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It's Not You, It's Me
Funny and touching—this is a heartfelt breakup story.
Zoe loves Henry.
Henry dumps Zoe.
Zoe wants Henry back—at any cost.
Zoe’s two best friends come up with a plan to help Zoe get what she thinks she wants. The make Henry jealous.
But the plan takes a surprising turn. . . .
Spanning thirty-one days in the cycle of a breakup, Kerry Cohen Hoffmann’s humorous and poignant novel depicts a girl whose single-minded focus on her ex-boyfriend has pulled her far from the person she most needs to win back—herself.
Zoe loves Henry.
Henry dumps Zoe.
Zoe wants Henry back—at any cost.
Zoe’s two best friends come up with a plan to help Zoe get what she thinks she wants. The make Henry jealous.
But the plan takes a surprising turn. . . .
Spanning thirty-one days in the cycle of a breakup, Kerry Cohen Hoffmann’s humorous and poignant novel depicts a girl whose single-minded focus on her ex-boyfriend has pulled her far from the person she most needs to win back—herself.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
April 8, 2012
Henry dumps Zoë and that's when all the madness begins. Zoë knows she's in love with Henry and he must feel the same way, so if she can only show him and prove to him and...then she'll get him back. Except things don't quite go according to plan, especially since Zoë won't heed the advice of her friends. Eventually they form a plan that's a little more sane and a little less stalker-y, but will it work?
I really tried to like this novel. If Zoë wasn't in it, I probably would have. SHE IS COMPLETELY CRAZY! Not like mental illness crazy, but WHAT WAS SHE THINKING! She climbs a tree outside Henry's bedroom window and slips a poem, A POEM, through his open window. I really don't know why his mum didn't get a restraining order after this incident. Then there's the time Zoë makes a collage to win him back...SERIOUSLY?!?!?!? A freakin' collage. At first I tried realating to her when she was worried something was weird between her and Henry. I've certainly gone into panic mode before about a guy when I was a teen. "Oh my goodness he didn't wave with both hands like he always does, is he mad?!?!" But beyond that, Zoë was amazingly impossible to relate to. I can't even believe one of her friends didn't slap her to make her come to. I also can't believe that any guy could be attracted to her after witnessing her complete insanity. This could have been a cute little story, but Zoë completely ruined it by being a lunatic.
First Line:
"Three weeks ago, Henry held Zoë's face between his hands and kissed her for the 199th time."
Favorite Line:
"'Books are where it's at.'"
Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz1rP0...
I really tried to like this novel. If Zoë wasn't in it, I probably would have. SHE IS COMPLETELY CRAZY! Not like mental illness crazy, but WHAT WAS SHE THINKING! She climbs a tree outside Henry's bedroom window and slips a poem, A POEM, through his open window. I really don't know why his mum didn't get a restraining order after this incident. Then there's the time Zoë makes a collage to win him back...SERIOUSLY?!?!?!? A freakin' collage. At first I tried realating to her when she was worried something was weird between her and Henry. I've certainly gone into panic mode before about a guy when I was a teen. "Oh my goodness he didn't wave with both hands like he always does, is he mad?!?!" But beyond that, Zoë was amazingly impossible to relate to. I can't even believe one of her friends didn't slap her to make her come to. I also can't believe that any guy could be attracted to her after witnessing her complete insanity. This could have been a cute little story, but Zoë completely ruined it by being a lunatic.
First Line:
"Three weeks ago, Henry held Zoë's face between his hands and kissed her for the 199th time."
Favorite Line:
"'Books are where it's at.'"
Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz1rP0...
October 8, 2016
I had accidentally bought this book a while ago and I really wasn't interested in it. I had it for about a year before I picked it up and I kind of wish I had just left it on my shelf.
The main character of this book, Zoë, is awful. She's completely insane. The things she does after her breakup are crazy and she's so stupid. Like, that boy needed to get a restraining order. I don't understand if the things she did were meant to be funny or she was just a very poorly written character. I wish I could find a redeeming quality about It's Not You, It's Me, but I really can't think of one.
The main character of this book, Zoë, is awful. She's completely insane. The things she does after her breakup are crazy and she's so stupid. Like, that boy needed to get a restraining order. I don't understand if the things she did were meant to be funny or she was just a very poorly written character. I wish I could find a redeeming quality about It's Not You, It's Me, but I really can't think of one.
March 9, 2018
Everything is going well in Zoe's life. She has good friends and a wonderful boyfriend. Zoe is in love with Henry, her boyfriend of six months. Zoe and Henry are so in love, they have a daily phone call every night at 9 pm- Until one night, Henry misses the call. Zoe calls him, trying not to panic, and he doesn't answer. Zoe calls her best friend to ask what she would do, and starts suggesting she should go to his house, or call the police, or call his mom. Eventually Henry dumps Zoe. His excuse being, "It's not you, it's me," and "I just don't want a relationship right now." Both of which ended up being a disguise of the fact that he was falling for someone else. Zoe is heartbroken and still thinks she can get Henry back. She and her friends argue about the probability of her getting back together with Henry, and they eventually devise a plan to get Henry back. This plan includes manipulating someone else into falling for Zoe to make Henry jealous, (how teeny-bopper..) Zoe ends up completely changing herself and who she is for someone who doesn't love her. You'll have to read to find out the rest!
I would recommend this book specifically to teenage-aged girls. In my experience reading the book, Cohen wrote in a way that easily pulls in readers who are interested in such a topic. Hopefully when people read this book they are able to see that the way Zoe handled the breakup was very inappropriate and certifiable. I know that everyone handles certain situations differently, however how she handles it is absolutely not okay. She left notes in his locker, tried to make him jealous, and even goes so far as go to his house to leave him a note proclaiming her love in hopes that he will want to be with her again. So, she practically stalked Henry. She eventually ends up completely changing herself, how she acts, what she looks like, etc. She finds out that Henry has feelings for a girl named Madison, and that is why he dumped her. In the end, though, Zoe finds herself and realizes she needs to let Henry go to move on in life, (thank heavens.) Even though Zoe acts like a lunatic in the book, I think this book really can be related to real life. Many teenage girls break up with their boyfriends and think that it is the end of the world, and there is something wrong with them. The message this book reveals at the end is that it is healthy to let things go, and it is not good to change yourself to impress other people. I am a firm believer that if someone doesn't want you the way that you are, they are not going to benefit you in life. It is important to love yourself and take care of yourself, especially after a breakup. This book does a good job portraying that message.
I would recommend this book specifically to teenage-aged girls. In my experience reading the book, Cohen wrote in a way that easily pulls in readers who are interested in such a topic. Hopefully when people read this book they are able to see that the way Zoe handled the breakup was very inappropriate and certifiable. I know that everyone handles certain situations differently, however how she handles it is absolutely not okay. She left notes in his locker, tried to make him jealous, and even goes so far as go to his house to leave him a note proclaiming her love in hopes that he will want to be with her again. So, she practically stalked Henry. She eventually ends up completely changing herself, how she acts, what she looks like, etc. She finds out that Henry has feelings for a girl named Madison, and that is why he dumped her. In the end, though, Zoe finds herself and realizes she needs to let Henry go to move on in life, (thank heavens.) Even though Zoe acts like a lunatic in the book, I think this book really can be related to real life. Many teenage girls break up with their boyfriends and think that it is the end of the world, and there is something wrong with them. The message this book reveals at the end is that it is healthy to let things go, and it is not good to change yourself to impress other people. I am a firm believer that if someone doesn't want you the way that you are, they are not going to benefit you in life. It is important to love yourself and take care of yourself, especially after a breakup. This book does a good job portraying that message.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2009
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.
Currently reading
December 15, 2010“Its not you it’s me” is about a girl named Zoe. Everything in her life is going really good. She has a boyfriend named, Henry, they have been dating six months. But after a while, they stop talking and he brakes up with her. Since that day her life is miserable. She finds her self doing things she usually does not do. She tries and tries to get him back. For the longest time she was going in his room while he was not there to find things, or clues so she can find things out on why he broke up with her.
After a while, she gave up. So what her “Plan B” was trying to make him jealous by doing things she would not ever do before, and dressing ways she wouldn’t have done before. She found herself liking his best friend. But the best friend does not want Henry to find out about it. At open mike night after she embarrassed her self on stage, Henry’s band went, and Zoe went up to the best friend and kissed him. He was extremely mad about it, so was Henry. In the end she figured out she just needed to not be with anyone. She got her life back, and her friends and family don’t think she’s insane anymore.
After a while, she gave up. So what her “Plan B” was trying to make him jealous by doing things she would not ever do before, and dressing ways she wouldn’t have done before. She found herself liking his best friend. But the best friend does not want Henry to find out about it. At open mike night after she embarrassed her self on stage, Henry’s band went, and Zoe went up to the best friend and kissed him. He was extremely mad about it, so was Henry. In the end she figured out she just needed to not be with anyone. She got her life back, and her friends and family don’t think she’s insane anymore.
May 5, 2012
This book was written well I guess. Other then that, it was horrible. The whole time I was reading it, I wished I could find this character and slap her out of her stupid trance. Whoever says this book is good for teens is also wrong. I'm sorry, but we've all a first love that might have crushed us. This girl took it to a whole new level of crazy. The main character Zoe I think was impulsive, irrational, silly and very close-minded. She was obviously too needy, and obsessive, I'm honestly surprised they lasted 6 months at all. I couldn't relate to her at all, or even sympathize with her at all. In fact, I felt like I was reading a disaster waiting to happen. You know, those unfortunate moments where you know something humiliating or extreme is about to happen, but you can't stop it or look away. I guess in the end she learns to figure herself out first before entering a relationship. I have to say though, I've never seen anyone so dedicated to winning an ex back in that way specifically. I couldn't even laugh at her because I was worried that people might actually go through such extremes in reality. I guess it was a good learning experience that I read the book.
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 20, 2016dnf at page 23
January 16, 2018
I tried to find something I liked about this book. Anything remotely redeeming. But at the end of the day, I just could not bring myself to think of anything I liked.
I wanted to start my year off with a short read. Something simple with a cute romance aspect to it. This was a short read that ended up being too simple with a romance that was downright exhausting to read through. When your main character is annoyingly needy and not relatable, that can be a huge problem for me. When I was first reading the book and I was increasingly getting annoyed at Zoe's character, I thought that maybe I was just looking through different lenses. I thought maybe I wasn't thinking like a teenager anymore and that life had ruined me with cliches. But as the story progressed and she made bad decision after bad decision, I threw that excuse out the window.
This would have been a simplistic, middle school read maybe. In fact, maybe this would have made more sense if it was set in middle school (albeit with some changes but behavior wise for the characters, it would have made more sense in a middle school setting). But at the end of the day, it just did not work for me.
I wanted to start my year off with a short read. Something simple with a cute romance aspect to it. This was a short read that ended up being too simple with a romance that was downright exhausting to read through. When your main character is annoyingly needy and not relatable, that can be a huge problem for me. When I was first reading the book and I was increasingly getting annoyed at Zoe's character, I thought that maybe I was just looking through different lenses. I thought maybe I wasn't thinking like a teenager anymore and that life had ruined me with cliches. But as the story progressed and she made bad decision after bad decision, I threw that excuse out the window.
This would have been a simplistic, middle school read maybe. In fact, maybe this would have made more sense if it was set in middle school (albeit with some changes but behavior wise for the characters, it would have made more sense in a middle school setting). But at the end of the day, it just did not work for me.
April 24, 2021
The books sounded cute so I gave it a try expecting a story about a girl who finds herself. Maybe it is actually about that, but I wouldn’t know because I dnfed it 42 pages in. This book is only 176 pages so I feel like I gave it a good try.
First off, the writing is very choppy so it makes it hard to get into the story. For example: She rode her bike. She loved riding her bike. She finally got to school. The school was packed. (Not actual sentences from the book but you get the picture)
Second, if that wasn’t bad enough, the main character isn’t relatable at all. When I was younger, I had my boy crazy moments, but this chick is something else. She flat out stalks her ex and states that he’s wrong for leaving her because they’re meant to be. She is just absolutely insane and I got secondhand embarrassment from reading this book. I cringed so many times. This book is just not the kind of book I can get through. Also, I couldn’t even pity the main character and side with her because based on the information she gives you, he had every right to leave her. She never left the poor kid alone! I would’ve left her too!
First off, the writing is very choppy so it makes it hard to get into the story. For example: She rode her bike. She loved riding her bike. She finally got to school. The school was packed. (Not actual sentences from the book but you get the picture)
Second, if that wasn’t bad enough, the main character isn’t relatable at all. When I was younger, I had my boy crazy moments, but this chick is something else. She flat out stalks her ex and states that he’s wrong for leaving her because they’re meant to be. She is just absolutely insane and I got secondhand embarrassment from reading this book. I cringed so many times. This book is just not the kind of book I can get through. Also, I couldn’t even pity the main character and side with her because based on the information she gives you, he had every right to leave her. She never left the poor kid alone! I would’ve left her too!
April 16, 2024
Very quick and easy read. I kept cringing at the hopeless romantic female lead - it reminded me so much of young, naive me going through a heartbreak. Cliche message at the end, but a good one nonetheless. Not something I’d read again, but I thought the author did a great job portraying all the emotions a teen experiences when desperately seeking for closure after a breakup.
September 10, 2017
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.
July 10, 2021
it's always interesting reading random books i find on my family's bookshelves but wow this book's mc gave me soooo much second hand embarrassment it was painful
February 26, 2022
Quick read. Cute story of a typical high school love story
May 29, 2022
writing is really good, the story and MC are just cringe. also pacing is off and some events just don't make much sense
July 14, 2022
I read this a decade ago omg
and I remember laughing out loud.
This isn't a deep book.
Just read it if you wanna have a laugh.
and I remember laughing out loud.
This isn't a deep book.
Just read it if you wanna have a laugh.
November 11, 2022
It’s horrible until the end and then it’s sorta good. But then it ends so…. DO NOT SUGGEST.
November 1, 2023
M/F
No cheating if I recall correctly
I laughed out loud reading this. I did read it when I was like 13.
I don't know if I would feel the same way now. But keeping the rating based on my initial rating.
I thought at that time I would have rated 5 stars for how much I laughed. I didn't take it too seriously.
This was much needed to get a reality check on not chasing after my crushes lol (no one asked, but I used to love having crushes back then. But not dating. I found teenage dating a cringe. ) Anyway, but I did have ton of crushes )
No cheating if I recall correctly
I laughed out loud reading this. I did read it when I was like 13.
I don't know if I would feel the same way now. But keeping the rating based on my initial rating.
I thought at that time I would have rated 5 stars for how much I laughed. I didn't take it too seriously.
This was much needed to get a reality check on not chasing after my crushes lol (no one asked, but I used to love having crushes back then. But not dating. I found teenage dating a cringe. ) Anyway, but I did have ton of crushes )
June 14, 2009
Henry breaks up with Zoë. Zoë decides that she won’t have it because it was her relationship, too, and it is clearly Her Whole Life, and she should have some say in its disintegration. So she decides the best way to woo him back is by climbing up a tree right outside his window and slipping a poem she wrote about him in, giving him a collage she made of their Happier Times in plain sight at school, befriending his new love interest so as to further stalk every aspect of his life, and pestering him until you lose all your sense of civilization and wish she were real so you could whack her upside the head with a copy of Twilight.
But then you realize that even if by some miracle characters could come alive, she wouldn’t have enough meat on her to stand up and take the blow because she’s so freaking one-bordering-on-two dimensional. As is every last miserable character in this mess of a novel.
Zoë is a more psychotic Bella, down to the worshipping the ground Henry walks on and the excessively clumsy streak that acts as a catalyst way more times than it ever should, which is precisely zero in any situation.
Her best friends, Shannon and Julia, are either indulging her crap by giving her more ideas out of Stalker Today or acting like the Voices of Reason, which is fancy coming from people who 50% of the time are no better than she is. The chip on Zoë’s shoulder had more personality than the sum of all their parts, not surprisingly.
And the love interests were clearly on a leave of absence because I cannot, for the life of me, remember anything striking about them.
Tying everything up is a heavy-handed message that you shouldn’t use people and you shouldn’t lose your sense of self in a relationship because that’s a Big Turn Off and the guy will lose interest. But it fails on so many levels, none the least in the realistic aspect, where you gotta wonder if something this ridiculous is meant to be funny and if so, whom exactly is the joke on? The only redemptive quality is that the writing flows, but even so, what can you do with that when everything else flakes out on you?
So, really, this is the tale of what a more psychotic Bella would do if Edward had stuck around after the breakup in New Moon. And for just $16 you can be a proud owner.
Any takers?
1 star if I did that kind of rating system. Not sure what grade--D or F? Eh, who cares, bottom line is: no recommendation.
But then you realize that even if by some miracle characters could come alive, she wouldn’t have enough meat on her to stand up and take the blow because she’s so freaking one-bordering-on-two dimensional. As is every last miserable character in this mess of a novel.
Zoë is a more psychotic Bella, down to the worshipping the ground Henry walks on and the excessively clumsy streak that acts as a catalyst way more times than it ever should, which is precisely zero in any situation.
Her best friends, Shannon and Julia, are either indulging her crap by giving her more ideas out of Stalker Today or acting like the Voices of Reason, which is fancy coming from people who 50% of the time are no better than she is. The chip on Zoë’s shoulder had more personality than the sum of all their parts, not surprisingly.
And the love interests were clearly on a leave of absence because I cannot, for the life of me, remember anything striking about them.
Tying everything up is a heavy-handed message that you shouldn’t use people and you shouldn’t lose your sense of self in a relationship because that’s a Big Turn Off and the guy will lose interest. But it fails on so many levels, none the least in the realistic aspect, where you gotta wonder if something this ridiculous is meant to be funny and if so, whom exactly is the joke on? The only redemptive quality is that the writing flows, but even so, what can you do with that when everything else flakes out on you?
So, really, this is the tale of what a more psychotic Bella would do if Edward had stuck around after the breakup in New Moon. And for just $16 you can be a proud owner.
Any takers?
1 star if I did that kind of rating system. Not sure what grade--D or F? Eh, who cares, bottom line is: no recommendation.
October 23, 2012
Date: Monday, October 15, 2012
Title: It's Not You, It's Me
Author: Kerry Cohen Hoffman
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 1-153
It's Not You, It's Me is about a guy, Henry, who breaks up with a girl named Zoe. Zoe saw it coming since he didn't call her or answer her calls at the certain time they always talked. Zoe was devastated and heartbroken. She couldn't assimilate to the person she was before Henry. It was always Henry this and Henry that. She changed when she started dating him. She was just inundated with Henry all the time. He was all she could think about. Zoe was sprightly with Henry but then when they broke up, she was depressed all the time. Zoe's best friends, Julia and Shannon, helped her get through it and decided to help her win Henry back. They tried to get Niles to fall for Zoe and make Henry jealous but it didn't work out so well.
It's Not You, It's Me has a text-world connection. Whenever girls get dumped by their boyfriends, they get depressed and sad and are a mess. That's exactly how Zoe was. She didn't bother to get ready for school. She just went as a mess. She wasn't the sprightly girl she used to be. She was a completely different person. Most girls would do the same if they really cared about the other person. Zoe was convinced that Henry was the one but that all changed. People change and their feelings change. You have to say adieu to the one you once loved.
I predict that Zoe's plan won't really work because Henry has feelings for Madison. I think that's the reason why Henry broke up with Zoe. I also think Zoe and Niles, Henry's best friend, will end up together in the end, as well as Madison and Henry because Henry and Madison talk a lot and Zoe and Niles have been having make out sessions for a while. Henry moved on and Zoe should too. Zoe was only just using Niles to make Henry jealous but she can't stay hung over on Henry forever. I have a feeling she likes Niles because she admits his kisses are better than Henry's kisses.
I think the theme of this book is nothing good lasts forever. Everything doesn't always go the way you want because Zoe thought she and Henry would be together forever but they broke up. Even the sun sets in paradise. Even though things might seem perfect, it's bound to end sometime. You might think your life is perfect but something or someone will always find a way to mess up your life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: It's Not You, It's Me
Author: Kerry Cohen Hoffman
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 1-153
It's Not You, It's Me is about a guy, Henry, who breaks up with a girl named Zoe. Zoe saw it coming since he didn't call her or answer her calls at the certain time they always talked. Zoe was devastated and heartbroken. She couldn't assimilate to the person she was before Henry. It was always Henry this and Henry that. She changed when she started dating him. She was just inundated with Henry all the time. He was all she could think about. Zoe was sprightly with Henry but then when they broke up, she was depressed all the time. Zoe's best friends, Julia and Shannon, helped her get through it and decided to help her win Henry back. They tried to get Niles to fall for Zoe and make Henry jealous but it didn't work out so well.
It's Not You, It's Me has a text-world connection. Whenever girls get dumped by their boyfriends, they get depressed and sad and are a mess. That's exactly how Zoe was. She didn't bother to get ready for school. She just went as a mess. She wasn't the sprightly girl she used to be. She was a completely different person. Most girls would do the same if they really cared about the other person. Zoe was convinced that Henry was the one but that all changed. People change and their feelings change. You have to say adieu to the one you once loved.
I predict that Zoe's plan won't really work because Henry has feelings for Madison. I think that's the reason why Henry broke up with Zoe. I also think Zoe and Niles, Henry's best friend, will end up together in the end, as well as Madison and Henry because Henry and Madison talk a lot and Zoe and Niles have been having make out sessions for a while. Henry moved on and Zoe should too. Zoe was only just using Niles to make Henry jealous but she can't stay hung over on Henry forever. I have a feeling she likes Niles because she admits his kisses are better than Henry's kisses.
I think the theme of this book is nothing good lasts forever. Everything doesn't always go the way you want because Zoe thought she and Henry would be together forever but they broke up. Even the sun sets in paradise. Even though things might seem perfect, it's bound to end sometime. You might think your life is perfect but something or someone will always find a way to mess up your life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 31, 2022
Zoe is a teenaged girl who enjoys spending time with her tragically underwritten friends, writing bad poetry, and being unhealthily obsessed with her boyfriend Henry. But, alas, Henry abruptly ends their six month relationship, breaking Zoe's heart. Will she get him back? Will she move on? Should you read the story long enough to find out? Hint: the answer to the last question is no.
Before I explain the one star, I'm going to tell you what I liked about the book. The writing was fine. A tad bit simplistic, but that's not something I'm about to complain about after suffering through The Handmaid's Tale. And the cover was nice. That's it. With that out of the way, let the rant begin!
I started to have a bad feeling about Zoe on the very first page, when she mentions that she counted how many times Henry kissed her. Yeah. Weird. The distaste intensified when she is ridiculously worried because she called him and he didn't pick up the phone. It bloomed into full-on hatred in Chapter 2 (Day 2) when she proclaims that "If there's a girl out there who claims she hasn't strung her first name with a boy's last name, she's lying,” which is simply insulting and wrong. But, as we find out in Day 3 and onwards, Zoe is not only pathetic, she's totally insane. I'm not going to spoil the book by telling you exactly what she does to try to get him back, but I will say that Henry probably saved himself from a future in which he becomes Nick from Gone Girl (side note: if you haven't read Gone Girl and you're relatively mature, now you know what to read instead of this book). And last but not least, Zoe is an idiot. An insane idiot. If you want proof and a good cringe/laugh, read Day 28. But, as you would expect from a predictable teen drama novel, she learns her lesson. How? Well, after making a fool out of herself at least 3 times in Day 28, she suddenly wakes up and is a reasonable person again. It does end the book faster, so why not?
There's a lot more I could get into, believe me. But this review is long enough already, so here's the bottom line: if you want to read something good, look somewhere else. If you're someone like me who oddly enjoys reading garbage to make fun of it, you'll have fun with this. Otherwise you really should go read Gone Girl instead.
Before I explain the one star, I'm going to tell you what I liked about the book. The writing was fine. A tad bit simplistic, but that's not something I'm about to complain about after suffering through The Handmaid's Tale. And the cover was nice. That's it. With that out of the way, let the rant begin!
I started to have a bad feeling about Zoe on the very first page, when she mentions that she counted how many times Henry kissed her. Yeah. Weird. The distaste intensified when she is ridiculously worried because she called him and he didn't pick up the phone. It bloomed into full-on hatred in Chapter 2 (Day 2) when she proclaims that "If there's a girl out there who claims she hasn't strung her first name with a boy's last name, she's lying,” which is simply insulting and wrong. But, as we find out in Day 3 and onwards, Zoe is not only pathetic, she's totally insane. I'm not going to spoil the book by telling you exactly what she does to try to get him back, but I will say that Henry probably saved himself from a future in which he becomes Nick from Gone Girl (side note: if you haven't read Gone Girl and you're relatively mature, now you know what to read instead of this book). And last but not least, Zoe is an idiot. An insane idiot. If you want proof and a good cringe/laugh, read Day 28. But, as you would expect from a predictable teen drama novel, she learns her lesson. How? Well, after making a fool out of herself at least 3 times in Day 28, she suddenly wakes up and is a reasonable person again. It does end the book faster, so why not?
There's a lot more I could get into, believe me. But this review is long enough already, so here's the bottom line: if you want to read something good, look somewhere else. If you're someone like me who oddly enjoys reading garbage to make fun of it, you'll have fun with this. Otherwise you really should go read Gone Girl instead.
Currently reading
November 3, 201110/16/2011
So i just started reading this book. So far it had caught my attention. The book starts off with This girl named Zoe. She has a boyfriend named Henry. They have been dating for 6 months and are in love. Zoe and Henry always call each other at exactly 9 p.m. every night since the day they started dating. But this one night Henry did not pick up. Zoe panics and calls everybody she could think of asking if they knew where Henry was , but nobody knew. Right now Zoe is just trying to figure out what is going on.
10/19/11
So far Zoe wakes up the next morning anxious to go to school to see whats up with Henry. She goes downstairs and doesnt even want to eat breakfeast. Finally the bus comes in front of her house and its time for her to leave. She gets to school in a hurry to get to her locker to figure out what has been going on with Henry.
11/3/11
As iv'e been reading on this book has become more interesting and is catching my attention. Zoe had finally saw Henry in school that day. She sees Henry's expression as he gets closer to Zoe. "What's going on?" she ask's Henry. "Nothing" he says. He's Smiling but Zoe knows that he feels uncomfortable. Henry then tells Zoe to meet him after school at a cafe called the Big Top. When she gets there Henry is already there waiting for her. "Just say it," she says . Henry finally says "its has nothing to do with you." "I am a teenager, want to do other things , i do not want a girlfriend now." After all this Zoe is SHOCKED she could not believe that this was the same boy who seemed to loved her, whom she'd set her hopes on for the future. Zoe gets home and tries to stay calm but as soon as she saw her mom she could not help but burst into tears. "Sometimes we just have to accept what happens." her mothers words of advice.
So i just started reading this book. So far it had caught my attention. The book starts off with This girl named Zoe. She has a boyfriend named Henry. They have been dating for 6 months and are in love. Zoe and Henry always call each other at exactly 9 p.m. every night since the day they started dating. But this one night Henry did not pick up. Zoe panics and calls everybody she could think of asking if they knew where Henry was , but nobody knew. Right now Zoe is just trying to figure out what is going on.
10/19/11
So far Zoe wakes up the next morning anxious to go to school to see whats up with Henry. She goes downstairs and doesnt even want to eat breakfeast. Finally the bus comes in front of her house and its time for her to leave. She gets to school in a hurry to get to her locker to figure out what has been going on with Henry.
11/3/11
As iv'e been reading on this book has become more interesting and is catching my attention. Zoe had finally saw Henry in school that day. She sees Henry's expression as he gets closer to Zoe. "What's going on?" she ask's Henry. "Nothing" he says. He's Smiling but Zoe knows that he feels uncomfortable. Henry then tells Zoe to meet him after school at a cafe called the Big Top. When she gets there Henry is already there waiting for her. "Just say it," she says . Henry finally says "its has nothing to do with you." "I am a teenager, want to do other things , i do not want a girlfriend now." After all this Zoe is SHOCKED she could not believe that this was the same boy who seemed to loved her, whom she'd set her hopes on for the future. Zoe gets home and tries to stay calm but as soon as she saw her mom she could not help but burst into tears. "Sometimes we just have to accept what happens." her mothers words of advice.
June 14, 2009
Like many have said the character of Zoe comes off as a nut, basically sabotaging any chance she has of getting her ex-boyfriend back with her antics. Everyone tells her just leave it be, don't do that, don't say that, but she does it anyways without much thought. Even though she comes off as kind of crazy I feel like it depicts a bit of what any normal girlfriend might go through when she breaks up with the boy that really counts and this can be seen sort of as a cautionary tale. It sheds a bit of light on the ugly truth of breakup and the feelings that people might have (that they definitely should not act on.)
While Zoe was harder to swallow I rather liked the guys in the book. From Henry and his bandmate Niles to Sam, her friend that makes no secret of his crush on Zoe. They all seemed a lot more level-headed and also really seemed to care for Zoe even when she was acting crazy. I also liked Zoe's friends Julia and Shannon they tried to keep her on the right path for as long as they could and when that wasn't working that finally gave in and fed the craziness of Zoe and her plan.
The ending was a little meh but I think it was an appropriate ending for the message that I thought the author was trying to send. I really like how she and some of the characters stress that no matter who you are with, you need to maintain yourself and your own interests instead of losing yourself within someone else. I think that's a very important message that everyone needs to be reminded of from time to time.
Overall an interesting concept with probably a truer to life (but exaggerated) main character than we all want to admit to!
While Zoe was harder to swallow I rather liked the guys in the book. From Henry and his bandmate Niles to Sam, her friend that makes no secret of his crush on Zoe. They all seemed a lot more level-headed and also really seemed to care for Zoe even when she was acting crazy. I also liked Zoe's friends Julia and Shannon they tried to keep her on the right path for as long as they could and when that wasn't working that finally gave in and fed the craziness of Zoe and her plan.
The ending was a little meh but I think it was an appropriate ending for the message that I thought the author was trying to send. I really like how she and some of the characters stress that no matter who you are with, you need to maintain yourself and your own interests instead of losing yourself within someone else. I think that's a very important message that everyone needs to be reminded of from time to time.
Overall an interesting concept with probably a truer to life (but exaggerated) main character than we all want to admit to!
December 3, 2009
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.
August 4, 2011
"It's Not You, It's Me" by Kerry C. Hoffmann is a compelling novel about a boy named Henry breaking up with his girlfriend Zoe because he wants to focus on his band more. Zoe really loves Henry and she wants him back no matter what, even making him jealous to get Henry fall for her again. But before that Zoe wrote many poems to Henry explaining how important he is in her life and without him she's nothing. With all those poems he thought she was crazy and told Zoe to stop it. But instead Zoe and her friends Shannon and Julia came up with a Plan B which is to make Henry jealous so he'll want Zoe back. Later, Zoe realizes that this isn't right and after she knew she's hurt many people. So she decides to move on(let go of Henry) and learns that you need to "stay true to you"(Hoffmann, 174).
I agree because being yourself is what makes you really you. For example, you shouldn't act like someone else just to fit in. I think that this story is a great book because it tells about the relationship of girl/boy. In the novel, Zoe seems so dependent always thinking of getting Henry, her ex-boyfriend, back. But in the world there isn't just Henry that one boy to be her boyfriend. So she should let go of him and be just friends with him which is what happened in the end. So to me the theme of this story is to let go or move on. One of my favorite parts of this book is when Zoe came up with her poems about losing Henry. I thought they were really good. This was one my favorites:
We love who we love.
There's no planning, no
Decisions.
People come, they go.
You love them, they don't,
No matter what
they do for you. (Hoffmann, 121)
I agree because being yourself is what makes you really you. For example, you shouldn't act like someone else just to fit in. I think that this story is a great book because it tells about the relationship of girl/boy. In the novel, Zoe seems so dependent always thinking of getting Henry, her ex-boyfriend, back. But in the world there isn't just Henry that one boy to be her boyfriend. So she should let go of him and be just friends with him which is what happened in the end. So to me the theme of this story is to let go or move on. One of my favorite parts of this book is when Zoe came up with her poems about losing Henry. I thought they were really good. This was one my favorites:
We love who we love.
There's no planning, no
Decisions.
People come, they go.
You love them, they don't,
No matter what
they do for you. (Hoffmann, 121)
July 11, 2011
This book is about a girl called Zoe is dating with a boy named Henry. However, Henry almost graduated, he wants to focus on his band, and becomes free. Therefore, he need to break up with Zoe. But Zoe really likes Henry, she feels so hurt, and sad. She doesn’t understand why he can’t focus while they together. She knows that one of her friend’s relation had been break up many times, but they still together. So she is trying to get Henry back, and comes up with a plan to get him back. During this hard time, her best friends are trying to help her, let her forgets Henry. At the end, the plan fail, she can’t get him back, but she understands a life lesson.
For my point, I think Zoe is kind of crazy who tries to get Henry back. However, that is normal. A girl who loves a boy very deep, will be like Zoe. Although, Zoe wants this relationship be forever, but I think she should learn how to let things go. It also shows that her personality is never gives up to get what she wants. She and Henry break up, but she still have friends to support her, her best friends are trying to help her forget Henry and gets him back. This book reminds me one of my friend. At the beginning I read this book, I feel like it just like a book that wrote about my friend’s story. My friend just like Zoe, her boyfriend needs to break up with her because he wants to be free like Henry. However, in her experience, she learns that to let things go. This book is trying to tell people how to let things go, and the author wants the readers who reads this book will understand how to become more mature. The author also uses Zoe’s experience to pass this message to the readers.
For my point, I think Zoe is kind of crazy who tries to get Henry back. However, that is normal. A girl who loves a boy very deep, will be like Zoe. Although, Zoe wants this relationship be forever, but I think she should learn how to let things go. It also shows that her personality is never gives up to get what she wants. She and Henry break up, but she still have friends to support her, her best friends are trying to help her forget Henry and gets him back. This book reminds me one of my friend. At the beginning I read this book, I feel like it just like a book that wrote about my friend’s story. My friend just like Zoe, her boyfriend needs to break up with her because he wants to be free like Henry. However, in her experience, she learns that to let things go. This book is trying to tell people how to let things go, and the author wants the readers who reads this book will understand how to become more mature. The author also uses Zoe’s experience to pass this message to the readers.
August 14, 2012
This book has an adorable cover, I seriously love the two little birds on the front and the colors and everything. What I read on the back cover seemed interesting. But its what is between the two covers that matter and between the two covers I had the equivalent of a slasher flick. I don't mean that there was massive amounts of blood and gore, in fact there were neither of those. More or less I had that same audience reaction as when you watch a horror/slasher flick. You know the one, where you're constantly yelling at the characters to not go in there or to not do something then cringing as they inevitably do it anyway and BAM they're killed off. That's how I felt reading this. I kept mentally warning the Zoë off, telling her not to do that, not to go there and she went anyway. BAD IDEA. And yet, its kind of a right of passage. So it was right. Just cringe-worthy and bringing up bad memories kind of right. Those awkward first break-ups.
The even better thing? The fact that I was warning her off meant that I cared about her. And I really did like Zoë. I wanted her to be happy. And I could totally relate her having gone through the same thing ages ago. Personally I think that It's Not You, It's Me was an awesome reflection, little slice-of-life type thing, of that very first relationship and its end. Well, more so the end as you only get glimpses and memories of the actual relationship. But its one of those universals, something we all go through and overall a really cute, short read.
And I still love that cover.
The even better thing? The fact that I was warning her off meant that I cared about her. And I really did like Zoë. I wanted her to be happy. And I could totally relate her having gone through the same thing ages ago. Personally I think that It's Not You, It's Me was an awesome reflection, little slice-of-life type thing, of that very first relationship and its end. Well, more so the end as you only get glimpses and memories of the actual relationship. But its one of those universals, something we all go through and overall a really cute, short read.
And I still love that cover.
November 8, 2012
Reviewed by LadyJay for TeensReadToo.com
Zoe Gill has been dating Henry for six months. SIX MONTHS!!! In teenage years, that is a lifetime! She has counted every single kiss; every single moment they have been together.
Zoe believed that their bond would last forever. But now, something has gone horribly awry. Henry doesn't answer his phone at the predetermined time of 9:00pm. Zoe begins to analyze Henry's behavior. He has been acting strangely.....
Zoe frantically enlists the help of her friends, Julia and Shannon, to identify this peculiar behavior. Like true friends, they tell her not to worry, and that everything will be fine at school the next day.
Inevitably, it's not fine. These were the first signs of a major teenage break-up. Zoe is desperate to discover what she did wrong, and ultimately, how to win back Henry's heart. Should she make him jealous? What if she ignores him?
Zoe is willing to go to any lengths to get Henry back, but is he really worth it?
Kerry Cohen Hoffmann has written a story of teenage love and loss that takes place over the course of a month. The reader is able to watch what happens to Zoe after the demise of her relationship with Henry. She suffers unbelievable lows, but eventually discovers that she must begin to love herself before anyone else will. Any girl who has had their heart broken will identify with Zoe's plight.
We've all been there.........done that.
Zoe Gill has been dating Henry for six months. SIX MONTHS!!! In teenage years, that is a lifetime! She has counted every single kiss; every single moment they have been together.
Zoe believed that their bond would last forever. But now, something has gone horribly awry. Henry doesn't answer his phone at the predetermined time of 9:00pm. Zoe begins to analyze Henry's behavior. He has been acting strangely.....
Zoe frantically enlists the help of her friends, Julia and Shannon, to identify this peculiar behavior. Like true friends, they tell her not to worry, and that everything will be fine at school the next day.
Inevitably, it's not fine. These were the first signs of a major teenage break-up. Zoe is desperate to discover what she did wrong, and ultimately, how to win back Henry's heart. Should she make him jealous? What if she ignores him?
Zoe is willing to go to any lengths to get Henry back, but is he really worth it?
Kerry Cohen Hoffmann has written a story of teenage love and loss that takes place over the course of a month. The reader is able to watch what happens to Zoe after the demise of her relationship with Henry. She suffers unbelievable lows, but eventually discovers that she must begin to love herself before anyone else will. Any girl who has had their heart broken will identify with Zoe's plight.
We've all been there.........done that.
November 15, 2011
This book was about how a girl named Zoe has a relationship with this boy named henry and he ends up leaving her for some reason after about a two years relationship together. Then Zoe at first tried to preserve her pride by saying it was no big deal and by doing that she basically bottled up every thing inside. Then like in almost all love stories and movies she can't handle it and she ends up writing poems for henry every day and putting it in his locker or sneaking into his room to give it to him. But this book isn't about he obsession, its about how she gets over her ex-boyfriend by meeting new people and taking advice from her various friends. Lastly you can guess that she ends up getting over the guy like in most love stories.
I would not recommend this book to people because as i was reading this book i found it very hard to keep reading and this was because the book was dry and not interesting to read. Also this book was very predictable in some ways and ended up not having many twists and turns in the book which i think defines a book it self. Another reason why i wouldn't recommend this book is because in general i thought it was a bad and was not fun or interesting to read. But thats not all the ending wasn't surprising at all and if anything the ending should be surprising no matter what.
I would not recommend this book to people because as i was reading this book i found it very hard to keep reading and this was because the book was dry and not interesting to read. Also this book was very predictable in some ways and ended up not having many twists and turns in the book which i think defines a book it self. Another reason why i wouldn't recommend this book is because in general i thought it was a bad and was not fun or interesting to read. But thats not all the ending wasn't surprising at all and if anything the ending should be surprising no matter what.
July 14, 2013
Das Buch "Ohne ihn!" aus dem PINK-Verlag berichtet über die erste Liebe und das erste gebrochene Herz von Zoe, die versucht ihren Exfreund zurückzugewinnen. Dies tut sie auf manchmal recht unbedachte und peinliche Art - dennoch ist es nachvollziehbar und rührend zu lesen.
Mal musste ich bei dem Buch lachen, mal mich etwas schämen - aber immer denken: Ja, das erste gebrochene Herz oder Liebeskummer allgemein können einen manchmal zu merkwürdigen Taten bringen! Wer hat nicht selbst schonmal im Namen der Liebe seinen Stolz über Board geworfen oder etwas Verrücktes getan?? Also ich habe das garantiert und daher finde ich das Buch gut.
Es beschreibt Zoes inneres Gefühlsleben wirklich gut und auch wenn man nicht alle Aktionen gutheißen kann, hat man doch ein gutes Verhältnis zur Protagonistin. Schlußendlich sieht sie es nach der großen Katastrophe dann auch ein und lernt etwas daraus.
Und genau das soll einem ein Buch ja auch vermitteln: Das es unterschiedliche Charaktere gibt, jeder anders mit Schmerz umgeht, und auch aus blöden Situationen etwas Gutes entstehen kann. Man muss es nur wollen und zulassen.
Insgesamt also ein vergnügliches Buch für Teenies und Ältere Leser. Denn Liebeskummer betraf schließlich schon jeden von uns. Manche werden sich wieder finden, andere den Kopf schütteln, doch ein gutes Buch bleibt es trotzdem.
Mal musste ich bei dem Buch lachen, mal mich etwas schämen - aber immer denken: Ja, das erste gebrochene Herz oder Liebeskummer allgemein können einen manchmal zu merkwürdigen Taten bringen! Wer hat nicht selbst schonmal im Namen der Liebe seinen Stolz über Board geworfen oder etwas Verrücktes getan?? Also ich habe das garantiert und daher finde ich das Buch gut.
Es beschreibt Zoes inneres Gefühlsleben wirklich gut und auch wenn man nicht alle Aktionen gutheißen kann, hat man doch ein gutes Verhältnis zur Protagonistin. Schlußendlich sieht sie es nach der großen Katastrophe dann auch ein und lernt etwas daraus.
Und genau das soll einem ein Buch ja auch vermitteln: Das es unterschiedliche Charaktere gibt, jeder anders mit Schmerz umgeht, und auch aus blöden Situationen etwas Gutes entstehen kann. Man muss es nur wollen und zulassen.
Insgesamt also ein vergnügliches Buch für Teenies und Ältere Leser. Denn Liebeskummer betraf schließlich schon jeden von uns. Manche werden sich wieder finden, andere den Kopf schütteln, doch ein gutes Buch bleibt es trotzdem.
June 22, 2010
This is a humorous romance novel about a girl, Zoe, who makes a fool of herself while trying to get her ex-boyfriend back. Zoe cannot accept that Henry no longer wants to be with her. Against her friend’s advice, she engages in a series of events that only make things worse. Her life is consumed with thoughts of Henry and her desperate need to make him want her back, so much so that it affects her school performance. After days of trying to throw herself at him, Henry calls her and bluntly tells her she needs to stop, it’s over between them. Jealousy takes over when she sees Henry walking with another girl. Zoe’s friends help her develop plan B which involves her dressing up to get another guys attention in order to make Henry jealous so he’ll want her back.
The story was a typical teenage romance with a few fun twists. At first, Zoe appeared overly-pathetic, but she gradually regains her senses. The things Zoe does in her attempts to get Henry back are hilarious. I could picture this book being made into a Lifetime movie or ABC Family original. Plenty of teenage girls could relate to Zoe, especially after a break-up with a first love. Hoffman does a great job of including positive messages about self-worth.
The story was a typical teenage romance with a few fun twists. At first, Zoe appeared overly-pathetic, but she gradually regains her senses. The things Zoe does in her attempts to get Henry back are hilarious. I could picture this book being made into a Lifetime movie or ABC Family original. Plenty of teenage girls could relate to Zoe, especially after a break-up with a first love. Hoffman does a great job of including positive messages about self-worth.
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