Artifacts of an Ex / Jennifer Chen / Book Review

ARTIFACTS OF AN EX

When Chloe Chang gets a box from her boyfriend in the mail, she thinks it's going to be some grand romantic gesture. Not a break-up box. But it turns out long distance isn't his thing, and now that she's moved across the country, he's on to greener pastures.

Devastated and alone except for her family in a new city, Chloe turns to her only means of expression: art curating. There just so happens to be a new venue up the street looking to feature some teen art, and she's got a great idea: a collection of breakup boxes, all those artifacts left behind when a relationship goes south. She's got the perfect name for it, too: Heartifacts.

Opening night doesn't quite go off with the bang Chloe hoped. The exhibit is just picking up steam when she spots someone illegally filming and rushes in to stop him. So enters Daniel Kwak, young wannabe teen director who has big ideas for her exhibit--and a big crush on her that might just be mutual. But Daniel's been a rebound before, and he's not interested in doing that again, especially when Chloe's vision for Heartifacts twists and changes to something it was never meant to be.

THOUGHTS

This book is very cute, but it doesn't have a lot of substance. It moves too quickly for readers to really get invested in the characters or their lives. And the believability factor was just... nonexistent. It wasn't bad for what it is, but it's also not, you know, great.

PROS

Younger Voice	There are a plethora of books on the market right now definitely meant for the older end of the YA range (or, I have argued several times recently, older than that). So it is really nice to find a book that feels perfectly suited to those younger teens just moving into the marketing category. This book is light and fresh, and the characters sound and act very young. It is immature, but in a good and refreshing way. I loved that.
Niche Passions	I do love a good romance that features some niche interests and hobbies. These characters are fully invested in what they love to do, and what they love is documentary-making and art-curating. Add to that the fact that they both have a thing for being well-organized (and a love for post-it notes that I can appreciate), and their passion for art is very fun and cute to read as this relationship develops.
A Grandma's Love	It is a truth very rarely recognized in YA books that characters, you know, come from somewhere, which is why I adored the inclusion of Chloe's grandma--especially because Chloe's grandma is struggling. They've moved across the country to help her grandma, whose memory and ability to care for herself is fading, and Chloe has some excellent (and also heart-breaking) bonding moments with her grandma that I loved. I would love to see more YA books feature family and roots like it.

CONS

Chloe is really... intense. Her emotions are very strong on the page to the point that the feel almost hyperbolic. Though I appreciated the intensity of her emotions at times (because she is fairly young, and strong emotions make sense), a lot of the time, it felt like too much. The fact that she's so invested in art curating, too, just feels like a hobby that no real teenager could have--or no real teenager could commit to so successfully, especially with no parental help whatsoever. It all felt like it was too much.	Intense MC
This book doesn't really give you a chance to take a breath. Chloe's first receiving a surprise breakup box from her boyfriend and then, in the very same scene (and a minute or so after the fact) is starting a break-up art show. And it doesn't slow down from there. There's no processing time for readers or characters, and so it was really hard to get invested. It just didn't feel real.	Too Fast
I'm really tired of books that focus on big cities on the coast. I know that a lot of writers are based in these cities, because the creative industries are based in these cities, but give me a little bit of rep for the average teen out there. There's a whole diverse country in the middle! Not only does this book feature a New Yorker, but she's an NYC native who has moved to LA. And that's just kinda blah. Write what you know... but maybe get to know something else for a change.	Over-Repped

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/10

Those who loved the soft summer romance of Abigal Hing Wen's Loveboat, Taipei will love Chloe Chang's passion for art and artists. Fans of Julie Abe's low fantasy The Charmed List will love the dumplings-and-date-night sweetness of this love story.

Details Publisher: Wednesday Books Date: November 14, 2023 Series: N/A Add to Goodreads Buy it HERE

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.