Don’t You Forget About Me. Yes, the title is a Breakfast Club reference… because at its heart, this is essentially a Breakfast Club tale for adults – of a type, at least. A group of strangers forced together all day, all with secrets of how they found themselves there at that moment. An emotional tale of what happens over those several hours.
And, in a bit of irony, other than the “it has cussing!!!!” one star review, literally every complaint in every existing one star review on Goodreads as I write this review nearly 10 days after publication of this book (despite having had it as an Advance Review Copy for several months!) is actually addressed either by realizing that this is a Breakfast Club type tale or even directly within the tale itself as things are wrapping up.
This one hit hard in a few different ways for me. One character has a situation where they made a similar choice to one I made over 20 yrs ago that continues to haunt me at times. Another faced an impossible situation that I’ve faced with far lower stakes more than once. Another sheds some light on some of the things that almost had to have been happening in those involved in the real life situation I mentioned moments ago that continues to haunt me.
But even without those direct personal connections – connections that are almost so common as to be universal, which was one of the things that, again, made Breakfast Club itself so beloved – this really is one that if you have a heart at all, it is going to feel the pull in these words. At some point, which may be different for each reader, the room is *going* to become very dusty indeed. Whalen just has a way of doing that, and this book is no different there.
Indeed, the *one* thing I can find to fault at all is a particular bit in the author’s note at the end that will leave a sour tinge of an aftertaste to many readers – but that is literally the author’s note after the story itself is completed. The story itself is truly an emotional successor to Breakfast Club for those with a bit more “life experience” since that era, and absolutely *nails* this particular vibe.
Very much recommended.
This review of Handle With Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen was originally written on April 23, 2026.