Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the main plot here involves a girl's attempt to get her life back together after her first real boyfriend breaks up with her. She recounts kissing him, and even a night when he asked her not to go home. Character's swear, and there are also some scenes in which teens -- including the protagonist -- drink.
Families can talk about how teen relationshps are portrayed in media, from TV to books. What are some of the cliches -- and how do they shape expectations of what relationships are actually like? Ask your teens what they imagine a good relationship to be like. How does that compare to relationships they've been in, or seen friends in?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kate Pavao
Some lovely writing -- and a colorful supporting cast -- breathe realism into this likable novel about a girl getting over her first heartbreak.
Readers will relate to sad Jen, a driven school newspaper editor who now has to work closely with the boy who just broke up with her. They will also like her colorful family, which includes a foul-mouthed younger brother obsessed with hip-hop culture and a wacky grandmother who gives her an over-the-top self-help novel.
Readers may tire of how long it takes Jen to get over Max, and they may not know what to make of The Breakup Bible (which instructs Jen to cut out inspirational messages such as "Mr. Wrong is in the garbage where he belongs" and "I complete me.")
Also, the storyline in which Jen writes a controversial newspaper article about race relations at her high school seems to come out of nowhere -- though it does energize her, and help her draw an important conclusion about Max.
Ultimately, the author hits the right chord: Jen takes time getting over Max, but she also learns to take charge of her own life. Jen's lucky she has a supportive network of family and friends -- it may be what helps her finally see Max's flaws, concluding that "we weren't soul mates; we were strangers."
Readers will cheer Jen on as she lands an important internship -- and even flirts with trying love again.
From The Book
When Max told me that he'd "been thinking about it a lot lately" and had "decided it would be better if we were just friends," it occurred to me that dying of a broken heart might not be a convention. I unbuckled my seat belt, slid out of his car, and shut the door. As the freezing February air slapped my cheeks, I thought, That's the last time I'm going to get out of Max's car. And right after that I thought, I'm never going to kiss Max again. And then I thought, Max isn't my boyfriend anymore. And that's when I knew I was going to be sick.
Plot Summary:
Jen's family and friends try to cheer her up after she's dumped by the school newspaper editor; her grandmother even gives her a cheesy self-help book. But Jen remains heartbroken, especially after she discovers Max is now going out with a ditzy girl who works on the paper with them.
Her life slowly gets better, thanks to her involvement in a controversial article -- and a realization that Max wasn't as perfect for her as she thought.
Related Books:
Books about Girls Who Get It (Eventually):
How to be Popular by Meg Cabot
Saffy's Angel by Hilary Mckay
Lush by Natasha Friend
Rx by Tracy Lynn
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentSome kissing, and Jennifer's boyfriend pressures her to spend the night. |
 |
|
||
Violence |
 |
|
||
LanguageSome words like "bitch" and "ass." |
|
|
||
Message |
|
|
||
Social BehaviorJen's family is supportive of her during her breakup, as are her friends. |
 |
 |
||
Commercialism |
 |
|
||
Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoTeen drinking at parties and at a restaurant. |
|
|
||
