Published: April 2nd, 2013
This Is What Happy Looks Like
By: Jennifer E. Smith
Poppy
ISBN-13: 9780316212823
If fate sent you an email, would you answer?
When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.
Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?
Review
Graham Larkin is a famous movie star with a career on the rise. Ellie O'Neill is a small-town girl who has a quiet life, with a few secrets of her own. When Graham accidentally send her an e-mail about his pet pig Wilbur they start sending e-mails back and forth, opening up and telling each other things no one else knows. So when Graham's newest movie needs to change location at the last minute he suggests Ellie's small hometown in Maine. All he wants is to meet the girl he thinks he could fall in love with. But a series of misunderstandings and outside influences threaten their attempts to get to know each other in real life. Can Ellie and Graham work through their issues and allow themselves to be open to true love? Or is it just another internet hook-up gone wrong?
Out of Ellie and Graham, he was definitely my favorite character. He obviously was bewildered by his sudden fame and had originally wanted to go to college, never even considering acting. But now that he's in the Hollywood sphere, he only does it because he loves the job. And Graham is far from a cocky douchebag like most teen mega-stars are portrayed as being. Ellie herself is a bit more of an enigma, being the illegitimate daughter of a very famous politician her Mom had an affair with. They changed their last name and moved far away from D.C. when the scandal broke. Ellie's Mom is far from pleased when she finds out her daughter's potential boyfriend is famous and will put her in the limelight again. My only thing is that the drama between Ellie and her best friend was overblown and annoying. I felt like the best friend was a complete bitch about things and Ellie just allowed it and made excuses for her, practically being a puppy when she started talking to her again. After ignoring Ellie for practically an ENTIRE MONTH! WTFH??? This book was fluff and after Smith's last book, I went in expecting a short and sweet puffy cotton ball. And that is exactly what I got from this book. Although I will say that the revelation of the paparazzi exposing who Ellie's Dad is, and nobody caring sort of pissed me off. Seriously, after making such a huge deal out of the situation/secret it's just a (and I quote from the book) 'footnote' and Graham is more important???!!! Yeah, I don't think so. But the romance was sweet, the underlying satire and witty exchanges made me smile and though the relationships were fairly 2-D they were realistic enough. Overall a fun read, but don't go into it expecting Sarah Dessen-style character development, because you won't get it.
VERDICT: 3.5/5 Stars
**No
money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in
stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**
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