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izziepng 's review for:
Better Than The Movies
by Lynn Painter
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
SPOILERS AHEAD
Now where do I even begin?
Oh I know where.
I HATE LIZ, she’s childish, creepy, uptight, a terrible friend, a bit of a bitch for no reason, and just over all dumb as hell.
Wes only ever annoyed me because he tried to change how Liz dressed because she dresses like a old lady sometimes. Dude you love her anyway why does it matter to you. Also I have no clue what he was getting out of helping her get Michael if he doesn’t actually need the parking spot. Was his plan to hang out with her enough that she’d fall in love with him because if that was his plan it worked.
I understand a lot of people LOVE this book. I thought i would too because enemies to lovers and fake dating are like my favorite tropes. But Liz RUINED this book for me I can NOT get over it. This book is the epitome of “if he’s mean to you it’s because he likes you.”
Okay now I’m gonna complain about Liz.
She childish- She HATES Laney all because Laneys mom is alive and hers isn’t? Like that’s not a good reason to HATE SOMEONE. It’s not her fault that your mom died and hers didn’t, and her mom writing notes in for her in her lunch box isn’t a jab at you. And then starts to hate her MORE because Michael likes her? Like WTH.
She’s creepy- Why is she STILL obsessed with Michael and why is NO ONE ELSE BUT JOCELYN NOTICES. Page 13 she is wondering what he smells like? Like girl i think you need to calm down. Then pg 19 she says that if Michael and Laney were to get together it would “crush her” Then Jocelyn calls her out for obsessing over him because she hasn’t seen him in what like 8 years and shes all like “I know everything I need to know.” How do you know that what if he’s a crazed psycho axe murder now? Pg 52 she says it FATE he came back (remember the FATE part). I skipped times because there is SO MANY anyway Pg 120 she calls Michael “Mr Right with the Perfect Butt.” like fucking weird and creepy please stop. Pg 124 she gets mad at Laney because when she got in the van on the way to the basket ball game “dammit-she’d made me forget to look and see what Michael’s house looked like” like creepy af. I skipped SO MANY creepy moments because there are way to many to talk about.
She’s uptight- Page 25 she tried to parallel parking to “The Spot” at the end of the street but got mad at Wes when he pulled into the spot instead. Like your the dumb one for trying to parallel park. She thinks she do different for grieving her dead mom and “no one understands her.” like WTH.
She is a TERRIBLE friend to Jocelyn- She lies to her through the ENTIRE book about EVERYTHING. Like fake dating Wes (can it even be called that actually) to get to Michael, gets mad at her for wanting to do all the normal senior in high school things. Blows her off at every chance she gets. Talks shit about her often.
A bit of a bitch for no reason- Again LIEING TO EVERYONE. To her dad, to Jocelyn, to Michael, to Ash randomly. Like Helena who just wants to be there for her she gets mad at for “replacing” her mom. Pg 175 She gets mad at Wes for seeing her at the grave yard and just thinks she’s quirky for going to a grave yard to talk to her mom even though it’s a totally normal thing to do when someone dies. Pg 177 she gets mad when her dad talks to her about inviting Helena to go prom dress shopping with them saying “Why couldn’t he— and Helena— let it go? Why did they have to pile on the prom pressure? It felt like everyone wanted me to do something—multiple somethings— that I don’t want to do.” NO ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO DO BECAUSE YOU AREN’T TELLING ANYONE ANYTHING!!! Then again on the same page “Why do her wishes count more then mine?” NO ONE KNOWS YOUR WISHES!!! Again I skipped so much because like WTH there is SO MUCH.
She’s dumb af- Why does she lie to Michael about dating that dude named Matt at the basket ball game? Like why couldn’t she hate told him that they made a bet about him? It would of changed NOTHING about you knowing anything about basket ball. And why are you trying to change for some guy? So Michael talks to her about her mom liking daisies right and she thinks it’s so sweet and cute and they’re in love, so why is it when Wes remember EVERYTHING about her mom she doesn’t care at all and it’s totally normal and not sweet or they’re in love? And then on pg 153 she comes to the realization that Michael only likes her when she isn’t acting or dressing like her but Wes likes her no matter what! When Ash vomits on her at the party and Wes saves her ass, gives her clothes, takes her home, and CARES but Michael doesn’t, then when she gets hit in the face with a basketball Wes literally takes the CLOTHES OFF HIS BACK to help and take her to the hospital while Michael plays basketball???? But she STILL WANTS MICHAEL!!!!!! Then Michael goes to her job to buy that romance book and it’s so sweet and “not only was he buying a romance book that no typical insecure male could ever admit to buying” Wes has admitted to watching and probably liking rom com movies but that’s not adorable? But Michael reading one is??? AND THEN COMES TO THE REALIZATION THAT SHE LIKES WES AND STILL SAYS YES TO MICHAEL!!!! Yes Alex was there and all that but you could of texted Wes and been like hey I have feelings for you or told him that after you made out in his car or before you were walking into your house?!?!
Tbh Michael asking her in front of EVERYONE is so anxiety inducing and stressful for her.
Wes deserved SO MUCH better then her.
This is a LONG ASS review purely because I can NEVER remember everything that happens in a book so wrote down in my notes app the parts that I thought things about so I could remember. Is that nerdy yes but it helped me get my thoughts out coherently.
Now where do I even begin?
Oh I know where.
I HATE LIZ, she’s childish, creepy, uptight, a terrible friend, a bit of a bitch for no reason, and just over all dumb as hell.
Wes only ever annoyed me because he tried to change how Liz dressed because she dresses like a old lady sometimes. Dude you love her anyway why does it matter to you. Also I have no clue what he was getting out of helping her get Michael if he doesn’t actually need the parking spot. Was his plan to hang out with her enough that she’d fall in love with him because if that was his plan it worked.
I understand a lot of people LOVE this book. I thought i would too because enemies to lovers and fake dating are like my favorite tropes. But Liz RUINED this book for me I can NOT get over it. This book is the epitome of “if he’s mean to you it’s because he likes you.”
Okay now I’m gonna complain about Liz.
She childish- She HATES Laney all because Laneys mom is alive and hers isn’t? Like that’s not a good reason to HATE SOMEONE. It’s not her fault that your mom died and hers didn’t, and her mom writing notes in for her in her lunch box isn’t a jab at you. And then starts to hate her MORE because Michael likes her? Like WTH.
She’s creepy- Why is she STILL obsessed with Michael and why is NO ONE ELSE BUT JOCELYN NOTICES. Page 13 she is wondering what he smells like? Like girl i think you need to calm down. Then pg 19 she says that if Michael and Laney were to get together it would “crush her” Then Jocelyn calls her out for obsessing over him because she hasn’t seen him in what like 8 years and shes all like “I know everything I need to know.” How do you know that what if he’s a crazed psycho axe murder now? Pg 52 she says it FATE he came back (remember the FATE part). I skipped times because there is SO MANY anyway Pg 120 she calls Michael “Mr Right with the Perfect Butt.” like fucking weird and creepy please stop. Pg 124 she gets mad at Laney because when she got in the van on the way to the basket ball game “dammit-she’d made me forget to look and see what Michael’s house looked like” like creepy af. I skipped SO MANY creepy moments because there are way to many to talk about.
She’s uptight- Page 25 she tried to parallel parking to “The Spot” at the end of the street but got mad at Wes when he pulled into the spot instead. Like your the dumb one for trying to parallel park. She thinks she do different for grieving her dead mom and “no one understands her.” like WTH.
She is a TERRIBLE friend to Jocelyn- She lies to her through the ENTIRE book about EVERYTHING. Like fake dating Wes (can it even be called that actually) to get to Michael, gets mad at her for wanting to do all the normal senior in high school things. Blows her off at every chance she gets. Talks shit about her often.
A bit of a bitch for no reason- Again LIEING TO EVERYONE. To her dad, to Jocelyn, to Michael, to Ash randomly. Like Helena who just wants to be there for her she gets mad at for “replacing” her mom. Pg 175 She gets mad at Wes for seeing her at the grave yard and just thinks she’s quirky for going to a grave yard to talk to her mom even though it’s a totally normal thing to do when someone dies. Pg 177 she gets mad when her dad talks to her about inviting Helena to go prom dress shopping with them saying “Why couldn’t he— and Helena— let it go? Why did they have to pile on the prom pressure? It felt like everyone wanted me to do something—multiple somethings— that I don’t want to do.” NO ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO DO BECAUSE YOU AREN’T TELLING ANYONE ANYTHING!!! Then again on the same page “Why do her wishes count more then mine?” NO ONE KNOWS YOUR WISHES!!! Again I skipped so much because like WTH there is SO MUCH.
She’s dumb af- Why does she lie to Michael about dating that dude named Matt at the basket ball game? Like why couldn’t she hate told him that they made a bet about him? It would of changed NOTHING about you knowing anything about basket ball. And why are you trying to change for some guy? So Michael talks to her about her mom liking daisies right and she thinks it’s so sweet and cute and they’re in love, so why is it when Wes remember EVERYTHING about her mom she doesn’t care at all and it’s totally normal and not sweet or they’re in love? And then on pg 153 she comes to the realization that Michael only likes her when she isn’t acting or dressing like her but Wes likes her no matter what! When Ash vomits on her at the party and Wes saves her ass, gives her clothes, takes her home, and CARES but Michael doesn’t, then when she gets hit in the face with a basketball Wes literally takes the CLOTHES OFF HIS BACK to help and take her to the hospital while Michael plays basketball???? But she STILL WANTS MICHAEL!!!!!! Then Michael goes to her job to buy that romance book and it’s so sweet and “not only was he buying a romance book that no typical insecure male could ever admit to buying” Wes has admitted to watching and probably liking rom com movies but that’s not adorable? But Michael reading one is??? AND THEN COMES TO THE REALIZATION THAT SHE LIKES WES AND STILL SAYS YES TO MICHAEL!!!! Yes Alex was there and all that but you could of texted Wes and been like hey I have feelings for you or told him that after you made out in his car or before you were walking into your house?!?!
Tbh Michael asking her in front of EVERYONE is so anxiety inducing and stressful for her.
Wes deserved SO MUCH better then her.
This is a LONG ASS review purely because I can NEVER remember everything that happens in a book so wrote down in my notes app the parts that I thought things about so I could remember. Is that nerdy yes but it helped me get my thoughts out coherently.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident