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A Field Guide for Heartbreakers
When best friends Dessy and Veronica arrive in Prague for a prestigious writing workshop, their priorities diverge. Dessy, fragile from a recent breakup, has come to mend her broken heart by honing her craft. Veronica has just dumped her boyfriend and plans to blow off the workshop. She ’ d rather master a different craft—boys.
Veronica gets right to work on her “man-wall”—one paper cutout for every hot-dude she meets—and embarks on her mission to cover a wall of their dorm by summer’s end. At times, Dessy thinks her friend might be a genius. At others, Veronica seems more like an agent of chaos. As if their love lives weren’t complicated enough, soon a homicidal suitemate is bent on killing Veronica and Dessy, and both girls are hiding secrets that could wreck their friendship.
Well, no one ever said breaking hearts was a simple craft...
Veronica gets right to work on her “man-wall”—one paper cutout for every hot-dude she meets—and embarks on her mission to cover a wall of their dorm by summer’s end. At times, Dessy thinks her friend might be a genius. At others, Veronica seems more like an agent of chaos. As if their love lives weren’t complicated enough, soon a homicidal suitemate is bent on killing Veronica and Dessy, and both girls are hiding secrets that could wreck their friendship.
Well, no one ever said breaking hearts was a simple craft...
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 28, 2023
buying ice cream when someone else is on a diet... that's just cruel...
September 5, 2010
The book gods taught me a lesson for being shallow on this one. One shouldn't judge a book by its cover and boy did I take something away from this experience. A Field Guide to Heartbreakers was the single most frustrating reading experience I have had since being made to read The Mayor of Casterbridge in the eleventh grade. But at least I could see the literary merit in Hardy's work even I was ruing the day he was born. This...the bright side is that it is pretty.
In attempting to be hysterically quirky with her non-stop, possible deranged character creation, Vanessa, Tracy has constructed one of the most frustratingly annoying supporting characters in YA of recent times. In contrast, the benign (and horribly monikered) Dessie Gherkin is our protagonist. You wouldn't really know it as the best friend, Vanessa, swamps the book with so much heinousness that you begin to resent Dessie for having this headcase in her life in the first place. Dessie has moments of meta-like awareness that build the audience's resentment of her passiveness even more. Having a friend that is as manipulative, deceitful, selfish and horrid makes Dessie less and less relatable as the basis of her friendship and loyalty to the basket case is never established.
At no moment is there a character beat or scenario that engaged me - entertaining or emotionally - and ultimately the book was a hollow read. Dessie's heartbreak over the bird fixated Hamilton didn't particularly ring true, neither did the horrific way in which he chose to break up with her. There was very little emotionally follow through as we were pushed from Vanessa's multiple boy crushes, Prague sights and then a vastly underwhelming and frankly ridiculous homicidal dorm mate. At most points I was hoping said manic would be successful by putting both the audience and Dessie out of our respective miseries by killing Vanessa.
While moaning about Vanessa is a joyless but easy task, all of the characters lack a much needed dimension and emotional centre. Even when characters had interesting backstories they were dismissed as a conveniently placed 'learning moment' for our protagonist. The plotting is by the book, a cliched mess, with wackiness abounding in a less than polished attempt to create a lightness and quirkiness to the story. In the end it felt both clumsy and manipulative. The conclusion, particularly the way in which the Dessie/Vanessa relationship is written showed that the protagonist has made very little growth throughout the narrative except for a segment of ten pages where she became full formed and then backtracked into two dimensional hell again.
What is most frustrating is that Tracy can write. But this story wasn't one that needed to be told and to be very harsh, I didn't feel that she cared that much about the characters or plot either. There was a significant emotional disconnect that was camouflaged by the rapid fire, nonsensical dialogue that succeeded in give me a headache and getting me in touch with my inner Dexter. If plotting took place here then it was a series of stops in Prague interspersed with annoying Vanessa incidents. There is also a subplot about the writing school element, for which the girls are in Prague in the first place, and it felt self-indulgent and unsuccessful. It was a therapy group masquerading as a (apparently gifted, no evidence to the contrary) writing group. The group is overseen by Vanessa's mother, an unnecessary plot device that only managed to make Vanessa more loathsome.
Tracy doesn't seem to know what she wants this story to be. There are a zillion story lines, none of which make much of an impact, that are told in a stop start manner that takes the reader out of the book. The flow is non-existent as we jump from Vanessa's careless dates to Dessie's crush on Waller to Corky's blog to Mrs Knox's weird marriage. The story lack direction and wants to be many things at once resulting in a chaotic mess of half-formed characters and empty dialogue. The conclusion is rushed, formulaic and makes you wonder why you bothered in the first place.
The setting is a dorm slap bang in the middle of Prague. A Prague that we see intermittently in terms of some sightseeing but it failed to put me in Prague. To make me feel that I was with Dessie in a strange new land with a foreign language and interesting architecture. There were glimpses of this when Dessie was off on her own, seeing the city sans Vanessa, and I responded to those scenes that established the foreign beauty of the place.
A failed attempted at fun and frothy.
In attempting to be hysterically quirky with her non-stop, possible deranged character creation, Vanessa, Tracy has constructed one of the most frustratingly annoying supporting characters in YA of recent times. In contrast, the benign (and horribly monikered) Dessie Gherkin is our protagonist. You wouldn't really know it as the best friend, Vanessa, swamps the book with so much heinousness that you begin to resent Dessie for having this headcase in her life in the first place. Dessie has moments of meta-like awareness that build the audience's resentment of her passiveness even more. Having a friend that is as manipulative, deceitful, selfish and horrid makes Dessie less and less relatable as the basis of her friendship and loyalty to the basket case is never established.
At no moment is there a character beat or scenario that engaged me - entertaining or emotionally - and ultimately the book was a hollow read. Dessie's heartbreak over the bird fixated Hamilton didn't particularly ring true, neither did the horrific way in which he chose to break up with her. There was very little emotionally follow through as we were pushed from Vanessa's multiple boy crushes, Prague sights and then a vastly underwhelming and frankly ridiculous homicidal dorm mate. At most points I was hoping said manic would be successful by putting both the audience and Dessie out of our respective miseries by killing Vanessa.
While moaning about Vanessa is a joyless but easy task, all of the characters lack a much needed dimension and emotional centre. Even when characters had interesting backstories they were dismissed as a conveniently placed 'learning moment' for our protagonist. The plotting is by the book, a cliched mess, with wackiness abounding in a less than polished attempt to create a lightness and quirkiness to the story. In the end it felt both clumsy and manipulative. The conclusion, particularly the way in which the Dessie/Vanessa relationship is written showed that the protagonist has made very little growth throughout the narrative except for a segment of ten pages where she became full formed and then backtracked into two dimensional hell again.
What is most frustrating is that Tracy can write. But this story wasn't one that needed to be told and to be very harsh, I didn't feel that she cared that much about the characters or plot either. There was a significant emotional disconnect that was camouflaged by the rapid fire, nonsensical dialogue that succeeded in give me a headache and getting me in touch with my inner Dexter. If plotting took place here then it was a series of stops in Prague interspersed with annoying Vanessa incidents. There is also a subplot about the writing school element, for which the girls are in Prague in the first place, and it felt self-indulgent and unsuccessful. It was a therapy group masquerading as a (apparently gifted, no evidence to the contrary) writing group. The group is overseen by Vanessa's mother, an unnecessary plot device that only managed to make Vanessa more loathsome.
Tracy doesn't seem to know what she wants this story to be. There are a zillion story lines, none of which make much of an impact, that are told in a stop start manner that takes the reader out of the book. The flow is non-existent as we jump from Vanessa's careless dates to Dessie's crush on Waller to Corky's blog to Mrs Knox's weird marriage. The story lack direction and wants to be many things at once resulting in a chaotic mess of half-formed characters and empty dialogue. The conclusion is rushed, formulaic and makes you wonder why you bothered in the first place.
The setting is a dorm slap bang in the middle of Prague. A Prague that we see intermittently in terms of some sightseeing but it failed to put me in Prague. To make me feel that I was with Dessie in a strange new land with a foreign language and interesting architecture. There were glimpses of this when Dessie was off on her own, seeing the city sans Vanessa, and I responded to those scenes that established the foreign beauty of the place.
A failed attempted at fun and frothy.
June 13, 2010
Filled with outrageous, hilarious situations, sprightly and quirky characters, and a new setting, Field Guide for Heartbreakers is a cute, lively read. Two invigorating and vastly different main characters help add to the hilarity and endearment of this book. Stylistic writing and talented mindset help tie everything together.
Dessy is practiced and logical, not one to immediately throw caution to the wind. Still hung up on her ex and fault focused, she is a mix of damaged and naïve. She is a well designed character, her quirks, attributes and flaws coming across strongly. She complements Veronica and though she finds herself in some awkward and obnoxious situations on account of her friend, she is, in the end, a great friend. She starts out strongly developed but grows further and the way Tracy plays this out adds spark into the book. Both through her interactions with Veronica and her classmates in Prague as well as her analysis of both her own writing and others in her class help brings things together.
Veronica is rambunctious, boy crazy, blunt and apt to do stupid things. She is overdramatic and exaggerates yet through Dessy’s eyes, the reader can understand the affection and appreciation. As with Dessy, Veronica starts out with much of her personality exposed but she grows and changes as the book progresses. Despite this, she still holds many of the same quirks including her penchant for using euphemisms and sayings wrong. The banter between her and Dessy is engaging and amusing, cropping up at unexpected moments.
The "hot dudes" the girls meet and go after make up a large part of the characters, coming in a variety of personalities. Some are in their same program- college guys- while others are locals or visiting the area. The way they handle the situations is vastly different and even when things heat up and turn dramatic, the way they care for each other remains the same.
The plot is a tangle of love and betrayal and the addition of Corky, their roommate bent on tormenting and maybe killing them, adds another level. As things heat up, the reader is forced to choose which friend their feelings most relate to. Tracy handles this area beautifully, not forcing the reader to side with Dessy simply because it’s in her perspective. Dessy’s emotions come through the pages to the reader but so do Veronica’s. Their interactions with males is comical but the desire for love and attention is palpable. Much of their driving forces are understandable, lurking even in the simplest of places.
Rapt with Prague culture and scenery, the setting alone is a fantastic element of the story. The descriptions are beautiful and the reader can get a sense of being there with each place the girls visit. In character narrative, spunk and manner of speaking help bring this book to life as well, from the “hot dudes” to the many other adjunct words and phrases thrown in. Tracy ’s writing style is a bold one, exceeding the usual boundaries and spurring the life into her characters.
A fantastic take on a love based premise, a unique setting and colorful characters meld together to make Field Guide for Heartbreakers a fantastic, fun read. The plot is paced steadily with plenty of comedy to break up the emotion and keep the reader from growing bored. The writing class adds another element as its writing within a book, rather than art or photography that seems to crop up often in novels. Tracy tests her limits and handles it beautifully in execution.
July 2, 2010
When reading the summary of this novel, I became really interested in it. It seemed like a great summer read and really original I will admit while it is that, I was somewhat disappointed in the novel as a whole. While Tracy did present an interesting plot, there was just something missing within the characters. I couldn't connect- even with the Veronica and her "man-wall" (which wasn't played out as much as I had expected), I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it was because there wasn't enough background info. Plus, Veronica seemed to always be 20 levels above everyone else in the drama department, which made her somewhat unenjoyable. Unfortunately, I felt because of this, Dessy's natural behavior was inhibited, due to her having to handle and react from Veronica's action. As a whole, this novel was about Dessy finding herself, but one of the main reasons why she having trouble doing so is that she so attached to Veronica, she couldn't be herself.
Aside from the main characters, the plot as a whole just didn't live up to my expectations. A summer in Prague seemed really fascinating, but unfortunately there were only a few highlights from me, and most of these were found at the end of the novel. I think what I didn't enjoy with this novel wast that it seemed to be told from the view of the sidekick friend, but the majority of what she had to say was centered around her best friend, not herself.- a sidekick telling a sidekick's story. There was just so much more to Dessy, I'm sure, but even when she's the center of attention, Veronica's still stealing the show. Unfortunate.
Aside from the main characters, the plot as a whole just didn't live up to my expectations. A summer in Prague seemed really fascinating, but unfortunately there were only a few highlights from me, and most of these were found at the end of the novel. I think what I didn't enjoy with this novel wast that it seemed to be told from the view of the sidekick friend, but the majority of what she had to say was centered around her best friend, not herself.- a sidekick telling a sidekick's story. There was just so much more to Dessy, I'm sure, but even when she's the center of attention, Veronica's still stealing the show. Unfortunate.
August 26, 2022
Woof. I was not a fan. (This is a book where the cover doesn’t match what’s inside.) Sure. There was a mentioning of ice cream, and it takes place in the summer. But that’s it. The vibe it gave off was entirely wrong IMO). Anyway, this one kinda sucked. Veronica, the protagonist’s best friend, was horrendous. I hated her. I hated everything she did and said. And she said and did way too much. She may as well have been the protagonist. The character of Corky and that entire plot was 10000% unnecessary to the story and d.u.m.b. None of the male characters were cool, none of the “relationships” were strong or worth rooting for, the writing program aspect was boring, the random daddy issues woven in were so minuscule and ineffectual, and even the setting (Prague) underwhelmed. The most excited I got was when a character mentioned his little sister’s name was ‘Allie’. How sad is that?!
July 9, 2017
This was a nicely written novel, with some very important life lessons sewn in. The writing program the two girls are a part of allows for some very deep conversations about the writing process, and how to edit your work afterward. The plot seemed a little fast-paced at points, to the point where I would have to re-read sections to understand them, but that can be overlooked.
August 19, 2010
I'll admit it now that this just was not the book for me one bit. Going into this, I was expecting a cute and funny romance, something similar to the greatness contained in Elizabeth Rudnick's Tweet Heart, but sadly enough, this summer YA read just fell short for me in the cute and funny scales. Instead it measured quite high on the boring and blah ones. Though, don't get me wrong, I didn't HATE it necessarily, but I didn't find it all that great either, but before I get to that, let me tell you what it's about...
It's been a couple of weeks since Dessy got her heart broken by her college-bound and now ex-boyfriend, and while everyone's telling her she should get over it and hunt for more fishes in the sea, she just can't. She wants him back more than ever, actually, even though he was a huge jerk to her in many areas.
Her best friend Veronica is facing similar problems involving a break-up, but instead of viewing this as a set back, Veronica's taking everything she can get and doing everything she can to get back in the game of dating. Which involves conquering all the hot, young, and eligible guy's of Prague and creating a man wall of them during her and Dessy's one month writing retreat, and before Dessy can say no, she's recruited as well into this scheme of hot guys, but when Dessy meets two guys who she finds adorable, will she be able to tell which one is the one for her deep down? But with her ex-boyfriend calling, will she say no to both and settle for him? Only time and more pages will tell in A Field Guide for Heartbreakrs by Kristin Tracey.
Let's start with Dessy, our lovely main character. Dessy is one of those girls who has a problem of not speaking up to herself when it comes to her parents, Veronica, ex-boyfriend, and basically everyone in her life, and that annoyed me and tarnished my other feelings for her right of the bat. I mean, she was okay, but that quality of her just bothered me to no end, as it would with any character in a book, no matter who the author is or how great the plot is. Making this even worse, I just couldn't relate to her, which was just the icing on the cake for me. I did like Veronica for most of the better half of the beginning and the last couple of chapters because I found her to be funny and interesting. But in the middle I lost interest in her because she provided to be one messed-up emotionally teenage girl who was a just a bit too manipulative and made one too many stupid decisions involving guys. Though, I did really like some of the other characters for the whole book, including Veronica's mother and the boys, especially Roger.
The one thing that did save A Field Guide for Heartbreakers a bit in my eyes was the setting. I loved Prague and the way the reader got to see it and learn about its history right along with the characters. I also enjoyed the fact that Dessy and Veronica's writing class was a big part of the book as well. Because the stories and situations provided always were interesting and funny.
Lastly, while Tracy's writing was decent and enjoyable, I often felt she didn't dig deep enough into her characters, and that left for dragged on periods of time in the story.
In all, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers is a decent story, and one that you may possibly love, but it just wasn't the right read for me at this time. And the biggest question of all: Will I be reading more by Tracy? I'm not sure yet. I mean, I do I have anther one of her books in my TBR pile and her 2011 release does sound pretty snazzy, so maybe I will give her books another chance.
Grade: C-
It's been a couple of weeks since Dessy got her heart broken by her college-bound and now ex-boyfriend, and while everyone's telling her she should get over it and hunt for more fishes in the sea, she just can't. She wants him back more than ever, actually, even though he was a huge jerk to her in many areas.
Her best friend Veronica is facing similar problems involving a break-up, but instead of viewing this as a set back, Veronica's taking everything she can get and doing everything she can to get back in the game of dating. Which involves conquering all the hot, young, and eligible guy's of Prague and creating a man wall of them during her and Dessy's one month writing retreat, and before Dessy can say no, she's recruited as well into this scheme of hot guys, but when Dessy meets two guys who she finds adorable, will she be able to tell which one is the one for her deep down? But with her ex-boyfriend calling, will she say no to both and settle for him? Only time and more pages will tell in A Field Guide for Heartbreakrs by Kristin Tracey.
Let's start with Dessy, our lovely main character. Dessy is one of those girls who has a problem of not speaking up to herself when it comes to her parents, Veronica, ex-boyfriend, and basically everyone in her life, and that annoyed me and tarnished my other feelings for her right of the bat. I mean, she was okay, but that quality of her just bothered me to no end, as it would with any character in a book, no matter who the author is or how great the plot is. Making this even worse, I just couldn't relate to her, which was just the icing on the cake for me. I did like Veronica for most of the better half of the beginning and the last couple of chapters because I found her to be funny and interesting. But in the middle I lost interest in her because she provided to be one messed-up emotionally teenage girl who was a just a bit too manipulative and made one too many stupid decisions involving guys. Though, I did really like some of the other characters for the whole book, including Veronica's mother and the boys, especially Roger.
The one thing that did save A Field Guide for Heartbreakers a bit in my eyes was the setting. I loved Prague and the way the reader got to see it and learn about its history right along with the characters. I also enjoyed the fact that Dessy and Veronica's writing class was a big part of the book as well. Because the stories and situations provided always were interesting and funny.
Lastly, while Tracy's writing was decent and enjoyable, I often felt she didn't dig deep enough into her characters, and that left for dragged on periods of time in the story.
In all, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers is a decent story, and one that you may possibly love, but it just wasn't the right read for me at this time. And the biggest question of all: Will I be reading more by Tracy? I'm not sure yet. I mean, I do I have anther one of her books in my TBR pile and her 2011 release does sound pretty snazzy, so maybe I will give her books another chance.
Grade: C-
April 2, 2015
Gosh. I had high hopes for a light, fluffy travel read (with bonus creative writing workshops), but I guess I didn't read the reviews. This...did not work so well for me.
The heroine, Dessy, is off to Prague with her best friend, Veronica, for a fiction workshop taught by Veronica's mother. Veronica, to paraphrase her mother, has two settings: off and ZOOM. (For the most part Dessy has one setting: doormat.) Veronica is obsessed with meeting as many 'hot-dudes' as possible, Dessy is heartbroken over a guy we know almost nothing about, and the writing workshop is...well. We'll get to that.
The thing is, Dessy would almost without a doubt have had a better time in Prague without Veronica there. It's not clear how they became friends or why they've stayed friends, but Veronica is...a lot. She's entertaining for the first few pages, as she zips herself into a suitcase and convinces Dessy to roll her around a department store, but that was before I realised that she was going to be stuck on ZOOM for pretty much the entire book. She. Is. Exhausting.
There are a number of potentially interesting plot points—Veronica's father now lives in Rome (and she hasn't forgiven her parents for the split); there are some characters in the creative writing class; Veronica's mother is a famous writer; they're in Prague...but when (if) these things are developed, it's generally only as an excuse for Veronica to ZOOM off to find some new hot-dudes. There isn't really a lot of space for anything else to happen. Dessy does manage to see quite a bit of Prague (despite Veronica's rudeness about anything approaching culture), though as far as I can tell the only Czech person either of them talks to is Alexej (if he is even Czech; it is unclear).
Meanwhile, they are taking the single worst creative writing workshop I've ever suffered through—thank god it was taking place in a book. On top of the middling-at-best, wildly overpraised stories the class produces, the class has to contend with the instructor's daughter. Remember, we're not talking about a small child who yells in class and ridicules other students (while her mother does virtually nothing to stop her). We're talking about a seventeen-year-old who yells in class and ridicules other students (while her mother does virtually nothing to stop her).
(Of course, while Dessy's a bit better in class, I still wouldn't want to be in a workshop with her. She's generally too intimidated to make comments, except to suggest that the improbable villain's story is overblown and lousy and surely Dessy can't be the only one to think that?—and then she's too afraid to be workshopped herself, because she's afraid of criticism. So much for the claims that even though Dessy and Veronica are the only high school students in the programme, they're mature enough, etc., to be there...actually, so much for the claims that this is a great programme, because really? The rest of the class isn't a whole lot better.)
I would want a refund.
Eh. Enough. Potential for cuteness but overrun by Dessy whingeing about an ex-boyfriend we don't care about; a bunch of brainless frat boys getting drunk a lot; and a whole lot of ZOOM.
The heroine, Dessy, is off to Prague with her best friend, Veronica, for a fiction workshop taught by Veronica's mother. Veronica, to paraphrase her mother, has two settings: off and ZOOM. (For the most part Dessy has one setting: doormat.) Veronica is obsessed with meeting as many 'hot-dudes' as possible, Dessy is heartbroken over a guy we know almost nothing about, and the writing workshop is...well. We'll get to that.
The thing is, Dessy would almost without a doubt have had a better time in Prague without Veronica there. It's not clear how they became friends or why they've stayed friends, but Veronica is...a lot. She's entertaining for the first few pages, as she zips herself into a suitcase and convinces Dessy to roll her around a department store, but that was before I realised that she was going to be stuck on ZOOM for pretty much the entire book. She. Is. Exhausting.
There are a number of potentially interesting plot points—Veronica's father now lives in Rome (and she hasn't forgiven her parents for the split); there are some characters in the creative writing class; Veronica's mother is a famous writer; they're in Prague...but when (if) these things are developed, it's generally only as an excuse for Veronica to ZOOM off to find some new hot-dudes. There isn't really a lot of space for anything else to happen. Dessy does manage to see quite a bit of Prague (despite Veronica's rudeness about anything approaching culture), though as far as I can tell the only Czech person either of them talks to is Alexej (if he is even Czech; it is unclear).
Meanwhile, they are taking the single worst creative writing workshop I've ever suffered through—thank god it was taking place in a book. On top of the middling-at-best, wildly overpraised stories the class produces, the class has to contend with the instructor's daughter. Remember, we're not talking about a small child who yells in class and ridicules other students (while her mother does virtually nothing to stop her). We're talking about a seventeen-year-old who yells in class and ridicules other students (while her mother does virtually nothing to stop her).
(Of course, while Dessy's a bit better in class, I still wouldn't want to be in a workshop with her. She's generally too intimidated to make comments, except to suggest that the improbable villain's story is overblown and lousy and surely Dessy can't be the only one to think that?—and then she's too afraid to be workshopped herself, because she's afraid of criticism. So much for the claims that even though Dessy and Veronica are the only high school students in the programme, they're mature enough, etc., to be there...actually, so much for the claims that this is a great programme, because really? The rest of the class isn't a whole lot better.)
I would want a refund.
Eh. Enough. Potential for cuteness but overrun by Dessy whingeing about an ex-boyfriend we don't care about; a bunch of brainless frat boys getting drunk a lot; and a whole lot of ZOOM.
Read
January 26, 2014I was really looking forward to reading this book - the cover and title seem to fit my reading tastes perfectly. When it arrived in the mail, I was very surprised at the length (352 pages) because I apparently imagined it as a smaller book.
I began to read and immediately detested Veronica. She is a spoiled girl with a bad attitude, and I got tired of reading what she had to say after ten pages. And I got tired of how much drama she was - which made me feel bad for Dessy, who was getting her study abroad experience ruined because of her friend.
I enjoyed situations that were purely Dessy - how she interacted with the boys on the trip, reading about the stories she was writing, getting to see how she was learning from the class she was taking. But that would only satisfy me for so long before Veronica barged in and did something utterly ridiculous.
So basically, what I'm saying is I only partially liked this book. If Veronica could have been toned down a bit, I think I would have liked it a lot more - as it stood, it was too much drama and too much snottiness.
I began to read and immediately detested Veronica. She is a spoiled girl with a bad attitude, and I got tired of reading what she had to say after ten pages. And I got tired of how much drama she was - which made me feel bad for Dessy, who was getting her study abroad experience ruined because of her friend.
I enjoyed situations that were purely Dessy - how she interacted with the boys on the trip, reading about the stories she was writing, getting to see how she was learning from the class she was taking. But that would only satisfy me for so long before Veronica barged in and did something utterly ridiculous.
So basically, what I'm saying is I only partially liked this book. If Veronica could have been toned down a bit, I think I would have liked it a lot more - as it stood, it was too much drama and too much snottiness.
June 26, 2010
You know, this book made me furious. You know why? Veronica is terrible. TERRIBLE. She is terrible in a fairly realistic manner, but, who cares? If I had to spend as much time with Veronica in real life as I did in this way-too-effing-long book (Hi editors, Make cuts! xoxo laaaames) I would throw myself out the window of a bone arthouse.
I'm not saying Dessy was the perfect friend, but holy effing godDAMN did I want her to just punch Veronica in the face.
Often.
And then I would YouTube that for like an hour, no joke, if somehow you could videotape what happens in books.
I seriously can't remember the time I hated someone so much in a book. And it's too bad because there are so many good things about this book too, but it was hard to enjoy any of them - the travel! the love of writing! the worries of inadequacies and flaws and naivete! - because of that effing girl.
Also I didn't buy what Veronica said at the end and I think I was supposed to?
(read: 100! I'm halfway through my goal and NOT QUITE halfway through my year!)
I'm not saying Dessy was the perfect friend, but holy effing godDAMN did I want her to just punch Veronica in the face.
Often.
And then I would YouTube that for like an hour, no joke, if somehow you could videotape what happens in books.
I seriously can't remember the time I hated someone so much in a book. And it's too bad because there are so many good things about this book too, but it was hard to enjoy any of them - the travel! the love of writing! the worries of inadequacies and flaws and naivete! - because of that effing girl.
Also I didn't buy what Veronica said at the end and I think I was supposed to?
(read: 100! I'm halfway through my goal and NOT QUITE halfway through my year!)
January 4, 2018
This was a good coming of age story.
I identified with the main character in more than one situation. Her embarrassing moments made me put down the book on more than one occasion. I could feel the same burning embarrassment through the book. I could see myself going through the same out-of-body experiences and she put her foot in her mouth.
However, the story for me lay with the friendship between Dessy and Veronica. Their struggle with the relationship in their lives (ex-boyfriends and family) was the highlight of the book. However, on second thought, Dessy didn't get to fully explore her relationship with her father as much as Veronica had with her own.
Ultimately, even though Dessy was the main character, Veronica stole the show with her boy-hunting ways. I am a bit disappointed that even towards the end of the book, Dessy wasn't able to completely hold her ground in the story and that Veronica continued to take a lead in the story.
The supporting characters didn't come together for me as anyone else. Everyone else was just a role to play to continue the plot.The reader wouldn't be able to grasp the character/personality/story about anyone besides Dessy and Veronica. The worst was the sub-plot with Corky trying to assault them. That story line wasn't handled well at all. There was no well-thought out explanation for what happened between the three girls.
Overall, this was a nice summer read in the middle of a cold winter. However, there wasn't much substance in the book for me to pick it up again.
I identified with the main character in more than one situation. Her embarrassing moments made me put down the book on more than one occasion. I could feel the same burning embarrassment through the book. I could see myself going through the same out-of-body experiences and she put her foot in her mouth.
However, the story for me lay with the friendship between Dessy and Veronica. Their struggle with the relationship in their lives (ex-boyfriends and family) was the highlight of the book. However, on second thought, Dessy didn't get to fully explore her relationship with her father as much as Veronica had with her own.
Ultimately, even though Dessy was the main character, Veronica stole the show with her boy-hunting ways. I am a bit disappointed that even towards the end of the book, Dessy wasn't able to completely hold her ground in the story and that Veronica continued to take a lead in the story.
The supporting characters didn't come together for me as anyone else. Everyone else was just a role to play to continue the plot.The reader wouldn't be able to grasp the character/personality/story about anyone besides Dessy and Veronica. The worst was the sub-plot with Corky trying to assault them. That story line wasn't handled well at all. There was no well-thought out explanation for what happened between the three girls.
Overall, this was a nice summer read in the middle of a cold winter. However, there wasn't much substance in the book for me to pick it up again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2019
Language - PG-13 (80 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG-13; Violence - PG
Dessy's heart has just been smashed before she and her best friend, Veronica, go to Prague for a writing work shop. There, Veronica goes crazy looking for "hot-dudes" and tries to help hook Dessy up with new guys. But their relationships with men aren't the only ones that get rocky.
This book gave me something to read and kept me busy, but it didn't entertain me very much. It was about a couple of seniors trying to get guys and going through dramatic fights with each other. I liked that the writing work shops in the book helped me as much as they helped the characters. I enjoyed reading those scenes, but the book focused on a brokenhearted girl with her boy-crazy friend finding new beaus and I don't find that very interesting.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Dessy's heart has just been smashed before she and her best friend, Veronica, go to Prague for a writing work shop. There, Veronica goes crazy looking for "hot-dudes" and tries to help hook Dessy up with new guys. But their relationships with men aren't the only ones that get rocky.
This book gave me something to read and kept me busy, but it didn't entertain me very much. It was about a couple of seniors trying to get guys and going through dramatic fights with each other. I liked that the writing work shops in the book helped me as much as they helped the characters. I enjoyed reading those scenes, but the book focused on a brokenhearted girl with her boy-crazy friend finding new beaus and I don't find that very interesting.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
October 17, 2024
Kite and Walnut
June 7, 2010
Title: A Field Guide for Heartbreakers
Author: Kristen Tracy
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Kristen Tracy's second novel, Crimes of the Sarahs, was one of the first books I reviewed. I'm not going to link to it, because even in the span of one month, my reviews got better. Seriously, looking at that thing makes me cringe. Doesn't change the fact Tracy is kick-ass with witty dialogue, and I was so looking forward to that in a release that seemed more easy-going and modern. But then the Naughty Book Kitties comment about not being able to finish it made me scared. I did finish it. It was not that bad. It was actually very good. Not the best book of its type, but it stuck to Tracy's style quite well.
Dessy has been best friends with Veronica since fourth grade. They've been through it all, including Dessy's intense break-up with Ivy League bound boyfriend Hamilton. Veronica's mother, a well-known author of short fiction, is hosting a writer's workshop in Prague for a select few that can get in, along with other writers. Veronica decides to enter herself and Dessy, and before they know it, they have accepted submissions and an around-trip ticket to a historical city where anything can happen...especially if that 'anything' is boys.
Veronica makes a plan, in order to get back at her own boyfriend, and pulls Dessy in. Together they are going to flirt, flounce, and tackle any and every available hot-dude they can get at in Prague. But Dessy's too hung up on Hamilton, and wants to focus on writing the perfect short story for their writing group, instead. Especially because there's a cute guy in the class that she is just itching to impress. Throw in a bunch of wacky short-stories and a look a new look at writing's symbolism, and you have a trip to Prague unlike any other.
Kristen Tracy has one of the best type of characterization, because she manages to make every character realistic, and in Heartbreakers she continues on in the same vein...maybe a little bit too close, in fact. Dessy is an interesting character; her odd friendship with Veronica being one of the most confusing, if understandable, ones I've read recently. Her hang-ups are understandable, and I like that she doesn't try to be anything special. Veronica is obviously the more dynamic of the two - always getting into situations and throwing around words, all the while trying to keep up a brittle relationship with her parents, dealing with the stress in a very boy-crazy way. While I liked Veronica a lot, she showed a lot of the same tendencies as Sarah A in Crimes of the Sarahs, enough so that I wondered why Tracy wrote about these types of characters. It was also improved from Crimes, however, in the sense that Veronica has more motivation, she actually listens and responds to Dessy, and she has decidedly more closure and change, all of which I enjoyed. The secondaries were all fun and amusing, especially Corky. She was just a *bit* too crazy to be real, but she was so much fun.
The plot and writing are very intertwined, and the idea of entangling them along with the concept of writing short stories was so well done. While it isn't anything that is action-y, I felt compelled to read on because everything the characters did was in some way interesting. Of the various scenes, Tracy's skill is best seen during the workshops. The snippets of the various characters' stories are so different, and I love the sharp dialogue the characters end up using to break down the stories to their possibly-nonexistent skeletons. Veronica's obsession with relating every story to a base metaphor of sex was hilarious, and I love how that was used as a way to say that not every story has to be ridiculously complex. The one thing I dislike about this book - and Tracy's writing in general - is that the dialogue and introspection is extremely heavy, and the description is nearly non-existent in some areas. I can get past it, but a lot of readers are going to find fault with it.
A Field Guide for Heartbreakers wasn't Tracy's best work. At times it felt like she brought other aspects of her second novel in for a repackaging, and her writing style didn't really fit with a plot and setting that would have been helped by more description. However, her underlying points were just as well done, and her characters still had good breaths of originality. And for a fan of well-done dialogue, I enjoyed it. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but if you like a certain type of book, or are a fan of Crimes of the Sarahs or Lost It, then I would definitely steer you towards reading it. If you haven't tried Tracy yet, this would be a good place to start as well.
Cover Comments: Meh. At least the ice cream was important to the story. Nothing I'd get excited over.
Rating: 4.0 Stars
Author: Kristen Tracy
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Kristen Tracy's second novel, Crimes of the Sarahs, was one of the first books I reviewed. I'm not going to link to it, because even in the span of one month, my reviews got better. Seriously, looking at that thing makes me cringe. Doesn't change the fact Tracy is kick-ass with witty dialogue, and I was so looking forward to that in a release that seemed more easy-going and modern. But then the Naughty Book Kitties comment about not being able to finish it made me scared. I did finish it. It was not that bad. It was actually very good. Not the best book of its type, but it stuck to Tracy's style quite well.
Dessy has been best friends with Veronica since fourth grade. They've been through it all, including Dessy's intense break-up with Ivy League bound boyfriend Hamilton. Veronica's mother, a well-known author of short fiction, is hosting a writer's workshop in Prague for a select few that can get in, along with other writers. Veronica decides to enter herself and Dessy, and before they know it, they have accepted submissions and an around-trip ticket to a historical city where anything can happen...especially if that 'anything' is boys.
Veronica makes a plan, in order to get back at her own boyfriend, and pulls Dessy in. Together they are going to flirt, flounce, and tackle any and every available hot-dude they can get at in Prague. But Dessy's too hung up on Hamilton, and wants to focus on writing the perfect short story for their writing group, instead. Especially because there's a cute guy in the class that she is just itching to impress. Throw in a bunch of wacky short-stories and a look a new look at writing's symbolism, and you have a trip to Prague unlike any other.
Kristen Tracy has one of the best type of characterization, because she manages to make every character realistic, and in Heartbreakers she continues on in the same vein...maybe a little bit too close, in fact. Dessy is an interesting character; her odd friendship with Veronica being one of the most confusing, if understandable, ones I've read recently. Her hang-ups are understandable, and I like that she doesn't try to be anything special. Veronica is obviously the more dynamic of the two - always getting into situations and throwing around words, all the while trying to keep up a brittle relationship with her parents, dealing with the stress in a very boy-crazy way. While I liked Veronica a lot, she showed a lot of the same tendencies as Sarah A in Crimes of the Sarahs, enough so that I wondered why Tracy wrote about these types of characters. It was also improved from Crimes, however, in the sense that Veronica has more motivation, she actually listens and responds to Dessy, and she has decidedly more closure and change, all of which I enjoyed. The secondaries were all fun and amusing, especially Corky. She was just a *bit* too crazy to be real, but she was so much fun.
The plot and writing are very intertwined, and the idea of entangling them along with the concept of writing short stories was so well done. While it isn't anything that is action-y, I felt compelled to read on because everything the characters did was in some way interesting. Of the various scenes, Tracy's skill is best seen during the workshops. The snippets of the various characters' stories are so different, and I love the sharp dialogue the characters end up using to break down the stories to their possibly-nonexistent skeletons. Veronica's obsession with relating every story to a base metaphor of sex was hilarious, and I love how that was used as a way to say that not every story has to be ridiculously complex. The one thing I dislike about this book - and Tracy's writing in general - is that the dialogue and introspection is extremely heavy, and the description is nearly non-existent in some areas. I can get past it, but a lot of readers are going to find fault with it.
A Field Guide for Heartbreakers wasn't Tracy's best work. At times it felt like she brought other aspects of her second novel in for a repackaging, and her writing style didn't really fit with a plot and setting that would have been helped by more description. However, her underlying points were just as well done, and her characters still had good breaths of originality. And for a fan of well-done dialogue, I enjoyed it. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but if you like a certain type of book, or are a fan of Crimes of the Sarahs or Lost It, then I would definitely steer you towards reading it. If you haven't tried Tracy yet, this would be a good place to start as well.
Cover Comments: Meh. At least the ice cream was important to the story. Nothing I'd get excited over.
Rating: 4.0 Stars
April 1, 2012
I had a lot of problems with this book. First of all, I was attracted to the jacket copy and the plot it outlined. Except, the book only vaguely followed the jacket, and the title was totally off too. Of course, these things I can work around and ignore, they were just minor things I had troubles with. At any rate, the book was promising: my recent European travels made me initially connect with the characters, as their adventures I hoped to emulate. As I got into the book, maybe around 50-100 pages in, I realized that this book was severely lacking to me. The plot was faulty, I felt disinterested and even skipping paragraphs because I was bored. The plot itself was realistic, but the characters and writing was not. Tracy would introduce the reader to a scene and a dilemma, and then the characters would talk about the scenario briefly before moving on, even though the dilemma was still present, or so I thought. Maybe I wasn't reading closely. For example, when Corky was apparently knocking at the girls' door, the girls freaked out and started worrying-- but they never answered the door or did anything about it. And this lapse in knowledge may be due to the fact that I was skipping paragraphs at a time... but still, I felt a lot of things were lacking in terms of story and plot.
In addition, I think Tracy left out some MAJOR components of oversea travel. Tracy didn't address the foreign language aspect at all, or currency. And although the plot was not about adjusting to a foreign culture, I still feel these things needed to be addressed for continuity.
The characters also seemed shallow and poorly developed-- Veronica and Dessy both were insufferable at points. Dessy's problems and internal conflicts weren't explained or explored in depth, and this made me turn off to her as a character and feel completely apathetic to her problems. And while Tracy tried to add depth to some conversations, it seemed forced. I felt, also, the whole boy scenario was lacking-- there were no "awww" moments or heart-wrenching scenes, just hopping from one boy to the next with no reason just because the boy was there. It left a lot to be desired. A lot of the "plot twists," like the cheating boyfriend and murderous roommate (?) I felt were cheesy and underdeveloped. Even the minor things that Dessy and Veronica fought about, like the foxes issue, I didn't understand and thought were trivial. If these issues were explored more and the two friends resolved their issues on a deeper level instead of shrugging them off, I might have seen the characters develop more as they should have. Even the English courses seemed off-- maybe it's just me, but I do NOT want to analyze someone's story inside of a story. However, I did enjoy hearing the critiques, I just didn't think they had a place in the story. I understand that it was part of the plot and it had to be included, but if the stories somehow reflected the problems Dessy was going through, or she took the stories she read and somehow connected them to her Prague experience, I might have been more forgiving. For now, though, it was just a waste of pages and ink.
That being said, I read this book all the way through. I'm not the kind of person to leave a book unread, and if I do abandon it, it's for a very strong reason. I finished this book because I felt it might have promise-- there were a lot of issues needing to be resolved, and they did get resolved (albeit in an unsatisfying manner). The book was not predicable, and although none of the developments moved me or intrigued me, the book was not cookie-cutter obvious, which deserves some merit. Mostly I finished it because I thought it might get better. It didn't.
In addition, I think Tracy left out some MAJOR components of oversea travel. Tracy didn't address the foreign language aspect at all, or currency. And although the plot was not about adjusting to a foreign culture, I still feel these things needed to be addressed for continuity.
The characters also seemed shallow and poorly developed-- Veronica and Dessy both were insufferable at points. Dessy's problems and internal conflicts weren't explained or explored in depth, and this made me turn off to her as a character and feel completely apathetic to her problems. And while Tracy tried to add depth to some conversations, it seemed forced. I felt, also, the whole boy scenario was lacking-- there were no "awww" moments or heart-wrenching scenes, just hopping from one boy to the next with no reason just because the boy was there. It left a lot to be desired. A lot of the "plot twists," like the cheating boyfriend and murderous roommate (?) I felt were cheesy and underdeveloped. Even the minor things that Dessy and Veronica fought about, like the foxes issue, I didn't understand and thought were trivial. If these issues were explored more and the two friends resolved their issues on a deeper level instead of shrugging them off, I might have seen the characters develop more as they should have. Even the English courses seemed off-- maybe it's just me, but I do NOT want to analyze someone's story inside of a story. However, I did enjoy hearing the critiques, I just didn't think they had a place in the story. I understand that it was part of the plot and it had to be included, but if the stories somehow reflected the problems Dessy was going through, or she took the stories she read and somehow connected them to her Prague experience, I might have been more forgiving. For now, though, it was just a waste of pages and ink.
That being said, I read this book all the way through. I'm not the kind of person to leave a book unread, and if I do abandon it, it's for a very strong reason. I finished this book because I felt it might have promise-- there were a lot of issues needing to be resolved, and they did get resolved (albeit in an unsatisfying manner). The book was not predicable, and although none of the developments moved me or intrigued me, the book was not cookie-cutter obvious, which deserves some merit. Mostly I finished it because I thought it might get better. It didn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2013
A wild romp of young-adult chick lit
Seventeen-year-old Dessy Gherkin is a straight-A student from small-town Ohio who receives the chance of a lifetime due to the intervention of her adventurous, long-time best friend, Veronica Knox. Without Dessy's knowledge, Veronica submits a humorous essay the two of them wrote together to a prestigious writing program which will be held in Prague the summer before their senior year. Amazingly, they are both accepted and assigned to the fiction workshop led by Veronica's mother, a famous literary novelist. They are the only two high school students among dozens of college students attending the writing program.
Dessy had been moping the entire month prior to the trip to Prague, because her boyfriend and fellow geek, Hamilton Stacks, dumped her, giving the excuse that he was heading to university and didn't want to maintain a long-distance relationship. Bouncy, bossy Veronica is determined to take Dessy's mind off Hamilton, whom Dessy persists in believing will eventually come back to her, in spite of glaring evidence to the contrary. Veronica insists that the cure for Dessy's Hamilton fixation is to get interested in other guys, and Prague is just the place to do it. Rather than taking the writing workshop seriously, Veronica is determined to spend her time hunting down "hot-dudes," and drags the reluctant Veronica along with her.
This is a hilarious buddy story with the classic chick-lit theme of dating disasters. Dessy is the "straight man" of this sprightly pairing, playing the part of the stooge and comic foil, who is constantly shocked, awed, or physically bowled over by the wild and crazy antics of willful Veronica.
Veronica's continual volley of her personal impressions of the people around her, her endless plots for for the greater glory of her life and Dessy's, and her occasional startlingly accurate insights fuel this book from start to finish. Beneath all the comedy, though, there is a strong coming-of-age throughline. Dessy begins this story emotionally dependent on the important people in her life, to the extent that, in every area outside her studies she is a passive follower. Veronica has always taken advantage of that, because she loves to lead, and she starts out the book dragging Dessy behind her everywhere she goes. Over the course of this fast-paced, witty novel, though, both girls learn to moderate the extremes they've been living, and their relationship survives and prospers because they both share the important virtue of loyalty to and support for each other.
As someone who has attended many literary-fiction workshops while in grad school, I personally thought the author does a dead-on send-up of the unconsciously comic, self-involved pretentiousness of the participants of such workshops. The author also does a great job with her unusual setting, bringing Prague alive for her audience without ever sliding into boring travelogue.
Fans of Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski, the Demon Princess series by Michelle Rowen, and the Magic in Manhattan series by Sarah Mlynowski will especially enjoy this book.
I read this as a Kindle edition. It is well-formatted and edited.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Subcharacters: 4 stars
Chick-Lit Plot: 5 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars
Seventeen-year-old Dessy Gherkin is a straight-A student from small-town Ohio who receives the chance of a lifetime due to the intervention of her adventurous, long-time best friend, Veronica Knox. Without Dessy's knowledge, Veronica submits a humorous essay the two of them wrote together to a prestigious writing program which will be held in Prague the summer before their senior year. Amazingly, they are both accepted and assigned to the fiction workshop led by Veronica's mother, a famous literary novelist. They are the only two high school students among dozens of college students attending the writing program.
Dessy had been moping the entire month prior to the trip to Prague, because her boyfriend and fellow geek, Hamilton Stacks, dumped her, giving the excuse that he was heading to university and didn't want to maintain a long-distance relationship. Bouncy, bossy Veronica is determined to take Dessy's mind off Hamilton, whom Dessy persists in believing will eventually come back to her, in spite of glaring evidence to the contrary. Veronica insists that the cure for Dessy's Hamilton fixation is to get interested in other guys, and Prague is just the place to do it. Rather than taking the writing workshop seriously, Veronica is determined to spend her time hunting down "hot-dudes," and drags the reluctant Veronica along with her.
This is a hilarious buddy story with the classic chick-lit theme of dating disasters. Dessy is the "straight man" of this sprightly pairing, playing the part of the stooge and comic foil, who is constantly shocked, awed, or physically bowled over by the wild and crazy antics of willful Veronica.
Veronica's continual volley of her personal impressions of the people around her, her endless plots for for the greater glory of her life and Dessy's, and her occasional startlingly accurate insights fuel this book from start to finish. Beneath all the comedy, though, there is a strong coming-of-age throughline. Dessy begins this story emotionally dependent on the important people in her life, to the extent that, in every area outside her studies she is a passive follower. Veronica has always taken advantage of that, because she loves to lead, and she starts out the book dragging Dessy behind her everywhere she goes. Over the course of this fast-paced, witty novel, though, both girls learn to moderate the extremes they've been living, and their relationship survives and prospers because they both share the important virtue of loyalty to and support for each other.
As someone who has attended many literary-fiction workshops while in grad school, I personally thought the author does a dead-on send-up of the unconsciously comic, self-involved pretentiousness of the participants of such workshops. The author also does a great job with her unusual setting, bringing Prague alive for her audience without ever sliding into boring travelogue.
Fans of Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski, the Demon Princess series by Michelle Rowen, and the Magic in Manhattan series by Sarah Mlynowski will especially enjoy this book.
I read this as a Kindle edition. It is well-formatted and edited.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Subcharacters: 4 stars
Chick-Lit Plot: 5 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars
May 17, 2010
The title makes it look like this is mainly a romance but that is misleading. While Dessy does pine over her relationship with her ex and develop a new crush, the focus of the story is her friendship with Veronica and her beliefs about herself. I thought Dessy was a likeable main character. I love how much she cares about Veronica and how she tries to be there for her friend. She is not without flaws however. I did find her whining over her breakup to be annoying after awhile but it was her first major relationship. I also thought she was a bit of a doormat but thankfully she realizes this and she really grows over the course of the novel. Veronica is very boy crazy and pretty much the opposite of Dessy. Dessy is more reserved and introverted and Veronica is a complete extrovert. I thought she could be really annoying and at some parts really hated her character but I found that there is more to her than a loud mouthed, spoiled flirt.
For being teenagers, Dessy and Veronica had a lot of freedom to roam around Prague on their own but I guess that it works well with the storyline even if it wasn't very realistic. Veronica can't exactly meet all those guys if she is with her mom all the time and it wouldn't have been such a fun book. Since Veronica is working so hard on her "man-wall" there are a number of male characters in the book, including a love interest for Dessy. I won't say any more because I don't want to give anything away but I am very happy about the ending and who Dessy ends up with. Veronica's mom is another important character as she is the instructor of the class the girls are taking but she also has a very complicated relationship with her daughter. I did wish that this was explored more in the book but since Dessy is the main character I can understand why it wasn't fully developed. The other major characters are Veronica and Dessy's suitemates in their dorm. Annie Earl is really sweet but it is crazy suitemate Corky Tina Baker who steals the show.
The setting is probably my favorite part of the book. Since Veronica and Dessy are taking a writing seminar in Prague we get to read about some of the really neat tourist spots like The Old Town Hall Astronomical Clock, The Dancing House, and the Spanish Synagogue. I wish there had been more descriptions of Prague and more details of things like the cuisine and other cultural experiences. I also enjoyed the excerpts of short stories throughout the book that the different characters are working on. Corky's story is truly disturbing but I enjoyed the other characters' "stories" and I thought that added something unique to the book.
Overall I found The Field Guide to Heartbreakers to be a really fun reading experience. I would suggest this to fans of Maureen Johnson, E. Lockhart, and YA chick lit in general. It would be a great book for summer reading.
For being teenagers, Dessy and Veronica had a lot of freedom to roam around Prague on their own but I guess that it works well with the storyline even if it wasn't very realistic. Veronica can't exactly meet all those guys if she is with her mom all the time and it wouldn't have been such a fun book. Since Veronica is working so hard on her "man-wall" there are a number of male characters in the book, including a love interest for Dessy. I won't say any more because I don't want to give anything away but I am very happy about the ending and who Dessy ends up with. Veronica's mom is another important character as she is the instructor of the class the girls are taking but she also has a very complicated relationship with her daughter. I did wish that this was explored more in the book but since Dessy is the main character I can understand why it wasn't fully developed. The other major characters are Veronica and Dessy's suitemates in their dorm. Annie Earl is really sweet but it is crazy suitemate Corky Tina Baker who steals the show.
The setting is probably my favorite part of the book. Since Veronica and Dessy are taking a writing seminar in Prague we get to read about some of the really neat tourist spots like The Old Town Hall Astronomical Clock, The Dancing House, and the Spanish Synagogue. I wish there had been more descriptions of Prague and more details of things like the cuisine and other cultural experiences. I also enjoyed the excerpts of short stories throughout the book that the different characters are working on. Corky's story is truly disturbing but I enjoyed the other characters' "stories" and I thought that added something unique to the book.
Overall I found The Field Guide to Heartbreakers to be a really fun reading experience. I would suggest this to fans of Maureen Johnson, E. Lockhart, and YA chick lit in general. It would be a great book for summer reading.
August 19, 2010
Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com
Best friends Dessy and Veronica get into a college writer's workshop that Veronica's mother is teaching at during the summer in Prague. They will be there for a month, and both girls have different plans for their time.
Dessy wants to mend her recently broken heart after her first love, Hamilton, smashed it. Veronica wants to make her newly ex-boyfriend, Boz, jealous by encountering all the guys she possibly can in one month. Once they get to Prague, Veronica even starts to put cut-outs of all the guys she's met up on her wall in their dorm. She calls it the "wall of hot dudes."
But not long after they've been there, everything seems to start going wrong. The guy that Dessy is interested in suddenly stops paying attention to her, and Veronica makes enemies with Corky, who is one of their roommates and is apparently crazy. Soon, Dessy and Veronica's friendship is strained, and when Corky reveals something to Dessy about Veronica and Dessy's ex back home, their friendship may be ruined forever.
For starters, this was a really great summer read. Reading about two high school girls spending their time in Prague and chasing hot guys is, to me, the ultimate way to spend my own summer. I loved how Dessy and Veronica's friendship was so strong, but they would constantly have these little fights with one another. It was almost like they were sisters, really.
Also, A FIELD GUIDE TO HEARTBREAKERS wasn't predictable. It was nice to turn the page and not have what I expected to happen be there. I always appreciate that in a good book. I also really enjoyed the scenes when they are in the workshop and everyone is critiquing each others stories. Even the crazy girl, Corky, was interesting to me.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a relaxing summer read.
Best friends Dessy and Veronica get into a college writer's workshop that Veronica's mother is teaching at during the summer in Prague. They will be there for a month, and both girls have different plans for their time.
Dessy wants to mend her recently broken heart after her first love, Hamilton, smashed it. Veronica wants to make her newly ex-boyfriend, Boz, jealous by encountering all the guys she possibly can in one month. Once they get to Prague, Veronica even starts to put cut-outs of all the guys she's met up on her wall in their dorm. She calls it the "wall of hot dudes."
But not long after they've been there, everything seems to start going wrong. The guy that Dessy is interested in suddenly stops paying attention to her, and Veronica makes enemies with Corky, who is one of their roommates and is apparently crazy. Soon, Dessy and Veronica's friendship is strained, and when Corky reveals something to Dessy about Veronica and Dessy's ex back home, their friendship may be ruined forever.
For starters, this was a really great summer read. Reading about two high school girls spending their time in Prague and chasing hot guys is, to me, the ultimate way to spend my own summer. I loved how Dessy and Veronica's friendship was so strong, but they would constantly have these little fights with one another. It was almost like they were sisters, really.
Also, A FIELD GUIDE TO HEARTBREAKERS wasn't predictable. It was nice to turn the page and not have what I expected to happen be there. I always appreciate that in a good book. I also really enjoyed the scenes when they are in the workshop and everyone is critiquing each others stories. Even the crazy girl, Corky, was interesting to me.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a relaxing summer read.
August 13, 2010
I thought this was a cute book. Not a favorite of mine. I didn't really feel any sort of connection with the characters. Especially Veronica, I actually found her quit annoying. She was always interrupting people and making people do what she wanted to do. If I seen her in real life she would be one of those girls I roll my eyes at and try to avoid at all costs.
The character of Dessy wasn't too bad. I thought how she kept worrying about her ex Hamilton instead of having a good time while she is in Europe was annoying as well. She starts hanging out with Waller, they seemed to be hitting it off but then I thought the book got kind of strange when he finds her one day when she is out walking and all of a sudden they are holding hands and what not, it was kind of a surprise part of the book because I personally didn't feel like their was a lot of connection between Waller and Dessy.
Then towards the end of the book Dessy and Roger get together. But it is a sudden thing, I wish the author would have had these two getting together from the beginning because by the time the book ended I wanted more of Dessy and Roger's relationship.
I think I was the most disappointed in how little the book had to do with the girl's and relationships with guys. The main thing is Veronica's guy wall but then you don't hear about half of them. It is mainly about the girls and their class. I did get sick of hearing everyone's stories that they wrote for the writing class. I would sigh when ever a new story would come up, I really didn't care what they had to say about someone's story. I wanted more relationships or action or something.
I just found the book quit dull.. But I did finish it in a day, maybe I read it so fast because I was hoping it would pick back up. It did towards the end but then the book was over.
The character of Dessy wasn't too bad. I thought how she kept worrying about her ex Hamilton instead of having a good time while she is in Europe was annoying as well. She starts hanging out with Waller, they seemed to be hitting it off but then I thought the book got kind of strange when he finds her one day when she is out walking and all of a sudden they are holding hands and what not, it was kind of a surprise part of the book because I personally didn't feel like their was a lot of connection between Waller and Dessy.
Then towards the end of the book Dessy and Roger get together. But it is a sudden thing, I wish the author would have had these two getting together from the beginning because by the time the book ended I wanted more of Dessy and Roger's relationship.
I think I was the most disappointed in how little the book had to do with the girl's and relationships with guys. The main thing is Veronica's guy wall but then you don't hear about half of them. It is mainly about the girls and their class. I did get sick of hearing everyone's stories that they wrote for the writing class. I would sigh when ever a new story would come up, I really didn't care what they had to say about someone's story. I wanted more relationships or action or something.
I just found the book quit dull.. But I did finish it in a day, maybe I read it so fast because I was hoping it would pick back up. It did towards the end but then the book was over.
June 22, 2013
Leaning toward 2.5 stars.
This book has a completely misleading title, cover, and back-cover blurb. It's really not just "how to get guys in Europe" (that's more of the best friend's concern than the main character's) and although yes, there is brief mention of ice-cream cone licking, I think they could have done better than such a generic cover that doesn't even really fit the tone of the story.
Dessy (is that SHORT for something?) and her obnoxious BFF Veronica go to Prague for a writer's workshop run by Veronica's mom -- the only high schoolers in with all college students. Veronica dumps her boyfriend before they leave and all she wants to do is meet hot guys. Dessy, on the other hand, was recently dumped by her boyfriend and still not over it. (The dumping via a laminated list of her faults? It's like the author said, "Okay, how can I take being dumped on a Post-it note and take it to an even kookier level? I know!!!" So unrealistic, and I can't even say that I learned what all three faults were by the time I finished the book.)
So during their time in Europe they meet various guys, and work on their short stories, and fight with each other, and are inexplicably threatened by a psycho suite-mate. And there's some funny/fun stuff, but I was never in love with any of the characters and didn't really care THAT much about what happened to them. Maybe I just kept reading because I would love to be in the situation of going to a writing workshop in Prague and meeting guys.
This book has a completely misleading title, cover, and back-cover blurb. It's really not just "how to get guys in Europe" (that's more of the best friend's concern than the main character's) and although yes, there is brief mention of ice-cream cone licking, I think they could have done better than such a generic cover that doesn't even really fit the tone of the story.
Dessy (is that SHORT for something?) and her obnoxious BFF Veronica go to Prague for a writer's workshop run by Veronica's mom -- the only high schoolers in with all college students. Veronica dumps her boyfriend before they leave and all she wants to do is meet hot guys. Dessy, on the other hand, was recently dumped by her boyfriend and still not over it. (The dumping via a laminated list of her faults? It's like the author said, "Okay, how can I take being dumped on a Post-it note and take it to an even kookier level? I know!!!" So unrealistic, and I can't even say that I learned what all three faults were by the time I finished the book.)
So during their time in Europe they meet various guys, and work on their short stories, and fight with each other, and are inexplicably threatened by a psycho suite-mate. And there's some funny/fun stuff, but I was never in love with any of the characters and didn't really care THAT much about what happened to them. Maybe I just kept reading because I would love to be in the situation of going to a writing workshop in Prague and meeting guys.
January 15, 2012
a A Field Guide for Heartbreakers kinda disappointed me.
Don't get me wrong. I liked the book. It's just that... well, for a book with an awesome blurb, amazing cover and an even more AMAAAZING title, I expected it to be really good. But it turned out to be... okay.
First, the structure of the novel. The title implied (to me, anyway) that there's some kind of list of rules at the start of every chapter. It goes well with the theme of field guides and stuff. But the author simply proceeded with the novel. How Not to Spend Your Senior Year used the same style (no structure, blah blah), but Dokey made up for the difference by infusing Jo's wit with the "rules". Dessy and Veronica? No, not really.
I never fell in love with the characters. Yeah, they showed some growth, but they seem so shallow. The author spent too much time analyzing Waller's moves, but left Roger in the background. I don't think the Dessy - Roger tandem was foreshadowed much while Waller was still in the picture. Veronica's crazy, but Corky's crazier. Her threats are over-the-top (which is still in character), but never fully explained. I was wondering WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? whenever Corky goes psycho.
The plot? I don't think the title suits the book. I think that's the hugest reason why I finished the book feeling absolutely dissatisfied. Shouldn't it be The Men on my Wall or Mr. Best Friend Has a Chance?
It's okay, but it's not worth my recommendation.
Don't get me wrong. I liked the book. It's just that... well, for a book with an awesome blurb, amazing cover and an even more AMAAAZING title, I expected it to be really good. But it turned out to be... okay.
First, the structure of the novel. The title implied (to me, anyway) that there's some kind of list of rules at the start of every chapter. It goes well with the theme of field guides and stuff. But the author simply proceeded with the novel. How Not to Spend Your Senior Year used the same style (no structure, blah blah), but Dokey made up for the difference by infusing Jo's wit with the "rules". Dessy and Veronica? No, not really.
I never fell in love with the characters. Yeah, they showed some growth, but they seem so shallow. The author spent too much time analyzing Waller's moves, but left Roger in the background. I don't think the Dessy - Roger tandem was foreshadowed much while Waller was still in the picture. Veronica's crazy, but Corky's crazier. Her threats are over-the-top (which is still in character), but never fully explained. I was wondering WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? whenever Corky goes psycho.
The plot? I don't think the title suits the book. I think that's the hugest reason why I finished the book feeling absolutely dissatisfied. Shouldn't it be The Men on my Wall or Mr. Best Friend Has a Chance?
It's okay, but it's not worth my recommendation.
June 14, 2015
A Field Guide For Heartbreakers was not a book for me. I don’t feel like I ever got fully into the story and I am honestly just glad to be done with it.
Dessy Gherkin is going to Prague. She and her best friend, Veronica, have been accepted into a month-long college writing program and it’s going to be great. Too bad Dessy has a broken heart and Veronica has a goal to meet as many hot dudes as possible. There are so many ways things can go wrong especially when you throw a homicidal roommate into the mix.
My main problem with this book was the character development. I didn’t feel like I had enough background about any of the characters so I couldn’t understand their motives. Dessy was weak and Veronica was a bitch. That is honestly what I thought of them and my opinion did not change as I read the book.
The only redeeming thing about this book was the ending. I thought it was hilarious. I didn’t see it coming and I loved it. It’s the one reason that I am glad I read through the book and didn’t give up.
Overall, I didn’t like A Field Guide For Heartbreakers but I know some people did. If you are interested, give it a chance but I do recommend borrowing it from your library before buying it.
Dessy Gherkin is going to Prague. She and her best friend, Veronica, have been accepted into a month-long college writing program and it’s going to be great. Too bad Dessy has a broken heart and Veronica has a goal to meet as many hot dudes as possible. There are so many ways things can go wrong especially when you throw a homicidal roommate into the mix.
My main problem with this book was the character development. I didn’t feel like I had enough background about any of the characters so I couldn’t understand their motives. Dessy was weak and Veronica was a bitch. That is honestly what I thought of them and my opinion did not change as I read the book.
The only redeeming thing about this book was the ending. I thought it was hilarious. I didn’t see it coming and I loved it. It’s the one reason that I am glad I read through the book and didn’t give up.
Overall, I didn’t like A Field Guide For Heartbreakers but I know some people did. If you are interested, give it a chance but I do recommend borrowing it from your library before buying it.
May 2, 2011
Unsatisfying book. Not so horrible that I stopped after 50 pages (I usually force myself through at least 50 pages), but by the end I regretted wasting my time. Two stars because the writing was at times laugh out loud funny. But that wasn't enough to prompt me to give a hoot about the two main characters. I was particularly put off by Veronica, the sassy best friend of the narrator who I assume we are supposed to love for her uninhibited, boy-crazy charms. To me, though, she was just a jerk. She was utterly self-absorbed and filled with annoying inconsistencies. The narrator, Dessy, wasn't so much annoying as just plain boring. I was excited to read about two teens getting into adventures during a summer in Prague, but was disappointed when those adventures were alternatively lame or unbelievable. Strangely, as I got toward the end of the book, the author hit the nail on the head as to why I wasn't really enjoying myself. The girls are in Prague at a writer's conference, and during a workshop the professor says this, "Without believable, complex characters, the reader will turn the pages out of simple curiosity." That's exactly what I was doing ... turning the pages to find out what happened, but not because I actually cared about the poorly developed characters.
September 7, 2014
Tendo um momento de pausa no trabalho e não tendo levado nenhum livro, aproveitei para ler este ebook.
"An Field Guide for Heartbreakers" é romance young-adult, levezinho que se lê rapidamente sem darmos pelo tempo passar e que nos metem um sorriso nos lábios.
Confesso que o título engana um pouco, pois pensava que seria outro tipo de história. Dessy e Veronica são duas melhores amigas que no verão partem para a República Checa para frenquentar um curso de escrita onde a mãe de Verónica irá leccionar. Entusiasmadas por esta aventura, as jovens fazem planos e conhecer novas pessoas, especialmente rapazes. Ainda por cima Dessy acabou com o seu namorado Hamilton e precisa de esquecê-lo.
O resto do livro é basicamente as aventuras das duas amigas, por terras checas, não há nada de especial a apontar, claro que elas conhecem novos rapazes e claro que se metem em confusões. o livro é um pouco previsível mas cumpre o seu objectivo.
Uma boa leitura.
"An Field Guide for Heartbreakers" é romance young-adult, levezinho que se lê rapidamente sem darmos pelo tempo passar e que nos metem um sorriso nos lábios.
Confesso que o título engana um pouco, pois pensava que seria outro tipo de história. Dessy e Veronica são duas melhores amigas que no verão partem para a República Checa para frenquentar um curso de escrita onde a mãe de Verónica irá leccionar. Entusiasmadas por esta aventura, as jovens fazem planos e conhecer novas pessoas, especialmente rapazes. Ainda por cima Dessy acabou com o seu namorado Hamilton e precisa de esquecê-lo.
O resto do livro é basicamente as aventuras das duas amigas, por terras checas, não há nada de especial a apontar, claro que elas conhecem novos rapazes e claro que se metem em confusões. o livro é um pouco previsível mas cumpre o seu objectivo.
Uma boa leitura.
Read
May 19, 2010Dessy and Veronica were the perfect duo. Dessy was heartbroken after her first love laminated all of her flaws. That's right Laminated! While Dessy is trying to mend her heart, Veronica is on a mission to be a crazy hormonal teen(boy crazy).I did feel Veronica out shined Dessy's character. I thought this was going to be just a simple book of friendship and how to deal with life. Boy was I wrong. The turn in the plot was wonderful and unpredicted. Down right entertaining. The book kept at a great pace, were you felt you could grasp the thoughts of the characters. The end however was a bit rushed. I had quite a few unanswered questions. Which I felt should have been answered. All in all this was a great book. Perfect quick read. I didn't put this one down till it was done! Kristen is now in my favorite author's list.
October 3, 2012
Damn, this book was horrible.
First of all, the setting is in Prague and these two girls are attending a book conference where aspiring authors from around the world share stories and whatnots.
Anyway, the two main characters, Dessy and Veronica, are just horrible. Seriously, Dessy is a coward and Veronica is a bitch who has serious problems. Yeah, you're right. They're best friends.
I had high hopes for this book, but the only fun part was when...(spoiler) their deranged roommate who is named Corky, by the way, tried to kill them because she was just born that way.
Hahaha, still giving this a three because I like some of the characters like Annie Earl and Roger. But I really don't get it, how is this a 'field guide' for heartbreakers? This book be cray.
First of all, the setting is in Prague and these two girls are attending a book conference where aspiring authors from around the world share stories and whatnots.
Anyway, the two main characters, Dessy and Veronica, are just horrible. Seriously, Dessy is a coward and Veronica is a bitch who has serious problems. Yeah, you're right. They're best friends.
I had high hopes for this book, but the only fun part was when...(spoiler) their deranged roommate who is named Corky, by the way, tried to kill them because she was just born that way.
Hahaha, still giving this a three because I like some of the characters like Annie Earl and Roger. But I really don't get it, how is this a 'field guide' for heartbreakers? This book be cray.
January 23, 2012
Dessy and Veronica, best friends and aspiring writers, are off to Prague for a writers’ seminar. Even though they’ve applied for a non-fiction seminar, they end up in the short story section that Veronica’s mother is teaching. Both of them have recently had break-ups – Dessy, the narrator, quieter than Veronica, still misses her boyfriend (who gave her a laminated list of her faults) a lot, while Veronica’s determined to flirt and possibly more with as many Hot Dudes as possible during their time in Prague. A very funny and astute book, with as much focus on friendships, family, and storytelling as there is on romance. I really loved all the bits set in the creative writing seminar too.
December 13, 2013
For a book about a writing seminar (in a way), it really needs some work. There was a line in it about how you either finish a book for two reasons, one was because you were hooked, or two because you had already committed so much time to it that you felt like you had to finish it. OR something to that extent. I kept giving this a chance in hopes it would get better, and for me, it didn't. The characters weren't appealing and the story wasn't too interesting either. I don't feel like the lessons that needed learning ever really got learned, which is frustrating. Her characters annoyed me and I honestly do not know why I even bothered.
February 25, 2013
2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this book. It's about two girls who go to Prague for a creative writing workshop. I mean, how awesome is that?! But I just didn't really care for it. I could definitely relate to the main character, Dessy, in many ways, and I liked her for the most part (despite her ridiculous name). However, her best friend Veronica was extremely annoying and I found myself looking forward to any scenes Veronica wasn't in.
I have to agree with my friend Jessica on this: I don't really get what the title or the cover has to do with this book.
I have to agree with my friend Jessica on this: I don't really get what the title or the cover has to do with this book.
July 28, 2010
Getting dumped by a bird-obsessed guy named Hamilton not only sucks, it's humiliating. Dessy, the dumpee and main character of A Field Guide For Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy, is a quintessential good girl, about to embark on a summer writing trip to Prague with her screwball bestie, Veronica. The girls decide to throw caution to the wind and meet all sorts of cute boys in Europe.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
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