Getting Over Max Cooper

by Marcelle Karp

Letting go is a beach.

Sixteen-year-old Jazz Jacobson has always spent her summers on Fire Island.

This year she’ll be scooping ice cream during the day and hanging out with her friends at night. It’s a charmed life: riding bikes, taking over lifeguard chairs, and soaking up the sun. Sure, she’s got a crush on the hot new surfer boy, and her best friend, Macy, is still not over that jerk , Max Cooper, but what’s a summer without its drama?

While Jazz starts to fall in love, Macy unravels, revealing exactly how not-over Max Cooper she really is.

Boundaries are crossed and the edge of sanity is tested in Marcelle Karp’s debut novel that celebrates the complicated dynamics of female friendship, and the heartbreaking ache of first love.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Realistic Fiction, Audiobook, Summer

288 pages, Hardcover

Published April 19, 2022

Reviews

[melodie | readingwithmelodie · Rating 1 out of 5]

god this book is so bad I’m not even gonna sugar coat it.

if you don’t like critique don’t read this review. it’s 3am and I don’t have a filter

this is the most basic book I’ve read. all they care about is boys and followers and instagram and partying and boys, and it’s a whole bunch of girls being toxic as heck

jasmine doesn’t have a single backbone in her body. her friends aren’t friends. if she’s gonna complain about being fat again I’m gonna slap her. yes, sure, feel insecure, but you can’t just accuse everyone of being fatphobic when literally everything you say is just “oh she’s beautiful” and the second someone doesn’t call you beautiful they’re fatphobic. they have nothing to do with each other. also im very anti drugs, and this book just casually drops like, 17 year olds using it. it’s very much not appropriate.

this book has less plot than books I’ve read in primary school, but it tries to be all big and fancy but the people who would be able to stand the plot would be too young to read the amount of mature themes just thrown in for no good reason

and macy is the most toxic female dog and god why jazz still considers her her friend. says a lot about jasmines lack of, just, everything. and spoiler alert, max cooper does not want tea macy, do not force tea down his throat. AND JAZZ GOES LIKE HMM YEAH MAYBE THIS IS AN ISSUE. jasmine. no.

god why did I read this book. (I was multitasking and I was too lazy to turn it off and then it was so bad I needed to finish it to I could write a complete review not a dnf review that’s why)

please don’t read this. spare yourself

[Lauren King · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m leaning toward 2.5 stars but don’t know if I should round down or up. I didn’t hate this book as much as I thought I was going to after about 20 pages but it had more potential than it actually delivered. Probably one of the most inconclusive endings to a book I have ever read, and I’m just totally confused as to why the author ended the book where she did and how it even got published that way. It’s like the story finally got going and there was a lot to unpack and then it’s just…over.
The things I hated the most about this book were the author’s writing style (run-on sentences in one paragraph, and then incomplete sentences in others), the way the characters talk to each other— as if the author looked up teenage slang on urban dictionary and included it — and the way the plot “moves forward” (or doesn’t) due to constant interruptions to conversations. That only works as a plot device once or twice before being outright annoying. Also hate the CONSTANT talk about Instagram. I hate social media references in any book (unless it’s a made-up social media that is only briefly mentioned) and the way the characters are allllways on Instagram and “snap” was just awful. Okay rant over.

[Nelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet summer romance set on Fire Island. A little unfinished, but enjoyable nonetheless.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute YA summer romance set on Fire Island that sees two teen photographers falling in love. Full of friendship, new love and lots of ice cream. This one's been getting some poor reviews but I enjoyed it and thought the audiobook narration by Phoebe Strole was good.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer on Long Island is different this year. Jasmine gets her first boyfriend. But, what comes along with newfound love is a tug on her friendship with her best friend Macy, who happens to not be over Max Cooper. The drama intensifies as this group of teens navigate how to exist together.

Very indie-film-like, GETTING OVER MAX COOPER reminded me so much of an angsty Kristen Stewart and ADVENTURELAND vibes with the way the main character Jasmine narrated the story. It was teen drama-filled with a touch of photography, and lingo that was new to me—“cuffed” and “wya.” Macy’s character was definitely spot-on, and the voice was extremely clear. It’s a good read to binge in one summer afternoon, if you like YA and indie vibes.

[Em ౨ৎ (semi-inactive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty alright book, it wasn't great, but wasn't terrible. I think this book could've focused more on actually getting over Max than falling for Leo.

[Esme · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was weird lol
The writing was really juvenile and trying to be hip with the lingo and all
But maybe i am just too old for this type of YA book 🤷🏼‍♀️
Also the B plot was weird and it felt like none of the characters cared about it lol

[Dante · Rating 5 out of 5]

blurb to come!

[Jena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute wholesome tale of high school friendships and romance. The protagonist reminded me of a friend from high school. I think that the messages are there for young teens in a low key plot

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

Thank you so much Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC for this book! This book was sooo good!! I loved the characters and the writing style. There was so much drama and it was honestly amazing. I stayed up all night reading this book, it was so good!! If I couldn’t give it more stars, I would. I can’t wait for another book from Marcelle Karp!

In this book the main character, Jazz goes to an island every summer. There is a new addition to her friend group on the island this summer, Leo. Leo is one of her friend’s cousins. Jazz ends up having a crush on Leo. Her best friend Macy, is also having boy problems. Last summer she was seeing Max Cooper, they weren’t actually dating though. This summer, Macy still has feelings for Max even though they ended things the previous summer. Macy is trying to win back Max Cooper, even though she desperately needs to get over him.

[Annika Shah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute and summery, like I was expecting it to be, but it wasn’t greaaaat. It didn’t really work for me, like the title was Getting Over Max Cooper but that was more Macy’s storyline. Maybe if Macy was the protagonist that would’ve worked more. Also, there wasn’t that much of a plot, like suddenly the whole thing with Max happened and there wasn’t that much of a build up. And all the pop culture references and the obsession over “Insta” and “Snap” just didn’t work. And I’ve never heard anyone text “wya” but that was just everywhere. I was also confused about her age because it said she’d been going there since she was 3 and it was supposed to be post pandemic, so 2022, but then it mentioned 2006 and she would’ve been 1. And how did she not remember Leo and they were 5? That got me super confused.
There were so many opportunities, but this book just fell short for me.

[Becca]

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me an e-ARC of Getting Over Max Cooper in exchange for an honest review!

DNF.

Unfortunately, I didn't care to make it through Getting Over Max Cooper; the plot just wasn't really pulling me in. However, I did like how Summer-y it was & I think this book could be perfect for teenagers during the Summer!

[Diana-christie Biancardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover is the cutest! I liked the writing a lot better than the story :)

[Nora · Rating 2 out of 5]

i just don't know what happened and how things connected, great writing tho felt all the summer vibes that i miss so bad
but yea story just felt meh

[Siya]

the only reason I wanna read this is bc sophia and I have an inside joke and it’s imperative for me to read this bc of that joke

[Clara Toburen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to 3.5 stars but I didn’t feel like it deserved 4 stars. I don’t really know how I feel about this book. I enjoyed the setting and it made me so ready for summer. The ending was weird and felt unfinished. It took me a minute to get used to this author’s style of writing.

[Beth Heltebridle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like it was going nowhere - and indeed, that’s where it went. Ultimately a strange book with an unresolved stalker plot (?!)

[Chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. An easy read, which I love. The romance was a cute history and Instagram posts were cute.
I love romance books and a lot of them are repetitive, but this was felt very much so - at least for a portion, the early to middle section - with how Jazz constantly thought about Alice being with Leo when it wasn't really an issue. It felt like the author was trying to just start drama but wasn't committed to making it an issue. I mean, Alice was mean - she tripped Jazz and was a rude customer, but it could've been way worse. That was that. Also, I thought for sure, Jazz and Leo would have a huge misunderstanding, like in most romance books, but the worst misunderstanding they had was when Macy turned off Jazz's notifications and that only lasted for a night. I thought it was going to happen when he asked if she said a boyfriend and then her alarm went off or something, and she never answered. He was actually pretty transparent with her and Jazz didn't have anything to hide, but sometimes, she was in her head and her answers, like no, she did not have boyfriend and she liked Leo, weren't ever communicated to Leo. But I guess he understood her anyway? So, it worked out for them.
Side note: I liked Jazz's commitment to her photography schedule. Like wow, sticking to 7 a.m. and not having Leo derail her timeline was pretty impressive.

I don't understand why it was called "Getting Over Max Cooper" though, when that was the best friend's storyline, not the protagonist's. It played a role in Jazz's life, too, but her storyline was focused primarily on photography and Leo, along with work and her friendships. I also feel like Macy's obsession with Max could have been addressed more seriously. They acknowledged that if Macy kept it up, things were going to get worse and her friends didn't really know what to do and again, that was that. A girl called her a stalker, but I think that conversation is heavier than acknowledged. Stalking is an arrestable offense and they made it sound like Macy was just having trouble getting over her ex and was only a little too obsessed. It also didn't even call her trying to have sex with him without consent what it is - rape. AND she stole his cross necklace. There was just so much that it had the potential to be a good conversation, but it fell short.

[McKenzie · Rating 1 out of 5]

there were more pop culture references than plot in this book. i tried so hard to look past this but i couldn’t read more than the first 15% of this book. definitely not for me, but i could sense this book had promise somewhere

[Jacky]

Getting Over Max Cooper is a light, teen beach read that will have you missing summer or wishing it would never end.

**Thank you Penguin Teen for the ARC in an exchange for an honest review**

Summers in Fire Island are for sunsets with friends, days spent working at the ice cream truck, biking around the island, and maybe, just maybe, for finding love. Jazz has spent the entire school year away from her best friend Macy but summer is here and Jazz is looking forward to spending the entire summer together. While Macy is desperately hoping she can reignite the fire between her and her last fling, Max Cooper, Jazz meets someone who she can see herself really falling for. But is there room in their summer to catch up, make time for new and old relationships, AND work summer jobs? It'll be a test of their friendship to work through it all.

What I liked about this story:
**Jasmine's voice. It is quirky, full of feeling, and her character really shown throughout the story.
"McDimple lowers the camera from his face and raises his thick eyebrows at me, essentially asking me to marry him, but maybe not, and then he says, 'Later.'"
**The town felt flushed out. There were lots of bike trips and the territory felt familiar even as I was being introduced to it.
**The characters in the story felt fairly authentic, like they each had their best and less stellar qualities shown.

There were a few cool young kid terms like "cuffed" and "WYA" and while I knew one, the other was still new to me but I didn't mind it (even if it did make me feel a little old, haha).

Where I struggled a bit with the story was that there felt like there was two main focus' of the story, one being Jazz's potential love interest, and the other is Macy getting over Max Cooper. Where I enjoyed the former and thought it began and ended in a sweet place, the latter doesn't get the full resolution I was expecting considering the title. I think I struggled with Macy's character the most because she didn't seem like a great friend or someone worth fighting for like Jazz is in the story. I wish more rise and fall had happened with Macy's arc earlier on, it ended in a true to life place but I felt a little strung along by her storyline.

There was a lot to the story and I would definitely recommend it for a cabin weekend away or a carefree summer read.

4 stars

[Allie Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in one day but…it wasn’t great. It’s a low three and not a two because I’m still very unexplainable intrigued by everything I just read?! Intrigued…but nowhere near satisfied. I’m still pretty confused about several choices the author made and that definitely includes ending it where she did. The pace of this and the fact it’s only seven chapters (broken into very oddly timed “sections”) really threw me. It was also a *lot* of characters to keep track of and most were majorly underdeveloped. (The parents and every adult in town- why? Why did I need to know all of their names and where they live and who they know? For what reason?) The plot was also lacking, lacking, lacking in the first 75%- just repeating the same events day after day. Then suddenly a few things (weird things, but things) happened and…the book ended. Chapter 7 was an epilogue (?!!) and like I said, I’m still confused. I will say, it gains some points with me for not including any of the typical Y.A. romance drama between the protagonist and love interest; I did appreciate that. Overall: an intriguing but odd concept, odd writing with all of the Instagram and Snapchat focus, and even odder that it ended with an *unresolved* stalker problem.

[TheNextGenLibrarian]

How do you help a friend get over her ex?
🍦
Jazz Jacobson has spent summers at Fire Island forever, but this summer she’ll have to work a job scooping ice cream most of the day, helping her BFF get over her ex & falling for a new surfer boy who keeps coming around. But when her BFF isn’t getting over Max Cooper as quickly as she should, it’s up to Jazz to help pick up the pieces of her friend’s shattered heart.
🍦
This was not at all what I was hoping for. You can tell by the title and the premise it’s going to be a light, fluffy YA summer romance but this was very heavy on the light, almost to the point of trivial and pointless. There wasn’t much plot here with lots of pop culture references. I always wonder if books that mention about social media, actors and influencers will stand the test of time. Will anyone know (or care) about them in a few years? It dates the book sooner than it needs to IMO. I’m sure some teens will enjoy this YA romance & find it lighthearted and fun. I’m just not someone who did.

[Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know the reviews have been mixed on this one but I really enjoyed it. I think between the synopsis and the cover people were expecting more of a rom-com, but there’s actually some heavier things at play here. I enjoyed seeing the Max & Macey storyline develop in a very opposite direction of the Jazz storyline. I also really enjoyed the Fire Island setting and how summers there are described and enjoyed. From walking and biking to each destination, to the hop, skip and a jump to the beach, and the town ice cream parlor, this is the summer setting I wish to be in lol.

As for things feeling unresolved(which many other reviewers have expressed their feelings on) I think given the circumstances this makes sense and what would happen given some of the occurrences in the story. I appreciate that the issues discussed weren’t just laughed off and tied in a neat bow.

[Megan Houde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer has come once again and Jazz is excited to be spending with her best friend Macy. Soaking in the sun, having adventures, scooping ice cream during the day, what more could a girl want. How about a boyfriend! While Jazz gets her first boyfriend, her best friend Macy is having trouble getting over Max Cooper, her boyfriend from last summer. All this is tough waters to navigate and makes for a drama filled summer.

Definitely a fun filled adventure that I adored. It’s the perfect lighthearted, with some subjects, read. There were some new ways of saying words I had no clue what they meant.. shanking my head at how not hip I am lol. But other than that, I loved the characters, the drama, the friendship, and all together the story of heartache and winning someone back.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just your basic ya coming-of-age story. I did think it portrayed complex female friendships well but I would've liked to see more of Macy's story and how she dealt with her mental health bc thats left a big pothole at the end.

Jazz & Leo: very cute, adorable, heartwarming. Loved how all of Jazz' insecurities were not issues at all and Leo loved her for her.
Felt bad for Max, poor boy.

It kind of felt like this book was set in the same universe as 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' and it was actually nice to get out of my seasonal depression for a bit and be transported to a summer holiday town.

[syl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh mannn this book was weird. The author writing was a bit clunky I felt and her “teenspeak” was so strange. Like “cuffed”??? The book didn’t have much plot besides just getting together with this boy who already liked her. Also jasmine avoids conflict at all turns and she doesn’t really grow thru that which makes the book not very interesting. I though the titular plot was interesting, how jasmine didn’t really realize what was going on… I though it was weird how the title only refers to like a quarter of the book?? Also the cover artist deserves a raise: stunning work!

[Kirstyn (readwithkirstyn) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Getting Over Max Cooper so much! I spent my summers watching indie films in high school and college and this filled that void completely reading just like one and reminding me of films like the f-word (or what if depending on where you live) as well as one of my favorites, Adventureland! I started and finished this book on one sunny Sunday reading it in my backyard in one sitting. This is going to be the PERFECT summer read for someone looking for a lighthearted book that will hook you!

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the weather starts to warm up and the snow starts to melt, I find myself being more interested in stories set during summer. Getting Over Max Cooper by Marcelle Karp is set during summer on Fire Island and has ice cream on the cover. Of course I wanted to pick this audiobook up. Also? I didn’t mention the fact that it was a short listen which shoots it right up my priority list. Read my full review here

[Megan Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I loved the summer vibes! I loved that she got the guy, I loved the cover, but the title is SO misleading! And I found myself yelling at the book so often. I couldn’t BELIEVE what she was letting her friend do, what she was letting herself fall into BECAUSE of her friend’s terrible behavior. It made me so mad! But I did love the summer vibes, but I felt like the ending came on way too quickly.