Review of Better Than the Movies

Do you love 90s rom coms? Then you should check out this YA homage to them. Here’s my review of Better Than the Movies!

What is Better Than The Movies About?

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painer. To be published on May 4, 2021 by Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers. Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review.

Synopsis: Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet. Wes is Liz’s annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor who has been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in. But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.

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Review of Better Than The Movies

Confession: I typically roll my eyes at YA books in which the main character (born in 2004 or 2005) is COMPLETELY obsessed with decades-old 1990s rom-com movies and can quote them word for word. Ummmmm…. really? However, Better Than The Movies is as much a grief book as a rom com, and that part of the story did help the 90s rom com loving main character of this work for me.

Liz lost her mom at a young age, and she copes by trying to hang on to the all things her mom loved: flowery vintage dresses, playing the piano, and watching 90s rom com movies. What Liz does hate? Wes, the guy next door. (Actually she didn’t really seem to hate him, just be mildly annoyed by him, but since they are both deeply invested in their hate-to-love trope, I’ll go with it.)

When Liz’s old crush Michael moves back into the neighborhood, Wes offers to help Liz get Michael to invite her to prom. But as she spends more time with Wes, things get confusing. Also confusing: how Liz is supposed to manage the fact that she actually likes her stepmother? Also, will Liz be betraying her mom if she wants to ditch the vintage dresses sometimes and try to figure out who she is as a person apart from her mom?

I thought the grief and loss related parts of the book were by far the strongest. Watching Liz try to be her own person without feeling like she was losing her memories of her mom was moving. I honestly didn’t need the whole rom-com movie overlay. Some aspects of that seemed a little dated to me, and I wonder if actual teens will relate to that.

But if you are a 90s rom com loving reader of any age, I think you might enjoy Better Than the Movies. Or someone who appreciates a book about coping with the loss of a loved one.

Do you love Rom Coms? Check out my 12 Favorite YA Rom Coms here!

Want some adult rom coms? Here are ALL my reviews in one place!