Title: The Museum of Heartbreak Author: Meg Leder
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Rating:
In this ode to all the things we gain and lose and gain again, seventeen-year-old Penelope Marx curates her own mini-museum to deal with all the heartbreaks of love, friendship, and growing up.
Welcome to the Museum of Heartbreak.
Well, actually, to Penelope Marx’s personal museum. The one she creates after coming face to face with the devastating, lonely-making butt-kicking phenomenon known as heartbreak.
Heartbreak comes in all forms: There’s Keats, the charmingly handsome new guy who couldn’t be more perfect for her. There’s possibly the worst person in the world, Cherisse, whose mission in life is to make Penelope miserable. There’s Penelope’s increasingly distant best friend Audrey. And then there’s Penelope’s other best friend, the equal-parts-infuriating-and-yet-somehow-amazing Eph, who has been all kinds of confusing lately.
But sometimes the biggest heartbreak of all is learning to let go of that wondrous time before you ever knew things could be broken.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
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Review: The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder
The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder is a book like no other. It is so relatable and contains very well-developed characters. With everything from actual artefacts for the main character’s museum to themes of family and friendship, this book is sure to entertain everyone.
❀ A Creative Story
This book is one of the most creative books I’ve read this year. When I saw the title, “The Museum of Heartbreak,” I had no idea that the book would be about an actual museum. Well, not an official museum, but a museum nonetheless. I found it so original how each chapter focuses on one item from Penelope’s Museum of Heartbreak and how she acquired it. The way that the story is written is just so perfect and I was able to read it in one or two sittings.
❀ Relatable Main Character
Penelope is such a relatable character. She is dealing with the typical high school drama that we all go through, and I felt like I could really connect with her. Penelope has a great personality and sense of humour, as well. She is honestly so well-developed that she seems almost real. I could see myself being friends with her if she did actually exist.
❀ Family and Friendship Themes
I loved the themes of family and friendship in The Museum of Heartbreak. Penelope is going through a tough time with her friends, especially her best friend who is starting to move on. The theme of finding who your true friends are is so important and I’m so glad that this book touched on that. My favourite part of the book was probably Penelope’s family, especially her dad. I don’t know why, but I always seem to love books with families more. I think it’s probably because it makes the characters seem more real or just the fact that seeing those bonds is so sweet.
❀ Perfect for Summer
The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder is a unique story about a girl dealing with all sorts of heartbreak. I loved the main character and found her to be so relatable. The themes of family and friendship added even more to the book, and made me really happy. I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance as this is a quick and cute read, perfect for summer.
Book Quotes: The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder
“By educating and enlightening the viewing public, the MoH seeks to remind visitors to be vigilant. Because just like a hapless old dinosaur innocently eating leaves or gleefully munching on the bones of its prey, if you have a heart, you too can be flattened by the metaphoric meteor known as heartbreak.
About Meg Leder
A former bookseller and teacher, Meg Leder currently works as a book editor in New York City. Her role models are Harriet the Spy and Anne Shirley. She is the coauthor of The Happy Book, and spends her free time reading, looking for street art, and people watching. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.
Sounds pretty good! I used to read ya contemporary all the time and I’m sure my old self would devour it in no time.
I’ll see if I’ll have a chance to read it (read if I’ll have a chance to borrow it from someone), then I’m sure I’d end up liking it.
Nice review, btw! 🙂
That’s the thing that I love about contemporary! They are such fast and carefree reads. 🙂
Great review, I’m glad you liked The Museum of Heartbreak! Unfortunately, it wasn’t my cup of tea, but we all have our own opinions😊
Thanks for the review. This is a book that I was on the fence about reading, but I think that I’m going to give it a try!
I am looking forward to this one so much. From the cover to the story itself, it just seems like a great story. I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
This one definitely sounds unique, as you pointed out in your review. I can’t wait to get to it–the cover looks so cute, but I’m sure there’s a lot of heart in this one too. Great review 😀
Yay, another awesome review for this book! I fell in love with it when I read it (I finished it in like one sitting because it was so good) – the characters, the plot, and the way everything was written to make it such a cool story. I love the whole museum aspect of it!
It really does have a unique storyline! I am glad that you enjoyed it as well. 🙂
Yay! I’m so glad that you liked this book as much as I did!
I’ve wondered about this one for a bit! And I definitely like that her family is so well done — too often they aren’t done well in YA it feels like.
The cover is very nice! And thanks for the review. I am always on the lookout for a unique read. Some stories are just so predictable because they have been done a thousand times before.