Better Than the Movies — Content Guide for Parents
Themes present
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Content themes
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Religious themes
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
Perfect for fans of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, this “sweet and funny” (Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks) teen rom-com follows a hopelessly romantic teen girl and her cute yet obnoxious neighbor as they scheme to get her noticed by her untouchable crush.
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.
The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Better Than the Movies appropriate for a 7-year-old?
No violence detected in the book. The narrative focuses on romance and personal relationships without any physical conflict. No scary content is present in the book. The narrative is focused on romance and personal growth, without any elements intended to frighten readers.
Does Better Than the Movies have violence?
No violence detected in the book. The narrative focuses on romance and personal relationships without any physical conflict.
Does Better Than the Movies have scary content?
No scary content is present in the book. The narrative is focused on romance and personal growth, without any elements intended to frighten readers.
Does Better Than the Movies have religious themes?
No religious content in the book itself. Search results do not indicate any religious themes or practices.
Does Better Than the Movies have racial/cultural content?
No explicit racial themes or discussions in the book. The search results do not indicate that race is a central theme or plot point.
Does Better Than the Movies have profanity?
The book contains regular use of profanity, including words like 'ass' and 's--t,' as well as two instances of 'f---ing.' This suggests a moderate level of profanity throughout the narrative.
Does Better Than the Movies have climate change?
No climate themes or environmental discussions present in the book. The narrative does not address climate issues.
Does Better Than the Movies have sexual identity?
The book includes references to sexual activity, such as joking mentions of grinding and being 'sort of a virgin.' However, it does not contain explicit sexual scenes, focusing instead on teen romance and mild sexual tension.
Does Better Than the Movies have gender roles?
While the book features teenage characters with some gender diversity, it does not actively discuss or critique gender roles. The narrative is primarily a romantic comedy without a focus on gender dynamics.
Does Better Than the Movies have lgbtq+ themes?
No LGBTQ+ themes or characters explicitly mentioned in the book. Some search results reference general discussions about LGBTQ+ representation but do not provide evidence of such content in this specific book.
