Not all readers will get all of the references, especially since some of the films mentioned have an older target audience than that of the book.

I rolled my eyes, which made his mouth slide into a wicked grin before he said, “This has been fun, and I love your granny shoes, by the way, but I’ve gotta run. Girl, chill,” Joss said between her teeth, but I was helpless to stop the whole-face smile that broke free as I said, “Michael Young? You’ve definitely heard the song pumped over trailers including Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, I Am Legend, and the video game Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Liz often finds herself at odds with her best friend, Joss, her neighbor, Wes, and her stepmom, Helena. I think I was a bit hesitant going into this one because recently there weren’t many YA books that blew my mind, and I thought I outgrew them, but in here there was some kind of magic, and I think it’s due to the fact that this book, at least in my opinion, reads more as a romance book than a contemporary YA one.But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz her magical prom moment, she's shocked to discover that she actually likes being around Wes. Van Morrison’s voice made swimming upstream in the busy hallway seem like it was a scene from a movie, as opposed to the royal pain that it actually was. It also turned a trashy beach read into a masterful showcase of filmmaking which still drank from 1970s naturalism, even as it heightened it for maximum popcorn effect. A keg party takes place where some characters drink but aren't drunk; the major characters drink very little or nothing (one takes a sip of beer, the other doesn't drink at all).

Here’s how it usually went: I would see a cute guy, daydream about him for weeks and totally build him up in my mind to be my one-and-only soul mate. It’s Liz’s senior year and whilst everyone is out there enjoying things for the last time with parents, she feels left out because she can’t experience those with her mother. In grade school, Wes was the guy who’d put a frog in my Barbie DreamHouse and a decapitated lawn gnome’s severed head in my homemade Little Free Library. She also struggles to include her stepmom in her life as she navigates all of the "lasts" of senior year without her mom.The mind-bending plot shares a lot in common with Dick’s novel, but the atmosphere, and particularly Rutger Hauer’s charismatic blond droid Roy Batty, cemented Blade Runner’s legacy as the parent of all cyberpunk films that would follow, though few would be quite as prophetic. I especially like how Laney is introduced to us, through Liz’s gaze, and then we as readers get to decide how we feel about her. How does she learn humility and start to communicate more honestly with the people who care about her? But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes.

See, Liz's forever crush, Michael, has just moved back to town, and—horribly, annoyingly—he's hitting it off with Wes. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.Sounds good,” Michael said with a nod, and I wondered what he’d look like in a cowboy hat and flannel shirt. For a retro one that goes back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, it seems fitting to include To Have and Have Not since the film was borne out of a 10-day fishing trip between director Howard Hawks and author Ernest Hemingway. Also, the plot in general really followed some 80s coming of age movies, and that made me so nostalgic, and even though I wasn’t even born in the 80s, I felt that magic. It’s full of pop culture references (from Taylor Swift to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before) as well as references to all the classic rom-coms ( Bridget Jones, When Harry Met Sally, and more).

Imbuing the operatic, bloody story of the Corleones’ rise to the top of New York City’s criminal underworld with an authentic portrayal of Italian-American immigrant experience, Don Vito, his sons, and their “business associates” reflect an anti-establishment sentiment endemic of the times where mob bosses are made into folk heroes fighting against corrupt cops, shady politicians, and even anti-Italian discrimination (as HBO’s Sopranos capo Paulie Walnuts might say). Will her story become one worthy of the enemies-to-lovers trope that’s so popular in rom-coms or will she end up with her first crush?But through late night talks in the back yard, stolen glances and slips in time where it feels like Wes’s annoying habits aren’t staying all that annoying, Liz sees something else: a future she didn’t see written in her script.