Comics Will Break Your Heart

When I realized this book was going to be a kind of modern version of Romeo Juliet with conflict centering on comic book copyrights, I was thrilled. Who doesn't enjoy a well done enemies to lovers story. This one turned out to be an okay experience though, enjoyable enough but not very remarkable or maybe I just hoped for too much.

The writing was simple enough that I finished it pretty quickly. However, the conversations between the characters didn't always feel realistic. It's probably the first time I actually liked the characters' internal monologues more than the dialogues because it helped me get to know them better. It was also quite unique to see this book set in rural Canada, which I know nothing about. The small town feel, the contrast between the rich and not so rich part of the town, the helplessness of living in a place where there are not many opportunities - all of this is captured quite well. I also liked the idea of so many people, both old and young finding such joy and contentment with comics. However, the main conflict of the book is supposed to be about the TomorrowMen comics and how Mir's grandfather was not given his due by Weldon's and I think the whole past issue was not really explored at all. We only get small glimpses from both the families but we never get the full story and I kinda felt cheated because of that.

Miriam was not an easy character to like initially. I thought she was being difficult, but it took some time for me to understand her perspective and struggles. She was just being a very confused teenager, unsure about what to do after graduation, how she would pay for university and if leaving her small town meant losing all her friendships. I obviously didn't realize her obsession and anger about the comics, considering she never even met her grandfather, but it was nice to see her slowly realize the futility of it and let it all go.

In the beginning, Weldon seemed like a spoiled teenager just doing bad things for the fun of it, but soon it was clear he wanted to be noticed and not feel so invisible in his own family. However, he too slowly realizes that isn't the way to go and becomes slightly more responsible and confident about what he wants for his future. I also enjoyed his changing relationship with his mother and the possibility of them being closer again.

There was only a slight conflict between the two of them and I thought it was resolved fairly quickly. There wasn't much angst and perhaps I was expecting more of it. The development and progression of their friendship was very cute but I truly didn't feel the chemistry, especially not enough to warrant the decisions towards the end of the book. Everything seemed to resolve fairly quickly and easily too, neatly wrapped up in a bow, which was okay I guess but also made me feel like the stakes were never too high.

I would recommend this book if you are looking for a cute high school contemporary with nerdy characters, some fun moments and not much angst. I would suggest not going into it with too much expectations, specifically for the enemies to lovers trope. It was entertaining while I was reading it and left me feeling pleasant.

Miriam and Weldon. Her grandfather is the co-creator of the TomorrowMen comics. The other co-creator, his grandfather. His grandfather pulls some shady crap and her grandfather's rights are bought for $900. His grandfather becomes rich which leads to generational wealth and all that jazz, which then leads to a 20 year court battle and two feuding families. Miriam and Weldon meet by chance and so their love story begins.

This was slice of life. It was a fun and easy read. Both Miriam and Weldon come with baggage and they both have to do the work to get through it. They are both young and so this is not a story that is going to have all the answers. I liked it. This is YA so they were botha annoying at times but it didn't last too long.

The original copy was received via Netgalley. The actual copy read for this review was my library.

~Check out my blog at The Bent Bookworm!~ Comics Will Break Your Heart was an adorable story with hattips to geeks of all kinds - from the greats of British literature to, obviously, comic book fans! The plot is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, only the two families in question are descendents of patriarchs who together birthed one of the greatest comic book franchises of all time, only to have a bitter falling out. Mir and Weldon are both likable characters, young people approaching the end of high school with the usual amount of trepidation and flailing about as they try to figure out their place in the world and what they want to do with their lives. They meet by sheer accident, when Weldon's misbehavior prompts his high-powered, fame and fortune focused father to send him away for the summer, to his aunt and uncle's house in the small town he has rarely seen. Despite his undercurrent of resentment and propensity for lying, Weldon is charismatic and charms just about everyone he meets. Mir has a work ethic to rival most adults, desperate to rise above her family's extreme economy of existence. I liked that she didn't seem embarrassed by her admittedly rather eccentric parents, but she knew that their choices were not going to be hers. I could understand her resentment of being forced to the extremes of frugal living - such as buying a second hand Monopoly and painting rocks to replace the missing pieces. The cast of side characters was endearing too, even if I felt that their stories were left unfinished. I loved Mir's friends Evan and Raleigh, and I hope maybe the author plans to write more about them at some point. Evan especially! He was just so sweet and kind and clearly cared so much about Mir. I really liked that even though he wanted to care about her in a more-than-friends way, when she said made it clear she wasn't interested he completely dropped it, but remained a great friend. A lot of guys could take a lesson! :P The Romeo/Juliet plot was a little weak, mostly because of its predictability. The adults of the two families have had some hard feelings in the past, but their reasons for estrangement sound weak, especially the way Weldon's aunt presents her case. 4/5 stars. I loved the descriptions of fandoms and comics, and Comic Con. It definitely appeals to the inner (and not so inner) nerd! Blog Twitter Bloglovin Instagram Google+