Book Review: Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter

 

Book Summary

Disclaimer 

This is a spoiler free review!

It was fun, but nothing special. 

Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2.5 rounded)

Review

This book is really popular in the book community and I can see why, however I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The main reason why I didn't really enjoy it was because I've outgrown YA books and Better Than The Movies is very much YA, honestly at some points it kind of read like a middle grade book. I really liked the romance movies references scattered throughout the book because I am huge fan of romance movies.  I just felt like the plot was a bit too juvenile for a YA where the main characters are eighteen years old and about to go off to college. I think if the characters were fourteen years old, it would've made more sense for the plot. Although it was enjoyable, it was too predictable. 

    Liz was way too juvenile and childish for an eighteen year old. Her thought process and logic was not that of a high school senior about to start college. It didn't make sense for her to still be in love with Michael after not seeing him for years and the only think she likes about him is that he's tall and has a southern drawl. Also, her crush felt more like a creepy obsession and a one sided competition with  Laney. Liz villianized  Laney for something that wasn't even related to Liz and was not malicious at all and it happened like ten years ago. That's a prime example of her logical being childish for her age. I didn't like that she seemed to be defined by the fact that her mom died, especially because her mom died when she was ten years old. I wish that Painter had explored Liz's experience of losing her mom a little bit more, but it's a YA romance, so it's very surface level. Liz is a pathological liar, she will lie about anything, even the smallest and minuscule things. She was so self-centred and stubborn. She refused to communicate anything to anyone. 

    Wes was such a simp for Liz, almost to a fault. It's very obvious from the very beginning that he has a huge crush on her and pranks her because he likes her and doesn't have the courage to tell her. I think he was too much of a simp because he literally tried to help her date another guy. He was so sweet and kind to her since they were kids, but she still didn't disliked him for some reason. I do think that Wes' character was not as fleshed out as he could've been.  At times, he came across as spineless because he has so many opportunities to confess to Liz and he didn't. 

    Overall, it was bit boring and predictable. The FMC was so infuriating and insufferable and the MMC was a huge simp that needed to grow a pair and stop being a coward. I would recommend Better Than The Movies if you're in high school and just want to read something quick and easy. 

 Some scenes and lines that I liked

1. Wes giving Liz the money she needed to buy her mom's movie collection back from the thrift shop. ( takes place when they're kids). 

2. "Fine. If you ditch me, Wessy, I will stab you with the keg tap." 

    "My little Libby is a savage." 

3. "We are not going anywhere together. Trust me. I wouldn't go to the gas station with this one." 

    "Well, I wouldn't invite you to the gas station, so just shut your big mouth. "Believe me." 

4. "Hey! It's Mrs. Potato Head!" 

5. That was too perfect for anything to ruin. G'night." 

6. "Then one day your eyes are opened to just how amazing pennies are." 

7. "And it's been killing me. I fell in love with teasing you in the second grade, when I first discovered that I could turn your cheeks pink with just a word. Then I fell in love with you."  (SWOON!!!)