Cover Image: Pretty in Punxsutawney

Pretty in Punxsutawney

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Member Reviews

I thought that this book was just okay. I’m not saying it’s bad, but the majority of it stems from the fact that I thought it was too young for me. This was definitely written for a younger audience than someone like me in their later 20’s. I was not a fan of the main character and the story didn’t hold my attention as much as I would have liked it to.

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This was a fun read. As a fan of YA, romance and someone who grew up in the 80's I found this an enjoyable read. Makes you think, what would you do if you could relive a day over and over??? Look forward to reading more by this author

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Hmm, I'm not entirely sure if I enjoyed this one or not. I loved the concept a lot, and seeing nods to my favourite John Hughes films along the way was really cute, but I felt like it was a bit... OTT fake? Like, I guessed pretty much straight away that the initial love interest was going to turn out to be a bit of a jerk, and that obviously, from the first interaction she was going to discover the slightly eccentric Tom was actually a decent guy instead. It definitely felt like a predictable rom-com. And then there was lots of cliche stuff about cliques in high school and how everyone should get over all these differences and just be friends. I did enjoy the whole thing, I thought it was cute and silly and lighthearted, but I equally spent so much time rolling my eyes. It's very much one of those slightly young feeling YA contemporaries that makes me giggle but also makes me feel a bit too old.

That being said, I did love the inclusion of the OAP home and the volunteering there, and naturally everything about the cinema thrilled me. I did enjoy all the interactions between Andie and her suitors [hahahaha] but I definitely felt like I was a bit too old and mature for this novel at the same time. It was a quick read, but maybe not for me,

Overall, I'm giving Pretty in Punxsutawney  a 6.5/10. I did enjoy the movie references and the cute love story, but it was a bit predictable and cliche from the first page.

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Andie's starting at a new school, and since spending all summer with the hottest guy in town, she thinks that nothing could go wrong. But once she realizes that her first day is going to go wrong, she doesn't know that she's in store for even more first-day blunders. Over and over again.

This book is for those who love to immerse themselves in 80s movie classics, particularly of the John Hughes variety. You don't have to have seen any of the titles mentioned, though it does help to pick up the finer nuance in the story. Although repetitive storylines can get annoying, this one does a good job of letting Andie figure out different ways she can break the spell so that she can move on from what seemed to be one direction, but ended up in another.

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This was an interesting premise, and I enjoyed it. You will love it if you're into films that are like Groundhog Day and love John Hughes movies like Pretty in Pink, which is what this book was inspired by. It was an entertaining read.

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4.5 stars. Delighful! The first day of school gets the Groundhog Day treatment and it's so fun! I loved the characters and the movie references. Andie learns a lot about herself - and her peers - as she tries to get things just right to break out of her time loop. I'd have preferred one more chapter to see how the second day of school went. I'd love to see more interactions between all of these characters. Highly recommend!

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This was a really cute book. I really like 80's so movie references were amazing. The story was so lovely, i couldn't put it down.

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I wasn't sure the plot of this book would really land for me, given that I haven't seen either of the influencing movies. As it turns out, they are so culturally ubiquitous that I could guess much of the plot regardless. There were details referenced with which I was unfamiliar, but major plot points were fine. In some ways, the plot is the epitome of a shallow teen rom-com. While the parallels are intentional, it never transcends the genre standards. Andi meets a cute guy who's a bad match for her, explores friend groups, realizes there is more to others than the surface, etc. And while it's admirable to have your protagonist realize that her snap judgements are ignorant, it's a very shallow lesson. The romance is flat and expected, most of the characters without much nuance. It's entertaining, to be certain, but doesn't have much depth backing it. A light read.

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I received a free copy from netgalley inexchange for an honest review. Pretty in Punxsutawney was a fun book to read. I love the take on groundhog day and the constant movie references. I really did like the character of andie and her growth. The ending felt a little abrupt but overall it enjoyable and I would definitely recommend this book.

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This book quickly had me hooked. The writing is easy to read, and I enjoyed the 80s movie references. I'm not sure how fun all the movie talk would be for someone who hasn't seen those particular movies.

Living the same day over and over can make for a fun story, but it can also be frustrating. The time loop thing got a little weird sometimes as days passed in large chunks and our main character swung wildly in her ideas of how to use the time. I understand the need to fast forward, but I didn't always like how it felt.

Overall, I was entertained. I will look for more titles by this author.

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I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this one. Some people were saying there wasn't enough romance with the love interest in the book. I think they missed the point of the book. It was Andie's growth that was the focus and how cliques in school can be misunderstood. I feel the romance part was just a side story even though I did enjoy what little there was of it. Each time her day started it went in another direction with some being very unexpected. The flow of the story was steady and the ending was very satisfying after living the same day for the majority of the book.

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This book was so cute! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I loved Andie; she seemed like such a sweet girl. The author did a great job with her voice in the book, it definitely read as a teenager.

The book made me laugh quite a few times with its cute quips, like "Fortunately my dad doesn't believe in diagnosis in adolescence." I also really enjoyed Andie dropping "truth bombs" on everyone in the high school.

I totally bought her frustration at trying over and over again and feeling like her efforts aren't making any difference.

Overall, I definitely recommend, especially if you're a fan of John Hughes, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or Groundhog Day.

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I absolutely LOVED Pretty In Punxsutawney. This book is perfect for everyone that is obsessed with plot lines with repeated days and 80s teen movies. It is a must read for everyone obsessed with YA contemporary romance.

Thank you to Blink and NetGalley for the ARC

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This is a super cute book. I had to get this book for my niece. The whole story is something I wish I had when I was younger. Life lessons and being the best you.

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A great coming of age story that shows how important it is to not judge a book by its cover and find what’s beneath the surface.

Andie loves movies more than most anybody she knows. When she moves to Punxsutawney with her family right before the start of her senior year in high school, she gets caught in her very own version of Groundhog Day. Being the new kid in school is hard enough but having to live the first day at a new school over and over again is even worse. Andie gets stuck in a time loop reliving the first day of school with only her realizing the day is repeating. After watching Pretty in Pink and other classic teen romances, she becomes convinced she needs to meet her true love and get a kiss to break the curse. Each day she tries to infiltrate a new clique and finds the best in each of them she never would have seen or known otherwise. With each passing day, she learns more about her new friends but also loses hope she will end the time loop and be able to continue with her life.

Confession time, I have seen neither of the main movies it talks about here: Groundhog Day or Pretty in Pink. Even so, I knew what the stories are about and was able follow along without a problem. This was a very cute story that has a lot of heart to it. I loved the way Andie used each new day as a way to learn something and bring all that together in the end to help solve her problem instead of getting discouraged to the point she gave up altogether. Even though I found certain parts of it predictable, it didn’t take away from making me want to keep turning the pages to find out what was going to happen. Andie’s relationship with her parents played out well, the more she continued in the time loop the more worried they became with her behavior and with good reason. I enjoyed the fact that this is a YA read that is clean and not anything I would have concern letting my children read. I recommend this book to young readers that want a fun romance with heart, and maybe even older readers looking for a little nostalgia.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

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*3.5*

"Pretty In Punxsutawney" is a lovely modern day YA-contemporary-romance story that is heavily influenced by the 80s' culture and movies.
I have to say I'm not so into the 80s, but I found this book to be entertaining and nostalgic nevertheless.
Andie, our main character, is a teenage girl who has to start a new year at a new high school - and in a new town, Punxsutawney. Except that she will have to live that first day over and over and over, forced in a loop that she surely didn't want and didn't ask for. But why does this day have to relive itself over and over? That's what Andy is trying to find out.

I was pretty excited with the plot of this book, and like I said it was really entertaining. I just think that the loop could have ended a way lot sooner, and then we could have seen Andy dealing with a normal day. The second part was kind of borning, becuase we already knew all of the main plot twists and what was going to happen. And one thing I couldn't stand where some sexist jokes. I get why they were there, cause the author was trying to depict a "stereotypical high school" with all the cliques and the various "roles". But I feel like that this kind of thing is just slowly disappearing right now. I don't know if this was done to highlight this kind of phenomena or was just a blink at the 80s and "The Breakfast Club" situation. And sorry, but the sexist jokes just were not for me.

But I liked the main romance, it was cute and funny and fluffy, and I LOVE the underdog who gets the girl trope/situation, so I was over the moon. The final chapter was JUST. SO. SWEET. Period.
And all the cute cinematographic references. Oh my heart. I am just sad though, cause poor Andy will have to deal with a whole lot at school right now, the ones who have read the book will understand.
In conclusion, I was very happy I got to read this book, I had fun.
Thanks again to NetGalley and Blink!

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Movie loving Andie is fresh to Punxsutawney but has managed to encounter romance with her own meet-cute. When she finds herself reliving the first day of her new high school she immediately thinks she is living out her Ground Hog’s Day so she can have the perfect day with the boy she likes. She ends up breaking barriers with a number of people and learning that though they may seem cliche on the surface they reveal surprising personalities once given the chance to show them.

The Story
This book was perfect for me. It hit all my needs for a light and just angsty-enough ya contemporary. Though entirely predictable, I enjoyed every minute. As Andie is reliving each day, Laurie did a wonderful job making the story not feel like the same thing happening over and over (even though it sort of was). Just when I thought I was going to get tired of hearing how she adjusted each day, we started to get the shortened versions.

Though it is honed as a Pretty in Pink meets Ground Hog’s Day, John Hughes’ films play a big role throughout the entirety of the book with many references to other movies such as The Breakfast Club and 16 Candles. There have been other times wen I thought an author was asserting their own likes for JH films or 80’s stuff, but Laurie does well by incorporating the appreciation for the decade through her mom, while still allowing her to have her own opinions and interests.

I think this is a winner for anyone who loves light YA contemporary, and I personally cannot wait to discover more of her books. In fact this ended up being my favorite book for January, 2019. So freaking cute and left me feeling so good.

The Characters
As much as characters being classified into a JH cliche cache, I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of people. Major cliques were explored and while still keeping the traits that tend to separate the kids, the each had redeeming personalities that made them each stand out. I don’t think a lot of people really enjoy the whole clique groupings, but they exist for a reason, most people just want to find where they fit in. I enjoyed how each character was able to break out of the invisible barrier that social standards and expectations set on them.

My favorite was of course our Duckie character (in reference to Pretty in Pink). My favorite part was that despite how differently Andie acted that one person stayed true to the way they treated her. It didn’t change much from what she was wearing or acting.

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Pretty in Punxsutawney is A-dorable! If you love: meet-cute, rom-coms, 80's movies, Groundhog Day, and YA chick lit, this is a must read. Andie is starting senior year at her new high school, after moving to Punxsutawney over the summer. She hung out at the local movie theater a lot over the summer, and fell for the cute athlete who worked there. Andie and her mom love 80's movies, and the night before the first day of school, they watch Pretty in Pink together. Andie wakes up, again and again, only to relive her first day of senior year. After months of trying out different personalities and school cliques, Andie realizes she fell for the wrong guy. How can she make it right? Is she destined to live this day over...forever?

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This book had me at "mashup between Pretty in Pink and Groundhog Day". I'm a sucker for 80s teen movies, and John Hughes was a master of this art. I also like 'Groundhog Day' very much, and generally books or movies about some kind of time travel...
So I was quite curious about the adventures of the red-head called Andie who has to relive her first day at a new school over and over again.

There are quite a lot of references to 'Pretty in Pink', and also various other teen movies from the 1980s (which is great for me, but I don't know if it works for todays teenagers as well!?).
But the story itself is rather unique, which is a little bit disappointing at first but then is a way better choice than a simple retelling of the old 'Pretty in Pink' plot. I liked the first half of the book very much, in the middle - after Andie discards her original plan to end her time loop and heads in another direction - I was a bit lost for a while. But the book quickly got me back on track, and I loved the ending! I can really envision this book being made into a movie!

I totally have to watch 'Pretty in Pink' again, like, tonight! It's been way too long already! And I totally agree with Andie (the book character) that the prom-dress of Andie (the movie character) was just a pink sack hanging down on her. I never really liked that dress, and from what I read on ImdB today Molly Ringwald didn't like it either. There is also 'controversy' about the ending, with whom Andie should end up. I'm rather team Blane, although I don't think their love would last for really long.
I know that Duckie was soo sweet towards Andie and did practically everything for her (whilst Blane was too much of a chicken to really confront his friends or family). But Andie simply wasn't in love with Duckie at all, and that settles it.
Those who want to see a different ending in such a love-triangle should watch "Some kind of wonderful", which John Hughes made after the couldn't push through his preferred ending with "Pretty in Pink". I personally liked "Some kind of wonderful" always a bit better, not least because of the really wonderful Mary Stuart Masterson. But my favorite movie of this genre of the 80s is "St. Elmo's Fire"! ...I can see a new horizon / underneath the blazing sky...

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This was a fun, quick read. Andie is stuck reliving her first day of her senior year of high school in a Groundhog Day type situation. With lots of great John Hughes and other 80s movies references this was an entertaining spin on that trope. It did start off a little slow and I wish she had moved on from her obsession with Colton a little faster, but the rest of the story was fun.

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