“There’d probably be a lot of girls who’d be hanging out with my ex, and hating them all didn’t seem like a good use of time.”
– Shani Petroff
Title: Finding Mr. Better Than You
Author: Shani Petroff
Release Date: January 14, 2020
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 256
On January 22nd I’ll be hosting a blog tour stop featuring a guest post by the author, so be sure to visit that post if you’re interested in this book!
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Swoon Reads for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
Camryn has been dating Marc FOREVER—since freshman year! She dropped out of volleyball to go to all his games, switched her schedule around to be in his favorite class, and has been busting her butt to get into Columbia so they can go to the same college. So when Marc suddenly, and very publically, breaks up with her a week into their senior year so that he can date the new transfer student, she’s absolutely devastated.
But why be sad, when you can get even? Inspired by her favorite movies, Camryn decides that the best revenge is a Senior Year well lived, starring a boy who is ever so much better than her ex. With a little help from her friends, Cam is going to have the Best. Senior. Year. Ever.
I requested this arc on a whim and I’m so glad I did. Finding Mr. Better Than You is a coming of age tale with a strong message about friendship, relationships, and finding yourself before finding somebody else. The story follows Camryn aka Cam who is ready to have the best senior year ever and end up in New York at Columbia in the fall with her boyfriend, Marc, of 3 years. Well first she finds out her extracurricular activities aren’t up to par and she needs to beef up her application if she even wants a shot at Columbia. Then her boyfriends dumps her rather publicly. Cam decides her senior year mission is to now find a new boyfriend and make Marc jealous while also fulfilling her need of wanting someone to be with. But does she really want someone new and to miss out on some fun experiences with her friends?
Cam will go down in my books as how a role model of how a leading lady, or teen, should be. She has so much character growth throughout this book and she learned a lot not only about herself but what she really wanted out of life. Her friends had been telling her for years that she’d changed who she was for her relationship but it took her a while to see that for herself. I’ll admit there was a part of the book where I was incredibly worried about her losing all the progress she had made and if it had gone down any other way I would have not finished this book.
There were so many important messages to be taken away from this book. The girl solidarity was touching and something I wished happened more in real life. Cam’s friends were there for her, but in her most dismal and embarrassing moment head cheerleader Avery, who Cam had never talked to before, stood up for her and had her back. Cam also had to deal with Marc’s new leading lady which was tough at times but she was really good at remembering who she was truly upset with and didn’t take it out too much on the other woman. The other women is almost always blamed when the true culprit is the crap guy who pitted them against each other. It was nice to see that gotten right here.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. Cam really found herself and was never afraid to be who she was. While she may have toned down how often she was over the top, she learned a lot of important lessons. Never dim yourself for a boy, don’t miss out of experiences you want, and learn how to love yourself. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Finding Mr. Better Than You but I got a lot more than I bargained for. I really hope this is one teens pick up and I wish it was around when I was in high school.
Disclaimer: All quotes used in this review are taken from an advanced copy and may be changed from those that appear in the final version. Quotes will be updated to reflect such changes, if any.
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