Better Than the Movies Summary
Lynn Painter

Better Than the Movies Overview

Lynn Painter's novel Better Than the Movies is a young adult romantic comedy about Liz Buxbaum whose is thrilled to know Michael Young has moved back to town and is attending her school. Liz has had a crush on Michael since they were kids, but Liz finds herself dependent on the annoying boy next door – Wes Bennett – to help capture Michael's attention. Though she does attend prom with Michael, Liz realizes she really likes Wes just as Wes's attention turns elsewhere. Meanwhile, Liz is struggling with the grief of reaching so many milestones without her mother who died several years ago. The novel's main themes are the importance of communication, predictability of romantic comedy genre, coping with grief, being true to oneself, and the cost of lies.