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A review by outsidestar
It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book has a delightful and refreshing take on relationships. And all the references it has to how things work out in movies... chef's kiss.
The only reason this is not getting 5 stars is because I found the beginning rather slow but, once you get passed the half way mark, it just keeps getting better and THAT ENDING. I loved the ending.
The story follows Audrey, a 17 year-old girl who's going through a rough patch relationship-wise. Her now ex-boyfriend recently broke up with her and started dating someone else, her dad left her mom a couple years ago and now wants them to sell their home because well, he needs the money to buy stuff for her new wife (*cough* asshole *cough*).
The result? She dropped drama (her favorite subject), distanced herself from her friends, and is left to take care of her mom's delicate mental state while her older brother is off in college. With all the pressure on her shoulders she needs an escape, and that's how she ends up working at Flicker, a posh cinema where she meets Harry, who would be the charming bad boy of the story.
Having shut herself from romance, when she is asked to pick a part of the media to critically analyze for her media studies class project, she goes with "why is love never like the movies". Let me tell you, this addition to the story was GENIOUS. At the same pace as the story progresses, certain chapters start with a witty critique to different aspects of romance movies like: how the good girl falls for the bad boy, even though they have nothing in common, and for inexplicable reasons she is special and makes him want to change his ways (*eyeroll*); how there's always a formal event the couple goes to so that the boy can realize just how beautiful the girl is (because god forbid he would fall for her for some other reason); or how one of the lovers (usually the boy) always makes a big mistake about 70% into the movie because they can't simply meet, get along, kiss and that's it.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and, while still having every element of the "cliché contemporary", I can say it's different to all other contemporaries out there. Just read it.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and HMH Children's Book Group for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
The only reason this is not getting 5 stars is because I found the beginning rather slow but, once you get passed the half way mark, it just keeps getting better and THAT ENDING. I loved the ending.
The story follows Audrey, a 17 year-old girl who's going through a rough patch relationship-wise. Her now ex-boyfriend recently broke up with her and started dating someone else, her dad left her mom a couple years ago and now wants them to sell their home because well, he needs the money to buy stuff for her new wife (*cough* asshole *cough*).
The result? She dropped drama (her favorite subject), distanced herself from her friends, and is left to take care of her mom's delicate mental state while her older brother is off in college. With all the pressure on her shoulders she needs an escape, and that's how she ends up working at Flicker, a posh cinema where she meets Harry, who would be the charming bad boy of the story.
Having shut herself from romance, when she is asked to pick a part of the media to critically analyze for her media studies class project, she goes with "why is love never like the movies". Let me tell you, this addition to the story was GENIOUS. At the same pace as the story progresses, certain chapters start with a witty critique to different aspects of romance movies like: how the good girl falls for the bad boy, even though they have nothing in common, and for inexplicable reasons she is special and makes him want to change his ways (*eyeroll*); how there's always a formal event the couple goes to so that the boy can realize just how beautiful the girl is (because god forbid he would fall for her for some other reason); or how one of the lovers (usually the boy) always makes a big mistake about 70% into the movie because they can't simply meet, get along, kiss and that's it.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and, while still having every element of the "cliché contemporary", I can say it's different to all other contemporaries out there. Just read it.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and HMH Children's Book Group for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse