Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

The Book of Broken Hearts
by Sarah Ockler
Read: April 
Published: May 21, 2013 by Simon Pulse **UPCOMING**
Source: Edelweiss for an honest review
Category: Contemporary YA (after high school)

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.
(From Goodreads)
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It is the summer after high school has ended for Jude Hernandez (yes, that's a girl's name), and she is spending it hanging out with her father who has just been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Often her father seems perfectly normal, but his bad moments are ever increasing and Jude is struggling to understand how this powerful man that she has looked up to and loved her entire life, is falling apart.

In an effort to keep her father's mind active and present, Jude decides they are going to restore his old motorcycle. Because while her dad may not remember what is going on at any given moment, he can recall every detail of his past, especially his youth spent on that bike. Since Jude has no understanding whatsoever about motorcycles or how to fix them, she hires a local mechanic to do the work. OF COURSE he ends up being none other than Emilio Vargas, whose older brothers emotionally destroyed two of her three older sisters. And whom Jude has been conditioned to stay away from her entire life. But should her sisters' past experiences with the Vargas family dictate her own? Can Emilio be trusted? After all, his brothers were charming at first too. And is there anything she can do to help her father? 

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. 

Three Loves:

1) I loved Jude's relationship with her father. Her care and fear for him, as she watched him lose his mind was incredibly heartbreaking and moving. Jude does not see taking care of him as a burden but as an opportunity. She does not spend any time moping, but feels a tremendous sense of responsibility to her dad. I could feel Jude's anguish during many scenes in this book. Also, in one of the great ironies of life, this diagnosis brings Jude closer to her father, and she learns so much about him and his past, that helps shape her own future. 

2) I love the Colorado setting. Sarah Ockler writes some great lyrical scenes that occur out in nature. One that I especially loved took place high on a mountain and involved both Jude and Emilio. I have never been to that state, but I could picture the vast sky and the big mountains and the way that being on a motorcycle brings you closer to it all. 

3) I love that Jude is part of a close Latino family with a rich heritage. I enjoyed hearing about Jude's father's travels in Argentina and the fact that her mother cooks delicious food to unwind, and about how much Jude looks up to her three older sisters. Jude trusts her sisters, and looks up to them, but she also learns to be her own person in this story. In many ways Jude stops living in their shadows and being the baby in their, and her own, eyes. The thing about family is that no matter how you feel about them, they aren't going away. I love the way that Jude's family clung together over her father's illness, even when they all disagreed. They constantly loved and supported each other. 

Three Wishes:

1) I wish that we'd gotten more of Emilio. He was swoony and surprising, and the way that he accepted and cared about Jude's father spoke louder to me than anything else he said or did. I wanted more of his history and what made him tick. We do get a piece of it, but I wanted to know him even better. 

2) I wish I'd realized that I'd read another Sarah Ockler book before I started The Book of Broken Hearts. This is going to sound silly, but because of the Latin culture in the book, and Emilio's supposed bad boy edge, I kept thinking that this would be more of a romance like Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry. However, once I realized that I had read Fixing Delilah, which is by the same author, I felt like the clouds went away and I understood the type of contemporary this was going to be. Closer to a Sarah Dessen story than a Elkeles (that comparison isn't perfect, but more to lean you in the right direction).

3) I wish The Book of Broken Hearts had a different cover. The pretty purple one above makes the book appear like an up-beat, fun chick-lit. To me it doesn't really fit the characters or the emotional impact of this story, and I overlooked reading it at first because of that. Thankfully, my friend Heather @ The Flyleaf Review (check her review tomorrow) read this one first and encouraged me to pick up a copy, and I'm glad I did. 
"He smiled, shy this time, and I smiled back, and then we were kissing again, pressing our mouths and bellies together while the rest of the world eroded around us, one pointless breath of wind, one insignificant grain of dust at a time."*
Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone


*I read an unfinished advanced readers copy of this book, quotes may change in the final version. 

22 comments:

  1. This really does sound lovely, I like that it takes a look at family and culture, too. This will be my first of her books, though I do own Bittersweet.

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    1. I hope you like this one! And I agree, I'm always excited when a YA author features family and culture, instead of alienating the characters. I've also heard BITTERSWEET is fantastic, though I have yet to read it.

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  2. I love Sarah Ockler's books, they're so sweet and great when you're in the mood for something that's a bit more on the light side but doesn't extend into fluffy territory. Great review, I'll definitely be looking for this when it comes out!

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    1. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! You're right, it is sweet, but deals with some intense issues too. A great contemporary mix.

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  3. I'm so glad you enjoyed this! I read the first three chapters, but wasn't too impressed by Emilio's cockiness. I'll be picking it back up soon and I'm glad we get to see a sweeter, swoonier side of him. Also, one of my favorite aspects to this is already the heritage and the relationship Jude has with her father. I can't wait to see these explored in even greater detail. Also, Bittersweet is Ockler's best I think. I read 20 Boy Summer too, but have completely forgotten it, so you should definitely check out Bittersweet!(:

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    1. I still need to read BITTERSWEET! Also, I need to find your review, but I'm pretty sure you did end up enjoying this one. Emilio did not turn out exactly how I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Yes, Jude's relationship with her dad shines in this book, and I loved his travels in Argentina.

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  4. I so agree with you on this! I loved the relationship between Jude and her father, but I wish we had seen more Emilio. I had such mixed emotions on this one. Great review!

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    1. I saw your review! Jude's relationship with her dad was my favorite part of this book, and though I really liked Emilio by the end, I didn't feel like I ever got a full picture of him.

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  5. I love settings in nature like woods, lakes, oceans, moutains - you name it - more than in a big city (unless it's Paris or NYC, idk why, they just appeal to me) so this is definitely a plus for this book in my eyes. I love sweet, swoon-worthy and emotional books and this is exactly what this book seems like. I'm glad you enjoyed it in general and between you and me, I'm glad this isn't more like S. Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry which really didn't knock me off my feet with love and awe. I hope this one works out better for me:-)

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    1. I LOVE the setting in this one. It definitely made me want to head out west and see Colorado as Emilio and Jude did - preferably on a motorcycle ;). "sweet and swoonworthy emotional books" is exactly what this is! I hope you really like this one.

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  6. Outstanding review, L! (And thanks for the link:)

    It would have been great to get Emilio's POV, that is one thing I like about Elkeles' books, we get both sides to the story. But on the other hand, it's kind of nice to let his story remain a bit of a mystery. He and Jude's romance was just about perfect, imo. And the scenes where his vulnerable side comes through are my absolute favorites:)

    The family themes in this book were just beautiful. I loved all the scenes with her sisters and father. Wonderful to read about such an amazing family unit in a YA book:)

    And I really loved Ockler's gorgeous writing too! Love this:

    "I could picture the vast sky and the big mountains and the way that being on a motorcycle brings you closer to it all."

    YES! I really wanted to jump on a bike after reading some of those scenes in the book and just RIDE, you know? :)

    Super review Lauren! I'm glad you were able to read this one too!

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    1. I've been on a motorcycle maybe once in my life, but now I want to explore the country on one, especially the western USA.

      I think you said it all in your own review, but I agree, the story of Jude's family, especially her relationship with her father, made this book stand out to me.

      THANK YOU for prompting me to pick this up!

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  7. I admit I expected more of a romance here too, but I do like the sounds of the family and heritage aspects. That actually intrigues more, I would say. Can't wait to give it a read! :)

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    1. The description is definitely a bit misleading. But it was actually a pleasant surprise to me that Jude's family played such a large role in this story. I hope you enjoy this one!

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  8. I wasn't planning on reading this, because I snap judged the cover and thought it looked fluffy and light, but after reading your review I'm convinced this is a book I'd enjoy. I really like big, opinionated, complicated families in fiction, and I love when an author makes an effort to flesh out a character's culture and heritage. Wonderful review!

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    1. IMO this cover is totally wrong for the book. The description is also rather misleading. I hope you enjoy this if you end up picking it up. It definitely has its light and swoony movements, but great family dynamics and culture to balance it all out.

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  9. I mostly enjoyed this but I thought it could've been pared down a bit. I found myself skimming parts because some of the scenes just went on and on. I agree, I wished there was more Emilio. He had so much chemistry and I would've loved to find out what made him tick. More Emilio, less sisters. Great review. :)

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    1. I actually loved that Jude's family was included so much. However, the description made this seem like a different kind of book, and I expected more Emilio as well.

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  10. I've never read anything by Ockler OR Dessen and I feel left out. But the type of contemporary you describe is exactly the type of contemporary I, an escapist through and through, generally avoid.
    Still, this sounds like an excellent read and I'm pretty sure I'm missing out. Somehow, sooner rather than later, I'll gather the courage to do something about that.
    Great review!

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    1. HAHA! I love that you're such an escapist reader. I am usually like that, but I could handle a book like this one. I found this to be more rewarding than a Dessen book, where I always wish there was a bit MORE romance to balance out the issues. I'm one of the few who isn't head over heals for her. If you do try to pick up a contemporary sometime soon, this is a good place to start!

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  11. I do agree that the cover is a turn-off. I'm glad to know that the book has much more substance than the cover would suggest, however. I also love the fact that this story focuses on two Latino families. I love books with cultural diversity, and even more I love books that focus specifically on Latinos (being a Spanish major and having had some jobs where I worked with Latinos). I just hope Ockler's done the research to back up her representation of this culture. I do think your pros definitely outweigh your cons, however, so I'll have to give this book a chance!

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    1. This is definitely one NOT to judge by its cover. I don't know a lot about the Latino culture, so I am no expert on how well this author did. But from my limited experience, it seems like she did a great job representing this family with an Argentinian heritage. Hope you end up liking this one too!

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