Dear Heartbreak

October 15, 2018
Surrender your laptop, Ann Landers: 17 YA authors (and one intrepid spouse) are now writers-in-residence at the Heartbreak Hotel.Humans could barely conjugate a verb when the poets and musicians among them began earning their keep explaining the damnable mystery of love, that emotion that slashes and burns its way through tender hearts. Demetrios (Bad Romance, 2017, etc.) asked teenagers to write letters to Heartbreak itself and gathered YA authors to address their anguish. The mostly female authors, representing a diverse variety of backgrounds, answered with cleareyed empathy. Each writer embraces one broken teen heart while responding with a masterful combination of painful honesty, gentle encouragement, and irreverent humor. Libba Bray (Before the Devil Breaks You, 2017, etc.) shares her own stories of physical disfigurement with a young woman who laments that her chronic disease renders her unlovable. Jasmine Warga (Here We Are Now, 2017, etc.) reminds a girl who is loved by someone her best friend has feelings for that love is not a competition. Kim Liggett (The Unfortunates, 2018, etc.) bares her soul and relives her own trauma to comfort a survivor of date rape. Whether it is unrequited love, love that has become abusive, or the misery of being ghosted, this collection reaffirms that love is worth living for, that we must love ourselves first, and that, thankfully, broken hearts do mend.The rock bands are right--"Love Hurts." (resources) (Nonfiction anthology. 13-19)

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October 22, 2018
In 2017, author Demetrios invited teens to send her “Dear Heartbreak” letters. This volume, with letters selected and answered by other YA authors (including Becky Albertalli, Libba Bray, and A.S. King), is the result. Whether the teen writers are troubled by bad love, no love, or love betrayed, the authors’ empathic answers detail their experiences. The letters can feel repetitive, but recurring details speak to the nature of heartbreak: as unique as it may feel, many experience it. Above all, the writers honestly acknowledge the pain of a broken heart while encouraging readers to first love themselves. Ages 14–up.

Starred review from October 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Eighteen young adult novelists?from fan favorites Libba Bray and Becky Albertalli to critically acclaimed A. S. King and Nina LaCour and emerging talents Ibi Zoboi and Jasmine Warga?respond to letters from real teenagers in this timeless and breathtakingly honest collection. Love hurts, whether it's the pain of relationships coming to a bitter end or realizing your crush will never, ever, become a reality. But what hurts more is what quickly emerges as a common thread throughout many of these replies: not loving yourself. The teenage writers of the letters share their stories?some in great detail, some in only a few words?and the responses are equally varied in terms of how deeply the authors reopen their old wounds. Albertalli, Bray, Corey Ann Haydu, and Kim Liggett reflect back on their teenage experiences, while Kekla Magoon mines a contemporary conundrum to share wisdom. Though the collection only includes a few male perspectives, the range of emotional experiences covered is vast. There's something for everyone in this collection, whether you've loved from a distance or up close, or have been too afraid to love for fear of getting hurt. A moving choice for libraries serving teens. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: There are some big-name authors in the table of contents in this collection, and their teenage fans will be eager for their words of advice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Popular YA authors including Libba Bray, Nina LaCour, and Ibi Zoboi respond to readers' letters about heartbreak with intimate stories and thoughts on relationships and identity. The collection is somewhat uneven stylistically, but the responses--vulnerable, raw, sometimes a touch saccharine but always in strong solidarity--reverberate with empathy and encouragement. Mental health resources are appended. Websites.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)