It's Not You, It's Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann Grades 8+ 192 pages Delacorte June 2009 Hardcover     Zoe is living the high-inducing life of first love. She’s so caught up in her relationship that nothing else matters - not her grades, not her friends, not even herself. So, when Henry calls it quits, Zoe’s whole world crashes down around her. Determined to win her boyfriend back, Zoe comes up with plan after plan to no avail. At some point, she is forced to look in the mirror and wonder, “Who is this girl?” Author Kerry Cohen Hoffman does a fantastic job of showing Zoe’s heartbreak and loss. Her feelings of longing when she sees Henry and her painful bouts of reliving memories are filled with raw, realistic emotion which any girl who has loved and lost can easily identify with. There should always be time allotted for self-pity, but it doesn’t take long before Zoe’s character comes off as desperate and weak. Her harebrained attempts at rekindling the romance border on crazy and make you wonder why Henry hasn’t filed for a restraining order. Eventually, after one embarrassing moment after another, Zoe begins to realize that she must love herself in order for others to love her. A good lesson, but does it come too late? If you’ve been given that same old line, It's Not You, It's Me, you will find this book a worthwhile read. Heartbreak can be staggering, and a heart needs time to heal. Learn from Zoe’s mistakes and keep in mind that a strong person is much more attractive than a weak one.     web reviews   Niki Masse Schoenfeldt/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)