In the middle of August, I was desperate for some good books to read before school started. I headed to the library, the Spicewood Springs Branch, just up the road from Canyon Vista. When I arrived, I headed for the teen section and just stood there, looking at the spines of the numerous books sitting on the shelves. I figured that, with all the popular fantasy/dystopian fiction books coming out, it would be nice to take a step away from the mythical realm for a while and read a realistic fiction novel instead.

I wanted to find a story that was an unknown title, yet one that had depth and feeling to it, a story that’s not only about the plot and what’s happening, but also the emotions of the characters and why they did what they did.

I felt finding a book like that would be pretty hard, especially since I was looking for an unknown story. Then, the spine of one particular book caught my eye. It looked like the standard realistic fiction novel with a striped spine, and the title and author’s name all in understated, lowercase letters. I pulled the book off the shelf and read the summary on the back cover. It didn’t quite sound like the book I was looking for, but it sounded interesting enough, so I started reading.

The title of that book was “Instructions for a Broken Heart.”

“Instructions for a Broken Heart” is about one teenager’s school trip to Europe that changes her perspective on life. The realistic situation and the simplistic yet sentimental style of the story make this novel a unique and beautifully crafted work.

High schooler Jessa Gardner is swept off her feet in stunned surprise when she walks into the costume barn and stumbles upon her boyfriend Sean, kissing another girl. The worst part is, the next day the drama club is leaving for their 10-day trip to Italy. Jessa had been anticipating a romantic tour with Sean; now all she’ll get is a front-row seat of Natalie Stone enjoying her trip with her boyfriend.

On the plane, however, Jessa’s friend Tyler Santos, gives her a package from Jessa’s best friend Carissa. The package contains twenty envelopes; Jessa is instructed to open two envelopes a day. Each envelope contains one reason why Sean doesn’t deserve Jessa with an instruction to do something un-Jessa-like. Despite having Carissa’s envelopes to spice things up, Jessa presumes the only role she’ll be playing is as a humiliated ex-girlfriend.

Though she doesn’t know it when she first starts opening them, these envelopes will be part of the key to unlocking the secret Jessa didn’t know she had: the secret of who she really is. With the help of her old friends and some new ones, Jessa pulls herself out of her pity pool and learns to find and accept her true self rather than assume a fabricated position that others expect her to be.

“Instructions for a Broken Heart” seems simple when you first start reading it, but once you get into the story, in the heart of Italy, you can’t help but marvel at the way some of Jessa’s moods can match up with the scenery she’s in. When I was reading it, I kept thinking that the setting was a perfect reflection of her turbulent emotions. Though I was unfamiliar with the places described, through Jessa’s narration I experienced the emotion that the atmosphere created. To some readers, it may seem like Jessa wastes her trip on thinking only of herself and not really seeing the amazing Italian landscape, but in reality, she’s using the setting as inspiration and trying to find herself in the midst of all the breathtaking beauty of Italy.

According to a few online book reviews, some said that the book was boring and shallow. I disagree. This book is a fascinating tale of heartbreak and revival, and it taught me many things, about myself, others, and life and love, in general. “Instructions for a Broken Heart” was like instructions for shaping my character and personality. I definitely recommend this book. It completely changed my perspective on things, and it’s powerful enough to change yours, too.