Common Sense Media Review
By Sage Moreaux
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Baseball, broken hearts in decent 2nd chance romance sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 5 parent reviews
Based on 19 kid reviews
Kids say this sequel offers a mix of heartfelt moments, tension, and youthful romance, though opinions vary on its pacing and content. Many readers adored the rich character development and the swoon-worthy aspects, while others found the excessive swearing and slower sections detracted from their enjoyment compared to the first installment.
- heartfelt moments
- character development
- excessive swearing
- romantic tension
- mixed pacing
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIES, Wes dropped out of college, and Liz's life, two years ago, after his father died. Now, returning to UCLA as a 20-year-old freshman, he has the chance to regain both his baseball career and Liz's heart. But when Wes broke up with her, Liz grew up, and she's no longer sure she wants anything to do with him. But as her media internship takes off, Liz finds herself in close quarters with Wes, who's determined to do whatever it takes to regain her love. Will they find a second chance at happiness, or is their romance really a thing of the past?
Is It Any Good?
Full of pop culture music and film references, Wes and Liz's sweet follow up story is best if you've read the first book and already fallen in love with the characters. The love story in Nothing Like the Movies is cute though fairly predictable, but there are enough fun moments to keep the reader engaged. The overall storyline comes together a little too neatly at the end, and it feels like the characters don't really grow much during the book, but fans will enjoy seeing Liz and Wes tackle the next stage of their lives as they balance their college careers with hopes for their futures. Lynn Painter includes a cast of fun supporting characters and interesting scenes about both baseball and documentary filmmaking that adds enjoyment to the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the use of musical references in Nothing Like the Movies. Do the songs and lyrics add to the story or take away from it?
What do you think about the lack of physical descriptions of most of the characters? Do you find yourself making assumptions of what they look like?
What do you think about how Wes overcame his fear around pitching? Does his determination feel realistic?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : October 1, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 448
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : March 15, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate