Better Than the Movies

Humorous and engaging, this contemporary romantic comedy explores themes of identity, friendship, grief, and love as readers meet young Liz Buxbaum as she tries to deal with the pressures of her senior year in high school after losing her beloved mother. Inspired by her mother’s love for romantic comedies, Liz focuses on her love life and learns that real life can be better than the movies. She navigates high school, friendships, social life, and her identity in a relatable way to an adolescent audience. This novel lends itself well for an independent novel study or as part of a literature circle group in a secondary classroom. Teachers may use the story to encourage discussions about how romantic comedies or other social constructs can influence our lives and to invite critical and creative thinking opportunities around the story’s themes.