This is a YA book which may account for the weird writing style. I couldn't get into it.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I could not get into the writing style of this book and didn't stay with it to get a sense of the story.

This had been on my wish list for a long time. However, when I started reading it, I found it so similar to a variety of other books I have read, that I felt as though this was just a tired story that was rewritten yet again.

Very disappointed.

I have some really mixed feelings about this one. It’s a bit weird. Lu’s obsession over Iris and Cal was really awkward. It’s weird. Like really weird. I found myself skipping over whole paragraphs because they were very stalkerish and uncomfortable. I guess I just really disliked Lu. She was immature, and frankly she was a really crappy friend.

I really liked the other characters though. Pretty much every other character in the book had something that just drew you in to continue reading, even though Lu was so unbearable. And what I DID really appreciate was the resolution of the book. That was kind of its redeeming quality for me.

This was a young adult book that I thought my daughter would love to read.

I handed the ebook to her and said I thought this would be a book that you would enjoy.

A few days later I walked into her room and ask her about this book. How did you like it "it was uuuu..ok." What did you mean by that "uuu" She said it's not exactly a good read for me.

She then proceeded to tell me that this book really didn't catch her attention, the characters in the book was ok, but she wasn't really interested in Lu Charles and her mission to chronicle the potential breakup of Cal and Iris, a couple she meets.

My daughter felt this story not work for her and the characters were not interesting enough.

This is a really enjoyable book, and quite unexpected, given the publisher is Harlequin Teen. I can't say much more without spoilers, but suffice it to say that while it hits a lot of YA buttons it has some unique aspects going for it. I did feel that one of the central conflicts (is Lu going to meet her writing deadline, or not) was rather too unrealistically drawn out, But Lu herself and her friends and family are all sympathetic characters, and nothing is resolved in quite the way that you would expect, which ultimately is a good thing.

Lu is a young adult struggling to deliver an article for her online journalist job. Her own break up with Leo has stymied her creative juices and is jeopardizing both her job and the scholarship to NYU that comes with it. Overhearing a break up similar to her own, Lu embarks on journey to capture the story of Cal and Iris, write about it and save her job. However, she finds herself more involved with Cal and Iris and that might just be the end of her work.
This is a cute story that touches on the complex emotions affecting relationships and growing maturity.

I would have liked this book a lot more if I liked the main character. She ruined it for me. We've all had to write something that we weren't prepared to, being a report for school, or a review for a book, or a column in her case. JUST freaking write something! She was throwing away her future and scholarships for what?? nothing is worth that, though I'm sure it happens in real life, and maybe it makes her more relatable for not being perfect, but I'm not here for that. I don't feel the magic of Cal and his g/f who's name I already forgot either, I didn't see what was so special, and to throw away the opportunity that she had. The snippets of writing she did write didn't seem amazing to have all the 2nd and 3rd chances she had.

I hated how she treated Pete, she didn't deserve him at all. I don't have much to say about it other than that, and I'm still cross with her for her treatment of him, and I never fully felt the genuineness of her apology. And her treatment of Pete is what made me really dislike her.

I had a hard time with this book only because of the main character. If she were more likeable I would have really liked and enjoyed the book. If the author was going for emotion, any emotion at all, the author succeeded with the anger emotion they brought up in me. I liked the one liners, I liked the style of writing. I liked the message of teenage love being fleeting in some cases, lasting in other rare situations. I liked that the heartbreak message of right around the corner there is someone that is there for you to like/love/lust after, and all will be okay. Heartbreak isn't forever.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I love the way he writes, but found myself frustrated by Lu's small minded selfishness, overall blandness of her relationship with Leo and the "manic pixie perfectness" of Cal and Iris. Plus .5 for having a Filipina main character though? 2.5 stars. I received an egalley of this for an honest review from Netgalley.

I ended up shelving the novel. The descriptions were too much right from the beginning when the narrator was sitting on the bench waiting for Leo.

I want to preface this review by saying I loved the authors writing style.
Often times characters try to be funny, and fail miserably. (it's tough to be funny on paper) but some of the one liners from the protagonist Lu actually made me laugh.

I really liked the flow of the story, but it was the story itself that did not grab me.

Love columnist Lu's boyfriend breaks up with her before leaving for college, she hears another couple breaking up for the same reason and decides to use them as her muses for her next article, also using it to find out why her own relationship failed.

While this was not the book for me, as I said I really enjoyed Adi's writing style and will definitely look into some other books he has written.
I loved the way the characters personalities unfolded.
While I may not have cared about the story, I did care about the characters. Which in my opinion is a testament to the authors writing abilities.

Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak by Adi Alsaid is an entertaining and relatable story of Lu, a seventeen year old high school graduate who writes a column about love. She shares everything with her friend Pete, whom she has known since elementary school. Lu is recovering from a breakup with Leo. She is floundering throughout the novel as she tries to accept her love loss. As a result, she suffers and blames her procrastination for submitting her article. The consequences of not writing the article would be life changing. As a result, she becomes entangled in the lives of a couple, Cal and Iris, and neglects all else.
This novel is written in language that is realistically attuned to young adults. Its theme is one that almost everyone can easily understand. I did find, though, that I was frustrated with her about three-fourths of the way in the story. I grew tired of her irresponsibility and neglect of relationships that were more lasting between her mother, brother, and lifelong friend. I occasionally felt that she was blind to the kind of love that Pete offered and I wished that they perhaps would become a couple.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this novel. Would I recommend this to others? Yes I would, though I believe girls would probably be its greatest audience.

Brief Chronicle is about Lu, a writer/columnist for an e-magazine called Misnomer. She's dealing with personal issues relating to her failed relationship, which has resulted in a bout of writer's block that is impacting her work. This was alright, although I didn't love it. I found Lu's character to be a bit selfish and self-absorbed, and often found myself wanting to shake some sense into her. She's seemingly incapable of recognizing her own faults or owning up to her mistakes, and was instead intent to blame everyone else for her problems. That said, the book was still entertaining and I'd be interested in more from Adi Alsaid in the future!

SO GOOD. Love the author Adi Alsaid. This book made me laugh and feel like going through teen heartbreak/love all over again. Characters were extremely relate-able. and love-able If you are looking for a quick and enjoyable read--highly recommended.

Sorry but not my jam--at all. Although I read the whole book. There is an audience for this book, it's just not me and my demographic. If you're 18 and female and deciding how to manage a high school romantic relationship AFTER high school, then this book may be right for you.

The whole book made me incredibly annoyed at Lu and anxious throughout the whole book that she would screw up her future.

This book was just so very boring. I did not find the main characters relate-able. This book was just so very boring. I did not find the main characters relate-able.

Where has Adi Alsaid been all my life? He’s on the top tier of young adult fiction, right beside John Green, it just took me longer to discover his works and I truly feel like I’ve been missing out! Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak checks all of the boxes of a great YA novel: romance and heart ache, adventure, humor, and most importantly, characters who are relatable and believable.

In the midst of her own heartbreak and the writer’s block it has caused, Lu befriends Iris and Cal. She latches onto Iris and Cal’s relationship in hopes they will offer the inspiration she desperately needs in order to write her magazine column. Lu is intrigued by Iris and Cal who seem to have a perfect, effortless relationship. But what really draws Lu in is, despite their perfection, Iris and Cal have chosen an expiration date for their relationship because Iris will be moving across the country to start college. Lu spends her summer with the couple and immerses herself in them, hoping to figure out what went wrong in her own relationship.

Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak is witty, heartfelt, and filled with adventure. It takes a hard look at how we view our own relationships versus how we view the relationships of others and teachers that comparing the two will only bring discontent. There is no age requirement for love, and this novel at its core is about intense teenage love and heartbreak that adults take for granted.


[Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. This review will be posted on my blog once the book is officially published so that I may include quotes.]

Lu is a columnist for the online magazine Misnomer. Lu is currently dealing with a breakup and writers block as a result. When Lu witnesses a couple trying to decide if they should break up before college or try long distance. Lu is inspired to write an article about relationships pre-college, now all she has to do in convince the couple to let her interview them.

Lu is dealing with her own heartbreak after her boyfriend Leo breaks up with her and seeing this couple, Iris and Cal, in the same situation inspires her to write an article about the couple. Lu has trouble getting Iris agree to the article and as time passes the more obsessed she gets. Lu can't see how much her own experience can add to the story. Lu becomes so stubborn that she fails to meet deadlines, lies to her editor, and makes excuses and blames everyone and everything for why she can't write the article. I liked that Lu has a passion for writing, but I didn't like that she couldn't accept responsibility for her mistakes. Lu would lose sight of those around her to get the article she wanted.

Lu has a great friend in Pete and he was there to help her and offer support and advice. Pete would try to make Lu see that her own experience would make a better article. Lu would continually disregard his advice and blow him off all summer. He didn't deserve to be treated that way and I was glad to see Pete put Lu in her place.

I didn't hate Lu, but there were many times she annoyed me. Lu had a tendency to not see beyond her needs and would not listen to reason.. Lu does grow as a character and owns up to her mistakes which I was glad to see.

This was a quick read that I mostly enjoyed. A book about first loves, heartbreak, and moving on.