16 ways to break a heart // lauren strasnick

"I don't think we have the kind of control that we think we do."

published: 2017

pages: 190

read: 5/4-5/2020
book: 37 in 2020

SYNOPSIS

Natalie and Dan were electric from the moment they met. Witty banter and sizzling chemistry made falling in love easy—even inevitable. He was in awe of her subversive art and contagious zest for life; she was drawn to his good-guy charm and drive to succeed as a documentary filmmaker.

But that was before. Before hot tempers turned to blowout fights. Before a few little lies turned to broken trust. Before a hundred tiny slights broke them open and exposed the ugly truth of their relationship.

And now Natalie wants Dan to know just how much he broke her.

Over the course of one fateful day, Dan reads sixteen letters that Natalie has secretly, brilliantly hidden in places only he will find. And as he pieces together her version of their love story, he realizes that she has one final message for him. One that might just send his carefully constructed life tumbling down.

THOUGHTS

uhh...
hmmm.....
what to say.

well, I didn't hate the book, I didn't dislike it and i'm not mad I read it.
I was actually super into it but then I had to go to sleep cus work and I think if you're going to give this one a go, it's better as a 1 sitting read. (super short, 190 page read.) Just easier to get it all out of the way.

the synopsis is a biiiiit of a lie.

maybe the point of the story was never to see them in love but only to see the how and why of the relationship going bad and if that's the case, then success. ......I'll word it that way.
there really is no love in this story. So let's just get that out of the way.

I know it's a ya book or whatever but before the truth comes out, i was getting gone girl vibes from Nat. My thoughts were "this bitch is crazy." .....in the end, I was wrong for assuming that but Natalie was still nuts , I think. It takes an inordinate amount of patience to get revenge like she does (or maybe I just truly am 100% lazy as fuck). And I understand why she would want revenge given what happened but to me, the payback/revenge feels more like "you fucked me over but I'll fuck you over worse." Like she just wanted to end the relationship being the one on top.

tbh, from here on out it might get a bit SPOILERY so stop if ya don't want to know.

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Dan gets 16 letters from Natalie through out 1 day.
any ol regular ass day?
Nope.
its probably one of the most important up to date days of his life.

See he's making a film about Ryan and his next move in life given that he's a child with down syndrome (I think, i could be wrong so don't quote me). He's recorded everything and this day is Ryan's graduation; the last piece Dan needs for his film.
...but of course Nat shits all over it.
(Dan is a teacher's aide and Ryan was his fave student.)

Through out the 16 letters you learn about their downfall and his betrayal but then the final straw; the ultimate betrayal. (He asked her to let him film them having sex and she did...he saved it on his computer labeled it some dumb shit and then accidentally sent it to two other dudes. One of the dudes showed it to his gf or whatever. Natalie does say she was hurt because of it but it's not clear if it spread out to other people....although maybe that's for you to interpret? There is a part where Nats mom emails her dad and asks for advice in regards to finding a therapist because Nats all depressed.....your call.)

I can't say that anything Dan did is justifiable but Natalie also isn't a saint.
She starts the story off as a "goody good" girl and ends up sharing just the same amount of lies and deceit in the relationship. (Although, Dan def was a dick.)
They might not have done the same things but they're both at fault.

Dan ends up "accidentally" fucking Natalie over but then Natalie gets payback.
and in the end, yes Dan hurt Natalie but her revenge just comes off as "if you're going to fuck me over, I'm going to fuck you over worse. I will end up on top."
(Though if you think about it, both their fuck ups compliment each other: he accidentally releases a video of her and she purposefully destroys a video of his).

And that's really it.

I mean there's another part with Dan's best friend Ruby buuut eh.

If I stop to think about the overallness of the book then yea, it works.
Here Natalie was doubting Dan over 1 girl when she was actually focusing on the wrong girl and then you learn that it was all over an accidental sex tape release.

.....

A N Y W A Y

It's not the greatest plot but it can stand to have sustenance if ya don't over think it.

Overall, the book only cost me $1.94 so I don't feel bad about buying it and I don't feel bad about possibly leaving in a little free library.

this book does remind me of that other book "why we broke up" which I did end up dnf'ing......so I'm wondering why this one worked out for me like that one did not.

soooo, yea.

no spoilers cause i basically spoiled it all up above.

thanks for reading!