Over You

July 16, 2012
After a lifetime of moving around, 17-year-old boarding school dropout Max Scott roots herself in New York City in this snappy and original romp from the authors of The Nanny Diaries. No stranger to heartbreak, Max creates a regimented program called Ex, Inc., which helps girls get over their exes after being dumped. Max rushes to help a new client, Bridget, after her boyfriend, Taylor, breaks it off. Over the next few weeks, Max encourages Bridget to ignore Taylor, keep her dignity, and create a “Moment” where she can (hopefully) prove she’s over him. Healing isn’t easy, though, as Max knows firsthand: she’s still secretly reeling over Hugo, a rich socialite who threw her heart for a loop. McLaughlin and Kraus offer an appealing yet wildly improbable vision of teenage New York City life: the city is Max’s playground, as she hits up trendy clubs, uses Teen Vogue’s closet like a lending library, and has spontaneous dance parties on the street with her gay BFF. While the authors don’t get points for plausibility, it’s still a sharply written and romantic summer read. Ages 14–up.

December 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Max Scott knows from experience how the dumped and brokenhearted feel. After surviving a breakup, she starts an organization, Ex, Inc., dedicated to helping teens get over their exes. With unbridled optimism and self-help mantras like, "He's entitled not to love me, but he's not entitled to mess with my happy place" and "You are the source," she swoops into clients' lives with an action plan for recovery. Her grateful patrons spread the word and Ex, Inc. is busy enough to keep Max and her friends hopping. Max wants to take it national, so she is applying to NYU with plans to co-major in business and psychology. However, she has a secret that may undermine her ambitions. She is not quite over the rich playboy who dumped her. When he comes to town, Max is confronted with all her past anguish and her polished veneer begins to crack. Over You is filled with vulnerable moments that pull on readers' sympathy while still giving fodder for a chuckle or two. The myriad references to fashion designers and pop culture will date the book, but that will not stop readers from enjoying this chick-lit offering.-Mindy Whipple, West Jordan Library, UT

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.