The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
Release Date: February 2, 2012 (UK)
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Publisher
Rating: Enjoyable

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? - Goodreads

I LOVED the whole idea of a girl dying by having her heart broken. It's original, and although it seems a little unrealistic, it was interesting. I liked reading about Brie as she went through the five stage of grief (or death?) and her journey was really interesting. I especially liked the idea of this limbo kinda thing she was in until she was ready to move on.

Brie was not a very relatable character, but that didn't stop me from enjoying reading about her story. She was very selfish at times, and even a little psychotic in my (totally unprofessional) opinion, but she's a fifteen year old who's just died so I cut her a tiny bit of slack. Plus, her name is Aubrie. Aubrie (Aubrey) is my grandad's name and I love it. Yes, I am partly judging her by her awesome name.

Patrick, the guy who will - obviously - become the love interest, was funny and hot. He and Brie bickered A LOT and I thought it was quite cute. That said, by the end of the novel I was entirely put off by his character. He does something that I don't think is sending the correct message to teens and other people in that situation. It wasn't nice to read about, especially as he didn't overcome it on his own.

At the risk of sounding completely unintelligent and slow, the ending confused me. At least, the build up to it did, though the final few pages were fine. Cut me some slack, I'm trying to be vague here! I didn't completely understand the history that was introduced and I felt it could have been put forward in an easier to read manner.

Overall, this was a good read and you should give it a go if you think it sounds something you'd enjoy. I was just put off by Patrick's character and his actions, as well as the complicated ending. Then again, I might have just had a stupid few minutes.