ALA Booklist (Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Junior Jen Lewis' life revolves around the school newspaper and her boyfriend, the paper's editor. So things really go south when Max dumps her, and Jen is left to wonder why and wander around hopelessly. When Jen's grandmother gives her Dr. Emory Emerson's The Breakup Bible, brimming with advice about moving on, Jen tosses it; she doesn't want to move on. Then, she learns that Max left her for another girl on the newspaper and decides she desperately needs the guidance. Written with wit and featuring a few fine plot twists, this will have teen girls nodding sympathetically. There's also a strong subplot centered on a newspaper article Jen and an African American friend are writing about the school's de facto segregation, which adds some heft to the oldest story in the world. A solid entry for chick-lit shelves.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Jennifer can't move on after her boyfriend dumps her. Her grandmother's gift of The Breakup Bible doesn't help at first, but when the book's lessons start working, and with a hot news story to investigate, Jennifer's on the road to recovery. Jennifer's dual roles as ace-reporter and heartbroken dumpee don't convincingly gel, but ex-girlfriends will relate to her feelings.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Jen is crushed when her boyfriend tells her “it would be better if we were just friends.” Making matters worse, she catches him kissing another girl from the school paper, where she also works. Jen cannot sleep, cries constantly and thinks she “could actually die of heartache.” Even with supportive friends and family—and opportunities to advance her journalism career—it takes time to move on. Kantor (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Confessions of a Not It Girl) successfully juggles several storylines, including Jen's work on a controversial article about race relations at school, her mother's attempt at romance after years on the sidelines and even a fun first date for Jen with a boy who bravely takes her salsa dancing. These threads make Jen's world seem very real and reflect her growing sense of self. Readers may not know what to make of the actual self-help book Jen's grandmother buys her (called <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Breakup Bible); full of clichés (such as “A fabulous, foxy lady such as yourself knows when it's time to say good riddance to bad rubbish!), the cheesy book seems to help Jen at times, but ultimately ends up in the trash. Jen goes through much of the book thinking “I'm so sad, I'm so sad, I'm so sad,” which may overwhelm readers, but in the end, they will likely be convinced both of Jen's readiness to move on and of her ability to see the good and the bad in her first romance. Ages 12-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Jennifer's boyfriend Max breaks up with her, telling her that they would be better as "just friends." Her family is loving but unhelpful, her friends are fiercely protective, and her grandmother offers a self-help book titled The Breakup Bible. Jennifer tries to follow the book's advice, but it hinders more than helps. A heartbroken Jennifer feels that no one truly understands her pain. Jennifer's life is not all misery, however. She is a smart girl with plenty of good opportunities. There is a chance at a summer internship at the New York Times; the editor position at her school newspaper will be hers next year; she makes new friends by writing an investigative story about race relations at her school; and her father and his loving boyfriend set her up on a wonderful blind date. Unsurprisingly by the end of the story, Jennifer learns that breakups can be difficult, but one will survive and thrive by being one's own person and moving on. The book is like cotton candy: sweet, light, gone fast, and easily forgettable. There are several scenes of casual teen drinking that kept bringing this reviewer up short. Jennifer and her friends are juniors in high school but they drink at parties, at family gatherings, and out at a restaurant. Not that this book needs to be a morality play, but the characters drink in a very blasÚ manner that was a bit unsettling. Overall it is a frothy, insubstantial additional purchase.-Geri Dioro.