Book Review: You're Breaking My Heart by Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich

You're Breaking My Heart by Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich
Published by Levine Querido
Publication Date: February 6, 2024

Synopsis

Harriet Adu knows that her brother’s death is her fault. I mean, it’s not actually her fault, but it still kinda is, isn’t it?

She would do anything to live in a world where she could take back what she said that morning.

Then a strange girl shows up at Harriet’s high school – a girl who loves the same weird books Harriet does, who doesn’t vibe with anyone at school the same way Harriet does – and that different world suddenly seems possible. The girl speaks of a place underneath the subways of New York, where people like them can go and find a home. A place away from the world of high school, grief, cool people, and depression. A place where one may be able to bend the lines of reality and get a second chance at being a better person.

Will Harriet open the door?

Review

For those of us who lived as teens in the 90's, Harriet reminds me of someone who was never in anyone's top 8 on Myspace. She's a loner, sullen, kind of grouchy, and throughout the book as we have flashbacks of her childhood with her brother, cousin, and her brother's best friend, they seem like the 3 Musketeers and she's some hanger on they keep around just for the heck of it. It seems like the loss of Harriet's brother and the last thing she said to his exacerbated an already sad existence.

Despite the description of this book I could never have imagined that Harriet, Luke, and Nikka would end up... where they ended up. It was like if you took the Cheshire cat, that Caterpillar, and the weird scary parts of The Wiz and shoved them into Coraline with some STEM... I think.

I think this book can best be described as a manifestation of grief and sadness, and the impact of childhood versus the intent of those around you. The farther we read, the less sure we were of Harriet's childhood experiences. And don't even get me started on the mom. What does she know??

This was one of the most unique thought provoking books I've read in a while!