What a busy year it’s been so far, fellow book lovers! We’ve been blessed with incredible new books and audiobooks nonstop. And we hope you’re having as much fun reading our reviews as much as we are writing them.
Today, we revisit an author who’s been with our book team since the beginning! Adib Khorram and his books have a special place in our hearts. His new rom-com, The Breakup Lists, is a love letter to theater kids everywhere. (More specifically, the theater techies and stage managers who tend to go unnoticed.)
The Breakup Lists tells a queer love story between Jackson Ghasnavi, a theater techie who’s stayed away from the spotlight for years, and Liam Coquyt, the swim captain who’s auditioning for the first time. If that hasn’t convinced you yet, we’ll give you three more signs you should add The Breakup Lists to your TBR!
Book Overview
Content Warnings: ableism, divorce, mention of cheating
Summary: Jackson Ghasnavi is a lot of things—a techie, a smoothie afficionado, a totally not obsessive list-maker—but one thing he’s not is a romantic. And why would he be? He’s already had a front row seat to his parents’ divorce and picked up the pieces of his sister Jasmine’s broken heart one too many times.
No, Jackson is perfectly happy living life behind the scenes—he is a stage manager, after all—and keeping his romantic exploits limited to the breakup lists he makes for Jasmine, which chronicle every flaw (real or imagined) of her various and sundry exes.
Enter Liam: the senior swim captain turned leading man that neither of the Ghasnavi siblings stop thinking about. Not that Jackson has a crush, of course. Jasmine is already setting her sights on him and he’s probably—no, definitely—straight anyway.
You Enjoy Diverse Representation
If you love diverse books like us, look no further! Not only does The Breakup Lists have queer and Iranian representation, but it also has deaf and hard of hearing representation. And Jackson Ghasnavi stands at the intersection of being a mixed, queer teenager with a hearing disability. The use of hearing aids, along with sign language and incomplete verbal dialogue, helps us get a better understanding of Jackson’s perspective.
You Like Making Lists
To-Do lists. Bucket lists. Breakup lists. We love them all! And getting to read each of Jasmine’s ex-boyfriend’s breakup lists gave us a healthy reminder that we deserve better. So don’t get back together with your ex; they’re not worth it! Jackson also kept his own breakup lists for anyone who’s wronged him. It’s his form of written therapy to channel his anger. Although the lists end up working against Jackson later on (thanks to somebody), he learns from it just as any main character would!
You’re A Sucker For Coming-Of-Age Stories
Yes, The Breakup Lists is the best kind of teen rom-com where the character development is unmatched! Jackson must learn how to recognize his abandonment issues while also standing up for his wants and needs. He starts to communicate his frustration without completely blaming the other person. And best of all, the ever-cynical Jackson learns not to let one bad experience ruin some of the best memories he’ll make in high school!
The best part of Adib Khorram’s The Breakup Lists is how it comforts those who’ve been overlooked and underrepresented for too long and gives them a chance at authentic love.
The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram is available April 2nd, and you can preorder a copy of it here!
What do you think of Adib Khorram’s new rom-com, The Breakup Lists? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ADIB KHORRAM:
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