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A review by abidavisf
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- 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’m a ball of tears! I first tried reading Better Than the Movies but couldn’t quite get into so ended up listening to the audiobook and what a great decision that was. Jesse Vilinsky’s narration was perfect. Heartfelt, hilarious, flirtatious, Vilinsky gave us everything.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, and Toxic friendship