The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel: Review

Title: The Break-Up Artist
Author: Philip Siegel
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Buy This Book: Book Depsitory / Amazon

Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash. Some work at the Gap. Becca Williamson breaks up couples. 


After watching her sister get left at the altar, Becca knows the true damage that comes when people utter the dreaded L-word. For just $100 via paypal, she can trick and manipulate any couple into smithereens. With relationship zombies overrunning her school, and treating single girls like second class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even her best friend Val has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend.
One night, she receives a mysterious offer to break up the homecoming king and queen, the one zombie couple to rule them all: Steve and Huxley. They are a JFK and Jackie O in training, masters of sweeping faux-mantic gestures, but if Becca can split them up, then school will be safe again for singletons. To succeed, she'll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date and wiggle her way back into her former BFF Huxley’s life – not to mention start a few rumors, sabotage some cell phones, break into a car, and fend off the inappropriate feelings she’s having about Val’s new boyfriend. All while avoiding a past victim out to expose her true identity.
No one said being the Break-Up Artist was easy. (Goodreads summary.)

Meh, indeed, Mr Cumberbatch!

This was an interesting book, and one that I find really hard to review. For every part of it that I really enjoyed, there was a part that I really didn't enjoy. By the end of the book, I found it really hard to sum up exactly how I feel about the book overall. I think my feelings are pretty underwhelming, much like the book. 

I found the premise of this really interesting, someone who makes a living from breaking up couples. I was curious to see how it would work in the book, and what my feelings would be on it. I have to admit to not really getting the point of what Becca does, or really understanding her reasoning behind it. I think she needed to leave people alone and let them learn from their own mistakes, instead of trying to teach them her own jaded lesson on love.

I really enjoyed the dialogue in this book, well most of the time at least. It contained quite a lot of hilarious banter between characters, and I couldn't get enough of it. This book actually made me spit out my drink because it took me by surprise and made me laugh so much at one point. I think the quote was the following:

"I don't think it's right to congratulate someone for having an ugly baby. It will only encourage her to have another."

I found that absolutely brilliant, I just could not stop laughing. The book is full of moments like that, those moments where you need to try and contain your laughter because you are in a public place, and don't want to look crazy. 

Becca is actually a hard character to sum up. There were definitely parts of her personality that I sincerely enjoyed. Other times, I kind of wanted to jump inside this book so I could shout at her. I thought her work as the Break-Up Artist was a little pointless. She came across as a little bitter, jaded and miserable at being single because of it, the exact thing she protested she wasn't. But when she comes out with comments like, 'You don't know what it's like being single in this school.', it does make it look like it is about that. She started out as a very witty character, she had a brilliant personality. Unfortunately, she began to grate on me over time and she got to be a little too annoying.

There was one character who came across as more of a caricature than a real character. The personality was just a bit too exaggerated, like he was only there to prove Becca's opinion of men right. I really didn't like that aspect of it, or how that storyline worked itself out. The character became just a silly plot device, with no actual personality.

3/5 Butterflies

With a really interesting, and some brilliant witty dialogue, The Break-Up Artist had some truly great moments.Unfortunately, overall it left a lot to be desired and was a little underwhelming by the end. Becca grated on me after a while, some characters where too caricature like and not realistic. For every part I enjoyed there was another part that I didn't. It's still worth a read, and I think others might enjoy it more. 

*I received a copy of this novel from the author/publisher/publicist via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.