Book Review (68).

The Catastrophic History of You and Me

by Jess Rothenberg

Publication: 28th March 2012
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Pages:375
Genre: Fantasy
Age Appropriate: Young Adult

 Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever. 

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally. 

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after. 

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

My Thoughts.

Wow I don't even know how to start describing this book, heartbreaking comes to mind as does the power of forgiveness and acceptance that life moves on after you die and while you'll never ever forget your life, you'll never be forgotten either.

Which begs the question if you were to die tomorrow could you accept it? Or would you not be able to let go of your life?

Brie has this problem after dying of a broken heart (her heart actually broke in half) after her boyfriend told her he doesn't love her, Brie in her afterlife finds herself at her favourite pizza place, with a strange assortment of people, one of who is Patrick an eighteen year old boy who died in the eighties  and is dressed the part who helps her get through the grieving process of the end of her life.

But you see Brie is angry she's upset her life is over and she wants revenge on Jacob her boyfriend whom she blames for killing her, so she convinces Patrick to help her and it's when she goes back and is checking up on her family and friends she discovers that the people she left behind aren't handling it very well at all, her boyfriend Jacob was keeping a huge secret from her which was why he broke up with her, her best friend was also keeping something from her but it's the betrayal from her Dad that she discovers which hurts most of all, her Dad who is a well known heart surgeon is obsessed with discovering why Brie's heart broke the way it did and in the process has pushed his family away.

Patrick who seemed familiar to Brie when she first met him has some secrets too in fact a big one that may just involve Brie, and the way he died is part of the secret.

I loved the banter between these too and the various names he came up with for cheese (her name's Brie, get it?).

The way the book was separated into the five stages of grief was fantastically done, and the struggle Brie had to finally let go of her life and move on had me in tears, actually throughout the books I shed a tear or two which isn't good when you're in a food court at your local shopping centre or eating lunch in the tea room at work.

I loved the ending and while towards the end I sort of guessed what the connection was between Brie and Patrick it still made me happy when it was revealed.

A fantastic read which I highly recommend and I definitely look forward to seeing what the author has planned next.

I give this 5/5.

A Big Thanks To Penguin Australia.