WHY WE BROKE UP

Min is writing the mother of all break-up letters to Ed, which she will add to a box of mementos of their doomed relationship and dump at his door. Khristine Hvam, surprisingly, never lets bitterness or regret take over her first-person narration as the jilted girl. Hvam particularly shines in the voicing of Min, Min’s friends, and Ed's friends. The story is well trod, but what sets this tale of heartbreak apart is the collaboration between Handler's bittersweet prose and Maria Kalman's quirky illustrations. For the audiobook, the artwork comes in PDF, but nothing cues the listener to view the images. Instead, seemingly random sound effects vary in clarity, quality, and effectiveness. This is why the printed version of this book is the better choice. M.M.O. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2012]