The Catastrophic History of You and Me [Paperback]

This is the perfect book if you're looking for a Valentine's Day read with a twist. Have you ever felt like your heart has broken in two after the end of a romance? Well for Brie that's quite literally what happens when her boyfriend tells her that he doesn't love her and her heart breaks in half. She ends up in the after life, looking back on her friends, family and ex-boyfriend Jacob trying to cope after her death. 'The Catastrophic History of You and Me' was one of those books which is about love and romance and boyfriends but more importantly focuses on the personal journey that Brie herself has to go through. It's a book which comes with some unexpected surprises but will also make you treasure your own life even more after reading it.

I thought the idea for the story was incredibly clever and unusual and the book turned out to be a surprisingly funny read that was full of humour at the most unexpected times. I found this created a good balance in the story between some of the deeply tragic events and those which were more uplifting. One of my favourite things was the way in which the story is divided into sections, each representing one of the five stages of grief that Brie has to pass through before she can rest in peace.

Guiding her in the afterlife is the enigmatic Patrick who there's a lot more to than you first think. I wasn't sure how much I actually liked Patrick to begin with but as I grew to understand more about him and as his character developed, I ended up really looking forward to the moments when he appeared. I was dying to know what secret he was keeping hidden about himself and when the big reveal came I wasn't disappointed. I genuinely had no clue at all which doesn't usually happen to me.

I have to also just briefly mention Brie's totally adorable bassetthound called Hamloaf, who is still able to see her after she dies. He's one of my favourite characters in the book and I loved the bond they shared. He's one of the things which still anchors her to her old life and when she eventually comes to accept that she has to let him go, it almost broke my heart too!

This is an impressive debut from an author who both delighted and surprised me in equal measure. The ending was perfectly written and was so bittersweet and touching that it brought tears to my eyes. Be warned - have a box of tissues at the ready to read this wonderful book!

There are 3 things I would like to mention before I get to the main review is that:

1) The synopsis is slightly inaccurate. To say how would spoil the plot. In my mind I pictured this book as a beautiful love story, you know the type love surviving death etc. but it really isn't the main part of the plot.

2) This for me was a book of 2 halves.The first half I found rather slow and Brie irritating on many levels however, the second half of the book changed pace really bringing the story to life.

3) The music reference and use of song lyrics is fantastic.

The story is told from the perspective of Brie (which induced a cringe worthy number of cheese references within the narrative) at 15 her narrative voice is sometimes at odds with her actions. Veering between immature and rather bratty to a maturity I would rather a 15 year old not possess (if you know what I mean). The way in which she handles her first relationship while being relatable on a few levels e.g. the not eating, sleeping part while being completely scary and stalker-ish in other aspects. If she were my daughter I think I would be having a serious word with her about getting too serious too young.

The whole idea of a heart literally breaking was a case of poetic licence I felt. Although the idea was supported by additional events and justified at the conclusion.

The use of the five stages of grief within the narrative itself added a depth of emotion to the entire story; not only are these stages for Brie to navigate but also the people left behind. Sections of the book are divided into these stages adding to the overall effect on the emotions. The portrayal of grief, the memorial service especially, was heart wrenching and very realistic. The way in which people deal with grief in different ways and how it can put a strain on relationships was also highlighted poignantly.

The portrayal of the afterlife in this book was very unique and not altogether pleasant. The inclusion of soul-mates is something I adore and this is what really stood out within the book for me. I loved the second part of the book so much more than the first. Brie's character development and journey of self-discovery made her far more like-able. The emotional journey was heart wrenching and heart warming in equal measure.

This book is not at all what I was expecting. If you are looking for something different in respect of death and bereavement with a measure of afterlife and soul-mates. Then you should definitely try this one.

When you hear that the premise of the book is about a dead girl, you don't expect the novel to be fun, lighthearted, and completely cheesy. However, The Catastrophic History Of You & Me is all of those things, whilst masking a rather dark undertone that you don't notice until you put the book down. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this novel. Yes, it's the perfect blend of light and dark, but there were a dozen things I absolutely hated about this book.

The characters, for example. Initially, I kind of liked Brie. I thought she was absolutey hilarious! Unfortunately, her childlike voice eventually started irritating me, and the fact that she had to Capitilize So Many Things really made me want to slap her. As the book progressed, she started sounding more and more immature, and that just didn't sit well. Patrick, too, never really appealed to me. Thinking about it now, he was actually a pretty deep character, but Rothenberg's writing didn't portray that at all during the story. There were a few moments when I thought I caught a glimpse of depth beneath the joking exterior, but it never lasted long. Even when he was talking about serious subjects, the humour Rothenberg created him with never fully went away.

Which, of course, leads me into the writing. In all honesty, it was pretty bad - you can definitely tell this is a debut novel. Not only were Rothenberg's characters pretty unlikeable, her inability to describe things in a realistic manner annoyed me. I understand that this novel is unrealistic in a lot of ways, but the fact that I couldn't even imagine the simplest of settings really made me dislike the writing.

Even with all that said and done, however, I could not put this novel down. I was completely hooked until the very end, and even though the last fifty or so pages were extremely confusing and seemed rather rushed, I still couldn't bring myself to stop reading. Though I didn't enjoy The Catastrophic History Of You & Me as much as I thought I would, it was still a decent enough read if you don't know what to pick up next.