Flux Reviews: This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
1:32 amTitle: This is What Happy Looks Like
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publication Date: Dec 24, 2013
Publisher: Poppy
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: ₱399 (Philippines) - $10.00 (Amazon)
Plot Synopsis:
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?
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?
The Review
I'm finding a pattern to Jennifer E. Smith's plots, two complete strangers meet in an ordinary, non-magical place and they fall in love (Though in her books, it's not all that simple!). Destiny, Fate. It's strangely movie-cliché but that's part of the charm!When teenage movie star heartthrob Graham Larkin accidentally sends the cute redhead Ellie O'Neill about his pig Wilbur (I mean honestly, who wouldn't be curious if someone accidentally emailed you if you could babysit a pet pig named Wilbur?), they strike up a funny and casual Internet conversation across the country and they email each other about random things and everything else. And they don't even know names. Graham is happy with having someone to "talk" to, to her he's probably a normal, cute boy from South Dakota or New York or some other place. It's refreshing to him to chat up with someone who doesn't care that he's famous, that he's in movies.
And when Graham Larkin finds out that they need a new location for his new movie, he thinks back to his online pen-pal who told him that she lives back in Henley, Maine. He urges the director and his manager to shoot there just to meet her. It's kinda stalker-ish but really cute and charming
What I liked most about Graham Larkin is that he's this charming, big-shot teen actor but he still retains his humbleness and kindness despite the major changes in his young life, who's trying to keep a low-key profile as much as possible and to be just normal. It's also cute and nice that he wants to keep in touch with his estranged parents who doesn't really want to be involved in his Hollywood life--which he thinks is because of the damn media and the too nosey paparazzi. He dislikes the press so much that he avoids them whenever necessary and goes as far as to punch one in the face.
No matter how long it’s been or how far you’ve drifted, no matter how unknowable you might be, there were at least two people in the world whose job it was to see you, to find you, to recognize you and reel you back in. No matter what.
Ellie O'Neill, on the other hand is a regular, red-headed girl who lived all her life in Henley, Maine and confronted the fact that her email pen-pal was a handsome teen-star with a wrinkled nose and by not screaming her head off in delight. It's weird seeing that she's not going head-over-heels over this guy whom many teen girls would kill for. He's incredibly charming that if he wanted to, he could rob a 7-11 just by grinning and asking the cashier for the money.
The duel POVs allow us to see more into their personalities and histories, what they have to say and their daily routines.
But Ellie has a secret of her own, so despite the fact that she really wants to be with Graham and the pack of hounding paparazzi that follows his every move, she has to stay away from him, both to protect her mother and herself from the scrutinizing public eye (Don't worry, it's not too major that they could die because of it). I mean, her secret is some (relatively) big deal shiz, I wouldn't blame her for keeping her distance on Graham.
The emails were funny and showed a bit of themselves there. It was also a great and new concept, which really made this book stick out.
Jennifer E. Smith's writing style is refreshing and cute, although some parts may sound cheesy. Her books seems to be about love and Destiny, but the endings usually don't give that sense of closure like "And they lived happily ever after in Henley, Maine with Graham's pet pig Wilbur. FIN." no, she gives the readers the chance to imagine their perfect epilogue, their happily ever after for them, and I think that's really awesome!
My face after finishing the book was like this book's title . . .
THIS IS WHAT HAPPINESS LOOKS LIKE
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 1:18 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: what happy looks like
Sunrises over the harbor. Ice cream on a hot day. The sound of the waves down the street. The way my dog curls up next to me on the couch. Evening strolls. Great movies. Thunderstorms. A good cheeseburger. Fridays. Saturdays. Wednesdays, even. Sticking your toes in the water. Pajama pants. Flip-flops. Swimming. Poetry. The absence of smiley faces in an e-mail.
What does it look like to you?
“It was exactly as he’d thought it would be, like the first time and the millionth time all at once, like being wide awake, like losing his balance. Only this time, it wasn't just him; this time, they were losing their balance together.”
My Rating:
4 out of 5 Fallen stars
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