Instructions For A Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

Book:  Instructions For A Broken Heart
Author:  Kim Culbertson
Release date:  May 1, 2011
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire
Pages:  304
Source:  Publisher

Three days before her drama club’s trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled “Top Twenty Reasons He’s a Slimy Jerk Bastard,” instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip.

After reading Kim Culbertson’s debut, Songs For A Teenage Nomad, and being a little disappointed I was skeptical that I would like Instructions For A Broken Heart.  Turns out I had no reason to worry.  Instructions For A Broken Heart is a great new YA novel that is just in time for summer!

Jessa can’t believe her boyfriend, Sean, would cheat on her.  What’s even worse is that he does it right before they leave for their drama trip to Italy.  Now not only is Jessa alone in one of the most romantic places in the world but she also has to watch her ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend while she is there.   Luckily she has her best friend Carissa’s letters to instruct her on how to get over Sean.  And maybe in the process Jessa will find out who she is and who she wants to be.

Ahh!  I don’t know what I would do if I was in Jessa’s place.  I felt so bad for her.  Her love life was kind of a mess.  Sean was a jerk.  Luckily Jessa had Carissa’s letters and her best guy friend, Tyler.  She even made some  new friends throughout the book and I loved them.

The characters aren’t what really impressed me though.  It was the setting.  OMG as soon as they got to Italy I was hooked.  Kim Culbertson has an amazing talent at describing scenery.  I am dying to go to Italy now.  Oh it sounds gorgeous!

Overall, Instructions For A Broken Heart is such a cute book with some deeper meaning thrown in for good measure.  Like I said earlier, it’s just in time for summer so check it out!

First line:  The costume barn wasn’t much to look at.

Rating:  A

Cover:  A

EMAIL
Twitter
Visit Us
Follow Me
INSTAGRAM
RSS
LINKEDIN
Share

Leave a Reply

6 comments

  1. I’ve heard so many mixed things about this title, I can’t decide if I want to pick it up or not but I really want to read it. Ah! lol.

  2. It’s great when an author’s sophomore novel is better than their first! I think that makes readers truly get hooked on an author, to see that kind of improvement.

    Poor girl. I’ve been there, having to watch my former boyfriend with the new girl and not being able to do anything. I’m so happy she had her friends to rely on! What an awesome message 🙂

    Lovely review 🙂