Review of “Better Than the Movies” by Lynn Painter

Are you a fan of rom-coms and agree that they just don’t do them like the early 2000s anymore? Well, reading Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter will give you that sense of nostalgia reminiscent of the early decade of the 21st century. This YA romance is set in a small town following the main protagonist, Liz Buxbaum, a senior in high school. Liz grew up obsessed with rom-coms and fantasizing about the perfect love story (me too, girl). When her childhood crush suddenly returns, she finds herself having to befriend her next-door-nemesis, the boy who’s picked on her throughout childhood, to get to him. I’m sure you can guess where this story goes but I won’t spoil it for you.

There are a few messages in this story to note. The first is, never to change who you are just to impress someone else, you’ll end up losing yourself and hurting those close to you in the process. Especially in your teenage years where there’s so much change and growth occurring, it is easy to want to mold yourself to the likes of those around you. If you can take away anything from Liz’s example, it’s that this will not fulfill you. The second message is don’t wait too long!! Life is short and fleeting, don’t wait until it is too late to tell someone how you feel, and don’t wait too late to even realize your feelings. No regrets! Overall, Painter portrayed positive lessons in this story and was age-appropriate for the intended audience.  

This was the first Lynn Painter book I have read and I was not disappointed. Her writing style was clear and easy to follow, and the characters had depth and satisfying development throughout the story. Additionally, the romance in this book is clean and close-doored. There are mentions of sex and some explicit language but nothing spicy. I would say this book is appropriate for high schoolers and up. I have not decided yet if I want to read its sequel Nothing Like the Movies simply because I am satisfied with how this one ended and I’m typically cautious when it comes to sequels in general. In conclusion, I would give Better Than the Movies an 8.5/10!

What book should I review next? Should I read the sequel?