michelle_pink_polka_dot's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. I seriously wanted to tell this book "it's not you, it's me" for several reasons. First off I'm not wild about 3rd person and in this one especially. Also I realized that I don't like the feeling I get when I read about someone who is making a complete ass of themselves. I feel embarrassed reading it. I hope no one out there would be so pathetic as Zoe was. It was painful to read and even by the end I don't feel like she really got it.
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shanameydala's review
1.0
I picked this up thinking it was another with the same name. Unfortunately, this was not a great book. The main protagonist is a stereotypically crazy, love sick teen girl. The resolution and enlightenment at the end can not overcome the craziness displayed the majority of the story.
tiamatq's review
3.0
Zoe loves Henry. They've been dating for six months, a time when she has counted his kisses and devoted herself entirely to supporting Henry and his band. Which makes it all the more devastating when Henry breaks up with her. Zoe pretends to be fine with it, but only because she is sure she can win Henry back. Despite warnings from her friends and family, Zoe dives headlong into obsession; she writes Henry poems and creates photo-collages; she sneaks them into his bedroom and his school locker while stealing pens and smelling his clothing. Her two best friends do what they can to stop Zoe and then finally give in, helping her try to win him back by making him jealous. Over the course of a month, we see Zoe's life after D-Day, Dumping Day, and how she overreacts, obsesses, and embarrasses herself, finally realizing that giving herself up to be with Henry was a mistake.
This book tends to hit you over the message to stay true to yourself. Zoe moves into stalker territory fairly quickly and you'll find yourself cringing at her poems and her addiction to Henry. However, teens may find a lot to relate to in Zoe's story. Hoffmann captures the pain of having to see an ex at school every day and listen to the rumors fly, adding in humor to lighten the mood. Some of the characters are stereotypes - there's the boy that Zoe obviously should be dating, the inattentive parents, and the well-meaning-but-goofy teacher. The ending also wraps up too quickly, with Zoe's big embarrassing moment passing in a blur and her sudden realization that she needs to let Henry go. This is a meh book, not bad, but not one you must have.
This book tends to hit you over the message to stay true to yourself. Zoe moves into stalker territory fairly quickly and you'll find yourself cringing at her poems and her addiction to Henry. However, teens may find a lot to relate to in Zoe's story. Hoffmann captures the pain of having to see an ex at school every day and listen to the rumors fly, adding in humor to lighten the mood. Some of the characters are stereotypes - there's the boy that Zoe obviously should be dating, the inattentive parents, and the well-meaning-but-goofy teacher. The ending also wraps up too quickly, with Zoe's big embarrassing moment passing in a blur and her sudden realization that she needs to let Henry go. This is a meh book, not bad, but not one you must have.
libmiko's review
3.0
The book wasn't working for me at first. Zoe writes the WORST poetry, and she is so pathetic. But her desperate measures to win back her boyfriend are strangely relatable and kind of hilarious, and there were some unexpectedly hot scenes in a library.
library_brandy's review
2.0
After six months and 218 kisses, Zoe is blindsided when boyfriend Henry tells her he wants out--he wants to focus on his band, he says, and not have a girlfriend right now. Zoe takes the news calmly, but she won't take it lying down. Zoe writes him poems and sneaks them into his locker, his pants pocket (while he's in gym class), even his bedroom window, in her efforts to win him back. Zoe's best friends Julia and Shannon discourage her and tell her she's acting crazy, but she can't help herself. In an effort to preserve what's left of Zoe's dignity, Shannon and Julia devise Plan B: make Henry jealous. It's a plan that works, but maybe doesn't work exactly as intended....
Zoe, by all accounts, has been completely wrapped up in Henry since hey started dating, to the exclusion of her own friends and interests, and now that he's extricated himself from her life, Zoe has trouble coping with this loss of identity. It's a common story and realistically told--one can't help but have sympathy for Zoe, despite her whining and desperate behavior. Her friends are one-dimensional and Zoe is the center of everyone's lives: Shannon offers advice on moving on, Julia encourages Zoe to get back to the things she enjoyed, and her friend Sam's support amounts to his suggestions that he would be an excellent boyfriend now that Zoe is single again. The use of the present tense in writing forces the story to be more immediate than the plot warrants, and while there's hope for Zoe a month post-breakup, the characters never really change or gain much perspective. Some grammatical, syntax, and punctuation errors distract from the writing, though these, hopefully, will be fixed before publication. An okay book, but not a necessary one.
Zoe, by all accounts, has been completely wrapped up in Henry since hey started dating, to the exclusion of her own friends and interests, and now that he's extricated himself from her life, Zoe has trouble coping with this loss of identity. It's a common story and realistically told--one can't help but have sympathy for Zoe, despite her whining and desperate behavior. Her friends are one-dimensional and Zoe is the center of everyone's lives: Shannon offers advice on moving on, Julia encourages Zoe to get back to the things she enjoyed, and her friend Sam's support amounts to his suggestions that he would be an excellent boyfriend now that Zoe is single again. The use of the present tense in writing forces the story to be more immediate than the plot warrants, and while there's hope for Zoe a month post-breakup, the characters never really change or gain much perspective. Some grammatical, syntax, and punctuation errors distract from the writing, though these, hopefully, will be fixed before publication. An okay book, but not a necessary one.
kellyholmes's review
1.0
Summary: After 6 months of happiness, Zoe’s boyfriend Henry dumps her so he can focus on his band. But Zoe thinks—no, knows—he’s made a huge mistake, and she sets out to win him back.
Review: From the very start of the book, the main character was over-the-top and I had trouble caring about her. She just could not function on even the most basic level.
We’ve all experienced a touch of the crazy in our dating lives. But this is extreme. And the way that it’s presented, I often had the feeling I was supposed to be laughing at Zoe’s ridiculousness. That didn’t help me empathize and connect with her. Zoe came across more as a caricature than a character.
Review: From the very start of the book, the main character was over-the-top and I had trouble caring about her. She just could not function on even the most basic level.
We’ve all experienced a touch of the crazy in our dating lives. But this is extreme. And the way that it’s presented, I often had the feeling I was supposed to be laughing at Zoe’s ridiculousness. That didn’t help me empathize and connect with her. Zoe came across more as a caricature than a character.
xoxoannareads's review
2.0
Let's just say I had high expectations for this book and they were most definitely not met. I went into this book thinking that it would be relatable and that I would enjoy it. I did not. I feel that the idea was GREAT, it just wasn't executed in a good manner.
The biggest issue I had with this book was the main character. Zoe was... an interesting character. She was most of the problem with this book. Most of the book she is just by herself, of course, because she was the person who was broken up with. However, I found that after Henry broke up with her, she became quite a stalker. Most of the things that she did were just not normal... and not normal for any girl who was broken up with.
So, all in all, it wasn't the writing that was bad - the writing was actually quite good - it was just Zoe. I didn't care for her or her actions, and that made reading this book really difficult.
The biggest issue I had with this book was the main character. Zoe was... an interesting character. She was most of the problem with this book. Most of the book she is just by herself, of course, because she was the person who was broken up with. However, I found that after Henry broke up with her, she became quite a stalker. Most of the things that she did were just not normal... and not normal for any girl who was broken up with.
So, all in all, it wasn't the writing that was bad - the writing was actually quite good - it was just Zoe. I didn't care for her or her actions, and that made reading this book really difficult.
justkeyreads's review
3.0
This books spans across the 'after' phase of a breakup between Zoe and Henry. This book was so realistically funny, because as each day went she was determined to get Henry back at any cost. I was laughing as the days went by that she did these outrageous things to get Henry's attention, even though he was over it. Let's just say Zoe didn't know how to let go of Henry, which at times made me irritated, because she just need to LET GO. But other than that it was humorous and light read.
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