Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter - HIGH

Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter, 349 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2021. $19. 

Language: R (100+ swears, 6 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (teenage drinking and sexuality); Violence: G; 

 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Liz Buxbaum is a quirky high school girl who wears adorably-printed dresses and is obsessed with rom-coms and soundtracks. Liz’s long-time crush, Michael, has moved back into town and she needs her annoying next door neighbor, Wes, to help her get Michael to ask her to prom. As she spends more time with Wes, she begins to realize that he might not be so terrible. However, her lies and schemes to win over Michael are piling up and alienating her from her friends, her stepmom, and eventually, even Wes. Can Liz still get her rom-com perfect ending? 

On the surface, this appears to be a bubblegum sweet teenage rom-com, however, there is some depth to this storyline. Liz is struggling with all the major milestones that come with senior year and still grieving for her mother, who passed away when she was young. She feels like she is losing her mom all over again, now that she is moving ahead with her life. The book does a nice job of balancing the heaviness of her grief with the snappy dialogue between Liz and Wes and the fixes Liz finds herself in pursuing Michael were totally awkward and hilarious. This would be a nice addition to a high school library that teenage girls would eat up with a spoon. 

Reviewer: BookswithBeddes