“Not getting what you want is actually the trick to it all. Because not getting what you want forces you to appreciate what you already have.”
— Katherine Center, Happiness for Beginners
The vibes
book / windbreaker / leggings / boots / cap / backpack / water bottle
The review
Helen’s divorce is final, though her ex-husband still bothers her way too often. She wants to get away from everything and rediscover herself on a camping and hiking trip she read about and booked. Unfortunately for her, it’s not quite a solo mission as her younger brother’s best friend has booked the exact same trip. She’s categorized Jake as an immature f*ck-up like her brother, but maybe she doesn’t know anything about the man he’s become while she’s skillfully avoided most of her family the past decade or so.
I’m loving going back to some of Katherine Center’s early stuff! And this book was PERFECT for a quick little read or audiobook listen! It gave me Wild by Cheryl Strayed vibes, without being TOO serious. There’s some tension and Jake is such a dreamboat, but there were some things in the book that I’m glad got left out of the movie (like a dog thing that I won’t spoil, but IYKYK)
SO YES, let’s talk about the movie.
I adored it. Maybe more than the book? Simply because it was a dreamy setting and the cast was SO phenomenal. It’s a bit cheesy, but embrace the cheese!!
Also there’s a LOT different between the book and the movie — the director shared at the sneak peek (yes i got to go to that!!) that it was quite a challenge condensing the script.
It’s a big rec for me — both the book and the movie. If you’re on the fence about reading the book first, maybe skip it because the movie is too fun to put off.
BookNerdalie 