It Only Happens in the Movies

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There is so much more to this story that I rather leave unsaid and for the reader to explore. It's an absolute wonderful story and a worthwhile read! I LOVE Audreys friends, I feel like we all need them friends, I think at times we tend to move away from people, but it's always refreshing to see that just because something happens you've still got friends support. I'm changing my rating to a 5 stars simply because as soon as I woke up this morning, my first thoughts were of this book! I am in love! Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments

I also think the A2 Media Studies project was poorly researched. I was on this course just over a year ago. There is a project that you get a lot of freedom with. However it must be on one certain area of the media so not to conflict with the exam and also not to run your teacher too thin as they need to teach theories that can be applied to everyone’s project and talk everyone through how to make the digital pieces to go alongside their essays (we did DVD covers and posters). It is not fair to expect a teacher to juggle thirty different projects that are all so vastly different, there must be some boundaries. But wait, did I just say romantic? I guess I did even though the main purpose of the book is to contradict everything about romantic movies. It’s actually a blatant deconstructive analysis of romantic movies proving that real life romance is completely different. Holly Bourne definitely has all the right to say that It Only Happens in the Movies. Plus, I'm not happy with the whole Harry thing at all- can you tell? He felt so, so, so fake. He was irritating and I couldn't stand the fact that in their first date, he forces Audrey on a stupid ride when she clearly didn't want to go on. (It felt obvious I tell you.) And yes she told him off but I'm still not happy. Audrey is over romance. Since her parents' relationship imploded her mother's been catatonic, so she takes a cinema job to get out of the house. But there she meets wannabe film-maker Harry. Nobody expects Audrey and Harry to fall in love as hard and fast as they do. But that doesn't mean things are easy. Because real love isn't like the movies...

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The kiss: “Grand gesture kisses. One where they hire out a baseball field, or stop a party to make a huge speech or something. Essentially kisses where there is applause from random members of the public.” this story is about what is essentially audrey's senior year of high school (i say essentially cause hoe is british) and the life changes that are happening to her. her father has left her mother for another woman. her brother is away at uni. her ex dumped her pretty savagely. and there's a new guy at work that she's kind of crushing on. It’s clear to see why Bourne’s novels have been successes in their own right – they’re uplifting, funny, and deal with real, complex issues that youngsters face while presenting believable characters and scenarios – must readers young and old, everywhere. I loved the idea of the book. The representation of love and real life romance. I loved the representation of realistic feminism. I loved Audrey and supported her choices. Her character development was amazing. I loved that this wasn’t a cliche’ cheesy romance, it wasn’t like that at all. I loved how the author seemed to analyze every part of romantic movies and compare them to reality. To what actually happen in real life. And that ending tho..... After finishing this, I vowed to read the rest of Holly’s work, but the second and third books in the Spinster Club series are still sat on my bookcase… I will rectify this shortly, promise! When I heard that Holly was writing a new YA book, I just had to get my hands on it.

Whilst I love reading, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve read very little over the past few months. Having been super busy in my working life, I haven’t really had time to read much nor have I been particularly enticed by any book. In addition to the main theme of romance, there were also engaging sub-plots surrounding family, friendship and heartbreak. I also loved the use of modern references throughout. At 26, I’m not Holly’s usual target audience. However, living in the digital age makes it impossible not to relate to the references used. One of my favourites was the list of common dates in movies, such as night-time picnics in empty parks, verses common dates in real life: Nando’s. Ending: “They tend to end way too early. The movie either ends when the couple gets together, or someone dies before you can see the relationship develop.” If I were to describe the story of It Only Happens in the Movies it would be that it's a unflinching raw truthful look at 'Why love is never like the movies'. Audrey is a character that was very real, very believable and someone I very much empathized with. But, while I was reading it, I felt that Holly Bourne was so determined to counter the entire rom-com movies system, that storylines and characters didn't get their due justice.There’s more I could say but I’m almost at 2000 words so I’m going to leave it here. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone, but I am curious to see why people love it so much if anyone wants to share that with me. Because what I’d learned was, love isn’t just a feeling. Love is a choice too. And you may not be able to help your feelings, but you’re responsible for the choices you make about what to do with them. But, whatever you're going through, I can promise it’ll be one of those books that make you forget your life for a little bit. I liked Audrey and Harry's relationship while they were working at the cinema. They were really cute together, lots of playful banter and it was easy to see them as a couple. However, their relationship outside of the cinema didn't work, with Harry being either full on or distant with no in-between, constantly hanging out with his friends, getting wasted and smoking weed. By the end of the novel, we see Audrey has blossomed from a sad, isolated and lonely shadow into a confident, capable and re-energised individual who has used her trauma to help become the best version of herself. It’s refreshing to see that the loveable character has shed her old skin, coated with loathing, betrayal and worry and has replaced it with energy, self acceptance and confidence.

Then we have Harry, he works with Audrey at an upscale cinema, loves to film and is completely charming. I don't tend to like these types of characters, but for some reason it was hard to dislike him as a character. However at times he seemed to put on a facade and was a bit too much. His obsession with filming was endearing and he had a good group of friends (minus one). What I liked so much is how it challenges the representation of romance throughout films (I'm also going to include books as well) and how it's not always perfect and happy. There's such a sense of realism to this book and it is so relatable I was actually amazed! I just want to point out here that this is supposedly a feminist character? By this great feminist author. I personally am having a little bit of difficulty seeing this. I’m happy to announce, though, that It Only Happens in the Movies was delightful, and my cover buy paid off. And now I have yellow books to use in my pictures, so it’s a win all round really. While in her other books the stories were just normal - as boring and predictable -, here the normality is a positive thing: Audrey is a normal girl with almost-normal problems, and she falls for Harry, a boy with normal problems; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But it's this normality that makes you love the story even more, as in other great romantic movies - have you ever heard of The Notebook?A short, by no means definitive list of just some of the literally innumerable awesome things this book contains: To begin, I got this in my bookboxclub subscription and for the month of November I've only been reading books from my subscriptions. I've found some really really good reads and this is 1000000% included! Honestly I'm so surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Romeo + Juliet is amazing - 90s Leo will always be my favourite - and When Harry Met Sally is just a classical. Essentially, the story proves how almost every element of romantic movies is unrealistic through Audrey’s personal (firsthand and secondhand) experiences which she actually documents for her thesis. Why had I not thought about this topic for my thesis? For the first half of the book Audrey completely disregards all of her female friendships, and only likes people who are mean to other people. I completely get not liking that your ex found a new girl; but that shouldn’t mean we tear her down? What did she do wrong? Someone you did six months ago? Yes, it can hurt if they move on first. But I don’t think that justifies being happy when she gets insulted for no reason when she’s actually being pretty decent and friendly. And I really don’t think you can get away with hating your ex’s new girlfriend whilst hanging out with a guy you like and his ex girlfriend and being weird about her not being your biggest fan.

Now chances are if you would describe yourself as a YA fan in 2018, you’ve heard of Holly Bourne. Maybe you haven’t read her, but you’ve heard all about this contemporary, feminist goddess, right?

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I wouldn't say this novel breaks some new ground, it is a traditional contemporary YA story - Audrey is not really romantically inclined at the beginning of this novel - her parents are divorced, her mother is a mess, and Audrey herself has just been dump by her boyfriend, she is flailing at school, she had to quit her drama class, well, her life is a disaster. Her only diversion is her new job at an indie movie theater. Of course, there she meets a guy, who is totally bad news...