(Review) Instructions for a Broken Heart

Title: Instructions for a Broken Heart
Author: Kim Culbertson
Pub Date: May 2011
Pages: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Source: I received an ARC copy of the book for review.

About the book:
Top Twenty Reasons He’s A Slimy Jerk Bastard

Jessa:
To help you get over your train wreck of an EX, I’ve enclosed 20 envelopes. Each one has a reason why Sean is a jerk and not worth the dirt on your shoes. And each one has an instruction for you to do one un-Jessa-like thing a day. NO CHEATING!
Ciao! — C

When Jessa catches her boyfriend, Sean, making out with Natalie “The Boob Job” Stone three days before her drama club’s departure to Italy, she completely freaks.
Stuck with a front-row view of Sean and Natalie making out against the backdrop of a country that oozes romance, Jessa promises to follow all of the outrageous instructions in her best friend’s care package and open her heart to new experiences.

Enter cute Italian boy stage left.

Jessa had prepared to play the role of humiliated ex-girlfriend, but with Carissa directing her life from afar, it’s finally time to take a shot at being a star.

If you remember yesterday I reviewed Kim’s debut novel Songs For a Teenage Nomad and I did enjoy it but I have to say that I enjoyed Instructions For a Broken Heart more.

Jenna is your typical high school student. She is involved in all kinds of school activities and you wonder how could she possibly have time for a boyfriend, Sean? I think that is exactly what Sean has wondered, how does he fit into her busy life.

With three days to go before the drama club leaves for Italy for 20 days, Jenna things that things are perfectly fine and that Italy will be a blast. Hanging out with her friend, Taylor and being with Sean but little does Jenna know she is about to walk into a situation that will make her think about her trip to Italy and change the way she sees her boyfriend, Sean.

Jenna catches her boyfriend, Sean in a very compromising position with Natalie (another girl in drama club). The world as Jenna knows it has crumbled and she is contemplating whether she should go to Italy in the end because she doesn’t want to be front row and center for this budding romance that will happen right in front of her. Thankfully in the end she decides that Sean and Natalie won’t ruin this trip for her.

Sadly during the first part of the book she has let their relationship ruin her trip. I understand that this would be hard seeing your ex who you caught cheating on you with another girl who just happens to be on the trip as well. She is so focused on them that she isn’t seeing what she is missing. The beautiful sights and scenery of Italy.

With the help of her best friend, Carissa, she tries to make Jenna realize what a jerk Sean has been. With the help of Taylor, Carissa has sent a package to Jessa and inside are twenty number envelopes that Jenna must open daily and complete the assigned task. I think when Carissa was doing this she thought that they way to go was with revenge and setting out to embarrass Sean. Some of the tasks were pretty mean such as pouring a drink over Sean’s head.

Will Jenna be able to complete that tasks?

I think we all wish at some point in our lives we had a friend like Carissa who would make us do something out of the norm to get us back on track.

I really enjoyed this book and managed to read it in pretty much one sitting. I was curious to see what each envelope contained and wondering how Jenna would go about doing each mission. I love how the scenery in Italy was described and hoping one day that I will eventually make it there to see if for myself.