She went to get popcorn and came back “only to discover them kissing (or, more accurately sucking face).”

Macallan went to the movies with Levi and Emily.

While on a date with Emily, Levi “wanted to kiss her.So I kissed her.

The unknown person wants to know if Macallan “hooked up at some point.”

Macallan and an unknown person have a short conversation.

With a plethora of teen romances crowding the shelves, readers should reach for a truly unique and memorable romance such as I Believe in A Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo or Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson. Unfortunately, none of the characters are unique and readers will quickly forget the story. The main characters spend too much time trying to prove that they are just friends, and predictably fall in love with each other. Instead of being a fun romance, Better Off Friends has a predictable plot, forgettable characters, and a cliché conclusion. Even after the two realize they are in love with the other, their refusal to openly talk about their feelings becomes tedious. Unfortunately, too much of the story focuses on Macallan and Levi’s internal struggle as they try to hide their true feelings from each other. Despite this, she is not a memorable character. Her mother’s recent death has shattered her family, she tries to stay out of Levi’s love life, and she stands up for two characters with disabilities.

Macallan is more well-developed character than Levi. For example, he wonders, “Why couldn’t we have stayed in Santa Monica, where the weather was sweet and the waves were sick?” Even though the book is told from both of the character’s points of view, both Levi and Macallan are forgettable characters. Levi is portrayed as a selfish, stereotypical Californian. In addition, the end of each chapter has a short conversation between the two, which allows them to reflect on their past.

With everyone thinking the two are more than friends, and they begin to wonder if they really can be just friends or if they should be more.īetter Off Friends alternates between Levi’s and Macallan’s point of view.

Basically, when it comes to dating, Levi and Macallan keep getting in each other’s way. On the other hand, Levi goes through a string of girlfriends, who each think he spends too much time with Macallan. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi. They are content being just friends.īut no one believes that they are just friends.

They hang out after school, share inside jokes, their families are close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. Everyone thinks that guys and girls can’t just be friends, but these two are. When Levi moves to town, Macallan becomes his best friend.

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg