Ali Al Manjari

I really hate it when an author writes an amazing novel but leaves a plot twist open that doesn’t make any sense by the end of the novel. For example, I think "November 9" is an amazing novel, but I can’t give it five stars because of the whole situation with Ben and his dead brother’s wife! Ben mentions to Fallon that he has ended that relationship, yet he still meets with his sister-in-law almost every day "for the sake of his nephew". It’s just so suspicious and doesn’t make any sense by the end of the novel. Now, coming to this novel, "Better Than the Movies", I believe this novel is also amazing, but Wes' whole relationship with Alex is so suspicious that it doesn’t make any sense either. He brought her to his secret garden at midnight, and later he confesses to Liz that he’s just friends with Alex?! That was just creepy. I mean, we all know nothing happened between Liz and Michael, but there’s no proof that nothing happened between Wes and Alex. I would have believed him when he said he was just friends with Alex, but then why did he bring her to his secret garden at midnight after prom? I’m 100% sure he brought her there to have sex, but when he saw Liz there, he changed the story and told Liz he was only friends with Alex and nothing else. C’mon! Seriously?! There’s only one reason a guy brings a girl to his place at midnight after prom. We don’t know exactly what happened between Wes and Alex at prom. Maybe they kissed, and then they wanted to have sex, so he brought her to his place. But then he saw Liz, the whole situation became awkward, and he suddenly made up the story that he’s just friends with Alex. If there had been an explanation of why he brought Alex to his secret garden at midnight to back up his “friends” story, that would have been great. But there’s nothing to support Wes’ story, so the ending just felt stupid. If he had said that he brought her to see his garden because she was thinking about making a similar one at her home, that would have been understandable—but again, at midnight? No way! Or maybe she was waiting for her mom or dad to pick her up from Wes’ house after prom. That would have at least been some excuse. But there’s no explanation for why Alex was at Wes’ place at midnight after prom. Well, Liz may have accepted his “friends” explanation, but as a reader, I still have my doubts. And that’s the only reason I haven’t read the second part of this book yet. I’m just afraid there will be more open plot twists with no explanations, which could actually make me hate Wes.

I had to read this novel for my book club, and I can't help but feel frustrated with my friends for suggesting it. It seems like they have a thing for these troubled characters, since they previously chose “November 9” by Colleen Hoover, where I really disliked Ben. Now, I find myself disliking Theo even more than I did Ben. I apologize for comparing the two books, but as someone who doesn't read much, these are the only novels I've been diving into lately for the sake of the club. On a positive note, I genuinely enjoyed this novel. Adam Silvera is an incredible writer, and I plan to explore more of his work in the future. However, Theo's character was not what I expected at all. To me, he came off as a charming guy who knows how to win people over, but deep down, he seemed quite selfish. I felt that both Griffin and Jackson were the real victims in this story. Theo initially loved Griffin but left him, fully aware that Griffin still had feelings for him. Then he moved on to Jackson, and I can't shake the feeling that once he finishes college and moves away for work, he'll start yet another relationship, leaving Jackson behind while keeping in touch with both Griffin and Jackson to share his new adventures and love life. It felt like he was just looking for casual encounters rather than genuine love. Honestly, I wasn't sad about his death, but Griffin's heartbreak really hit me hard. Can you believe Theo actually shared the intimate moment of how he and Griffin kissed with his new boyfriend Jackson, a moment that Griffin had taught him! That was the final straw for me. I lost all respect for Theo and felt devastated for Griffin. I wish that before Theo died, he could have realized that Wade and Griffin were going to have a great relationship and felt guilty for his actions. That would’ve been a nice twist. But then again, maybe that would have put a burden on Griffin and Wade, making them feel responsible for Theo’s death. In any case, his death ended up saving many lives—Griffin's, Wade's, and Jackson's. Now that Griffin and Wade are in a healthy relationship, Jackson thankfully avoided the impending breakup he would have faced with Theo when he moved to a different city and sought a new partner, similar to Griffin's experience. Overall, it was a satisfying ending...