How to End a Love Story

Content Warning: The source text and this guide include descriptions of a character’s death by suicide and the death of a minor in a car accident. They also include descriptions of anxiety and panic attacks.

Helen is a Chinese American woman whose life changed forever when her younger sister, Michelle, died by suicide at 16; Michelle ran into traffic and was struck by a car driven by Grant Shepherd, one of Helen’s classmates. As an adult, Helen is a successful author of YA books in New York and is preparing to work on the television adaptation of her novels. Despite her success, she struggles with personal relationships—she doesn’t have close friends because she finds it difficult to be vulnerable and connect with people—and her relationship with her parents is complicated. Helen is also struggling with writer’s block, and this is only compounded by her insecurities about relating with other people. Helen moves to Los Angeles to work on the adaptation of her novels, and she hopes this will be a rejuvenating change of scenery. However, she is shocked to discover that Grant is one of the writers who will be working on the adaptation. Helen shares her family’s conviction that Grant is responsible for her sister’s death, and she has been angry with him for years.