I think the only reason this wasn't a 5 star for me was the tone/age the story was written in. However, to be clear that is my own personal taste expanding into an older dialogue and not a knock on the book at all. It was written incredibly appropriate to the market it is reaching and for the ages the characters were.

Definitely a fun book, I think you would enjoy this if you like To All the Boys I Loved Before & The Summer I Turned Pretty - I could definitely see this being the next big book!