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Liked It “A heart breaking, funny, and hopeful story of Mia and her amazing family, dealing with the sudden loss of there mother. Good read for anyone dealing with the death of a loved one. You''ll never forget ''Cures for Heartbreak''. |
Didn’t Like It “I just didn't find that the book pulled me in the way I wanted it to.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“A heart breaking, funny, and hopeful story of Mia and her amazing family, dealing with the sudden loss of there mother. Good read for anyone dealing with the death of a loved one. You''ll never forget ''Cures for Heartbreak''.
Ruth G wrote this review Monday, November 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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“i've heard this is really good but sort of bad in some parts
caroline s wrote this review Wednesday, October 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
should i read??”“I really enjoyed this book and it was very sad. It was about a family's stuggle through death and heartbreak.”
mary grace e wrote this review Tuesday, October 6 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“ Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com
TeensReadToo.com wrote this review Wednesday, July 22 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
CURES FOR HEARTBREAK reads more like a series of interconnected short stories than a novel, but the format works. It gives the readers brief, poignant glimpses into the life of its narrator, Mia, during the first year after her mother's sudden death. Told with both humor and painful rawness, the novel should resonate with those who have experienced a loss, and make those who haven't feel almost as if they've been there, too.
What makes the disjointed structure work better than anything else is the many well-developed characters. Each chapter focuses on Mia's relationships with those around her: her father, her older sister, her friends and teachers at school, the people she meets at the hospital, and her memories of her mother. Every character is fleshed out on the page, with distinctive voices and quirks, so even in the short glimpses readers get, they get a clear picture of the relationships and how Mia is starting to get back to "normal" life among them.
Mia's voice is equally important in making the novel work. Where it could have been flat-out depressing and perhaps overwhelming, her sarcastic comments and comic approaches to certain situations (for example, she images the funeral home as a morbid Broadway musical) break the sadness, while also making the tragedy seem all that much worse in its absurdity. Wavering between jadedness and insecurity, Mia comes across as fully human, too old to be a kid any more but too young to know how to be an adult. Teen readers should find her an easy character to sympathize with, and an entertaining narrator for the journey.
CURES FOR HEARTBREAK is not an easy read, simply because of the subject matter and the depth with which it is portrayed. But the humor and the engaging characters will draw readers in, and Mia's progress through mourning will keep them reading, wondering how she will reshape her life after this unexpected turn. She makes mistakes, and struggles with her emotions and fears, but she grows and learns as well. And in the end, there's more hope than sorrow.”“I just didn't find that the book pulled me in the way I wanted it to.”
Lisa R wrote this review Friday, June 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“This book did break my heart, but I think it is important to read especially for teens and young adults who are dealing with a death of a parent/guardian. I think there are very few books that discuss the grief process maturely and that are very well written. After reading this book, I know that the main character has a chance at happiness but will always be reminded of her grief.”
Cullengirl l wrote this review Tuesday, February 24 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“At age 15, highschool student Mia Pearlman suffers her first heartbreak when her mother dies 12 days after being diagnosed with melanoma. After that, things aren't the same anymore; her older sister, Alex, moves to college, and the father spends all day on the couch reading the newspaper and even Mia's school grades suffer. Things get even more dismal when her father has a heart attack, and their family is set on a strict health diet. What's more, Mia seems to be developing a crush on the mysterious 'cancer guy,' a 19 year old boy she met in the hospital while visiting her father. Grief is hiding in all corners of her house, but even then hope is possible, and lost still continues.
Myst wrote this review Wednesday, October 29 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This book was very touching, heartbreaking, and hilarious at the perfect times. You start laughing and crying right on the first page, and don't stop until the last. Written with a crisp simplicity, the words will instantly draw you in, and you won't be able to put the book down until you finish it! This definitely deserves 5 stars.
I applaud Margo Rabb for being able to transform her own grief into something beautiful with the form of a novel. Thank you.”
“Days after being admitted to the hospital with a stomachache, Mia’s mother – her best friend, and inspiration – dies from cancer. Fifteen-year-old Mia hasn’t experienced death in any meaningful way, but now, it seems to be all around her. The Holocaust section of her history textbook, the dire warnings about cholesterol in her Health Now magazine, or an oddly shaped mole on her arm all tie Mia to her mother and make her acutely aware of her own mortality. In time, she finds others to whom she can relate, like “cancer guy,” who turns out to be a philosophical world traveler (and cute!) and finds that though grief never ends, neither does love. Older teens looking for touching realistic fiction with the right splashes of humor and romance will enjoy this tender story.”
Heather B wrote this review Saturday, September 6 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
chodgens wrote this review Tuesday, July 29 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The focus is on Mia, a teen whose mother dies 12 days after being diagnosed with Melanoma. Three months later, her dad has a heart-attack.
The book focuses on Mia's struggle to cope with her mother's death, her father's illness, and being a teenager.”
“Mia's mom was just diagnosed with cancer and Mia knows that if her mom dies, she'll die. Still when her mother dies just nine days after the diagnosis, Mia, her sister, and her father, have to make it through and find a place to begin again.”
book-lover wrote this review Monday, June 9 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
