Reviews with content warning for Death - Better Than the Movies

at first i thought liz was really annoying and because i thought the same about the do-over, i was kinda just ready to accept that lynn painter's books aren't for me (or that i've aged out of this kind of book) but then as she started not caring so much about living her life a certain way, the book and character got easier to digest. and then it was super cute!!! even though i thought she was annoying, it was believable how all of her worries had effects all of the issues in her life, it felt believable and made me sympathetic.

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iconic_messreads's review

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funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Such a cute read and the main character is so loveable and relatable !!

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yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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4.0

Finished reading: July 21st 2023

"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!

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gabbylandis's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I’d like to start off by saying that I think this book changed my life. This piece of text is absolute perfection. The writing is deep, witty, introspective. The plot was 12/10. I usually predict plots with ease and accuracy, books, movies, shows, you name it, I can predict it. But this book threw my predictions for a few loops and I absolutely loved it. The plot was just. Unbelievable. The characters were also SO lovable. Another important note: if you’ve lost a parent/close friend or family member, this book discusses experiencing grief as a teenager in such a graceful way Overall, Lynn Painter should be so proud of herself for producing this gorgeous piece of text. This is one I’ll never forget.

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