The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram (review)

Reviewed by: The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram Wesley Jacques Khorram, Adib The Breakup Lists. Dial, 2024 336p Trade ed. ISBN 9780593616390 19. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593616413 10. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-12 Jackson's lists started as a therapist-prescribed coping mechanism for dealing with his parents' divorce, before developing into a more elaborate parlor trick for his older sister Jasmine's steady stream of not-so-surprising heartbreaks. In fact, between scribbling down all the reasons her exes suck, honing his stagecraft for the school's theatre program, and sipping "shmoodies" with his bestie, Jackson rarely has time for any romance of his own—until cute senior Liam. Initially, Jackson puts his slow-burning crush on the back burner, insisting that Liam and Jasmine date instead. This devolves into a messy love triangle when Liam and Jasmine break up and Jackson and Liam begin to date instead, lying to keep their relationship a secret. The contrived setup is easily made palatable by Jackson's charmingly oblivious narration, featuring occasional strikethroughs of the text that offer insight into his overthinking and overall cynicism toward romance. Jackson is hard-of-hearing and uses hearing aides, adding another layer of complexity to his communications with others (and making it all the more thoughtful that Liam learns to sign just to flirt with him). With a dependable best friend by his side, a lot to work through with a sister who loves him regardless, and a diva former love interest lurking in the End Page 325 wings, Jackson eventually finds his way to center stage in this rarely groundbreaking but still delightful romance. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois