It's Not You, It's Me

June 8, 2009
With doses of humor, Hoffmann (The Good Girl
) lightens this story of heartbreak and obsession, which follows the first 31 days of teenage Zoë's breakup with Henry, her musician boyfriend of six months. On day one, Zoë suspects she is about to be dumped, and on day two, her inkling is confirmed. But Zoë vows to “fight to get him back.” From sneaking into Henry's house with the excuse of retrieving some fungus cream to upstaging a singing performance by a girl she thinks Henry likes, Zoë's attempts to win back what she's lost are as (mortifyingly) funny as they are futile. Hoffmann has created a well-developed supporting cast: Zoë's mother, who shares some of her daughter's obsessive tendencies; nerdy Sam, who has nursed a crush on Zoë; and Zoë's loyal but concerned buddies, Julia and Shannon, who believe she has “crossed over into psycho” and who help her realize that she, like her ex, needs to move on. Despite offering moments of levity, Hoffmann gives plenty of weight and attention to Zoë's darker feelings—her broad spectrum of emotions and gradual recovery ring true. Ages 12–up.

August 1, 2009
Gr 8-11-After 6 months and 218 kisses, high school junior Zoë is blindsided when her boyfriend dumps herhe wants to focus on his band, he says, and not have a girlfriend right now. Obviously he's made a big mistake, and Zoë sets out to prove it to him. Her best friends discourage her efforts to win him back (which include stuffing her poetry through his bedroom window, snooping through his email, and flirting with his friends) and tell her she's acting crazy, but she can't help herself. She has been completely wrapped up in Henry since they started dating, to the exclusion of her own friends and activities, and now that he's extricated himself from her life, she has trouble coping with this loss of identity. It's a common story and realistically told. Zoë is believably self-centered, but her friends' lives center on her, too, offering advice and encouragement (and, in the case of one male friend, offering himself as "excellent boyfriend material"). The rushed conclusion shows hope for Zoë as she makes efforts to find the self she jettisoned for Henry. Girls will relate to the teen's heartbreak and healing, though her self-pity and manipulations may irritate more than amuse."Brandy Danner, Wilmington Memorial Library, MA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2009
After the initial shock of being dumped wears off, Zoe embarks on a quest to win back her ex-boyfriend. Her month-long story unfolds day by day as she tries everything from poetry to jealousy to public displays of humiliation. Humor abounds, but Zoe's obsession with Henry grows tiresome, and her poems, meant to be profound, are instead cliched.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)