[.uk] BreakupBabe: A Novel (ISBN 0345484002)

Pretty darn good:
You know, there's something fundementally unappealing about the main character, Rachel. Cheated on, lied to, and dumped by her boyfriend of two years, Rachel spends an unholy amount of time obsessing over the breakup and crying in her office. For months, crying in her office. A thirty-four year old woman after a not-very-long relationship crying in her office for months. Does this strike anyone else as, well, mental? Most people need a week of sappy movies and some cookie dough-- not pharmacuticals to just get them through the day without a nervous breakdown. She sleeps with guys left and right. She gets emotionally attached if a guy looks at her with anything other than disgust. She thinks about a boy she was with for two months over a decade ago. She's pathetic! She's co-dependent! She has no ability to stand on her own two feet! And yet she's loveable. And funny. Rachel is everything I hate about women-- but she does it with style. I loved the incorporated blog into the text of the novel. I loved the comments from her loyal readers. I loved Lil' Rockcliming Spy and hated the Doctor. And even though her replacement names for all her characters was really annoying at first, I got used to it. Once I got started with this book, I got sucked in. The ending was very satisfactory and I closed the cover very entertained. And that's what it's really about.

What makes me stay up until 2 a.m.?:
Wanting to know what happened to BreakupBabe! When I grabbed this book at my local big-box bookseller (sorry Amazon), I figured it would be just another light piece of chick lit for my summer reading stack. But as a fellow 30-something in the greater Seattle area who worships a white pill (I think antidepressants are the only thing that keeps me going through our crappy winters here), I LOVED THIS BOOK! It reminded me of conversations I've had with my single gal pals regarding men and dating, particularly the should-I-or-shouldn't-I discussions. (Of course, this book also reminded me why my husband is *such* an amazing guy.) If you ever wanted to embarrass your ex is front of others, if you ever slept with the wrong guy just 'cause it felt right at the time, if you ever spent all day crying on the couch feeling sorry for yourself . . . R. shares your pain. But she does things I never had the guts to do, and I loved going through it all with her. Way to go sister!!

Breakup Babe:
I just finished "Breakup Babe" today. Overall, the book is not bad. Rachel starts a blog to find release from the Loser that cheated on her when she was on vacation. I think the beginning of the novel is the best part of the book. The experiences that Rachel deals with in the first part of the novel seem to hook me in compared to the latter part of the novel. The best part for me was reading the comments that others left after Rachel submitted a blog entry. And I did relate to some of what Rachel went through. What made me give this book 4 stars and not 5 is that although Rachel is a great character, after a while her complaining about things got to be a bit much. Like her comments about how she would put links to other people's blogs but then complain how those people couldn't write or wrote boring blogs. The whiny part about Rachel got to be a little harder to take towards the end of the novel. But other than that aspect, I did enjoy reading "Breakup Babe" and it was a fast read for me. So if you're looking for a good read for that last trip to the beach or if you're starting to compile your reading pile for your Fall and Winter reading, consider looking into get this one.

Breakup Babe as time travel therapy:
As an on again/off again fan of Ms. Agiewich's blog, I couldn't help picking up her book after hearing of her many promotional appearances all around the Northwest where she's been winning fans during Q & A with her real life wit and charm. With so much positive feedback circulating through local bookstores about the warmth and humility in her live appearances, my curiosity in the life of Breakup Babe was piqued once again! What's so great about Rebecca Aigewich's writing is her unrelenting honesty and the depth of its delivery throughout the story. By now most of us know her book stems from her once anonymous blog diary where she exposed her heartache and obsession with the drama of a teenager and the wit, and self reflection, of a woman solidly in her thirties. Her novel holds true to this courageous theme and makes for a very smart, very grown-up revisit back to my own obsessive teen years and my mid-twenties. While those are not my favorite years to relive, especially now that I've grown myself up and am living a gentle, non-heartache riddled life, I loved the time travel with Breakup Babe by my side. Giggling constantly over Aigewichs smack-on prose, I was able to poke fun at a few of my own still tender love life bruises and reflect on how the "Sexy Boy" in my own story eventually led me to "The One". It's true that this super funny and refreshingly arranged novel may not be for everyone. But word has it that Rebecca Aigewich is a writer's writer. So sooner or later you'll find one of her books in your lap, compelled to time travel your own life through her vision.

Like living life vicariously through a good friend...:
My friend, Suzie, actually sent me this book under the guise that it was her mom's best friend's daughter who had written it. However, after reading the book (in one lazy afternoon - perfect!), I realized that she had actually sent it to me because I am constantly on my 30yr old single friend (still Suzie) to dish the details of her life just so that I could live vicariously through her. In the end, I knew that Suz sent me this book so that I could pacify all of my blissfully married delusions and demands to know what it's like out there in the dating world of grownups. I was thrilled to hear that it was everything I had imagined and it led me spend the rest of the evening conjecturing how I would be faring if I were still out there. Long story short, the read was smooth and satisfying, and remained juicy without bogging the reader down with inane details. It was light and airy and akin to any the embarrassingly addictive soap operas, MTV specials or quirky romance movies that we all secretly love to watch but hate to admit to. And, it was particularly enjoyable for a west coaster like me who has been to many of the places mentioned. This book is as fun as reading someone's diary... but better because it is actually well-written. Best of all, it will take you back to all the enjoyable memories you might have of dating all the wrong guys for all the right reasons...