Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore (review)
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Track star Marijke desperately wants an “I love you” from her boyfriend, sexy musician Tommy, while math wiz Lily wants to make an impression on motocross bad boy Joe. Unfortunately, Tommy’s flirtatious and unreliable nature makes Marijke question his devotion, and Lily spends so much time watching her younger brother while her mother dates unsuitable men that she has little thought for her own social life. When the two girls wind up at the same revival showing of Titanic, they become co-conspirators in a quest to make their own love lives more like the movies, [End Page 21] complete with meet-cutes, makeovers, and dramatic, John Cusack-inspired gestures (with iPods rather than boom boxes). As the narration switches between the two protagonists, their inner thoughts and struggles emerge, illuminating their family challenges and general uncertainty about the future, as well as the importance of romance to their identity. Fiore engagingly promotes female self-respect and personal growth without villainizing the male half of the species, acknowledging and even celebrating romance as part of life’s many experiences. However, the seriousness and introspection of the characters and the ultimate message of self-empowerment conflict with the movie-themed premise; without the unadulterated hijinks called for by such rom-com inspiration, the thin plot device creates an uneven and unbelievable, though not unenjoyable, storyline. Cute boys and plentiful kisses will appeal, though, and teen readers, particularly of the female variety, will likely relate to the belief that with just the right orchestration and execution of an interaction, undeniable mutual love will reveal itself.
