The Catastrophic History of You and Me

February 20, 2012
When Brie's boyfriend, Jacob, dumps her, the 15-year-old girl literally dies of a broken heart. She's left floating above her family and friends, attempting to piece together the fragments of her brief life and how it all came to an end with the four devastating words, "I don't love you." With the help of Patrick, a cute and funny boy who died in the 1980s, Brie passes through the stages of grief. Along the way, she witnesses the people she loved mourn her (including her cardiac surgeon father, who frantically searches for a logical explanation for her death), revisits episodes from her past, and exacts ghostly revenge on her ex. Secondary characters can be slight, and elements of Rothenberg's premise are derivative of other titles featuring deceased teens in limbo. However, thanks to Brie's fresh and poignant narration, this first novel brings a welcome touch of irreverence to the larger themes of death, heartbreak, and forgiveness as Brie learns that sometimes there really are second chances. Ages 12âup. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media.