REVIEW: How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang (2-stars)

I keep trying to read popular fiction and often end up disappointed—How to End a Love Story was no exception. While I finished the book, it felt like a messy blend of unresolved trauma, repetitive storytelling devices, and a plot stretched thin to accommodate a few steamy scenes.

Helen, our protagonist, doesn’t seem to form meaningful connections. Her friendships are shallow, and she rarely makes an effort at anything until late in the book when she begins writing about her sister. Even then, the emotional payoff is minimal. The subplot about her sister’s death—possibly suicide by running into traffic?—is left frustratingly unresolved, making the third-person narration feel unreliable and the emotional stakes muddled.

Also, the sex scenes felt idealized to the point of distraction. Does Helen ever not have an orgasm? It’s not exactly representative of most heterosexual experiences, and it detracts from the realism the book seems to aim for.

Honestly, this story might have worked better as a lighter adult romance: “He was the hot homecoming king, we were years apart, and now we’re hooking up as adults.” That premise alone could’ve been fun and engaging without the weight of underdeveloped trauma and distant parents.

This book needed a stronger editorial hand. I wanted more emotional clarity, more believable relationships, and less reliance on drama that never fully lands.

REVIEW: How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang 

RATING: 2-stars

© Jennifer R Clark. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You may share and adapt this content with proper attribution.

My Role as "Citizen at Antifa(scism)" Subversive Patriotism in the Age of Surveillance

I’ve updated my LinkedIn profile. Not with a new job title or promotion, but with a declaration:

Citizen – Antifa – Full-time – October 1987 to Present.

This isn’t satire. It’s a statement of civic identity.

I stand against fascism and systemic oppression by defending democracy, human rights, and the Constitution. I believe in radical empathy, civic action, and the power of dissent. I welcome opposing viewpoints rooted in respect, truth, and a shared commitment to justice.

Antifa Is Not an Organization. It’s a Stance.

Despite the word salad from political operatives trying to brand antifascism as a shadowy network, it’s not. It’s a position. A refusal. A line in the sand.

To be antifascist is to be pro-democracy, pro-human rights, and pro-accountability.

Malicious Compliance as Protest

A few weeks ago, I reported myself to ICE.

Not because I’m undocumented—but because I’m documented.

Here's what I put in the ICE "Tip" form:  "My grandfather was an anchor baby of English coal miners who came to this country to work, possibly illegally, and didn’t pursue citizenship for many decades."

So I submitted my story. Because if ICE is going to detain people born in this country multiple times, then maybe they should read mine too.  

Let’s flood the system.

Let every brave person with a birth certificate and a passport submit their immigrant ancestry (I do not advocate this tactic for people of color). 

Let the database overflow.

Let them read every story.

Let them reckon with the truth.

This Is What Resistance Looks Like

Resistance isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s quiet, persistent, and deeply personal.

It’s a LinkedIn update.

It’s a form submission.

It’s a refusal to let the machinery of oppression operate unchallenged.