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A review by thebookishlifeofbecks
It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne
4.75
This book… OH. MY. GOD.
Having lost some of my motivation to read after uni, I decided that I was going to pick a random book off my shelf and read it start to finish.
Well, I did just that… in two days.
It is very rare that I struggle to find things to criticize in a book, as most of my university course has taught me to do just that… but this book just does everything right.
When I first picked up this book, I have to admit that I was very sceptical. When it comes to romance in young adult novels, a lot of the time it can feel very cliche. The whole boy-meets-girl, girl-meets-boy, they-both-fall-for-each-other-and-live-happily-ever-after scenario seems to fill the majority of the pages. As does kissing in the rain, a race to the airport and two best friends find themselves secretly in love with each other, yet the only people oblivious to their feelings, are them.
And while I am a hopeless romantic at heart, and secretly love the cheesy cliches that I've seen and read a million times over, Holly Bourne brings a funny, cute and heartbreaking, but beautifully real, love story to the forefront of her novel, which had me enchanted from the very first page.
The novel showcases the harsh reality of a father leaving his family to create a new life with another woman; and the effect that a catastrophic breakdown in the parental relationship of a family, can have on the couples children. While this may seem like quite a stretch, out of all the couples that divorce every year (42%) in the United Kingdom, nearly half involve children. And while many divorces are amicable, with very little hostility, there are still a handful of divorces that end with the children becoming the middlemen between the parents, much like Audrey.
One of the brilliant things about this book is that it does not sugar coat the reality of teenage relationships and experiences. While many YA novels would shy away from discussing bodily habits such as periods, or experiences such as sexual intercourse, Holly Bourne uses the novel as a platform to explore these exact issues, without romanticising them in a way that makes them 'appealing' to young people.
Another one of my favourite things about this book is that it constantly challenges the typical traits of romance novels and films. Many young adults have been conditioned into believing that 'true love' is a perfect, magnificent fairytale, that sweeps you off your feet, and means that you will live happily ever after with your prince. But the universal truth is, life isn't like that, nor is love. It is messy and complicated, and confusing. And often it can feel like you're more in love with the idea of love than with the person standing in front of you. Perhaps that's true. But Holly Bourne highlights the dangers of this 'cotton candy cinema', as real love does not reflect the fantasies that we construct in our heads; and we are often left disappointed and heartbroken when our relationships don't work out in the way that the movies told us they would.
And finally, it can often feel like the ending of a book does not do the characters justice. It can leave strings untied, and stories unfinished; it does not answer the readers burning questions that they have had throughout the novel; it does not say enough, or sometimes says too much. But as much as I hate to admit it... the ending of this book is by far my favourite part.
This is the very first book that I have read by Holly Bourne, and I am enchanted. So, if you're looking for an incredible book that is fast-paced, easy to read, and that you'll keep wanting to read forever, then this it.
Read my full review here: https://specksofbecks.wordpress.com/2018/11/04/it-only-happens-in-the-movies-holly-bourne-book-review/
Having lost some of my motivation to read after uni, I decided that I was going to pick a random book off my shelf and read it start to finish.
Well, I did just that… in two days.
It is very rare that I struggle to find things to criticize in a book, as most of my university course has taught me to do just that… but this book just does everything right.
When I first picked up this book, I have to admit that I was very sceptical. When it comes to romance in young adult novels, a lot of the time it can feel very cliche. The whole boy-meets-girl, girl-meets-boy, they-both-fall-for-each-other-and-live-happily-ever-after scenario seems to fill the majority of the pages. As does kissing in the rain, a race to the airport and two best friends find themselves secretly in love with each other, yet the only people oblivious to their feelings, are them.
And while I am a hopeless romantic at heart, and secretly love the cheesy cliches that I've seen and read a million times over, Holly Bourne brings a funny, cute and heartbreaking, but beautifully real, love story to the forefront of her novel, which had me enchanted from the very first page.
The novel showcases the harsh reality of a father leaving his family to create a new life with another woman; and the effect that a catastrophic breakdown in the parental relationship of a family, can have on the couples children. While this may seem like quite a stretch, out of all the couples that divorce every year (42%) in the United Kingdom, nearly half involve children. And while many divorces are amicable, with very little hostility, there are still a handful of divorces that end with the children becoming the middlemen between the parents, much like Audrey.
One of the brilliant things about this book is that it does not sugar coat the reality of teenage relationships and experiences. While many YA novels would shy away from discussing bodily habits such as periods, or experiences such as sexual intercourse, Holly Bourne uses the novel as a platform to explore these exact issues, without romanticising them in a way that makes them 'appealing' to young people.
Another one of my favourite things about this book is that it constantly challenges the typical traits of romance novels and films. Many young adults have been conditioned into believing that 'true love' is a perfect, magnificent fairytale, that sweeps you off your feet, and means that you will live happily ever after with your prince. But the universal truth is, life isn't like that, nor is love. It is messy and complicated, and confusing. And often it can feel like you're more in love with the idea of love than with the person standing in front of you. Perhaps that's true. But Holly Bourne highlights the dangers of this 'cotton candy cinema', as real love does not reflect the fantasies that we construct in our heads; and we are often left disappointed and heartbroken when our relationships don't work out in the way that the movies told us they would.
And finally, it can often feel like the ending of a book does not do the characters justice. It can leave strings untied, and stories unfinished; it does not answer the readers burning questions that they have had throughout the novel; it does not say enough, or sometimes says too much. But as much as I hate to admit it... the ending of this book is by far my favourite part.
This is the very first book that I have read by Holly Bourne, and I am enchanted. So, if you're looking for an incredible book that is fast-paced, easy to read, and that you'll keep wanting to read forever, then this it.
Read my full review here: https://specksofbecks.wordpress.com/2018/11/04/it-only-happens-in-the-movies-holly-bourne-book-review/