Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors and Teens on the Dark Side of Love

In 2017, author Demetrios invited teens to send her “Dear Heartbreak” letters. This volume, with letters selected and answered by other YA authors (including Becky Albertalli, Libba Bray, and A.S. King), is the result. Whether the teen writers are troubled by bad love, no love, or love betrayed, the authors’ empathic answers detail their experiences. The letters can feel repetitive, but recurring details speak to the nature of heartbreak: as unique as it may feel, many experience it. Above all, the writers honestly acknowledge the pain of a broken heart while encouraging readers to first love themselves. Ages 14–up. (Dec.)