Severed Heads, Broken Hearts Review

Severed Heads, Broken Hearts
by Robin Schneider
Genre: Contemporary YA
Format: ARC received from Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Midnight Minute: Ezra is a golden boy who's tumbled from his lofty perch and must adjust to the new changes in his life. 
Expected Publication: 08.27.13
From Goodreads:

 Robyn Schneider's Severed Heads, Broken Hearts is a witty and heart-wrenching teen novel that will appeal to fans of books by John Green and Ned Vizzini and novels such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: In one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra's knee, his career as a jock, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for homecoming king, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra's ever met— achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

Together, Ezra and Cassidy discover flash mobs, buried treasure, secret movie screenings, and a poodle that might just be the reincarnation of Jay Gatsby. But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: If one's singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

With lyrical writing, nerdy humor, and realistic romance, Robyn Schneider's Severed Heads, Broken Hearts is a story about how difficult it is to play the part people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ Goodreads no longer has this down at Severed Heads, Broken Hearts, and the cover image is gone too... now the title is The Beginning of Everything... I think.  I'm very confused, because I think the Severed Heads title is one of the books best hooks.  Not sure what it's going to end up as- not sorry to see the cover go, although I did like the colors. 
~ The book definitely explains where the Severed Heads of the title comes from, and I have to say I kind of loved the opening. 
~ Ezra finds popularity in junior high, while his best friend kind of gets left behind... holding the severed head, so to speak. 
~ Ezra lives the life of a golden boy, until he walks in on his girlfriend and another guy at a party.  There was  a really dirty joke I had written down in my notes about this as it pertains to severed heads, but I have decided not to subject you to it. 
~ It took me a long while before I warmed up to Ezra, because even though he gets in the accident after the party and ruins his leg, he still seems to be living a charmed life.  But, like Cherry from the Outsiders so aptly observed, life is rough all over, Ponyboy. 
~ Because he can't hang with his tennis buddies, Ezra reconnects with his old bestie, Josh.  Which, if I were Josh, I would have made his work for, but Josh is much nicer than I am. 
~ Ezra is rocking a cane now. Which made me picture Patrick Swayze rocking a can in the tv mini-series about the Civil War called North and South. He played southern gentleman, Orry Maine, sigh. Canes can be sexy, is all I'm saying. 
~ Things this book taught me: The word "tartle". Not going to define it here for you, because I already assume that you're Googling the word right now. 
~ Okay, Ezra, you don't get to be all sad and mopey about not being popular if you're the one distancing yourself from your old friends. 
~ Ya'll, Charlotte is basically Quinn from the first season of Glee.  
~ Ezra joins the Debate Team, which is pretty cool, but I would have liked to see more of it.  I needed a scene where Ezra was actually debating.  At least tell me more of the topics. 
~ Cassidy shows up to a debate tournament dressed as a Gryffindor student, so like, a million housepoints to her!
~ I loved the kids playing the drinking game where they had to debate silly topics.  I would kick some major ass at this, since I excel at making up random B.S.  Seriously, ask any of my friends.
~ The book references geocaching, which is awesome.  My sister-in-law did this for awhile, and someday I will get into it. 
~ Silent raves sound awesome, and I definitely loved the scene. 
~ I love Bon Iver and Arcade Fire, but I'm 35.  Do high school boys really listen to them?
~ Toby suggests that Ezra build Cassidy a Tardis, thus becoming my favorite character. 
~ I thought this book would be a lot different, and while it's funny, it struggles with trying to be too cool at times.  
~ I saw the plot twist coming, but the ending did not meet my expectations- in a good way. 

Timeless Characters:

Ezra Faulkner- main character and former (or not so former) golden boy.
Toby- Ezra's best friend until a ill-timing roller coaster ride. 
Charlotte- used to date Ezra, obsesses about popularity. 
Jill, Evan, Jimmy- Ezra's circle of friends pre-accident. 
Cassidy Thorpe- new girl, shakes up Ezra's world. 
Emily- baby sister to big bro Toby. 
Luke, Sam, Austin and Phoebe- Ezra's new friends in the Debate team. 
Fail Whale- Toby's hand-me-down mini-van. 
Owen- Cassidy's older brother.

Midnight Moment:

My favorite part of the book was the Floating Movie Club- I so want to break into a high school late at night and do this!

Stop The Clock:

I really expected zombie poetry or something completely out there.  I still enjoyed it though, but come on, zombie poetry would have been awesome.


Robin Schneider— Website |Robin Schneider

Severed Heads, Broken Heats  gets a Midnight Book Rating of: