Rating 4.5 out of 5
OTHER BREAKABLE THINGS is a gorgeous story of friendship and love. There is so much beauty - in the storytelling, in the imagery, and in the emotional tone of OTHER BREAKABLE THINGS, that it feels like a privilege to get to read it and experience it.

It's easy to adore Evelyn - her personality, her kindness, her willingness to give their friendship another chance. And then there is Luc. Oh, Luc. He is could be mistaken for selfish because he doesn't always share his true feelings, his fears, the worries he has about his health and the impact it has on Evelyn and his family. But, many of this things he does are selfless - for Evelyn. It's for her joy he wants. He wants her to have experiences and on the road trip, he helps her create some unforgettable memories.

There were moments of overwhelming melancholy because I was witnesses these characters' love for each other with the knowledge that it could all end in an instant. It's easy to hold on to hope and believe in the power of the paper cranes and still understand that it may not be forever. For me, that is the appeal of this story. We may not get the happy ending, but there is beauty and happiness in their time together.

Some favorite quotes:

"Desperado" for a desperate situation. Sometimes the most cliche music is exactly what you need,"

"I have a feeling seeing her reaction to everything will be the best part of this trip. Hell, maybe that's been the part all along."

AND THIS - After their first kiss:
"I feel like I've been waiting years to do that. Was that some kind of one time thing?"
"No, I don't think it was."

I loved this book more than I can express here. I hope that readers embrace this book and the story of friendship and love and life and death because it is incredibly special.

If you want a story that makes you cry, this book is for you. If you liked Me Before You, this book may be for you. But for me, because I enjoyed Me Before You, I struggled a bit with this novel.

If you read the summary, you know the book has a very similar plot. A girl falls for a boy, and vice versa, but the girl discovers the boy is planning on taking his own life because of an illness. The girl thinks if she can show the boy that life is still worth living, that she can change his mind. Sound familiar? This is basically a YA version and I was often distracted by the similarities.

Regardless, Other Breakable Things was well-written and I enjoyed reading it. It's a stirring story of what makes life worth living as it follows two teens on a road-trip meant to distract them from reality. At least, that's what it starts off as for Evelyn. For Luc, it's a journey he doesn't intend to come back from. But it isn't just Luc who has his struggles, Evelyn has her own demons and fears to overcome. And together, it turns out, they are stronger than alone.

I felt the characters were well-developed, the story was gripping, and I was surprisingly satisfied with the ending (I was worried about that).

Despite my personal biases, I enjoyed Other Breakable Things and am giving it 4 out of 5 Stars.

Other Breakable Things tells a beautiful story and the "wife & wife" writing duo -Kelley and Rowan- is exceptionally talented! Together they deliver what's probably one of the best YA you could find on the shelves of your bookstore; Luc and Evelyn are such splendid characters, and you'll fall in love with them immediately.

I can count on one hand all the books that kept me glued to the pages and Other Breakable Things is definitely one of those; it made me smile and cry at the same time.

Other Breakable Things by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood just stole a lil piece of my heart. Splendid!!

Luc has always been sick, but when he gets the news that his transplanted heart is being rejected he is ready to give up. When his old childhood friend Evelyn moves back to town and attempts to be his friend again despite his years of ignoring her, he pushes her away again. But regardless of how standoffish he is, Evelyn comes to him in a moment of need, he makes the decision to take her on a road trip with him. But Evelyn has no idea what Luc's real destination is or what is really going on.

Oh my gawd, this book was a heart-breaker. And no, I don't mean that in a bad way because I absolutely love these kind of teen angsty, "death" books as my friends and family call them. I was plugging along, enjoying this book, when all of a sudden something happened and I found myself with a lump in my throat, fighting tears, and I realized that I was sucked in the story and was so invested in these characters. This was not an easy read, but a look at two very broken kids who are given the chance to find a moment of happiness together. Sniff, sniff. I can honestly say I had no idea what would happen, and I was holding my breath the second half of the book waiting to see.

The story is narrated by both Evelyn and Luc allowing the reader to get to know both characters and their motivations. Luc has always been sick and refuses to get close to anyone since he knows his days are numbered. Evelyn is a shy awkward girl who has never had any friends besides Luc, and a messed up home situation that she wants to escape from, even if just for a few days. Both characters are so damaged in different ways and watching them heal each other made the book even more with the feels. I wanted to wrap them both up in bubble wrap yet at the same time I wanted to watch the train wreck they were making of life to see where they would end up.

This book was a romance in the best and most heart breaking way. I am so glad that I had the chance to read the book even while I felt like I was going to shatter into pieces and cry. The book was bittersweet and I look forward to more form these authors.

I received this title in return for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Evelyn Abel is back in town and she reaches out to Luc even though he hasn’t answered her emails and texts in months. Luc is dying his body is rejecting a heart transplant he had three years before. He doesn’t want to go through another transplant and decides to make a road trip to Oregon where there is a dying with dignity option. Evelyn goes with him not knowing his true intentions. When she finds out she hopes she can change his mind. Luc is falling for Evelyn is it enough to change his mind?

In an Oyster Shell – A gut-wrenching read that will make you better off for having read it. It’s a great book.

The Pearls –The relationship between Luc and Evelyn was the star. It starts with Luc holding Evelyn at arm’s length because he thinks he doesn’t have a lot of time. Evelyn is an ever faithful friend who eventually breaks through Luc’s walls. They go on a trip together where Evelyn wins Luc over even more. The journey made for a great experience for the reader.

The characters were well-developed and well-defined. Evelyn was a strong heroine in the end. In the beginning, she was really vulnerable and by the end of the story, she is strong. Luc goes through quite the transformation himself. Going from wanting to die to seeing that maybe there is more to life… is quite the change. The author had a great handle on the character development.

The idea of going on a trip was a great premise. In a sense, both characters were running from something, but they had each other. The relationship that develops on the trip is swoon worthy. Having each other in the end was all they really needed in spite of what they were running from.

My review (aka Diana’s review):
Holy moly. This freaking story ruined me.
I finished Other Breakable Things a few days ago and I’m writing the review just now because I had to wrap my head around everything that happened. I can still feel the aftermath of that humongous book hangover that I had as soon as i finished it.

Here’s how everything goes down.
Evelyn and Luc have know each other from way back. They used to be best friends once. But life pulled them apart three years ago when Evelyn had to move to Arizona with her mom and her god-awful boyfriend.
Now, one heart transplant and three years later, Evelyn is back in California and in Luc’s life. She’s oblivious to Luc’s transplant and how sick he actually is and Luc has no plans to enlighten her any time soon.
When Luc discovers the horrible things Evelyn went through while in Arizona and that her mom is about to take Evelyn back to that hell, he makes the decision to include her in his road trip to Oregon. Oregon, the only place where “death with dignity is legal” and where Luc is going to put an end to his life.
And so it goes. Evelyn and Luc begin their journey and find love along the way.
When the truth finally comes out, Evelyn will do whatever it takes to make Luc see that life is worth living.

It is hard to choose my favorite character from this book because I love them all, though I have to say that Evelyn’s character caught my attention the most. I can’t believe how strong she is. She has gone—is going through—a whole lot of crap and that made me so angry and sad for her. She has such a beautiful heart and she’s the person who deserves everything beautiful in the world.
Luc’s and Evelyn’s love is my favorite kind of love, so pure. Those kind of stories are the reason I fell in love with reading.

I have a love-hate relationship with the realness of this story. It is so incredibly realistic, Kelley and Rowan have a talent for writing stories that make the writer feel every single word. I love that.
With these types of books everyone kind of expects the same outcome, I thought I knew what was coming. I was ready for the ending. Little did I know, there are scenes towards the end where they played with my feelings and then I expected the ending to go completely different. But as I mentioned, this book is extremely real so of course the outcome is no different. And I hated that. I hate the way it ended, I hated the realness. For once, I wished a book wasn’t as close to life as this one is.

Other Breakable Things is one of those special books that you’re lucky to find once in a lifetime. It’s a story about love and death and while I’m not a fan of that combination, this book won me over and I feel like it is going to win you over too. You’ll fall in love with Luc’s and Evelyn’s love. You’ll swoon and you’ll shed some tears. I recommend this book completely!

[3.5 stars] This is a hard one for me to rate because there was a lot of eye rolling, but in the end, I really enjoyed the story. If you liked [book:The Fault in Our Stars|11870085] and/or [book:A Walk to Remember|3473] i'm fairly confident this will be your kind of book. Those are two of my all time favorites, so of course I was going to like this.

This book deals with assisted suicide, which is a topic I have written a 20 page paper on. I am very pro assisted suicide. So I was interested to see how this was handled. It didn't go how I was going to go, but it didn't turn into a political book preaching for or against it, which I appreciated.

I can't attest to the accuracy of the portrayal for his heart disease, or the symptoms of organ rejection, but it seemed believable?

All in all, I enjoyed the characters, and the romance, and the road trip. It's not insta-lovey at all, if you're worried. If you like a sad, but heartwarming romance, I'd recommend it.

This is a YA contemporary romance about Luc, a boy who's had a heart-transplant, but his body is now rejecting it, and Evelyn, his best friend. It’s a moving story that explores subject of death, and it features a road-trip to Oregon.
I really liked the writing style, especially the masterfully executed double POV, which is hard to pull of. I loved the realistic characters, and their development was the most amazing part of it all, the emotional journey was beautifully paced. I have to note that the ending felt sudden (keep it bleak to keep it spoiler-free), and that I wish Luc had been a little less secretive (at moments it bothered me), otherwise this would’ve been a five-star rating.

I have to admit, those few sentences haven't been easy to write at all. After I finished Other Breakable Things, I had no idea what I thought of it. It's taken me three weeks to sit and write it down because this book is so captivating, and the story stays with you.

If you’re looking for a tragic YA romance, this is the one for you.

I am having a hard time and figuring out where to start. Other Breakable Things is an adorable, at sometimes funny, yet heartbreaking novel. You are following Luc and Evelyn on their road trip from California to Oregon. Evelyn is an (almost) 18 year old girl whose mother jumps from relationship to relationship and she does not want to move back to Arizona with her mom and Robert (her mother's current boyfriend). Luc is a 19 year old boy who has struggled with health issues almost all of his life and has just discovered that he will need a second heart transplant to survive.
Evelyn and Luc are just reunited after Evelyn moves back from living in Arizona the first time. Luc is the only person that Evelyn can turn to with her feelings and fears, but Luc does not want her to get to close. Luc decides he wants to leave and head to Oregon to discover a little more about their "Death with Dignity" laws. When Luc sees how upset Evelyn is at the idea of moving back to Arizona with Robert, he decides to bring her with him.
Evelyn and Luc have such a complex relationship and I very much enjoyed seeing the changes within it as the story progressed. They both have their own very unique personalities and hobbies. Luc likes to make butterfly displays and Evelyn folds paper cranes and other paper animals.
There was some humor in this book that I was not expecting as well and I would find myself laughing out loud while reading. The pacing of this book and their romance I think was phonemail, not too fast, but not so slow. I also found it very interesting seeing the perspective of someone who is so ill that they could potential die if they do not receive a new organ. I have not read from a perspective like this before, and I thought the authors did an amazing job with that.
One thing though that made it kind of hard for me to find believable is how Luc had enough money to be able to fund this entire trip. I know he had savings and some credit cards, but especially with all of his health issues, I would not expect him to have enough money saved up for a month long road trip staying in a hotel room every night at 19.
Other than that, I really loved this story and reading about these characters. This story will make you laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time) and that is something that is hard to do well!

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read Other Breakable Things by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood! The beginning dropped my heart into my stomach. Immediately after, the story goes back three years and shows a mother waking her son, Luc, because there's a heart available for his needed transplant. Back to the present beginning with Chapter One and Evelyn's point of view. Then the chapters alternate between Luc and Evelyn. Evelyn has returned to town with her mother and, once again, they live with Evelyn's grandmother. Luc and Evelyn were friends three years ago and when she moved away they kept in touch fairly well, until the past four months when Luc hadn't replied to any of Evelyn's emails. Luc has been dealing with transplant recovery and therapy but he doesn't want Evelyn to pity him, so he doesn't explain this to her. He has kept his sickness from her and she has no idea why he doesn't feel well and no idea that he has undergone transplant surgery. While reading, we learn about what Luc has been through and what Evelyn's life has been like. They have both kept things from each other. Now they try to rekindle their friendship and both want to be more than just friends, but they are afraid of scaring the other one off if they share their secrets. Luc doesn't feel that it's fair to Evelyn to become involved when he's not sure how long he will be around and Evelyn has always kept her problems to herself. Little by little, they overcome their obstacles and are able to spend time together on an adventurous road trip to Oregon. I grew to love Luc and Evelyn and cared for their future together. Other Breakable Things is a wonderful love story with a heartfelt touch and appreciation for how short life can be; 5 stars!

The book has a few good things, but there is no way I can finish it. Seriously, for weeks I've been trying to read it, but I can not. I get so bored. I wanted to finish it but the story got me sleepy every time I tried
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Good things I found:
* A road trip.
* Both POVs.
* The issue of euthanasia.

Things that make me give it up:
* Flat romance.
* Luc is so selfish.
* How predictable everything seems.
* I was not interested in the characters or the places they went.


So, with all my regret, I DNF it. It's one of those cases of "it's not you, it's me". I know that other people will enjoy it more than I did.

If you want to know my quick review of this book, it's this: This book took me in a roller coaster of emotions and it was so worth it.

Like how can these quotes not get you?

"I'm not made of much time and never have been."

"The most terrifying thing is death claiming me out of nowhere, of having no say over it."


Call me crazy but I was actually looking for a book that had the same feel/tone as this book. Sometimes us readers just want to suffer a little bit, lol. I hate comparing books but if you enjoyed books like the Fault in Our Stars, My Heart and Other Black Holes, and Love & Other Unknown Variables, then you definitely have to check this book out.

I appreciated the switching POVs. I'm usually not a big fan because it could sometimes get confusing but it felt necessary for this book because I wanted to understand how both characters felt, especially Luc. Between our two main characters, Evelyn would have to be my favorite because sometimes, I just get so frustrated with Luc. Like, I totally understood how Evelyn felt when she was frustrated.

This book also discusses the topic of suicide and euthanasia. By no means do I see that the authors are glamorizing/romanticizing these topics. I've recently noticed that readers nowadays tend to criticize books for having themes set around this. The authors are not promoting these ideas but rather telling readers that it's a reality that people actually think about and face.

The plot is great. I really enjoyed the road trip and when they would go on "adventures". My favorite part on their trip was probably meeting Max. His personality gives me life -we need more people like Max in this world. He's so accepting of people and he doesn't care about what people about him. As long as he's happy, everything is great.

So why did I knock off one star? I can't go into detail without giving spoilers so let's just say that there was one thing in particularly that felt so abrupt. I'll discuss it in the spoilers so be my guest. But please do read the book before you read the spoilers, lol.

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Spoilers ahead
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you've been warned (:
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So I knocked off one star because they got married so quickly. Like okay, I understand given the circumstances but couldn't they just be happy with spending time with each other? Plus, they haven't verbally told each other "I love you". I remember Luc confessing in his thoughts but I don't think they ever defined their relationship. Maybe they did, but I'm a hundred percent sure that they did not tell each other "I love you". I get that Luc was trying to protect Evelyn from Roger but in the end, even if they didn't get married, her mother would have chosen her over Robert. Then again we don't know that until the end.

I figured that this book will not have the happiest of endings. I thought that Luc was either gonna die early on (which he did) or that they'll be able to live together for a few more months. I'd be happier with the latter but that didn't happen *shrugs*. I was reading during class when he died and I wanted to cry so bad but my classmates will thing I'm weird so nope. I held my tears. I just learned a new skill.

When Luc decided to get rid of the nembutal, I was so happy. He finally decided that he wanted to try living and be with Evelyn. They were headed home for god's sake! But disaster strikes :(

I'll be honest, I was hoping that Luc will recover but realized that the accident probably had a great effect on his heart. His last moments with Evelyn were just beautiful. When he asked Evelyn to go buy books, I just knew that something was going to happen and Luc knew.

"'I love you. You know that, right?' he says.

I smile back at him, sliding my fingers through his hair, relishing the way he leans into my touch. 'I know. I love you, too.'

'All things considered, have you had fun?'

A soft laugh escapes my lips. 'All things considered, yes.'"


and yup. The inevitable happened. I guess in some way, Luc didn't want Evelyn to remember how he dies. He wanted her to remember her last moment with him was when he was alive and happy. I kinda wished the author expanded more on her relationship with her mother considering the revelation but all is good. So yeah. 4 stars. :)

This was a surprisingly wonderful ride and the one which broke my heart a little as well. Luc and Evelyn had been there for each other since they met in school but when Evelyn had to move to Arizona, he pushed her away. Luc needed a heart transplant badly, but his body has started rejecting his new heart and now Luc doesn’t want to go through all of that again. But Evelyn’s back and to escape the reality, both of them decides to go on a road trip, each has a different agenda in mind but even when they start falling for each other, life might or might not give them a second chance at all.

The plot was refreshing and I was hooked into the story from the very beginning. Luc and Evelyn had been best friends but when Evelyn’s mom decided to move in with her boyfriend, they move to Arizona and despite how much she tries to keep in contact with Luc, he pushes her away. After three years, Evelyn’s back in town but she doesn’t know about Luc’s heart condition. I loved Luc but I have to agree with Evelyn on one thing, he couldn’t make the decisions about what the other person was supposed to feel. Nonetheless, Luc finally takes a decision about his life and together they head for Oregon.

I loved the road trip. I, myself have never been in one and the idea of road trip fascinates me. Luc and Evelyn had the adventure of their lifetime. I loved their friendship which slowly developed into something more. It was clear how much they cared for each other. I loved Evelyn too, she was quiet and shy but with Luc she was herself. There were quite a few twists and turns in this book which I never saw coming. I didn’t even think they would actually proceed with the plan but it was a nice surprise.

Overall, Other Breakable Things was a good read. The plot was executed neatly and I loved the characters. I enjoyed the romance between Evelyn and Luc but the ending broke my heart. The writing was smooth and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book, I easily finished this in one sitting.

Recommend it?

Yes.

4.5 stars! Heartstrings tugged (no pun intended)! Following this young couple as their relationship grows and blossoms, even under a deadline of an illness that's taking a bad turn was so heart warming (again...no pun intended). Already having a heart transplant, Luc just wants to live the rest of his short life being happy and taking risks. I loved the relationship between Evelyn and Luc. It grew realistically and just made me happy. There were quite a few troupes here: one is sick, thinking of ending his life on his terms, she wants to save him....blah blah blah. But, what I liked was that it left you guessing on what decisions Luc would make. Would he end his life himself? Would he hold on as long as he could? Would he survive? Nothing was a guarantee. Overall such a great read! Really enjoyed this one!

I'll be honest with you - I was comparing this to JG's "The Fault in Our Stars" on a regular basis while reading. And that's a wonderful thing, given how much I adored that book! Of course, Other Breakable Things is a very different story on many, many levels, but the whole "teens in love in spite of one teen on the verge of death" is the basis of both. Luc and Evelyn's characters are both well-developed and there was no attempt to sweeten them up or glam Evelyn up to make her a more traditional female lead, and I really appreciated that. As Luc discovered, Evelyn being Evelyn is what made her beautiful. The constant questioning about what makes life worth living (despite deteriorating health) and the suicide consideration makes this book a very emotional read. Evelyn's struggles with her mother and her mother's boyfriend (and the sexually-inappropriate nature of his attention to her) makes this a slightly grittier and much more authentic read than it could have been. Recommended YA reading and as a purchase for high school libraries.

Heartbreakingly sad, with a sensitive ear to the subject, if not a slightly inauthentic voice and plot.

*I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley*
When I saw this book on NetGalley I was like, no way am I getting this one, the cover is so pretty! But then I got accepted so I was really happy. I was even happier to discover that the gorgeous cover, went along with an awesome story.

The main characters, Luc and Evelyn couldn't be more opposite, but they are best friends, even having been 3 years apart. I could see their connection from the first pages, which made knowing what would inevitably happen with his heart even worse. Still, their adventures and their wonder was absolutely adorable, even in the sad circumstances, which reminded me a lot of A Thousand Boy Kisses , a book I absolutely loved. And don't even get me talking about the paper cranes... why did the two of them have to be so cute?!

I fully recommend it for anyone who loves a good cry, specially if you've read Me Before You or A Thousand Boy Kisses

Rating: 3.5 stars

This is sort of a teen version of Me Before You.

Luc has spent most of his life in and out of hospitals due to a heart conditions. Although he was lucky enough to receive a transplant, the new heart is failing him as well. With another transplant and endless hospitals stays looming in his future, he begins to explore his options, euthanasia being one of them. He sets out to Oregon with his best friend, Evelyn, in hopes of obtaining the medication, that will allow him to die with dignity. When Evelyn learns of his plans, she hopes to change his mind by showing him all the things he should live for.

I knew this was going to be sad from the synopsis, and even though I was prepared, I am still a snotty mess. This was a legit sadness rollercoaster. I started with some sniffling, which lead to my eyes getting shiny. Then, a few tears fell, until, I was finally sobbing. So, bravo to the authors, you made me care. My heart aches for Evelyn and Luc, and therefore, I must commend you on your character development.

As far as the story is concerned, I really enjoyed the road trip portion, and I was totally over the moon when they were in Vegas. I was pleased with the way the authors dealt with Evelyn's feeling of never being a priority at the end. I think it was important to give to the reader.

I am more a fan of the light and fluffy and happy books, so this one was tough for me. This is just tragedy served with a side order of tragedy. I am emotionally drained from reading it, but there was a lot of really beautiful moments in this books.

Overall: If you like tragic love stories, this is a book for you.