What’s better than your first crush moving back to town? Figuring out how to get him to take you to the senior prom! That’s exactly what Liz Buxbaum wants to do. Michael, her first love, is back in town and interested in another girl, so Liz enlists the help of her next-door nemesis Wes to transform into the girl Michael pines for. They change her hair, her clothes, the things she’s interested in…. but will the efforts be enough to get Michael’s attention? Or will it have an unintended consequence for the boy next door?
Lynn Painter is known for her Young Adult Romance novels like Betting on You, but her latest release Better Than the Movies has achieved Bestseller status on both the USA Today and New York Times lists. Painter has mastered the dialogue of teens without reducing the novel to a level that is unreadable for more mature readers. This book focuses on the common romance novel tropes – the boy next door, the frenemies, the long-lost love for starters, and uses them to build a line of relatable and comedic moments that build a story for the ages.
I give Better Than the Movies 5 out of 5 stars. I adore the way Painter weaves the romance novel and romcom tropes throughout the novel, and even acknowledges them in a cute way in the dialogue. It does have a tinge of made-for-the-movies, but that was the only negative I could find here. I found myself emotional along with the main characters when Liz’s mother is discussed. I also appreciate the conversation around Liz’s relationship with her stepmother – it gave me insight into how my own blended family works!
If you adore romcoms like “10 Things I Hate About You” or “Say Anything”, you will love this book! This is a great read for a “no tech” weekend if you still feel like a trip to the movies. With discussions of bullying and teen romance, along with the loss of a mother, I would direct this book to more mature readers over 13. I do think this would be a great read for a teen dealing with a blended family – it gives a great reference to let the reader know they aren’t alone.
I chose Better Than the Movies for the US States reading challenge prompt “Nebraska”. I had heard about this book in many of my literary groups since its publication in 2021 and am excited I finally got the chance to read it! I am so looking forward to the rest of this series – a prequel Better Than Before is already out, and a sequel Nothing Like the Movies will hit shelves in September!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Being Henry, Henry Winkler
- Current audio book: In the Unlikely Event, Judy Blume
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow
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