Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Grade: C+
Release date: July 22, 2014
This e-galley was provided by NetGalley and Walker Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything – she’s got great friends, a great family, and she’s on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn’t confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson.
Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future – she’s participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for “the one.” Lily realizes that she’s about to graduate and still hasn’t even had a boyfriend.
While they live on each other’s periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea – why can’t life be like a movie? Why can’t they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?
Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I'm not sure Just Like the Movies lived up to my expectations. Everything about this book, particularly its ending, just seemed to be a bit too perfect...just like in movies. While I thought Marijke and Lily were both awesome characters, I didn't connect with Marijke and Tommy's romance. I enjoyed every scene with Lily and her crush a lot more. I was expecting more scenes involving popular rom-coms, I suppose, and we didn't get those. I also wanted to see more about Marijke's parents. She mentioned how they were some epic high school romance, and I never really felt like they had been. In contrast, we saw a lot of Lily's home life, and its resolution was just a little too perfect.
Everything about this book was fairly tame and definitely cleaner than a lot of popular rom-coms, so that's a plus at least?
The Verdict: Honestly didn't live up to what I hoped it would be. However, Just Like the Movies might be good for fans of Wish You Were Italian, This Is What Happy Looks Like, and How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True.
Ha! Seemed too perfect...just like in the movies ;) It LOOKS super cute and maybe if I lowered my expectations and took it as fluffy cotton candy it could work. Hm. Great review!
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