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The Catastrophic History of You and Me
by
Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.
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 f ...more
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 f ...more
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Hardcover, 375 pages
Published
February 21st 2012
by Penguin Young Readers Group
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Start your review of The Catastrophic History of You and Me

Confession time: I was pretty sure I would love this book even before it showed up in my mailbox. I loved the title, I liked the cover, and the description sounded really interesting. What I didn’t know, however, was that I wasn’t just signing up for a fun read, I was signing up for heartbreak and some really huge, eye opening lessons. Don’t get me wrong: The Catastrophic History of You and Me is often laugh-out-loud funny, but that’s not nearly all it is.
Brie Eagan’s life was perfect: she had ...more
Brie Eagan’s life was perfect: she had ...more

Jun 30, 2016
Aj the Ravenous Reader
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Aj the Ravenous Reader by:
G
I’ll go straight to the point. Despite some reviews that say this is corny and melodramatic, I loved it, loved absolutely every word from the very beginning up to the very last word of the Acknowledgement.^^
“REVENGE MAY BE SWEET, BUT BOOK DEALS ARE DEFINITELY SWEETER.”
To me, it’s a beautiful and quirky (two adjectives you don't see together often) novel about heartbreak in all its possible meanings. It’s mysterious, fantastical, very intriguing, romantic, seriously funny (certainly had dozens a ...more

“The trouble is, sometimes words are like arrows.
Once you shoot them, there's no going back.”
I love books that make me feel more than one emotion.. I love it when my chest feels tight and achey for a moment, and then it gets all sweet and giggly; when I want to cry and smile at the same time; when I feel like I can't get enough from the story and I would like to keep reading about the characters until the end of time.
This goes for this story, this goes for Brie and Patrick, for a heart whic ...more
Once you shoot them, there's no going back.”

I love books that make me feel more than one emotion.. I love it when my chest feels tight and achey for a moment, and then it gets all sweet and giggly; when I want to cry and smile at the same time; when I feel like I can't get enough from the story and I would like to keep reading about the characters until the end of time.
This goes for this story, this goes for Brie and Patrick, for a heart whic ...more

Catastrophic, indeed.
I love how the titles of each chapter were lyrics from songs (like the titles of the notes I write).
I love the twists and turns of the story.
I love how the initials of the four besties spell B(rie)-E(mma)-S(adie)-T(ess).
I love Brie's cheese nicknames. I love Patrick's jacket. I love the BEST's charm necklaces.
I LOVE JACK and HAMLOAF
I love the way LOVE gave everyone peace. How it freed Brie, Patrick, Eagan family, Jacob, and BEST (even Larkin).
I love how the story literally ...more
I love how the titles of each chapter were lyrics from songs (like the titles of the notes I write).
I love the twists and turns of the story.
I love how the initials of the four besties spell B(rie)-E(mma)-S(adie)-T(ess).
I love Brie's cheese nicknames. I love Patrick's jacket. I love the BEST's charm necklaces.
I LOVE JACK and HAMLOAF
I love the way LOVE gave everyone peace. How it freed Brie, Patrick, Eagan family, Jacob, and BEST (even Larkin).
I love how the story literally ...more

“My heart didn't fail, someone failed my heart.”
Brie's boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.
If this happens in real life, I think 50% of the world's population would go down. Humans would go extinct. And Delirium comes in. There would be a cure for love to prevent heartbreak. Lol.
This was definitely a very great book. At first, I thought it was about angels and afterlife and heaven, that kind of stuff. But I was wrong. This book is about moving on, ...more

Nov 30, 2016
Rachel Maniacup
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Rachel by:
Pearl Angeli
Shelves:
adorable,
drama,
entertaining,
friendship,
fantasy,
paranormal,
romance,
surprisingly-very-good,
ya-contemporary
Every time I read a book by an author I haven't encountered yet, It fascinates me because It does surprise me really good,especially when I don't really know what to expect. And I'm glad I've read this one 'cause this is something different..something you would call an amazingly unique story!
From the cover,the concept,the heartbreak,the romance,the humor,the drama,and particularly from the 80's pop songs that the author used as the titles of each chapter made this book incredibly adorable and me ...more

The Catastrophic History of You and Me is every girl’s worst nightmare. Brie is dating this awesome guy and they go out to dinner and – BAM – he tells her he doesn’t love her. Next thing she knows, she’s dead. That’s right, she literally DIED of a broken heart. And her dad is a cardiologist so he starts digging into this notion that one can die of a broken heart. But Brie has to go through the stages of grief before she can “move on” to a better place.
This book is definitely cute. It was lighthe ...more
This book is definitely cute. It was lighthe ...more

Fifteen is altogether way too young to die. Especially to die of a broken heart. So when sweet, funny, charming Brie is cut down in the prime of her teenage years, what do we get? Angst? A heart-warming Disney movie? Well, perhaps not what you expect. It's more than either. The Catastrophic History of You and Me is brimming with humour and charm and tempered with a perfect balance of heartbreak.
Shortly before her sixteenth birthday, Brie Eagan’s boyfriend tells her he doesn’t love her... and sh ...more
Shortly before her sixteenth birthday, Brie Eagan’s boyfriend tells her he doesn’t love her... and sh ...more

This. Book. Wins. If this had been the book given to me as my first foray into comtemporary YA -- and granted, it has supernatural elements, what with the MC being dead and all -- anyway, had this been my first contemporary read, it might have easily led me to decide that contemps were my favorite subgenre. Instead, I've shied away from most anything contemporary and consistently read paranormals with a heavy dose of romance to satisfy my cravings. This book may have changed all that. Don't thin
...more

Review originally posted in: http://forget8me8not.blogspot.com.au/...
Cover:
I love the girl's purple dress , the sky background and the upside down bridge. I can feel as if the girl is flying there in the sky and the cover gives off this heaven and calm feeling!
Story:
There's a girl called Brie. She died because of a broken heart. Her heart LITERALLY broke in half...
don't you (forget about me)
I don't think I'll even bother writing my own synopsis for this book. What I'll do instead is put some of ...more
Cover:
I love the girl's purple dress , the sky background and the upside down bridge. I can feel as if the girl is flying there in the sky and the cover gives off this heaven and calm feeling!
Story:
There's a girl called Brie. She died because of a broken heart. Her heart LITERALLY broke in half...
don't you (forget about me)
I don't think I'll even bother writing my own synopsis for this book. What I'll do instead is put some of ...more

You can obsess and obsess over how things ended - what you did wrong or could have done differently - but there's not much of a point. It's not like it'll change anything. So really, why worry?
I was thinking about giving this only 3 stars, but no. It deserves 4.
This book was amazing in so many ways. I was drawn in from the first sentence. (I got bored for a few pages, but whatever. That's nothing compared to how I felt about the rest of the book.) After the not-so-interesting part, this book jus ...more
I was thinking about giving this only 3 stars, but no. It deserves 4.
This book was amazing in so many ways. I was drawn in from the first sentence. (I got bored for a few pages, but whatever. That's nothing compared to how I felt about the rest of the book.) After the not-so-interesting part, this book jus ...more

So...
I'll admit it from the get-go:
this book started out sort of 'meh' for me. I was not really 'feeling it' and I sort of found the heroine a bit whiny, self-absorbed, and a little too vengeful and agressive for my taste. My main complaints would be along these lines, 'Don't blame the world for your problems honey', 'dont judge and jump to conclusions' and'don't take your anger out on others'.
BUT about a 3rd of my way into the book though, things started to change. The story got a hold of me, ...more
I'll admit it from the get-go:
this book started out sort of 'meh' for me. I was not really 'feeling it' and I sort of found the heroine a bit whiny, self-absorbed, and a little too vengeful and agressive for my taste. My main complaints would be along these lines, 'Don't blame the world for your problems honey', 'dont judge and jump to conclusions' and'don't take your anger out on others'.
BUT about a 3rd of my way into the book though, things started to change. The story got a hold of me, ...more

At the beginning of the novel, the main character introduced her sisterhood of the corny metaphorical necklace by comparing them to Disney princesses. One exotic, one redhead with a pet crab and one brunette who loves to read. Wanna take a shot which princesses are those? This is only one of the many examples of lazy writing that is so prevalent in this thing that pains me to call a novel.
It is so full of those baits you commonly see on 'reviews' that contain lines like "Plus, you'll really love ...more
It is so full of those baits you commonly see on 'reviews' that contain lines like "Plus, you'll really love ...more

4.5 Stars
The Catastrophic History of You and Me is a jolt to the heart! Love is on full display in the pages of this book. All of love’s lovely little pockets and hidden away dark corners. Everything love has to offer is here. Blushing, beaming joy to brutal, heart crushing agony! Love isn’t always rainbows and romance. Just ask Brie.
“Love hurts us all, no matter how old or young we are.”
Brie Eagan died of a broken heart. Really. She’s dead. But

Dec 08, 2011
Corrine Jackson
added it
At the outset, the premise didn’t grab me. There, I said it. I know this book has a ton of buzz, but honestly, a girl dies of heartbreak? It didn’t snag me. But on a Sunday afternoon, I needed something different to read and I picked it up.
There is a lot to recommend about the book. First, the voice. Brie is fifteen and she dies at the start of the story when her boyfriend breaks up with her. We follow her on a journey through the five stages of grieving. She haunts her boyfriend, parents, littl ...more
There is a lot to recommend about the book. First, the voice. Brie is fifteen and she dies at the start of the story when her boyfriend breaks up with her. We follow her on a journey through the five stages of grieving. She haunts her boyfriend, parents, littl ...more


“Hell is when people you love the most reach right into your soul and rip it out of you. And they do it because they can.”

I loved this book.
I wanted to buy this book for so long and then when I did buy it I just put it in my bookshelf and didn't read it, for about 2 years. I have the tendency to always do that. I know I'm going to like a book and I just don't read it.
I'M CATASTROPHICALLY HAPPY THAT I DECIDED TO READ THIS BOOK.
This was a fun and heartbreaking (in a good and in a bad way) st ...more

I loved this book.
I wanted to buy this book for so long and then when I did buy it I just put it in my bookshelf and didn't read it, for about 2 years. I have the tendency to always do that. I know I'm going to like a book and I just don't read it.
I'M CATASTROPHICALLY HAPPY THAT I DECIDED TO READ THIS BOOK.
This was a fun and heartbreaking (in a good and in a bad way) st ...more

Because love is worth it after all…
Dear heavens, I didn’t expect The Catastrophic History to be really this amazing. I mean, I did expect it to be good, but I didn’t know it’s way better that it seriously gives me goosebumps!
I found out that it could make me feel so many things all at once. I felt surprised, angry, hopeless, depressed, regretful– it’s like I’ve also been to stages of grief while reading Brie’s epic, catastrophic (indeed) story.
The concept of this book is beautiful. It’s fun ...more
Dear heavens, I didn’t expect The Catastrophic History to be really this amazing. I mean, I did expect it to be good, but I didn’t know it’s way better that it seriously gives me goosebumps!
I found out that it could make me feel so many things all at once. I felt surprised, angry, hopeless, depressed, regretful– it’s like I’ve also been to stages of grief while reading Brie’s epic, catastrophic (indeed) story.
The concept of this book is beautiful. It’s fun ...more

May 02, 2015
Natasha(Books are my sustenance)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
best-characters,
book-boyfriends
"I was fifteen years old when I died of a broken heart."
Brie's boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart — literally. Now she's D&G(dead and gone) and ends up in the afterlife which turns out to be the pizza place her family used to go to. And she's not alone, there are some other people there and they all just hang around, waiting to move on.There she meets Patrick, resident Lost Soul, who is so damn sweet, crushworthy and all-around awesome!!But more on that la ...more
Brie's boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart — literally. Now she's D&G(dead and gone) and ends up in the afterlife which turns out to be the pizza place her family used to go to. And she's not alone, there are some other people there and they all just hang around, waiting to move on.There she meets Patrick, resident Lost Soul, who is so damn sweet, crushworthy and all-around awesome!!But more on that la ...more

It’s not what I was expecting: funny mostly but not all of the time.
The Good
Those nifty chapter titles; I loved those because they touched little on what she loved and she loved a lot. Shehas had a passion for older music, a skill for diving, and a love for those close to her. And it was that last bit I appreciated the most: she’s close to them. I also liked her having these ideas about the people around her, feeling comforted when they lived up to her notions, then being so confused (shocked)
...more
The Good
Those nifty chapter titles; I loved those because they touched little on what she loved and she loved a lot. She

To be honest I just didn’t like this book. I just couldn’t connect with the character, or what she had to go through. Mostly I just wanted to be finished with the book, because once I start a book, I usually try to finish it…unless it just horrible. This book in my opinion is bad, but not horrible.
Mainly Brie is just horrible. I understand that she just died, and it sucks to know that people are moving on without you, but she’s selfish. She tries to hurt almost everyone in her life.
However, my ...more
Mainly Brie is just horrible. I understand that she just died, and it sucks to know that people are moving on without you, but she’s selfish. She tries to hurt almost everyone in her life.
However, my ...more

I laughed, I cried, I came, I saw, I conquered. Or at least I did the first two. Rothenberg knows humor and her dialogue is full of the kind of wit and retorts that I love. On the opposite side, she also is able to bring on the sadness and I found myself unable to read a few times because of blurry vision. They weren't tears, because I don't cry. I don't. I probably just need new glasses. Anyway...I felt the pain that Brie felt and the feelings that overcame her as she made discoveries. Oh, and
...more


“The trouble is, sometimes words are like arrows. Once you shoot them, there's no going back.”
First of all, I want to praise the theme/concept of the book. It's quite different from the books that I have read before though the idea of the heart being literally broken into two is weird. Hah. The first few pages were okay, light and a little fast-paced, but as the story goes, it got more and more interesting. I like how the story progressed for five stages (of grieving? if I remembered it righ ...more

So Lauren Oliver blurbed this book. If you are in the young adult community- that is a big deal to have Lauren Oliver blurb your book. I had high expectations going into Catastrophic History and that blurb is why.
Lauren nailed the description of the book: "Inventive, funny, beautiful, heartbreaking". Those are the exact words I would use to describe it (if that wasn't total copying!) I have never read a book like this- it was like Teen Angel plus that show Revenge on ABC. Man, the drama was palp ...more
Lauren nailed the description of the book: "Inventive, funny, beautiful, heartbreaking". Those are the exact words I would use to describe it (if that wasn't total copying!) I have never read a book like this- it was like Teen Angel plus that show Revenge on ABC. Man, the drama was palp ...more

A heartbroken moment can turn deadly.
Brie’s life ends even before she has a taste of sweet sixteen. Her boyfriend, Jason, said the deadly words, “I don’t love you.” The shock in his words breaks Brie’s heart literally. Now Brie is a ghost, unable to rewind anything. She is determined to make Jason pay for his fault. Along with his new ghost partner-in-crime Patrick, Brie goes to visit Jason and take revenge on him. But things on Earth have been different after her death. Her family is torn apart ...more
Brie’s life ends even before she has a taste of sweet sixteen. Her boyfriend, Jason, said the deadly words, “I don’t love you.” The shock in his words breaks Brie’s heart literally. Now Brie is a ghost, unable to rewind anything. She is determined to make Jason pay for his fault. Along with his new ghost partner-in-crime Patrick, Brie goes to visit Jason and take revenge on him. But things on Earth have been different after her death. Her family is torn apart ...more

I’m a big fan of what I’ve come to think of as “Afterlife” books. With what exactly happens after death being the world’s biggest mystery I think that it gives authors artistic licence to really put some imagination into their take on life after death. I found Jess Rothenberg’s version of an afterlife fascinating and thought that it was a brilliant idea for the deceased to have to go through the five stages of grief- Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Sadness and Acceptance- just the same as those they
...more

I only liked the ending of this book. The main character was so annoying I couldn't care less about her. The plot twist at the end was really good, but it seemed a little hushed or forced but still if it wasn't for the mc this could have been really good.
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg, Restarting August 20th 2015 | 24 | 84 | Aug 19, 2015 03:36PM | |
What are the 5 stages of grief? | 1 | 7 | Feb 28, 2015 11:08AM | |
SUMMARY NEEDED | 1 | 5 | Feb 28, 2015 09:28AM | |
SUMMARY NEEDED | 1 | 2 | Feb 28, 2015 03:11AM | |
PLEASE | 27 | 139 | Jan 29, 2015 03:47AM | |
YA Book Lovers <3: The Catastrophic History of You and Me | 7 | 16 | Jul 28, 2014 07:10AM | |
Books + Movies + ...: BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!! | 81 | 154 | May 09, 2014 01:35AM |
JESS ROTHENBERG is a writer and freelance editor who grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. A former editor of books for young readers, including the #1 International Bestselling Vampire Academy series, Jess lives in New York City with her husband, son, and cat-who-thinks-he’s-a-dog, Charlie. Her debut novel for teens, The Catastrophic History of You & Me, has been translated into more than a doze
...more
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“You can obsess and obsess over how things ended—what you did wrong or could have done differently—but there's not much of a point. It's not like it'll change anything. So really, why worry?”
—
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“The trouble is, sometimes words are like arrows. Once you shoot them, there's no going back.”
—
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