The Book of Broken Hearts

May 14, 2013 Jude marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2013, i-want-them-so-bad

IT'S A GIRL!

Jude is actually a girl! *tear*

Oooooh Yes, that is me, right there in that summary :D

Nope -don't have sisters or a dad that's into motorcycles, but I will be more than happy to meet a Vargas, just give them to me :3

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May 02, 2013 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss

3.5 Stars

The Book of Broken Hearts sounded like a light, fun, maybe a little bit angsty romance, and it was that. But there was depth to this story as well. It was a story of family love and heartbreak.

Jude Hernandez is spending her last summer at home before going off to college with her parents. After her father is dealt a crushing diagnosis, Jude plans on spending as much time as possible with her Papi rebuilding his vintage motorcycle. What she doesn’t count on is Emilio Vargas being the me...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Carla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, its-gettin-hot-in-here, slow-burn, snotface-tears

I WANT THIS SO BADLY I COULD VOMIT

also, to everyone who's read this already

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EDIT - I HAVE NOW READ THIS AND IT IS GLORIOUS. to everyone who hasn't yet read it, feel free to do the above - it does help.

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Feb 01, 2013 Trish Doller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sa-woon

When I first started I wasn't sure how I felt about Jude, but the longer I read, the more I loved her. I loved her family. I loved Emilio. This was just what I needed when I needed it and....SIGH.

Edited to add: And then I slept on it and when I woke up this morning I bumped it to five stars because it's really that good.

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May 16, 2013 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley-and-first-reads

What's left to say about The Book of Broken Hearts? I feel as if all of Ockler's fans have already nit-picked this book apart and proved that it's perfect in every way that counts - and they're right. And yet, while I know for a fact that The Book of Broken Hearts is Ockler's best book by far, I enjoyed Bittersweet much more and there remains that slight troubling fact that there is always something about an Ockler novel that prevents me from giving it a full five stars. Which, admittedly, isn't...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, aaw-yeah, need-want-must-have

Two sides. There are two sides to this girl’s story: one more real in emotion than the other. I will be honest though, one side was more emotionally real than the other, but it's that less real part that had me smiling because the aspect driven by questions of loyalty and what now’s, that sad part? Well, it did what it was supposed to and had me feeling for all the sisters then wanting a bit of what they had for their parents, specifically for their father.

Fathers, daughters then sisters. The h...more Two sides. There are two sides to this girl’s story: one more real in emotion than the other. I will be honest though, one side was more emotionally real than the other, but it's that less real part that had me smiling because the aspect driven by questions of loyalty and what now’s, that sad part? Well, it did what it was supposed to and had me feeling for all the sisters then wanting a bit of what they had for their parents, specifically for their father.

Fathers, daughters then sisters. The heart of this book lies in the family, and how Jude copes with changes her father’s going through, then her setting certain goals because him/ for him. It’s sweet the genuine connection she has for him. There’s a true affection that I felt it. I also felt all those other emotions: scared, sad, lost… and even angry. There’s truth to what she was feeling because all those things were understandable reactions to what they were all going through with him. Then there’s the glimpses glimpse into sisters and promises, and age gaps or no, there’s also a connection among them, beyond hand me downs and shared journals. The roles Jude sees them have I could picture it all. (The oldest is the wise one, the youngest is the strong one; then there’s the emotional one etcetera.) You’d think it an oversimplification, and maybe it was, because later some of them do prove to be more. But really here there’ are sisters, aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

The girl. In her we've a protagonist so used to following the lead of her sisters that she doesn’t blink at the years-old promise. It’s this bit that has me nitpicking yet again: her even considering the odd oath at all had me feeling her younger than the eighteen that actually she was. It sounded slightly beyond realistic what’s promised by her then more unrealistic what’s expected of her, stretching what’s plausible too almost too much. I really did have a moment wondering over the predicament she found herself in, one where she was weighing falling for cute confident boy versus proper places and loyalty.

The boy, Emilio. I liked him. I mean I really, really liked him (even the too confident aspect of him) because with him that way, there’s unexpected back and forth between them, and that had me wanting more of the two of them together on a page! Because with him she’s more than what I’d initially pegged as good little sister following along. With him, there’s another of her giving as good as he dished out. She’s equally sure of herself even if sometimes he’d say something that had her tongue tied. The point is: Chemistry. They had it.

3.5/5
Thank you Edelweiss!
(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Celeste_pewter rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Two-second recap: The Book of Broken Hearts is an extraordinary novel, which explores the meaning of love in all of its forms. From the love between father and daughter, to the love between four sisters, this is a book that will break your heart, make you cry, but will also eventually build you up and make you feel whole again.

***

Full review:

Sometimes, a book will come along that will make sit up and take notice. It's the type of book that you start off reading, thinking that it's just another...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Mitali rated it 5 of 5 stars

I basically agree with everything Trish Doller said. I'd only add that I don't appreciate all the ugly crying the book brought on, but I guess it's a small price to pay for another fantabulous Sarah O book! After all, I did ugly cry while reading Twenty Boy Summer at a Borders. In public, y'all. In public.

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Oct 02, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The description makes this sound sooooooo intriguing.

My excitement for this book knows no bounds. <3 Sarah Ockler's books so much.

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May 22, 2013 Rashika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-changed-me, good-female-leads, guys-one-cannot-help-falling-for, mind-blown, read-2013, realistic-contemporary, ya

Actual Rating 4.5

“Family tragedies had a way of smashing everything apart and then gluing it all back together”

This is a book about heart breaks. Heart breaks happen in all relationships, whether it’s your friends, your family or someone you’re in love with.

It isn’t a romance, sure there is romance in it but the focus is on how a family is dealing with illness. Jude’s father was diagnosed with an early onset of Alzheimer's and is losing his memories little by little. Jude, hoping she can bring...more

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May 02, 2013 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: may-2013

* This is an ARC review.
Any excerpts or quotes are taken from an unfinished copy
and may therefore change prior to the final print*

I have been hearing GREAT things about Sarah Ockler's books for some time now. I even own one, Twenty Boy Summer, which I am embarrassed to say is sitting on my shelf as of yet unread. But after zooming through The Book of Broken Hearts you can rest assured that now I GET IT. I see what everyone has been talking about! I loved this book that was the perfect balance o...more

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May 17, 2013 The Twins Read rated it 4 of 5 stars

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

This review can originally be found at The Twins Read.

The Book of Broken Hearts, despite initially coming off as a cute and fluffy read, is actually a story about heartbreak, love and loss and family, told in the voice of our smart and sassy protagonist, Jude.

Jude lives alone with her parents - her sisters have all left to pursue different paths - and it's her last summer before college starts. It's not exactly easy knowing that her father suffers from Alzheimer's and she...more Actual Rating: 3.5/5

This review can originally be found at The Twins Read.

The Book of Broken Hearts, despite initially coming off as a cute and fluffy read, is actually a story about heartbreak, love and loss and family, told in the voice of our smart and sassy protagonist, Jude.

Jude lives alone with her parents - her sisters have all left to pursue different paths - and it's her last summer before college starts. It's not exactly easy knowing that her father suffers from Alzheimer's and she thinks that they can fight the disease by restoring Valentina, her father's vintage Harley. Her father has so many memories revolving his motorcycle and it's not hard to miss the sparkle in his eyes when he speaks of it and all his times spent on the road. But restoring the Harley means hiring a mechanic and, as fate would have it, that mechanic turns out to be a Vargas. Jude can't help but think that Emilio isn't like his brothers, and maybe, just maybe he's one risk she's willing to take, and do away with a promise that she's truly tempted to break .

Jude is a little sister, the youngest of four, overshadowed by her older siblings. Don't get us wrong, they've always been close. It's just that she's been so used to having her sisters dictate her decisions that she's not exactly sure if the choices she makes are hers and hers alone. It was a treat for us to watch Jude grow as a character. She's a great daughter and is quite close to her dad, who is one of those sweetie biker dads. It was a definite bonus that Jude's a smart and pretty funny girl. The dialogue she makes up in her head for her dog Pancake is quite hilarious and highly entertaining.

Emilio is definitely swoon worthy - he's your typical YA male love interest archetype. He's a bad boy, he's hot, he's got a killer smile and he's a Vargas, known for notorious heartbreakers. But what actually set him apart from other YA male characters is that while he is definitely macho and all, he's got a vulnerable side to him. He's not judgmental, he's not domineering and he seems to really care for Jude which endeared him to us. Yes, his interaction with Jude and her family in general was really sweet and we couldn't help but giggle and root for the couple to quickly get together. Instead of telling you that Emilio cares for Jude, Ockler would rather show you, and this is one of the reasons why The Book of Broken Hearts is such an enjoyable read. It's in the little things, the little details, and we couldn't help but swoon a little every time Emilio made Jude's heart race.

Sure, it wasn't the summer Jude really had in mind, what with her father having been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and her falling for off-limits Emilio Vargas, but it has definitely proved to be a summer where she finally grows into herself. More than a love story, The Book of Broken Hearts is about a girl who has finally learned to make her own decisions instead of letting others influence her way of thinking. Jude finally learns how to do away with all the biases, and just truly be the person she knew she was all along.

The abruptness of the end led us to shave 0.5 stars of the rating. The book may have rushed things a bit toward the end, and had us flipping the eBook pages back and forth, going all, "That's it?", probably because we were a little bit invested in the characters and the storyline.

Recommended for fans of Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry series, Sarah Ockler's The Book of Broken Hearts is filled with swoon-worthy romance, real life issues, perfect for the reader who wants to settle down with a summer read.(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: its-not-you-its-me, ya

Originally reviewed here @ Angieville

It's difficult to resist the siren song of an as-yet-unread contemporary author, isn't it? For the most part, I tend to dip into those waters with caution. Sometimes I make out like gangbusters. And others I wind up feeling as though I was force-fed treacle, or that I was curiously emptied while reading the book rather than filled. I tell myself it's worth it, though, to find those gems that make your blood pump and the tips of your fingers tingle. I tell mys...more Originally reviewed here @ Angieville

It's difficult to resist the siren song of an as-yet-unread contemporary author, isn't it? For the most part, I tend to dip into those waters with caution. Sometimes I make out like gangbusters. And others I wind up feeling as though I was force-fed treacle, or that I was curiously emptied while reading the book rather than filled. I tell myself it's worth it, though, to find those gems that make your blood pump and the tips of your fingers tingle. I tell myself it's worth the racing anticipation and the occasional deep disappointment. And it is. Even if an author's entire bibliography doesn't work for you. It's worth it if that one, perfect match does. Cause then you get to hold onto it for the rest of your reading life, and pull it out and revisit those characters and that place and those moments whenever you need them. All of which is a rather long winded way of explaining how I found myself giving Sarah Ockler a try for the first time. I wasn't too drawn by her previous titles, but the well-nigh universal love for her latest, THE BOOK OF BROKEN HEARTS, persuaded me it was time to dip my toes in those waters again.

Jude Hernandez has spent her entire life living in the wake of her three older sisters. Now that they've all gone the way of the wind, pursuing their own lives across the country, Jude feels it's only fair she have her turn. After all, she just graduated from high school. She has one single, solitary summer before it's off to college and more buckling down. She's always been the good girl, following her sisters' advice to the letter, certainly never getting tangled up with a Vargas boy the way two of her three older sibs did. That road only leads to ruin, they told her, in the voice of bitter, bitter experience. But it isn't to be. The easy, breezy summer or the surviving her teenage years Vargas-free. Because this summer is going to be dedicated to helping her sick dad. And the way Jude sees it, that means restoring his old vintage Harley. The one he rode when he was a carefree young man back in Argentina. The one that's been sitting in their storage unit collecting dust and grime for decades. And so she does her research. And she takes her dad down to the local mechanic shop in search of a man who can do the job. What she gets is Emilio Vargas. The youngest of the Vargas clan, and the last boy she wants to see during this summer of lost chances and long goodbyes. But the more time she spends with Emilio, the less like his older brothers he seems. As much as it makes her cringe to think it, Emilio might be different.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I finished THE BOOK OF BROKEN HEARTS mystified as to its appeal. I finished it feeling the same way I've felt finishing every Sarah Dessen book I've ever read. Which is to say, I read the last word, I close the book, and I think to myself, that's . . . it? I wanted to like it so much, to be swept away for a couple of hours in the lives of two kids struggling under more weight than their shoulders are ready to hold. And since this is my first Ockler book, I was sort of hoping to find a fresh, new (to me) voice in contemporary YA. Unfortunately, it felt as though she was simply checking off the boxes on a list of standard YA contemporary tropes. Hot boy? Check. Drama geek heroine? Check. Shallow best friends who are allergic to real family issues? Check. Dismayingly indistinguishable older siblings? Check. Heartwarming life lessons learned amid personal tragedy? Check, check, check. If the writing had been something special, things might have been different. If the secondary characterization had been more layered and compelling, things might have been different. And, yeah, Jude's relationship with her father is wrenching and touching and every other thing it should be. But the impact failed to land because I saw it all coming fifty miles back, you know? There was very little in the way of something new here, the realizations she came to lessened for lack of a deeper treatment. This may be a case of supreme mismatch between book and reader, as I have yet to see a sub-stellar review. So make of that what you will. As for me, I can't say as I'd recommend it. But if you're in the mood for contemporaries with some meat on their bones, allow me to steer you in the direction of Deb Caletti, Holly Goldberg Sloan, and Kirsty Eagar. And, of course, if you require a good swoon, Stephanie Perkins and Huntley Fitzpatrick have got your back.(less)

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Apr 26, 2013 Danica Page (One Page at a Time) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: asked-to-review, by-an-author-i-ve-read-before, authors-i-love, young-adult, contemporary, realistic-fiction, coming-of-age, self-discovery, romance, relationships, death, family-issues, family-relations, floater

Disclaimer: I received a temporary electronic ARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ever since I read Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler, she has been one of my favorite authors. I loved that novel so much and was looking forward to reading another novel by her. So when I saw that I had the chance to read this novel and share my opinions about it, I jumped at the chance.

This novel was incredible and was even better than I could have imagined. Ockler created...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Eileen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary, ebook, edelweiss, for-review, owned, romance, young-adult

Check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

How do I give The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler justice? I loved almost every single minute of it, and Sarah Ockler did not disappoint as I previously feared.

Jude, our main character, is so witty, and I loved seeing things through her point of view because the little quips she made in reaction to life were priceless. It was a quirky character trait of Jude, and it provided a little bit of comic relief to all of the oth...more Check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

How do I give The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler justice? I loved almost every single minute of it, and Sarah Ockler did not disappoint as I previously feared.

Jude, our main character, is so witty, and I loved seeing things through her point of view because the little quips she made in reaction to life were priceless. It was a quirky character trait of Jude, and it provided a little bit of comic relief to all of the other more serious points of The Book of Broken Hearts. To say I loved Jude is an understatement. Her loyalty and ferocity towards everything made me fall in love with her more and more by the minute. She was truly a pleasure to have as the main character and the point of view, although I wouldn't mind Emilio also telling the story, if you know what I mean. Furthermore, I really felt for her. Her dad had Alzheimer's disease, and I truly felt for her, because my own grandpa died a few years ago from Alzheimer's disease himself, and it was really rough on our entire family. So my heart broke more and more as I watched Jude's dad spiral lower and lower as Jude tried to almost have her last moment with him while she still could. I was close to crying almost the entire time.

Emilio, our love interest, is kind of the bad boy and forbidden love interest, but you have to love him anyway. He's arrogant, and he makes quips about how Jude obviously can't resist him, but you can't help but fall in love with him. Emilio had so many layers to him, and he's one of those really resistant onions where you had to really struggle to get a layer off of him. But Jude slowly wore him down and eventually I was swooning over how sweet and vulnerable he was. He had a way of both infuriating you and making you want to hug him so hard at the same exact time. He made my heart ache because of how well he understood Jude and her dysfunctional family.

The Book of Broken Hearts' romance is so unique and distinct I loved that too. It made me yearn for something that Jude and Emilio had, but I also had my bitter moments with it. When we finally built up to the climactic moment where they shared their first kiss, it seemed like it moved way too fast, and it shattered my cloud, if only briefly. But I can't get the fact that it progressed way too quickly afterward out of my head. Furthermore, I think that people who don't take Spanish won't like this one. It's so unique because of how most of the characters are of Spanish heritage, but unless you know a good amount of basic Spanish (I'm currently finishing Spanish I) it may be confusing and hard to understand since not all the phrases were explained.

Poignant, raw, and unique on so many fronts, The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler will capture your heart, break it, and slowly piece it back together again. Sarah has outdone herself with this new contemporary romance.(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Paul Hankins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: friends-in-the-business, lightship-title, hero-s-journey-go-to-book, disability-awareness-title, mr-hankins-says-don-t-miss, young-adult-focus-on-mental-illness, young-adult-loss-and-grief-healing, young-adult-fiction, young-adult-diversity, young-adult-issue-don-t-miss, young-adult-memorable-writing, young-adult-social-issues, young-adult-tender-touching, young-adult-multicultural

Sarah Ockler just keeps getting better and better. And THE BOOK OF BROKEN HEARTS is poised to make readers forget all about the inaccessible and unobtainable romances they have been swooning over for the past couple of years to come back to the notion that love is here. . .love is now. . .

and love can still be just as forbidden as it is foreboding.

Ockler weaves into TBoBH a story of motorcycles and memories, family and future, and love and loss and love again.

It's always about love again and lo...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Paula Mitchell added it

Shelves: arcs, for-review, simon-schuster, e-book, young-adult, edelweiss, read-in-2013

First of all I love this cover picture I think it's awesome. Just so loving the book and heart! This book starts out with Jude taking care of her dad for the summer, and helping him restore his Harley. When they enter a motorcycle repair shop to find a mechanic to work on a vintage bike Jude finds out the only one any good on this type of motorcycle is Emilio Vargas.

The name Vargas in their house means heartbreak and the girls made a vow long ago to never let a Vargas hurt them again! But reall...more

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May 22, 2013 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-ya-contemporary-challenge, 2013-reads, favorites

I read this because I thought I would find a great young adult contemporary romance, but I found so much more. I don't think my words will be able to capture just how much I loved this book. Why did I love it so much? This book caused me to FEEL so much emotion. All over the place emotion. I was just as drawn into the emotions of the characters as they were. And even when I finished the book I was still reeling in emotions. I can't stop thinking about this story.

Anyone who has known the tragedy...more I read this because I thought I would find a great young adult contemporary romance, but I found so much more. I don't think my words will be able to capture just how much I loved this book. Why did I love it so much? This book caused me to FEEL so much emotion. All over the place emotion. I was just as drawn into the emotions of the characters as they were. And even when I finished the book I was still reeling in emotions. I can't stop thinking about this story.

Anyone who has known the tragedy that Alzheimer's can be to a family should be able to relate to the dilemma that Jude, the narrator of this story faces. Her father has early onset Alzheimer's, so he is very young to be dealing with the increasingly fast deterioration of his mind that comes with this disease. Jude is only 17, and she is the last of the four Hernandez sisters who are at home, dealing with her father's difficult and sometimes dangerous swings in behavior. When she sees the light seem to return to his mind when talking about his beloved old Harley, Jude heads to a local mechanic to see if she can hire someone to come to their home and help restore it to its vintage glory. The mechanic recommends Emilio Vargas because he has the skill, but because he is barely trained, he can do the job at the price Jude's family can afford. That would be lovely ... except Jude's sisters have all been burned by Emilio's older brothers in the past, so they all took a blood oath to stay away from the rotten Vargas family. Jude was only 12 at the time, but technically she agreed to stand united with her sisters against these Vargas boys and their "black hearts." But after a little time spent with Emilio, Jude starts to find that this Vargas boy might not be so bad after all.

This may seem like a typical sort of setup for a young adult contemporary book, but it is not. This is not a light fluffy read. This is a book with depth that really reaches the heart. Jude's struggle to accept and deal with her father's condition was so heartbreaking at times. As a child of a parent who has problems with dementia, I could totally relate. Luckily I didn't have to face this until I was much older than Jude, so seeing her have to make these tough decisions at her age was difficult. I could relate to her tenacious need to hold onto ANYTHING that brought her father joy and clarity of thought. I could understand her fear of seeking out long term care for him. I could also understand how difficult it was for her to finally come to terms with the fact that he was never coming back to her permanently. All of the problems she faces were so true to real life situations, and my heart hurt for her so much. At the same time I rejoiced in those fleeting moments of clarity when Papi came back to her and shared tender moments of wisdom and history. That relationship between Jude and her Papi may have been my favorite part of this book. It was written absolutely beautifully. I loved it.

As for Emilio ... I adored him. Weirdly, until the very end of the book we don't really learn much at all about him, other than the fact that he has the unfortunate last name of Vargas. Normally this would bug me in a story because I would feel as if I didn't get a chance to know the guy enough to care about him as a lead character. But in this case, even with a lack of background history I felt like I knew exactly who this boy was. His actions defined his character in every way. I may not have known what tragedy defined him, but I knew that he loved his mother and treated her with respect. I knew that he was kind to Papi even when he acted strange, before he knew what was really going on with him. I knew that he was extremely patient with Jude, giving her time and space to get herself together when things were difficult. I just loved him. He isn't a cardboard character of that perfect boyfriend material. He has flaws and layers to his personality, but he was absolutely the perfect guy for Jude. Reading along as Jude figured this out for herself was pure joy. This was a very well paced relationship.

These two families have Hispanic heritage, and I loved the extra flavor that was added to the relationships because of this. The families were strong but flawed. But through all of the struggles, it was obvious that there was tremendous love in these families. I loved each of the family members who were secondary characters in this story. They added a richness to the story and provided an excellent contrast to Jude's personality and feelings.

I thought that I would be reading a typical romance where girl meets boy who she was forbidden to love, girl falls in love with boy, conflict ensues, and then there is a happily ever after. What I found was a sweet, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, often poignant story of a young woman who is clinging to the past, terrified of the future. This is a story of a girl who learns to face a tremendously difficult reality that is her life, all because of the love of a boy who sees her for who she truly is and who she can become. This story will definitely be one of my favorites of this year, maybe of all time. I am already itching to read it again. I need to FEEL it all again. Five huge stars!(less)

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Mar 31, 2013 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2013

Jude's last summer before college is being spent with her father and, unfortunately, with one of the Vargas boys who is fixing up her father's old motorcycle. Jude, the youngest of four sisters, made a blood pact never to get involved with the Vargas boys because of their history of breaking girls' -- specifically her sisters' -- hearts. But, he knows what he's doing, and getting this bike fixed up is really important to Jude and to her father.

(view spoiler)...more Jude's last summer before college is being spent with her father and, unfortunately, with one of the Vargas boys who is fixing up her father's old motorcycle. Jude, the youngest of four sisters, made a blood pact never to get involved with the Vargas boys because of their history of breaking girls' -- specifically her sisters' -- hearts. But, he knows what he's doing, and getting this bike fixed up is really important to Jude and to her father.

(view spoiler)

When Jude's sisters get wind of her spending time with Emilio Vargas (and maybe worse, when Jude realizes she's falling for him), things don't look so hot. She's breaking her own promises. But when does a promise go too far in defining what it is she can and cannot feel for someone else and what it is she can and cannot choose to do for herself? And what happens when the dream she has for her father's bike might never come to fruition....and that may be because of Emilio's own belief in what it is she owes her dad?

Ockler's book is a family saga through and through, both about sisterhood and about the way a disease can impact an entire family. In many ways, this book reminded me of Morgan Matson's Second Chance Summer. As readers, we know what's going to happen, but we're given a chance to meet and become invested in the family and know what it is their personal struggles are beyond the concerns they have for their ailing family member. Doing this makes the degeneration difficult, of course, but it puts a very human face and story to the illness. What makes Ockler's story particularly difficult to read and particularly poignant is the knowledge that the disease is genetic. This moment of realization is where the story changes and becomes not only about what's going to happen to Jude's father but what may lie in her own future.

The romance in this book is sweet and it's hard-earned. I enjoyed Jude's struggle between honoring a long-ago oath to her sisters and her interest in pursing a relationship with a guy who really was good for her and good to her. Who cared about her deeply. What bothered me a bit was how conscious Jude was of telling her story -- there were a few lengthy info-dumps, particularly when it came to the history of her sisters with the Vargas boys -- and there were times when she would say something meant to be internal or emotional and instead it comes off as being directed to the reader. Those moments pulled me out of the story, and they riddled the beginning of the book especially, making falling into the story challenging. But once it got going, it was much more compelling.

I love that this family is Argentinian-American, and I love how that culture infuses the story without coming off as an easy way to tell a story from a multicultural perspective. It's JUST the story.

Some of the weaknesses for me included the secondary characters and secondary story lines. I didn't find Jude's falling out with her friend Zoe interesting or well-developed. It felt shoehorned in, and it could have been further developed or left out all together (and since the book was a little lengthy as is, dropping it out wouldn't have hurt the story at all). I found the sisters difficult to distinguish and at times found myself feeling a little second-hand embarrassment for the depictions of young adult fiction and being a literary agent, which one of the sisters was. It felt weird to read and like something that would only be of interest to YA readers/those with any knowledge in the business; it didn't read authentic, which again, pulled me out of the story. As much as I like a good pet in a story, I do think this one was a little too present and not necessarily in an enjoyable way. Likewise, I found the ending a little over-the-top (view spoiler)

Readers who like Morgan Matson will dig this, particularly Second Chance Summer, as will readers of Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti. Longer review to come.(less)

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May 21, 2013 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: depressing, contemporary, made-me-cry, edelweiss, ya, realistic

How many times have I been fooled by a synopsis? Either the synopsis is way out of the book's content or the book's content is even deeper than the synopsis itself. So have a guess about where this one falls.

Don't even be fooled, friends. It says that this is about Jude and Emilio's struggle to find their way into love. But with that comes their great responsibility about a lot of things. Jude's ailing father, her sisters' weird paranoia about the Vargas brothers and the oath she has taken when...more How many times have I been fooled by a synopsis? Either the synopsis is way out of the book's content or the book's content is even deeper than the synopsis itself. So have a guess about where this one falls.

Don't even be fooled, friends. It says that this is about Jude and Emilio's struggle to find their way into love. But with that comes their great responsibility about a lot of things. Jude's ailing father, her sisters' weird paranoia about the Vargas brothers and the oath she has taken when she was just, guess what, twelve years old.

I wouldn't really blame her sisters. They had their reasons. But for them to actually let their youngest sister do that oath is a little out of line. And hello! It was just about boys, boys and boys. Why do boys have this big role in a girl's life? Boys, you must be so flattered that girls really do consider you important in their lives.

Jude and Emilio's love was so pure and out of their plans. When it's love, it's love. It just happens when the right person is right there. It's just so swoony, you know. I swear. Emilio's such a charmer. I love that guy. He totally made me believe that he is nothing like his brothers. His character has this depth that I cannot even explain. He totally made me swoon. That's all.

I really don't know what's supposed to be the center of this novel. Whether it's the ailment of Jude's father or the growth of Jude and Emilio's love. Maybe both. It was like the ailment of Jude's father was the sole reason that Jude and Emilio even had the chance to meet. Also, because of her father's ailment, the two were tested a lot of times. Like how to handle this or that. Seriously, I can't count how many times I cried because of her father. It was so realistic. And his ailment is the one I'm actually totally scared of! Oh shoot, it's even my Dad's birthday today. I'm sending all my prayers to God that he wouldn't have that kind of ailment! Don't worry, I'm including all you guys in my prayer.

Don't get me wrong now, I truly love this book. It's just that, there's something about Jude that puts me off. I've been thinking about if for days but I cannot point it out! It's like I know her but at the same time, I don't. I guess I just didn't feel much of her character's deep feelings. I felt her and I didn't feel her. Am I making sense?

If you actually think that this is one of those light contemporary reads, you're totally wrong. This isn't even light. If you also think that this is just a book about broken hearts, then you're wrong again. It's a lot more than that. It has a deep feel that will absolutely make you feel. It's just so different over-all. Be ready to shed a few tears!

(Many thanks to Simon Pulse for allowing me to read this through Edelweiss.)

Originally posted at The Bookish Confections(less)

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May 21, 2013 Roza Dimka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads

3.5 stars

And once again I was fooled by the summary. The book of broken hearts? So not what the synopsis says. I started reading it thinking it'd be a light fun read with a little family drama and some cute guy. Oh don't get me wrong there was all of that but my thoughts of it being a light fun read dwindled away when I noticed that I had gotten attached to Jude and her father a little too much.

Plot
Our protagonist, Jude, is spending her last summer before college with her father who is slowly l...more 3.5 stars

And once again I was fooled by the summary. The book of broken hearts? So not what the synopsis says. I started reading it thinking it'd be a light fun read with a little family drama and some cute guy. Oh don't get me wrong there was all of that but my thoughts of it being a light fun read dwindled away when I noticed that I had gotten attached to Jude and her father a little too much.

Plot
Our protagonist, Jude, is spending her last summer before college with her father who is slowly losing touch with reality. He's diagnosed with Alzheimer's and is slowly with the passage of time forgetting things like people and places. Even with his tapering memory when he sees his old Harley in the barn he remembers every story related to it. Jude inspired by this decides to hire a mechanic to fix the bike in hopes of her father getting better by this process. The only problem is, the mechanic is no other but Emilio Vargas, one of the Vargas brothers from whom Jude and her sister have sworn to never form a relationship with ever since two of them got burned by two different Vargas brothers. Jude tries to reassure herself by thinking that he's only the mechanic who is there to help her with her fathers bike. What she realizes a little too late into the story is that she is no immune to the Vargas charm anymore than her sisters had been. She tries to resist Emilio and his flirtatious advances because she is intent on this summer being about her father and her family alone. Little does she know that how bad her fathers condition is or that soon he won't only be forgetting his favorite ice-cream but he won't be remembering his bike rider days ever existed.

The romance in the book did not over take the original idea of the book. It was just the right amount not too much and not too little. As Emilio helps Jude with her dads bike she soon realizes that he is not like his brothers and would not play with her feelings by caring for her one day and spurning her the other. Even though she tries to resist his charm she soon finds herself falling for him when she realizes he is the only friend who stuck with her in the time of need. Then she just lets go and lets him take her heart for a joyful ride (on the bike).

Sometimes in the story I found myself impatient with Jude for not taking her stand but I still couldn't help but like her character for all the love she shows her father and her family. I loved how the story was about an migrant family and that while their heritage showed it didn't overtake the book and confuse the reader.

So long story short this book is a must read that will not leave your eyes dry for long. <3 (less)

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May 15, 2013 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Both poignant and funny, with a focus on relationships both familial and romantic, The Book of Broken Hearts pleases on a variety of levels, giving us a taste of reality without any added drama for effect. What we get when we crack the spine of this book is a glimpse at life – a glorious collage of good moments and bad, heartfelt conversations and witty banter, and old doors closing as new ones open wide to beckon Jude through. There's plenty of pain as well as many a scene between her and her f...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jude is the youngest of four sisters and after watching two of the others get their hearts broken by Vargas boys, she swears an oath that she will never date a Vargas boy! Now in the summer before her freshman year of college, romance is the farthest thing from her mind when she crosses paths with Emilio Vargas at the motorcycle shop. Jude knows it's probably not a smart idea to hire him to fix her ailing Father's vintage bike. But as she gets to know him better, Jude begins to think that maybe...more Jude is the youngest of four sisters and after watching two of the others get their hearts broken by Vargas boys, she swears an oath that she will never date a Vargas boy! Now in the summer before her freshman year of college, romance is the farthest thing from her mind when she crosses paths with Emilio Vargas at the motorcycle shop. Jude knows it's probably not a smart idea to hire him to fix her ailing Father's vintage bike. But as she gets to know him better, Jude begins to think that maybe he's different from his brothers and cousins - maybe a romance with a Vargas can last. Jude's Father steadily declines and when a particularly bad episode brings home her sisters to help make a tough decision, will Jude fall in line and let them decide her heart or will she start making her own choices for once in her life? I think when I went into this book I expected the normal 60/40 balance of family/romance that is present in Ockler's last two books. But honestly, I kind of wanted her to just drop the romance and focus on the family story unfolding! I really loved the relationship between Jude and Papi. They had something special and I understood Jude's need to have that with her Dad, especially since his mind was detriorating and her older sisters had way more time with him to make memories. Early onset Alzheimer's is a sad and horrific disease to witness, and even more heartbreaking through the eyes of a family member being affected. The romantic will-they/won't-they between Jude and Emilio did serve as a tension release I suppose, but it unfolded in a very cliched and predictable way. The personality of her sister Mari (short for Mariposa) was the most present in the actual plot, other than brief mentions. And she was least hurt by the Vargas boys, so maybe that's why I couldn't get behind the vague family feud. Also, Emilio's semi-tragic history gave him some depth, but I never felt like I had enough of an idea about who he was to root for him to get the girl. The way he treated Papi was bautiful though and that alone would make him my dream guy. By the time Jude finally decided that her sisters couldn't make all her decisions and decided to be with him, I just didn't care anymore. But I cried when Jude and Papi were talking during one of his lucid moments about why she needed to let the family put him in a care facility. Also the scene with Papi's motorcycle ride smashed my heart to pieces. Jude's loyalty to her family, mixed with the desire to be her own person is extremely relatable and I enjoyed this book a lot. However, it would have been even better without the lukewarm romantic encounters. I'd recommend this to fans of Ockler's previous books for sure, but expect something slightly different than usual.

VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

**I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is May 21st, 2013.**(less)

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May 16, 2013 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Book of Broken Hearts is about the realities of growing up and the inevitability of aging. About what it's like to be a part of a big, messy, opinionated family. About making your own decisions and not being afraid to live your own life, despite what that life throws at you. About realizing that you've moved on from old friends (or that they've moved on from you). About the fact that actions speak louder than words. And about not being afraid to open yourself up to love, even when it's scary...more

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May 21, 2013 Kristy F rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, reviews-coming-soon, 2013-release, amazing, favorites, funny, swoon-worthy-guys

The Book of Broken Hearts fits its name well. It broke my heart and put it back together and I loved every part of it.

When it comes to Sarah Ockler, it only takes one book to know that her books aren't all sunshine and unicorn fluffy. There is a deeper part to her books and they are really touching. In this book, Jude, our MC, decides to restore her father's old motorcycle to try and see if it will help his Alzheimer's. She hires a mechanic and realises that he is Emilio Vargas, the youngest bro...more The Book of Broken Hearts fits its name well. It broke my heart and put it back together and I loved every part of it.

When it comes to Sarah Ockler, it only takes one book to know that her books aren't all sunshine and unicorn fluffy. There is a deeper part to her books and they are really touching. In this book, Jude, our MC, decides to restore her father's old motorcycle to try and see if it will help his Alzheimer's. She hires a mechanic and realises that he is Emilio Vargas, the youngest brother of the family she swore to her sisters she would never get involved with.

The thing with this book is, I'm kind of biased towards a few aspects of it. I am a huge sucker for motorcycles. My dad has one and I remember growing up with him working on it in the shop and me taking rides in the side-car on sunny days. I LOVE motorcycles. If I can convince my parents/when I turn 18, I definitely want to one day own one. So, with this book having a lot to do with motorcycles, it drew me in and kept me there. Also, I know someone with Alzheimer's and I know how tough it can be to see a loved one forgetting things so quickly and stuff like that.

The summary makes this book sound a lot more boy-related and a lot less than what it's really about. Yes, there's a boy and yes he's adorable and charming, but this book really focuses on family. There's a lot to do with Jude and her sisters and their relationship, as well as with her father. Her sisters kind of annoyed me at times, as they were kind of controlling of Jude, but I also understood, I guess. With Jude's Papi, it was different. I loved his sass and his attitude, but his meltdowns were quite sad and definitely broke my heart. That was one thing I loved about this book. It wasn't just about the broken hearts you get from the boy/girl who breaks your heart. It's about all the relationships and how they can all break your heart. Yes it's rough and yes it's painful, but maybe that broken heart will bring someone into your life to help mend it.

I really liked Jude as a protagonist. It took me about 50 pages to really enjoy her voice, but once I got into the book, I really connected with her. She's witty and sassy and totally awesome but also scared and emotional and it was nice to see two different sides of her. Then there was Emilio. At first I was kind of thinking he was another typical bad boy, ugh, but I realised, with Jude, that he was a lot more than that. He had many layers to him and wasn't as simple as I thought.

In all honesty, I cannot describe my love for this book enough. It was filled with the character's culture (Argentinian-American) and infused with emotion and humour. Yes, that's right, it was also funny, to put the cherry on top. Do not be fooled by the synopsis. The Book of Broken Hearts is touching and compelling and poignant. Yes it made me cry (just a little, I swear!) but it also made me laugh and that's my type of book. I highly recommend picking this book up.(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This is another free book I won from Goodreads FirstReads and I must tell you that I really liked the book. It is for YA but I thought it was good. Jude is a 17 year old and the youngest of the Hernanzed sisters, it is the summer after her graduation and her Papi has been diagnoised with Alzheimers disease and she wants to give him one last ride on his motorcycle Valentina that has been locked up for 30 years, Papi has told Jude all about riding her all over Argentina, she thinks that helping to...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Jessica Tackett rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Reasonably readable contemporary YA romance. I didn't think Jude's character was particularly well-defined, which made the emotional-journey part of the plot a little disappointing. The romance was a little eh.

I *do* like any book with four sisters, since I am a four-sister, though! And the ending might have made me a little more-teary eyed than I'd like to admit for a book that I just described as "disappointing", "eh", and "reasonably readable." The emotional structure reminded me of Morgan M...more

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May 22, 2013 Lori rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-may, earc-have, read-in-2013, standalone-challenge-2013, favorites

I loved this book. Seriously. Loved it. I loved it so much that I've been kicking myself for never having read a Sarah Ockler book before this. How have I not read any yet? I even own both Twenty Boy Summer and Bittersweet. What is wrong with me?! If those are anything like The Book of Broken Hearts I'm going to be so mad for letting them just sit on my shelf for so long!

But let's focus for a few minutes on this book. Because I loved it (did you hear?) and I definitely think you should read it....more I loved this book. Seriously. Loved it. I loved it so much that I've been kicking myself for never having read a Sarah Ockler book before this. How have I not read any yet? I even own both Twenty Boy Summer and Bittersweet. What is wrong with me?! If those are anything like The Book of Broken Hearts I'm going to be so mad for letting them just sit on my shelf for so long!

But let's focus for a few minutes on this book. Because I loved it (did you hear?) and I definitely think you should read it. We not only get a little bit of romance between Jude and Emilio (a new favorite!), we get a truly touching view into the relationship of a father with early onset Alzheimer's and his youngest daughter during the summer before she moves away for college. It is heartbreaking, emotional, and beautiful. It made me cry. And I almost never cry during books. I know I won't be able to do it justice here with my words, but this book seriously touched my heart.

A few things I liked best about this book were the main character Jude, her relationships with her sisters, the focus on family, and, of course, the romance. Jude is a wonderful MC and while she did have a problem sticking up for herself and really knowing what it was she wanted, she was brave and hopeful and loyal. Where there times I wanted to punch her for being such a pushover? Sure. But she grew up during the book and that's pretty much what it was all about. And the way she dealt with her father and his disease was much stronger than I could have ever been. Jude's relationships with her sisters changed as she changed throughout the book and even though I've never had sisters, let alone three who were much older than me, I appreciate the way they tried to take care of her and the way she always felt left out of their group. Emilio was pretty perfect as the male interest, a bit of a mysterious bad boy with a motorcycle and scars (literally and figuratively) but also a heart of gold. All of these components combined with the heartache of Alzheimer's made for one emotional ride and an excellent book.

Final Thoughts: Read this book. If you are a fan of YA Contemporaries, I really think you'll like this one. It was more emotional than I was expecting and the romance was definitely not the main focus, but it was a beautiful book about growing up, changing relationships, what's really important, not taking things for granted, seizing the moment, and all of those other things we sometimes forget about when we're busy focusing on our futures and goals instead of the present. I'm still heartbroken over her father's disease and his moments towards the end left me in tears. But the characters are strong so we're also left with hope. Not that her father will be able to beat the disease, but that love is real and broken hearts can be mended. I gave The Book of Broken Hearts 5 stars and highly recommend that you read it.(less)

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Mar 24, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-ya-contemporary-challenge

“No regrets, princesa.”

While Jude’s friends are getting lead acting roles in the latest play and dating boys, she is spending her summer before college taking care of her ill father. Whenever Papi talks about his memories of riding his vintage Harley motorcycle, she notices a spark in her father’s eyes. Jude decides that the only way to help her father overcome his illness is to resurrect the 30-year-old motorcycle in the barn. There is one problemo. The only mechanic they can afford and that i...more

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May 15, 2013 Kelly Sierra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, 2013, college-life, forbidden-love, heart-break-by-death, romance, real-fic, high-school-realistic

I would like to accuse The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler of false advertisement. Don’t worry lovers of this book or author, this accusation is done in happiness. Ockler’s novel is advertised as a coming of age story of love and heart break. Jude is the last Hernandez sibling in the house. Growing up she witnessed the many heart breaks her 3 sisters endured, and most of those incidents were caused by the Vargas brothers. After a final heart break, one to go in the record books, the Hernan...more I would like to accuse The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler of false advertisement. Don’t worry lovers of this book or author, this accusation is done in happiness. Ockler’s novel is advertised as a coming of age story of love and heart break. Jude is the last Hernandez sibling in the house. Growing up she witnessed the many heart breaks her 3 sisters endured, and most of those incidents were caused by the Vargas brothers. After a final heart break, one to go in the record books, the Hernandez sisters decide to create a book of broken hearts, in which they record all the guys that ever stomped on their hearts and wishes. Once the book is all set, they also make poor Jude (she’s about 12 years old during this and if you ask me I am shocked she isn’t more traumatized by love after what her sisters tell her) do a blood pack promising to never, ever be involved with a Vargas brother for any reason, because they are all “dark hearts, every one.”

This all sounds very sisterly and girl bonding-ish, but enter Emilio. Emilio Vargas is the answer to Jude’s prayers but a constant nightmare as well. See, here is the reason why I believe this book was falsely advertised. This isn’t about just love; this is about Jude trying to keep hold of her family as they are faced with Bear Hernandez’s Alzheimer’s. After Jude’s father Bear recognizes his old motorcycle and starts remembering the old days, before he started a family, she latches on to the hope that this restoration of the motorcycle will be the cure for him. Hence the desperate act of hiring a Vargas brother. What ensues is plenty of grease head speak, memories of her father, keeping Emilio a secret from her sisters and figuring out why Emilio makes her shiver at every turn.

I loved it. Emilio was a great character with depth; he wasn’t just a pretty face or just another Vargas brother. He helped in the development of Jude’s character as well, which is always nice to see. Alzheimer’s is also done tastefully in this book. At no point did I think, “Wow, this author is reaching.” I understood the illness in its infancy and could see the pain behind each character that this illness touched. Lovely story, lovely characters and lovely messages were threaded in this big fat falsely advertised book!
(less)

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