It was absolutely adorable.
I did wish the mystery of who Graham was withheld a So the thing with Jennifer Smith's stories is I did wish the mystery of who Graham was withheld a little longer, but it's fine. These stories are each at their perfect length. I loved both characters- they were genuine, and kind of heartbreaking Apr 04, Jessie rated it it was ok Shelves: The events in this book was actually pretty realistic.
It deals with the problems Graham faces as a movie star and Ellie's past. Though there never was a real solution to them, there isn't supposed to be one in reality, and I find the no solution part really refreshing. In reality, there are difficulties we can't tackle, problems we can't handle, that's why the whole plot felt like something that would actually happen Actual rating: In reality, there are difficulties we can't tackle, problems we can't handle, that's why the whole plot felt like something that would actually happen in real life, and I love that about the book.
I also loved how the main characters could get to know and understand each other first then fall in love, rather than being instantly attracted to one another, which seems to be the trend in the romance department now. Plus, the fact that they could actually talk to each other properly without getting lovey-dovey Oh-I-can't-get-my-hands-off-of-you is also really special.
Overall, I thought this book was adorable, and I really want to know what would happen to both of them in the future. Dec 16, Kat Lost in Neverland rated it liked it Recommends it for: Very patient romance fans. This Is What BORING Looks like After Ellie gets an email from a random stranger online when he types the wrong address by accident, the two of them start chatting and form a three-month long pen-pal relationship. They never reveal their names but Ellie finds herself telling him things about her life that not even her best friend knows.
The whole mystery of the situation makes Ellie look forward to each exchange with excitement and thrill. What she doesn't know is that the funny, charming stranger This Is What BORING Looks like After Ellie gets an email from a random stranger online when he types the wrong address by accident, the two of them start chatting and form a three-month long pen-pal relationship.
What she doesn't know is that the funny, charming stranger is actually Graham Larkin, national movie star and teen heartthrob. He somehow manages to get his next movie project filmed in Henley, Maine, the small sleepy town where Ellie's lived her whole life. Simply for the change to maybe catch a glimpse of her or meet her. But Ellie isn't as welcoming to the attention as he thought.
She's hiding secrets of her own, ones that, if people found out, would ruin her and her mother's quiet, comfortable life in Maine forever. So I picked up this one eagerly, hoping for a similar but still brilliant book. Smith has a way of writing an adorable love story while still keeping familial aspects and issues in check, while other YA romance can tend to just ignore those factors. I love that about her. Unfortunately, this novel was lackluster in both the relationship and the mind-boggingly slow and tedious storyline.
The beginning was great, I loved the unique, summery setting, the loveable characters, and the utter cuteness.
The middle was boring, uneventful, and yawn-inducing. The ending was pretty uneventful but generally okay, albeit the excessive cheese. A lot of things bothered me in this book.
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Ellie and her mom's financial pride. Both Ellie and her mother had the same irritating problem: Ellie needs a thousand dollars to pay for a poetry college course at Harvard which she and 14 other teenagers won and she can't 'let' Graham help her out. Yeah yeah, I get it. There's that annoying little thing called 'pride' that people have.
I've never understood this. If you are obviously struggling financially and someone who loves or cares about you cares enough to support you, why would you turn them down, simply because your pride won't have it? In this case, Graham is a flipping movie star. He pays more than a thousand bucks every month on his pet pig Wilbur nice name, btw, very original. Yet Ellie would still feel horrifically guilty and needy if she let him pay for it, which would only make him happy to make her happy.
You know how many people would kill for that kind of loving aid, Ellie? Sometimes you just have you screw your pride and accept help when it's openly given to you. Ellie and Quinn's friendship. I ship Quinn and Devon tall, lanky geek with glasses who reads The Great Gatsby and has been in love with her for years more than the main characters. I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I really wanted to know more about Quinn and Ellie's relationship and see them interacting and, you know, being friends.
Unfortunately, Quinn was, in my opinion, shoved out of the storyline over a petty 'fight' between her and Ellie. It seemed as if the author just wanted her out of the way so more time could be spent building Ellie and Graham's cutesy love scenes. This, however, was drawn out and stretched and pulled until anything enjoyable was yawned away by a actionless plot. I can't tell you how many times I literally yawned and almost fell asleep while reading this book. I'm happy that Smith never let the characters actually ever say the word 'love'. Still, I'm not sure anyone should waste their time with this.
It's a much faster plot and kept short and cute. Not that this book wasn't cute, it just was far too long for what it was; a cheesy, unrealistic love story. View all 4 comments. Before you know it Ellie and Graham are sending e-mails back and forth to each other for the next few weeks. I initially adored the e-mails that went back and forth between Graham and Ellie, they were adorable funny but most of all honest.
But then when Graham arrived at Maine, the e-mails started withering down to nothing. Both characters had awkward pasts which brought them together in the first place. They were both at a place in life where they still wanted something else. Ellie and her mum were just able to scrape by, they had a shop which was doing okay, but when something broke down they had to just manage.
So just having this correspondence with each other through e-mail brightened up their day. I did like this cute relationship which was developing between Graham and Ellie, with the way their lives were, they deserved that bit of happiness. But I had a hard time connecting to either character. I did feel for them at times, the heartache they had to experience, but there was never anything which they did which left a great impression with me. Also characters which dither about frustrate me hugely. This is What Happy Looks Like was a book which I had really high hopes for, but it just really fell flat in places, I found myself forcing to read for the sake of reading and not because I was actually enjoying it.
View all 14 comments. Feb 27, Nafiza rated it liked it Shelves: I do think the premise, while it has been done countless times in countless variations, will remain attractive to anyone looking for a fairytale romance. Stuff like that is addressed quite fairly. However, the novel is, predominantly, fluff. The feel good fluff that you will consume preferably by a pool or at the beach. It is happy-making though there are rough spots scattered here and there to spice up the narrative.
I wanted there to be a grand confrontation and yes, I realize there is something understated about it and in hindsight, I will probably appreciate the delicacy with which it was handled but the drama queen in me really wanted there to be some screaming. Also, what the heck is happening with the friendship between Ellie and her best friend?
Another issue I had here was with the romance. Graham, on the other hand, is almost spilling over with his love for Ellie but then the ending occurs and the incongruity between him wanting to be with Ellie, being heartbroken by her etc, when juxtaposed with the ending which is not sad but leaves room for thought just confused me.
They are very cute when they are together but I found it so interesting that, despite their obvious interest in each other, they are still still, somehow, inexplicably, level headed. The image of Graham sitting at home alone with a pet pig is very convincing.
Do I recommend this book? View all 6 comments. For me, happy looks like reading good books. I wasn't exactly the happiest person when I finished this novel. But that's not to claim that Jennifer's latest was a complete disaster, I would just put it as mildly interesting and cute. I think I would've rated this differently if I was in a different mood. Maybe something way harsher, because in reality, there wasn't anything too outstanding about this novel apart from a few points. However I never try to change a rating if I read it more than 3 days ago it's something to do with my OCD-ness.
Graham and Ellie's friendship begins with an email about a pig named Wilbur and a wrong email address. Graham is a movie star; middle of everywhere Los Angeles and Ellie, a plain girl from middle of nowhere, Maine. The characters of Jennifer's novel are relatively amiable. Our main character, Ellie was full of hope and dreams that may never come true due to her family's economic issues, but her maintaining positivity during the majority of the time made me like Ellie even more. Nevertheless, there were times where she became way too weepy.
My other small qualm was her dramatic-ness and how sensitive she became with the slightest of issues, like thinking of what the public would think of Graham and her. As for Graham, I loved him. His light humour kept me absorbed throughout the novel and his belief in impossible becoming possible was touching. These to practically polar opposites turned out to be an unconvincing couple.
While their relationship had been building over such a long time over emails, it just didn't sell it for me when they finally met in real person. It was like instant love in an indirect way. Like it was cheating me. From what I gather, Graham and Ellie only really spent less than a week together and their love was rather strong. Sure, this novel went over a longer time but time that they actually spent together was low.
For me, this chemistry was not selling it to me, unfortunately.
Questions?
There's just drama, romance, family-issues but not much else for such a hefty book. I must admittedly say that I was looking for more. More depth, more motion and more intricacy. This Is What Happy Looks Like is a cute summer read that lacks a little complication but is satisfying all the same. May 07, Irena rated it it was amazing. There's one thing about me that you did or did not know that had a huge impact on me when it comes to enjoying while reading this book: I am a celebrity freak.
So I didn't go into this book totally blind. Even if I wanted to, I don't think that would be possible for me since many of my GR friends have already liked and recommended this book to me. This is a light and fluffy contemporary novel, perfect for summer read. I can't help but to feel a little bit sorrow for not waiting two more months so There's one thing about me that you did or did not know that had a huge impact on me when it comes to enjoying while reading this book: I can't help but to feel a little bit sorrow for not waiting two more months so I could read it for the first time on the seaside.
But hey, I can always re-read it! And I surely will! This story is written in third person, but it is written so good that it took me almost one third of the book to realize it was not written in first person. That happens very rarely to me and I always take it as a good thing. I liked every single character in this book. The thing I liked the most was that Graham was a celebrity actor and since I like to read and watch the news when it comes to famous people, I liked reading about Graham's let's call it adventures on the set, celebrity gossip plotting from his menager and everything that comes between.
This book has one particular scene that got me so invested into that moment of reading, it made me feel things I wouldn't expect I would, it made me sad. That scene is view spoiler [when Ellie comes to her dad and he doesn't know who she is. I was so sad in that moment. I only wish Ellie somehow talked to her dad, told him she's his daughter I think that's the way to get the best reading experiance when it comes to this story.
Oct 15, Claudia B. Sep 20, Robin Bridge Four rated it liked it Shelves: This is the kind of book you read in-between other books. It is sorta like cotton candy, you put a big fluffy wad in your mouth and it dissolves immediately without much fuss or substance to it. It is easy and flows along without much thought. It is cute and if you have already read Anna and the French Kiss or Lola and the Boy Next Door it t This is the kind of book you read in-between other books.
It is cute and if you have already read Anna and the French Kiss or Lola and the Boy Next Door it then this is as good as any other cuddle on the couch easy YA romance read. I actually liked a different book by this author a little better. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight was a little more enjoyable read for me and I liked the story line of that better.
But if you have read those three books already then yep give this one a go. Ellie receives a rogue e-mail from someone on the other side of the country. When she replies to let the originator of the e-mail know he has sent it to the wrong person they begin an e-mail relationship changes both their lives. Graham the originator of the e-mail is really a famous actor and it has been so long since someone has treated him the way Ellie does that he had almost forgot how lonely he had become in the middle of his fame.
He is able to set up the location of his movie in the sleepy little town that Ellie lives in, in hopes of finally meeting the mystery girl. Cue the rest of the story. It is cute with some hiccups along the way of course but all and all they come to terms with who they are the lives they lead.
But other than that it is a likeable story, with likable characters.
LibrisNotes: This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Ellie gets a random email asking to make sure Wilbur gets fed and being an animal lover she couldn't help but respond to let the person know he'd gotten the wrong person. Striking up a conversation over email Ellie and Graham begin a friendship that Ellie never thought would go any further than email since the pair are from opposite sides of the states. When a movie production ends up taking place in Ellie's small town she finds it a bit more of an inconvenience than anything.
Everyone a flutter Ellie gets a random email asking to make sure Wilbur gets fed and being an animal lover she couldn't help but respond to let the person know he'd gotten the wrong person. Everyone a flutter over the hot young star is not something studious Ellie can relate to so when Graham shows up and announces he's the mystery boy that Ellie had been falling for online she's obviously quite shocked. It was actually a quite nice light read getting involved in the lives of these two teens that are complete opposites in every sense.
Along with Ellie and Graham's online and off relationship there's a bit more to the story that added a bit of suspense to the read. Ellie's mother had a past that the pair had been hiding from so having a major star along with the paparazzi suddenly in Ellie's life became quite the issue to deal with. Overall, enjoyed this story of opposites attracting.
Definitely a young adult version of Sleepless in Seattle type of read. For more reviews please visit https: Mar 20, Chelsea chelseadolling reads rated it it was ok. The lengthy episode involving Ellie and Graham stealing a boat used in the filming did little to further the storyline or the relationship between Graham and Ellie. While most readers will be happy with the ending of the novel, it was for the most part, predictable and somewhat flat - a sweet uncomplicated finale.
Ellie is a good student who hopes to attend Harvard and who reads poetry. She wasn't star-struck by Graham because she was able to develop a friendship with him first and saw past his public persona. Though Ellie is a likable character, she wasn't a strong one. She wanted to date Graham but under certain conditions that weren't very realistic no cameras, no publicity although Graham tries his best. She had to know that her secret would be discovered eventually and in this regard she was naive. When her mother learns of her relationship with Graham she coerces Ellie into breaking off with him.
This could have been a source of major conflict between Ellie and her mother, yet it wasn't developed as much as it could have been. Instead, Ellie seems to accept her mother's views of what will happen and her mother's cynicism towards famous men, in her decision to break up with Graham. There's no real struggle by Ellie to make a case for her own life and her own choices and that things might work out differently for her. Graham is a sweet, charming guy who hasn't yet been corrupted by stardom.
It's obvious his sudden rise to fame has been hard on him and his family but again that source of conflict was only briefly touched on. Graham's wit makes for interesting dialogue at times making him a quite genuine and romantic character. Smith does a good job of portraying what it must be like to be hounded by paparazzi on a daily basis with Graham's run-in with a photographer. Ellie's mother Margaret seemed to have given up everything for a bit of privacy that in the end didn't last.
As a person who wanted to change the world, she ends up running a dumpy gift shop in a small town. No wonder she is cynical and over-protective of Ellie. And I thought I was enjoying it while reading it. BUT— you had me worried at 2 oranges!
Book Review: This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
I am doing a read-along of this book in a few weeks. This makes me nervous. I was so mad when I finished and noticed that no one else had read this yet. I really wanted to gripe about it with someone. Haha, this kind of review writing was a first for me xD but it was an interesting experience for sure. Hah so this book is waiting for me for pick up at the library.
I have this listed as one of the books for my contemporary challenge.
Anyway, it does seem pretty flawed. Ok this is turning into me rambling so I will end with.. Yeah, I feel bad about the spoilers, but there was no way for me to really show my feelings about this book without them.
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It was a quick read, so it might still be worth it to read it. Smith Published by Poppy on April 2nd, Genres: Contemporary , Romance , Young Adult Pages: Purchased If fate sent you an email, would you answer? This review will contain spoilers.