Who can resist such a pretty cover, with such a snarky title? Not me! It screamed total feel good novel. Finding Mr. Better-Than-You was truly THAT book. And I loved it.


Rating: ★★★★☆
 
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

Oh my gosh, this book was SO fun and an unexpected gem. Part of me went into this thinking it'd be a full on YA romance at its core, but the story mostly revolved around connections of another kind. Friendship. Finding Mr. Better-Than-You has this snarky title going for it, but there's this undeniable warmth to it that really and truly is drawn upon by friendships. It wasn't what I expected, but in the best possible way.

One of my big wishes on my YA wishlist was to find stories that solely relied upon a. one's own self or b. friendships and why they strengthen us, instead of romantic relationships. (This doesn't mean I don't want romance in literature; life and romance are often tied up in one another and there's nothing wrong with that.) In the case of Finding Mr. Better-Than-You, I found that the biggest highlights in the novel were the nods it makes to friendship.

I loved how it centered around moving forward and the real importance of friendships that we make through the years. Another element I loved, and appreciated about it, was the way that Shani Petroff wrote our main character, Cam, who is undeniably flawed and ultimately a wonderful teenager in every way.

What made the characteristics of Cam so important to me, personally, was the way in which Petroff understood what it means to lose yourself in a relationship--to sacrifice parts of yourself, maybe even without fully realizing it at the time--to the point where, when it ends, you have to find yourself all over again. One of her big journeys throughout Finding Mr. Better-Than-You is cloaked in her initial quest, but really feels more rooted in rediscovery and friendship. 

Ultimately, Finding Mr. Better-Than-You had me feeling as though I wouldn't stop smiling for the longest time. This was exactly what I needed. Perfect for fans of She's the Worst by Lauren Spieller, this book will leave you with a buzz of energy after finishing.



Something about this book was so fun, I could see specific scenes play out in my mind with specific songs. Or certain characters vibe well with certain songs. So, here's a bonus, and kind of completely unrelated but still somehow related playlist.



Shani Petroff is a writer living in New York City. She's the author of the “Bedeviled” series, which includes Daddy’s Little Angel, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Dress, Careful What You Wish For, and Love Struck, and is the co-author of the "Destined" series which includes Ash and Ultraviolet. She also writes for television news programs and several other venues. When she’s not locked in her apartment typing away, she spends a whole lot of time on books, boys, TV, daydreaming, and shopping online.

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