STUDENT WRITER ANNE PETER RECOMMENDS BETTING ON YOU BY LYNN PAINTER
Lynn Painter is an author that writes romantic comedies for teens and adults. She is the New York times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies and Mr. Wrong Number. She currently lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her children.
Lynn Painter’s YA book, Betting on you, dives into the life of a teenage girl that is adapting to her parent’s divorce. It shows the different things teenagers struggle with like; anxiety, relationships, friendships and change. This book lets us see the life of Bailey and Charlie who both have experienced the complexities of parental separation. Bailey and Charlie first meet in an airport in Fairbanks when Bailey was leaving her dad to stay in Nebraska with her mom.
Three years later, Bailey gets a job with her best friend and is surprised to find out that Charlie is her co-worker. Bailey still isn’t thrilled to meet Charlie, but tolerates him anyways. Charlie has an ideal that two people of the opposite sex simply cannot be friends, but Bailey begs to differ. They end up making a bet where Bailey has to prove to Charlie that boys and girl can indeed be friends without any strings attached.
When they start “fake dating” to get rid of Bailey’s mom’s boyfriend, Bailey tries not to fall for Charlie, but fails miserably. While Charlie desperately tries to deflect his feelings for Bailey for fear that their friendship will be ruined. But, their “only co-workers” relationship soon turns out to be a “more than friends” relationship with shaky hands and memorable events.
The characters in this book are really relatable. There are a lot of teens struggling with divorce and this book reveals how divorce and solo travelling affects teenagers, as seen in the life of Bailey. There is also a realness to this book because, even as Bailey and Charlie are in some sort of relationship, there are a few setbacks and fights. There are also a lot of Taylor Swift references in this book. The word choice and nicknames in this book totally crack me up.
Overall, Betting on you is a gripping and entrancing book. The growing chemistry between Bailey and Charlie is very alluring. Watching them try to deny their attraction for each other is quite frustrating, but all the moments where they get lost in their feelings are so cute. I would recommend this rom-com YA book to everyone above the age of 13. This is honestly one of the best books I’ve read in a while.
Anne Peter is a student in Fredericton High School. She grew up in Nigeria and moved to Fredericton last year. She was born on the 9th of September 2008. She lives in Fredericton with her mother and two younger sisters. She hasn’t published or written any books yet, but she has written a few pieces for school and for the fun of it. Whenever she isn’t writing or learning, she is reading a book, watching TikToks or watching anime. She has social anxiety, so she is a bit awkward at times. She has a calm personality and can be very fun if you get to know her. She is very introverted and prefers being in her own circle. She dislikes anything that puts her in social situations and the terms “group work” or “presentation”. She absolutely loves fried chicken and tangerines. She prefers working with music because it makes her concentrate and connect to what she is doing. Presently, she has a lot of ambitions and a lot of things she hopes to achieve. She aspires to have A LOT OF MONEY and wants to travel the whole world.