[Review] Artifacts of An Ex - Jennifer Chen

Summary: When Chloe Chang gets dumped via USPS after moving across the county from NYC to LA, her first instinct is to throw her box of memories in the garbage. Instead, she starts buying other teenagers’ break-up boxes to create an art exhibit, Heartifacts. Opening night is going great, until she spots Daniel Kwak illicitly filming his best friend’s reaction to his ex’s box. When she tries to stop him, an intense discussion ends up launching a creative partnership and friendship… and a major crush for Chloe.

There’s just one problem: Daniel is dead set on not being another rebound.

Five times he’s been the guy who makes the girls he’s dating realize they want to get back with their ex. And he refuses for there to be a sixth. She insists she’s over her ex, but when he shows up unexpectedly with his new girlfriend, it turns out Daniel was right. She isn’t ready for a new relationship.

She throws herself into making Heartifacts successful, but flashy influencers threaten her original vision of the exhibit. To create the exhibit she’s always wanted, Chloe needs to go back to basics, learn to work with artists in a more collaborative way, and discover what love can be. Only then will she convince Daniel she’s truly ready for everything they could be to one another. (Pub Date: Nov 14 2023)

 

Chloe has just learned her relationship with Jake is over through a box he mailed to her new home in LA. She decided to make this experience into an exhibition of other boxes with objects telling stories of heartbreaks, and that's how she meets Daniel. Daniel hasn't had a relationship yet but he's experienced a heartbreak after the other as all his dates have decided to go back to their exes. For that reason, he doesn't want to date Chloe and turn her into one more that gets away.

Now, this might not be the most unique idea ever, but it's full of heart without going overboard. You won't need a box of tissues for Chloe's journey – she's too determined to let it knock her down. Sure, the breakup affects her, and maybe she's not exactly toughing it out, but she's not moping for a guy who isn't meant to be.

Here's where things get a bit tangled up. I get it, Chloe loves art, wants to be a curator, and is going all-out for her exhibition, even though she's new in town. But we end up with way too many paragraphs describing every little art piece. Compare that to her grandma's cookie subplot (which is a blast, by the way), and it's like they're on opposite ends of a seesaw. The artsy angle is cool at the start, but it drags on too much.

In the end, this book runs super long (no page count in mind, just how it feels) even though it digs into some aspects that other YA stories don't touch on. Chloe kind of gets on your nerves, and the drawn-out descriptions didn't help. Daniel's pretty cool, though. He's not exactly a swoon-worthy character for me, but I dig his journey and how his documentary changes everything – including himself. The side characters are the real stars and carry the show.

In a nutshell, it's a solid pick for a YA read. It doesn't go overboard on the mushy stuff or the drama, and the extra stories mixed in give it some oomph.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Rating: 3 out of 5.