Scan barcode
katrinalamothe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing and Car accident
abidavisf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I went from beaming like a school girl to crying my eyes out in the car listening to Libby prom dress shopping. I giggled and blushed and gasped. I felt young again!
Lynn Painter created a true mosaic of a character in Libby. Her heart is so full and so hurt. I want to wrap her in cotton wool to protect her from the world but I also want to spread her wings and send her off to experience EVERYTHING. She’s a beautiful, complicated young woman who makes mistakes but, ultimately, means well, loves with her whole heart, and is just so good.
Wes is one of the most emotionally mature male main character I’ve ever read about and he is 18. Make it make sense. I don’t want to say he’s unrealistic but… men like this don’t exist, right? What an angel. Knowing when to tease and when to care, when to be playful and when to be serious, can be difficult for anyone, especially those with a naturally playful personality but, for a teenager, it’s truly refreshing to read a character like Wes. I hope everyone has a Wes. I hope all the Wes’ have a Wes.
Of course, this book is a love story to romcoms and I love that. The You’ve Got Mail appreciation, in particular, was everything. If you’re a romcom lover, you’ll love this. And you’ll also want to have a movie night every day for a year so there’s that.
Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
emma_119's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
vj_thompson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
"Sometimes we get so tied up in our idea of what we think we want that we miss out on the amazingness of what we could actually have."
I've been curious about this author for quite some time now, but I wasn't quite sure if her books would be for me. I've been warned that her adult books are probably too steamy and to stick with her YA books, and I'm having the feeling this advice hits the nail on the head. I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but I can totally understand why Better Than The Movies is so popular. This is such a cute fake dating romance and basically an ode to romcoms, and I really enjoyed my time with this story. I loved the many romcom quotes at the beginning of the chapters as well as the references to movies and music in the story itself. They worked so well with the plot as well, and I liked the little something extra it added. I loved the whole enemies to lovers, childhood friends to lovers and fake dating elements this story had, although the love triangle vibe was a tad too strong for me. I like quirky and adorable characters, and both Wes and Liz fit the bill. I do have to say that I was a bit annoyed by Liz at times, and especially when it comes to how she treats the people close to her. I understand that she is still grieving her mother, but that doesn't really excuse just how bad she treats them at times. There were some other minor niggles that prevented me from giving it the full five stars, but I still very much enjoyed reading Better Than The Movies. I will be looking forward to the sequel coming out next year!
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
coco78337's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
ophycore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cursing, Blood, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use