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    Unbreak My Heart
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    Unbreak My Heart
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    Unbreak My Heart
    Ebook259 pages3 hours

    Unbreak My Heart

    By Melissa Walker

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    You can't help who you fall in love with. It's a lesson Clementine Williams knows all too well. She's headed into the summer with a broken heart and zero social life. So even though her parents' plan to spend the summer (trapped) on their sailboat should make Clem break out in hives, she doesn't really mind the chance to float away for a while. Even if it means most of her social interaction will be with her nine-year-old sister. Then she meets James at one of their stops on the Great Loop-a classic sailing track in the US. He and his dad are sailing the same track and he's just the distraction Clem needs. But will he be able to break down Clem's walls and heal her broken heart?
    Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem's heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story from magazine writer/editor and rising star, Melissa Walker.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateMay 22, 2012
    ISBN9781599908274
    Unavailable
    Unbreak My Heart
    Author

    Melissa Walker

    Melissa Walker grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is the author of eight young adult novels, including the Violet on the Runway series and Small Town Sinners. In the nonfiction world, she is a magazine editor and writer who works from the comfort of coffee shops in Brooklyn, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. Find Melissa on Twitter @melissacwalker or visit www.melissacwalker.com.

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    Reviews for Unbreak My Heart

    4/5

    66 ratings19 reviews

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    • 4/5
      To me, the best contemporary romances have a bigger issue behind it rather than just being a love story. This is one of those stories. What I love even more about this is one is the fact that there are actually TWO of those bigger issues going on in this book. And those two reasons are why I enjoyed this book so much. In the beginning the first issue isn't really told. All we know is that Clem is really upset and mad at everyone. Including those who tried to help her, like her family. This is unfortunate because her and all her family members are stuck on the same boat for the entire summer. As the story goes on the reason behind her anger and sadness is revealed. I counted this as a big issue because in the high school world (and even in the real world for that matter) what she does can result in becoming an outcast. Enter James. Clem randomly meets him at a dock along their family's sailing route. She starts off blowing him off, but as they realize their family is going on the same route she and her sister Olive start to hang out with him. After she lets him in they become fast friends. And soon after that, it becomes clear that there is something else between the two of them. I loved that the romance wasn't instantaneous and it was paced just right. Especially after what she went through before hand. It felt real as he melted her old thoughts of love and replaced them with new ones. After this, Walker brings to light the next big issue the book covers. Something huge ties the two issues together and for a second it left me a little worried. But in the end it all turned out just fine. This book drives home the definition of friendship and love. It will remind you of all that you have to make you happy and to hold on to it.
    • 4/5
      This was a poignant exploration of mistakes of the heart and mind. The main character, Clementine, must come to grips with the pain she caused herself and her best friend. The process takes us back and forth between the acts that caused the broken heart and the present that is helping to heal it.I love that the book pays homage to family and new friends as the catalyst for her healing process.
    • 4/5
      This was a poignant exploration of mistakes of the heart and mind. The main character, Clementine, must come to grips with the pain she caused herself and her best friend. The process takes us back and forth between the acts that caused the broken heart and the present that is helping to heal it.

      I love that the book pays homage to family and new friends as the catalyst for her healing process.
    • 5/5
      Oh my gosh!! This book was so great! I highly recommend it to people of all ages!!
    • 3/5
      I was a tad confused throughout most of this book, but once I figured things out it flowed pretty easily. The main character was a little more whiny than I like and she came off as a major b*tch to not only her family but just about everyone they came into contact with. She did loosen up and start enjoying herself. The ending left me wanting more.
    • 3/5
      Originally posted here.

      When Unbreak My Heart first appeared on NetGalley, I actually didn't request it. I haven't read any of Walker's prior novels, I don't have much history reading contemporaries, and I have a very black and white view of cheating in relationships. All of that told me this might not be the book for me. I went back and requested it when I saw some very favorable reviews roll into the blogosphere.

      As I started reading, I was initially regretful of that decision. The opening of the book is so mopey and nothing really happens. All Clem thinks about is the horrible thing she's done, which slowly unfolds in front of the reader. Every other chapter goes into the past (at least until that's all explained). The others are about her summer, in which her family (mom, dad, little sister, and herself) sail down rivers on a boat. I really wondered how Walker was going to pull off a book where the characters are stuck on a boat.

      Thankfully, the book picked up the more you learn about the past, and the better you get to know the other people taking this same boating trip. I know absolutely nothing about boating. Honestly, I had no clue people could take a sailing trip like this down rivers. Color me surprised. Early on, they meet four other people who are on the same timeline and route they are (an old couple, and a father and son).

      The cheating aspect of the story, the frame of it, never really coalesced with me. It mostly made me angry in a way I was not expecting. Clem has become a social outcast because she fell for her best friend's boyfriend. That's bad, for sure. I mean, having those feelings and not confessing definitely violates the 'hos before bros' pact. What's incredibly NOT cool (slight spoiler) is that Clem didn't even initiate anything and yet she is the one who becomes a social pariah. Her best friend even takes the guy back. All we see of the friendship is them keeping secrets from one another. And, so far as I can glean, Amanda doesn't really even seem to like Ethan that much, so I have a lot of trouble figuring out why she would want him back, unless it's to prove something.

      I think that my biggest issue was with Amanda's character. It might have helped to have better context for their friendship. We learn very little about Clemanda pre-Ethan. As it was, I never got a great sense of Amanda as a person. She seems to be a showoff. Clem definitely suffers from an inferiority complex, since Amanda is the kind of person everyone likes and can have any guy she likes. Amanda's also strange for not having been more afraid of Clem and Ethan happening, since they have this crazy obvious chemistry, and she even encourages them to go on a date. That's just weird.

      What really worked in this novel were the character relationships. I loved how real Clem's family felt. The mother with her crazy cookbook, the dad with his hat, and, most especially, adorable annoyance Olive. It's so obvious how much Clem's family cares for her. They give her space for a while and they let her know that they're ready to listen when she can talk about it. They put up with a surprising number of tantrums with good grace. When she finally confesses what she's been so upset about, they are just so sweet and non-judgmental.

      I also can't leave this review without talking about the adorableness of James. He may be one of the most genuinely sweet guys in YA literature. Girls, let me just say that you want a guy like this, not an Edward or a Jacob or a Noah. You want someone real who will never try to change you or tell you what to do. He has advice, sure, but he doesn't pressure you. Plus, he's a ginger. Oh, how I love redheads. He is cute, upbeat, and funny, and their chemistry is so moving.

      Unbreak My Heart is well-written and touching, despite the slow start. There's a lot to be learned from Clem's story. I see more Melissa Walker in my reading future!
    • 5/5
      I chose to put this book on my wishlist immediately because I wanted to connect so badly to a young adult contemporary novel. I haven’t found a good one with a strong female lead since Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen. The synopsis sounded so great.Unbreak My Heart is an accurate portrayal of a 16 year old’s life. At least, of my life when I was that age. I treated my little sister the same way, except probably a little more harshly. It made me want to cry from the beginning, the descriptions were so spot on, with the exception of boating.Clementine has a broken heart from falling in love with her best friend’s boyfriend and is the only one of the two accused of being in the wrong. She is then dragged out for a whole summer’s worth of vacation on her family’s boat. While discovering her feelings towards her broken friendship in her journal, she bumps into a cute boy named James. Of course, things are awkward because they are teenagers, but they help each other find happiness and understand that they are not the only ones who feel sadness and that you can't let your emotions get the better of you.I didn't find Clementine annoying, even though she constantly thought about herself and wrote everything down in her diary. I found it to be an accurate portrayal of how a young teen thinks about the world and her family and friends. Unbreak My Heart was exactly what I needed to be reminded of my life as a teenager. It probably sounds dumb to people that don’t see the appeal in older people reading young adult books, but sometimes it is nice to be reminded of what it was like to be that young and remember old feelings.This was such a cute, fun, fast read. Perfect for the summer!
    • 4/5
      Review also published on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.comeARC received from publisher for reviewClem Williams used to love sailing with her family. She used to love a lot of things. And then sophomore year happened, and Clem's not sure she - or her heart - will ever be the same again. Her parents have decided that a summer on the sailboat will be good for Clem, especially if she'll just open up and let people know what's going on, so school ends and on to the boat Clem goes. Unhappily, but even close-quartered family time beats staying at home dealing with the aftermath. And, bonus: No boys on the water.The summer is barely underway before Clem realizes how wrong she was. Not only is all the family time really hard for her to handle, there is a boy on the water. A cute boy. With a great, sunny personality. Who seems to like her - because he doesn't know what she is. A boy named James, who is on the river with his father, traveling the same lazy sail that Clem's family is. Cue disaster. Or not. James's cheerful persistence, without being pushy, and the sometimes tough love of her family, help Clem start to strip away the layers and look back at what happened - even sharing the heartbreak with everyone. It hurts, but it helps, and Clem begins to start putting pieces of herself back together again. Because when you're sixteen, summer is the perfect time to "unbreak" your heart. Distance allows clarity, and tough, persistent love - with a dash of careful charm - is the perfect remedy. Especially as you realize that maybe, just maybe, your heart's not the only one that got busted.Clem's story tugged on my heart and had me devouring the read. There was just enough 'mystery' to it to keep me guessing, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. We're told the whole story in a sort of flashback process: with Clem slowly remembering and reliving the events of the previous school year. It helps build a sense of empathy for her struggle, because in her misery she's a bit of a brat at times. I loved James, and the added depth to his story as well. The whole concept of a summer sailing a river is a foreign one to me, but works as the perfect backdrop for Clem's story. (Plus, that cover. So gorgeous!)
    • 3/5
      This book is good for light summer reading. The characters are very likeable and it is a very sweet love story. A nice easy read.
    • 4/5
      Unbreak My Heart is the first book I have read by Melissa Walker and I think if I were to try to sum up the book in a single sentence I would say it's a great summertime read that also tackles some serious issues, and does it in a very authentic way. As you read in the above synopsis, Clementine has had a rough year. She not only lost the guy she had developed a serious crush on, she also, and more importantly, lost her best friend in the process. Clem is in a very low place. She has been ostracized by all her friends after falling for her best friend's boyfriend and she feels so much guilt over the situation she is unable to speak with anyone about it, including her close knit family. They know something is wrong, but Clem refuses to let her family know the full extent of what is going on, and so she has in effect, isolated herself even further. It's summer and her parents have decided the family will spend it aboard their sailboat on a family cruise. But Clem is in no mood for a fun summer, she is too busy beating herself up about the events that occurred over the last year.I have to admit that I was a little torn when it comes to the character of Clem. On the one hand I can totally empathize with her situation. I can remember, as if it were yesterday, how it felt to lose someone you think you love, and worse, to have a falling out with your best friend that results in an end to that friendship. It feels like the end of the world because in a way, it is. It's the end of a big part of your life and it can be devastating and very difficult to get up and dust yourself off afterwards. And when things end over mistakes made on your part, it's ten times worse. Walker writes flashback scenes which lead up to Clem and Amanda's falling out and I thought it was a very effective way to tell the story although it started to annoy me after a bit because I just wanted to to know what happened already! So, to a degree, I definitely understand how terrible Clem feels.But I have to say, after a while I was ready for her to let it go. I knew that she need to have time to heal and have time to face up to her part in the whole ordeal, but I couldn't help but feel like it was too long in coming. I really admire Clem's family, her parents and her sister were so very patient with her because, you guys, I can tell you, if I had been part of that family I would've had a total Cher via Moonstruck moment. You know, the whole "Snap out of it!" scene. I know that sounds a bit harsh but although I felt genuinely sorry for Clem that she was going through this, I also felt sorry that her parents and sister were stuck on a little tiny sailboat with her as well. Call me callous but it's true.So clearly the saving grace of the whole situation was James. At first I found him, like Clem, to be a bit...cheesy. And whereas Clem was so depressed, James was so happy. Perky, even. There is only so much perky I can take sometimes, you guys. But James grew on me. It was great to read scenes with him because, let's face it, Clem was kind of a drag for a while there. I loved the banter between Clem and James, and I think he was the perfect person to help Clem out of her funk and make her reevaluate her entire situation. I thought their romance was sweet and perfect for a summer read. I also really enjoyed Clem's relationship with her parents and her too cool for school little sister, Olive. She's like the coolest ten year old EVER! I love that she totally acts her age, and not a ten year old going on sixteen. She's silly and goofy and eager and just adorable. And when Clem finally does sit down and spill everything to her parents, they are AWESOME. They are understanding and forgiving and say all the right things, things Clem desperately needed to hear. I love how Melissa Walker portrays a positive family unit in this book:)I also loved all the fellow boaters, like George and Ruth! They were so darn sweet and kind and funny. I could have read a whole book solely about them. And while we are on the subject, I really enjoyed the setting. I don't have a ton of experience with sailboats, but my husband was the captain of both a charter fishing boat and private sports fishing boat for many years so the general "life on and around the water" aspect was something I totally got and related to.But perhaps what I enjoyed most about Unbreak My Heart, was watching Clem come to terms with her mistakes, realizing that while yes, she was partially to blame, she was not alone in it. And witnessing her ability to finally let go of the burden of her guilt and make positive strides forward was a very uplifting message. I love that she walked away form the experience wiser and hopeful for her future. 4/5 Stars
    • 4/5
      Unbreak My Heart is a bildungsroman (coming of age story... sorry I used to be an English major, haha) that teaches about love and forgiveness. The characters are well-developed, and the plot will draw the reader in. Furthermore, Unbreak My Heart brings up an important social issue, gender double-standards in contemporary society. All of that combined with the summer and vacation setting make this book a perfect summer read. I really enjoyed the way Walker told this story. She told it from alternating points in time. One chapter would be in the present, and the next chapter would be in the past/a flashback of what happened with Clementine, Ethan, and the fall out between Clem and her friends. It was shocking, yet accurate, to see the double-standard at play. I can't believe that no one seemed to blame Ethan at all. I really wasn't his biggest fan. I did love James, though. And Olive, Clem's younger sister, was the highlight of the book for me. She was fantastic!I also didn't understand why Amanda was so important to Clem. I mean yea, if my best friend messed around with my boyfriend, I'd probably disown her, but I'd disown him, too. I would treat them both the same. However, everyone makes mistakes. Clem grows a lot throughout the novel, and I think she learned some valuable lessons because of what she did and what happened to her. I doubt she'd be that selfish again. Walker did a terrific job of showing instead of telling, and I was able to pretty much feel what Clem felt. I felt bad for her, but I was angry at her for being such a brat, too. At some points, her depression was a bit much to take, but she was authentically a teenager. Her emotions were more turbulent than the water they were sailing on at points, but that's typical for someone her age. I was drawn into the story immediately and couldn't put the book down until I was finished. It's a quick and short read, only 240 pages, and the pacing is perfect. Nothing is rushed or dragged out. I didn't feel like we reached a resolution between Clem, Amanda, and Ethan at the end of the story. It was a happy ending, and I know that the story is supposed to be about Clem's journey to self-forgiveness and personal growth. However, I would have liked to see the after and how things went for her a few months down the road as well. Just a small snippet to keep me from being so curious.Overall, I really enjoyed this book. As I said, it's the perfect summer read. I'd recommend this story to anyone. You should take it on vacation with you and read it while you're relaxing on the beach. That's what I did!
    • 5/5
      This was a nice pleasant summer read. It not quite being summer, I didn't get to enjoy it by the pool or outside but the feeling was the same. Clem made a mistake and fell for her best friend's boyfriend. But everyone seemed to forget that there were two people that did something wrong. Actually it was more of a flirtation and Clem tried to stop it. Her best friend, Amanda, blamed her for something that never happened. And everyone chose a side. Not Clem's. But it wouldn't matter because Clem thinks she's the worst person in the world. Even if you chose her side, she'd push you away. She wouldn't take your comfort. She is sure she is the worst person on the face of the earth. This is one of those books that reminds me of how MAJOR everything seems when you're a teenager. It reminds me of how great that first kiss was and how awful that first breakup was. How bad it felt to not get asked to the dance and how great it felt to go out on my first date. How BIG everything felt. And how it was all about ME. Because when I was a teenager, the world revolved around me. I was so focused on fitting in and being what everyone wanted the slightest blip was a huge ordeal. And that's where Clem is right when the story starts. The world has shut down because she made a mistake and her best friend unfriended her on Facebook and her heart is broken.Thankfully she's spending the summer on a sailboat with her family instead of skulking around the house or her job at the mall. But spending time on a small boat with her family doesn't give her a lot of grieving time or feeling sorry for herself and then there is this cute happy, puppy dog like guy that is at every stop they make that gets under her skin and his mood is kind of contagious. He was contagious off the page as much as on the page. I looked forward to reading about him. He and Clem, oh his name is James and he is an artist and sensitive, and Crazy Olive, Clem's little sister spend the summer together swimming, fishing, eating together and exploring. It's very sweet how James includes Olive in their outings and makes her feel welcome. The story goes back and forth between past and present as Clem tries to write a letter to Amanda about what happened and then she thinks back on the flirtation that went on between her and Ethan, Amanda's boyfriend. It's chronicled for us, though the big reveal is a bit of a disappointment considering all the fuss . But this is a very enjoyable coming of age story, at least I think that's what it's billed as. I'd say it's about a girl that makes a mistake and gets a blessed amount of time away from the situation to get a clearer picture of what really happened. With time and the love of her family, she's able to see things for what they really are and unbreak her own heart. It's a lovely story with a sweet romance. I recommend it for anyone that loves romance or YA contemporary.I do have to say that James has his own kind of heartbreak he is dealing with this summer and though he doesn't show it, he shares it with Clem. At one point in the story, he needs Clem's parents' help and I found myself sobbing through this part of the story. I really, really loved James with his happy attitude, always making people feel good, young and old. And in his time of crisis, I fell apart. My heart broke for him. I was really surprised that I had such a strong reaction, but I did. Sign of a great story, when it makes you cry!I read the e-ARC of this one, but I'll be buying this one for the shelf so I can read it again. I think it's good to remember what it was like when I was a teen and how significant everything was. And to remember, no matter what age you are, to lighten up on yourself. Remember that moms and dads.
    • 4/5
      This is a book about friendship, first love, real love and a summer that brought all those relationships into perspective. It's a " summer love" book with a twist. We see, from the perspective of the main character, Clem, her story of a troubled infatuation with her best friend's boyfriend; and, at the same time, we get to spy on her as she comes to know and develop a healing and loving relationship with a new boy throughout the summer. The success in this novel comes from the fact that it's not a sappy rendering of the sort it could have been given the somewhat well-travelled story of summer love. The reason for that lies in the very capable hands of Melissa Walker, who gives the book a resonance, and a solid bank of truth to anchor it. I found this little book well worth the read, and a great book to recommend to YAs for the summer.Without giving away all the particulars, I want to talk about the name of Clem's parent's sail boat, The Possibility, and how this really is the primary focus or key to Walker's story. It is this "possibility" of change; of being taken away from her town and the source of her heartbreak, the possibility of meeting someone new, the possibility of helping others and the possibility of growing in understanding of herself and others, that is the heart of this wonderful novel. This is a girl's coming of age novel, full of wisdom and full of winds of change. It's because of the experiences; the "possibilities" afforded her during the summer that Clem comes to understand what really matters in life and love.Melissa Walker is a fine writer who has a good deal to say to young adults experiencing complicated relationships. If my daughter were still a teen ager, I would absolutely purchase this book for her for summer reading. It's a treasure of wisdom in a story that's contemporary and hip. While I wouldn't recommend it for older YAs, particularly, I do think children 12-17 would really enjoy and benefit from the story. It's great to read a book that is meant for ordinary, normal teens, too!Ms Walker writes beautifully, however, this is not particularly a cross over novel. I couldn't recommend it for that. I'm giving the book a 3.5 rating with a strong nod for YA fiction
    • 4/5
      This book was more like a 3.5 for meClem's story was heartbreaking. She broke the cardinal rule of being someones' best friend, and fell for her best friends boyfriend, but she wasn't the only one who fell. Ethan fell just as hard for Clem, but when Amanda caught them together, Ethan pushed all the blame on Clem that she was trying to seduce him and had been after him all year, which was far from the truth. Clem's whole world fell apart and all those people that she once called her friends left her by the wayside. It's a good thing she's getting away for the summer, but the whole summer cooped up on a boat with no internet access, her overbearing parents, and nosey little sister, sounds less then her ideal summer. She's perfectly content staying in her own little cabin on the boat, and letting the days pass her by. This is, until she meets James. James the always happy, ever smiling boy on the boat following in the same path as Clem's family. When James discloses some personal information about his life, Clem feels like she can finally open up to someone as well, and maybe they will be able to break down the walls they both have up with the help of the other. I did enjoy this book, but for some reason for the first 90% of the book Clem drove me nuts. She seemed like such a self-loathing brat. I understand she had been through a lot but the way she took things out on her family when they were all she had left rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like as a character she grew though and by the end of the story she annoyed me a lot less.This book was a great contemporary read, and was definitely a great beach read. I read it in a day and was a very light-hearted story that's great for a vacation or a day at the beach, or even just a rainy day stuck inside.
    • 4/5
      This is another story that will tug at your heart. Facing a sea of hurtfulness and a lost friendship, Clem is on a road to self discovery and mending a broken heart.Broken hearts sucks huh? Especially when its all blamed on you. The story line of the book is what got me hooked. Clem falling for her best friends boyfriend and then acting like it was all of her fault. I loved that Clem didn't lie. She did have feelings for the boy but did she ever cheat on him? I guess that's up to reader. In my eyes, no. Ms. Walker did a wonderful job on creating such tension between the characters as well as amplifying the anger, the hurt, the banishment of Clem from her group of so called "friends." There are two different love interest. BFF Boyfriend and a new guy. I enjoyed reading Clem's point of view from the BFF boyfriend. Though, I wish I could read his point of view as well. I can see why Clem would fall for the guy. He is nice. The new guy I felt gave Clem strength. He help put her back together again. They were both hurt by people close to them and allowing them to open up about their mistakes gave them both closure. This pivotal time in Clem's life open up many doors for her and raised many questions. She learned to deal with everything one day at a time. The growth of the book kept me on my toes and really entertain. At first, the reader just see anger, bitterness and pain. Then came the healing and then came the letting go. I felt that this part flowed beautiful and really gave the book spark.Unbreak My Heart is a genuine story about a wounded soul searching for answers. Beautifully romantic and melodramatic, Unbreak My Heart delivers a promising story.
    • 5/5
      Goodness, I love this novel. Unbreak My Heart is just... perfect. Simple, yet filled with such emotional depth and meaning that I wanted to simultaneously hug it to my chest and thrust it at my roommate and command that she read it immediately.I'll admit, the cover is quite girly. I think it's adorable, but I know that some readers might look at it and see fluff. Unbreak My Heart is not fluff. It does, however, have a hopefulness to it that the cover illustrates in ways. I like that Clementine is on a boat in the middle of nowhere with nothing on the horizon... to me, this is reminiscent of Clem's state of mind throughout most of the novel. Still, don't judge this book by it's cover! It's light enough to be a beach read in that's it's fairly straightforward and isn't dark and twisted, but that doesn't mean it's fluff. (I mean, look at Anna and the French Kiss... the cover looks fluffy, not to mention the cutesy title, but Anna is not fluffy!)I adore the characters in Unbreak My Heart. All of them. They all felt real to me and I loathed to leave them behind when I finished the novel. Clem is surrounded by such wonderful people that you just knew that she'd make it through her rough patch... even if this wasn't a YA novel with a pink cover, I know Clem would have been just fine.One of the best aspects of this novel is the fact that, while Clem is distressed over having fallen for her best friend's boyfriend, she much more worried about her relationship with her best friend than with the boy. Yes! This is so, so important to me. In addition, I liked that the novel dealt with the double standard of the best friend getting ditched while the boyfriend is forgiven.Annnnd of course there's romance. And it's wonderful and hopeful and fresh! Sometimes I get so discouraged by all those star-crossed lovers and messy love triangles - especially when my real love life features messiness way too often. It's nice to see something lighthearted and positive. It was such a relief to see someone healthy enter into a heroine's life... that simplicity is refreshing. And, honestly, unique in comparison with I've been reading lately.Unbreak My Heart is contemporary YA at it's best. I can't stress enough how firmly this book has wedged itself in my heart. Read it! You won't be disappointed.
    • 2/5
      Clementine is gearing up for the worst summer of her life. Her heart is broken, partly because of Ethan, but mostly because her best friend Amanda isn't speaking to her because of what happened with Ethan. And her family is forcing her to spend the summer crammed in a tiny boat with them, sailing down the Mississippi River. But when Clem meets James and she devotes some time to thinking about what went wrong with Amanda, she'll start to put things back together. I liked the book's unusual setting and details about sailing and living in a boat for an entire summer. That puts a little spin on the typical tale of true love and betrayal of friendship. But I wish Clementine had had a stronger voice. I never really felt like I knew Clementine. Hand this one to fans of Sarah Dessen and Elizabeth Scott's romances who have read everything by their favorite authors.
    • 4/5
      Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker ARC received from Bloomsbury via Netgalley Release Date: 5-22-2012 Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn The Sister’s Say: A heartfelt story about hope and healing. I haven’t read too many contemporary novels because usually I start one and a few chapters in I want to stop because they are too depressing or too whiney, so when I started Unbreak My Heart, I was sure I was going to want to stop reading it at some point. I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself smiling at Melissa’s love story, giggling at her ridiculous word play (why knot?), and fuming at the reactions of some of Melissa’s not-so-likeable characters. Great stories take you through the gamut of emotions, and Melissa’s did just that. Clementine has fallen in love with her best friend’s boyfriend, and as a result she has become a social outcast. Then, to make matters worse, her family is dragging her off for a summer of sailing. Clem thinks the summer is going to be a “summer of exile” but she just might find that exile is not so bad—especially once she meets James. I really like James—he’s sweet, thoughtful, artsy, and he’s struggling with his own kind of exile. He’s not my favorite type of young adult boys (I have a thing for the dark and broody), but he is exactly what you would picture when you think of a sweet guy sailing away the summer with his dad. Although I prefer for my ya guys to be strong, arrogant, and deeply sexy; James really did bring a smile to my face. He was perfect for this story, and it was fun reading how he rebuilts Clem’s heart. My favorite character in this story was Crazy Olive, Clem’s ten-year old little sister. She’s so vibrant and full of life, and on more than one occasion, puts forth a philosophical statement that sums up how tragic and temporary teenage life and drama can be at times. She’s the perfect foil to Clem’s depressed personality. I really loved the setting for Clem’s road to recovery. Most of the book takes place on the boat and out on the river, and I love the scenes where Clem and/or James just sit out over the water or on the beach and just relax. It made me wish I had my own boat that I could use to escape reality. I could hear the waves, feel the breeze, and smell the freshness. Clem thinks she’s away from the real world, and I love to see her character grow as she discovers that even on the river, away from her friends and her life, that things can be just as real. I do wish there would have been more romance, and the book does end abruptly. I thought Melissa could have spent a little more time giving us some more information, after all the book was really short, only 240 pages. Final Judgment: Melissa Walker creates a heartwarming story that chronicles the ups and downs of teenage friendship and love. Torment meets healing in this tale of discovery and romance.
    • 5/5
      I chose to put this book on my wishlist immediately because I wanted to connect so badly to a young adult contemporary novel. I haven’t found a good one with a strong female lead since Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen. The synopsis sounded so great.Unbreak My Heart is an accurate portrayal of a 16 year old’s life. At least, of my life when I was that age. I treated my little sister the same way, except probably a little more harshly. It made me want to cry from the beginning, the descriptions were so spot on, with the exception of boating.Clementine has a broken heart from falling in love with her best friend’s boyfriend and is the only one of the two accused of being in the wrong. She is then dragged out for a whole summer’s worth of vacation on her family’s boat. While discovering her feelings towards her broken friendship in her journal, she bumps into a cute boy named James. Of course, things are awkward because they are teenagers, but they help each other find happiness and understand that they are not the only ones who feel sadness and that you can't let your emotions get the better of you.I didn't find Clementine annoying, even though she constantly thought about herself and wrote everything down in her diary. I found it to be an accurate portrayal of how a young teen thinks about the world and her family and friends. Unbreak My Heart was exactly what I needed to be reminded of my life as a teenager. It probably sounds dumb to people that don’t see the appeal in older people reading young adult books, but sometimes it is nice to be reminded of what it was like to be that young and remember old feelings.This was such a cute, fun, fast read. Perfect for the summer!