A review by tiamatq
It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen
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.