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Trapped in an 80s Teen Movie
When lifelong friends Julie and Rosanna are electrocuted by an ancient Betamax VCR, they wake up as the main characters in their favorite 1980s teen movie.
How will they get back to reality... and do they really want to?
For Rosanna – eternal adolescent, reluctant single mom and frustrated artist – being zapped into an eighties teen movie is a dream come true. She’s the coolest girl in school with a hot, mysterious boyfriend, a doting father who’ll give her anything she wants and a scholarship to study art in Paris. Why would she ever want to leave?
For Julie – Miss Responsibility – this is her worst nightmare. She’s the sidekick in her own favorite movie and the boy of her dreams - Johnnie - is hopelessly, unrequitedly in love with Rosanna. Julie is determined to get back to reality.
But things start to change when Johnnie falls for Julie and offers her everything her real-life husband isn’t giving her; and Rosanna has to choose between her over-protective father, her 'perfect' boyfriend and her spoilt-brat real-life son.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll learn to shotgun beer without blowing it out your nose.
Trapped in an 80s Teen Movie is a comedy fantasy about inter-dimensionality, parenthood, kidulthood and the lasting qualities of Twinkies.
How will they get back to reality... and do they really want to?
For Rosanna – eternal adolescent, reluctant single mom and frustrated artist – being zapped into an eighties teen movie is a dream come true. She’s the coolest girl in school with a hot, mysterious boyfriend, a doting father who’ll give her anything she wants and a scholarship to study art in Paris. Why would she ever want to leave?
For Julie – Miss Responsibility – this is her worst nightmare. She’s the sidekick in her own favorite movie and the boy of her dreams - Johnnie - is hopelessly, unrequitedly in love with Rosanna. Julie is determined to get back to reality.
But things start to change when Johnnie falls for Julie and offers her everything her real-life husband isn’t giving her; and Rosanna has to choose between her over-protective father, her 'perfect' boyfriend and her spoilt-brat real-life son.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll learn to shotgun beer without blowing it out your nose.
Trapped in an 80s Teen Movie is a comedy fantasy about inter-dimensionality, parenthood, kidulthood and the lasting qualities of Twinkies.
196 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2014
15 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Duffy
15 books11 followersMichelle Duffy is a screenwriter and author of comedy-romance Trapped in an 80s Teen Movie.
She is currently developing screenplays with directors in England and Ireland and working on the follow-up novel, Trapped in a 90s RomCom.
She is currently developing screenplays with directors in England and Ireland and working on the follow-up novel, Trapped in a 90s RomCom.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 16, 2015
Well, I wrote it, so I love it!
Hope to see some more impartial reviews here soon J
Hope to see some more impartial reviews here soon J
June 8, 2016
Trapped in an 80s Teen Movie by Michelle Duffy
While this story is original and smartly told it draws heavily on some of our favorite characters and scenes in a mashup from several 1980 teen movies, weaving Julie and Rosanna’s characters into the plot. It was a lot of fun reminiscing; it has been many years since I have seen a lot of these films.
Julie and Rosanna are both in their late thirties and get together every Friday evening for a girls’ night. Both are disillusioned with the way their lives have turned out for very different reasons. This week Julie decides so have a movie night with her friend after she comes across an old Betamax VCR and several favorite movie tapes they enjoyed when they were in high school together. Things are going along great as they enjoy vodka fruit smoothies, cake, and old eighties teen movies. At least things were going fine until the Betamax starts smoking and one of them grabs a cake fork to pry the movie out and *BAM*, both women are electrocuted.
Somehow they are both thrown back twenty years in time and wake up in separate houses. Both Julie and Rosanna are again eighteen year-old high school seniors and are now the stars in their own movie. Julie finds herself in what she always considered the perfect loving family she never had. Rosanna is the only daughter of a doting single father. At first they both think it is all a dream, but it proves otherwise. When they make it to school things play out like the beginning of their favorite movies. They are greeted by friends who think they have always known them. Except for the hot new boy in school who happens to be Rosanna’s heart throb in the movie they had been watching.
I know it sounds like this book should be full of clichés, but it isn’t. It addresses some weighty subjects that both Julie and Rosanna are forced to reassess. Things they found lacking in their old lives are brought to the forefront and must be looked at with different eyes. Julie, being the responsible one, wants to find a way back home even though she has very little to get back to. That is until Johnny starts paying attention to her instead of Rosanna. Johnny was always her favorite character in the movie. She has secretly carried a torch for him all these years.
I found this an enjoyable blast from the past that I am sure many will enjoy. The characters are likeable and relatable. The dialogue was realistic for all concerned. From Rosanna with her teen-aged son and later with her pseudo father to her best friend Julie. I also found the twist at the end heartwarming for both Julie and Rosanna. So add this to your summer vacation reading list today.
FYI: There were a couple of F-bombs dropped and some mild cussing. We are talking about teenagers here… **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** May 25, 2016
Format/Typo Issues: I came across a small number of proofing issues in the file I was given to review, nothing that really threw me out of the story.
While this story is original and smartly told it draws heavily on some of our favorite characters and scenes in a mashup from several 1980 teen movies, weaving Julie and Rosanna’s characters into the plot. It was a lot of fun reminiscing; it has been many years since I have seen a lot of these films.
Julie and Rosanna are both in their late thirties and get together every Friday evening for a girls’ night. Both are disillusioned with the way their lives have turned out for very different reasons. This week Julie decides so have a movie night with her friend after she comes across an old Betamax VCR and several favorite movie tapes they enjoyed when they were in high school together. Things are going along great as they enjoy vodka fruit smoothies, cake, and old eighties teen movies. At least things were going fine until the Betamax starts smoking and one of them grabs a cake fork to pry the movie out and *BAM*, both women are electrocuted.
Somehow they are both thrown back twenty years in time and wake up in separate houses. Both Julie and Rosanna are again eighteen year-old high school seniors and are now the stars in their own movie. Julie finds herself in what she always considered the perfect loving family she never had. Rosanna is the only daughter of a doting single father. At first they both think it is all a dream, but it proves otherwise. When they make it to school things play out like the beginning of their favorite movies. They are greeted by friends who think they have always known them. Except for the hot new boy in school who happens to be Rosanna’s heart throb in the movie they had been watching.
I know it sounds like this book should be full of clichés, but it isn’t. It addresses some weighty subjects that both Julie and Rosanna are forced to reassess. Things they found lacking in their old lives are brought to the forefront and must be looked at with different eyes. Julie, being the responsible one, wants to find a way back home even though she has very little to get back to. That is until Johnny starts paying attention to her instead of Rosanna. Johnny was always her favorite character in the movie. She has secretly carried a torch for him all these years.
I found this an enjoyable blast from the past that I am sure many will enjoy. The characters are likeable and relatable. The dialogue was realistic for all concerned. From Rosanna with her teen-aged son and later with her pseudo father to her best friend Julie. I also found the twist at the end heartwarming for both Julie and Rosanna. So add this to your summer vacation reading list today.
FYI: There were a couple of F-bombs dropped and some mild cussing. We are talking about teenagers here… **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** May 25, 2016
Format/Typo Issues: I came across a small number of proofing issues in the file I was given to review, nothing that really threw me out of the story.
August 21, 2017
Using the unlikely 80s artefact of a Betamax video player as a time machine, best friends Julie and Rosanna get transported back from their mundane reality back into the decade that taste forgot and end up starring in their very own 80s teen movie. The script from the movie is a mishmash of a number of films (Pretty in Pink featuring heavily, but there are other classics in there too) and as a result the characters get to have an interesting time.
The jokes just keep on coming in this short novel. For example, just why do all the teen characters insist on entering houses via climbing through bedroom windows - doesn't anyone use the door? And is the colour of Hell really pink? And why, oh why, after travelling across time, space and reality, changing the course of fictional history, do they still have to go to school? I loved the way the author exposes the workings of her 80s obsession in this novel, playing with the tropes in all those classic films from the 80s to construct her own hilarious adventure for her characters. I loved this book and if - like me - you are a teen of the 80s - it's not to be missed.
The jokes just keep on coming in this short novel. For example, just why do all the teen characters insist on entering houses via climbing through bedroom windows - doesn't anyone use the door? And is the colour of Hell really pink? And why, oh why, after travelling across time, space and reality, changing the course of fictional history, do they still have to go to school? I loved the way the author exposes the workings of her 80s obsession in this novel, playing with the tropes in all those classic films from the 80s to construct her own hilarious adventure for her characters. I loved this book and if - like me - you are a teen of the 80s - it's not to be missed.
September 1, 2017
Loved this book that is so filmic it could easily be the script for a romcom. Two dissatisfied thirty-something teen movie fans get sucked into a Pretty in Pink/80's mashup movie when their Betamax blows up. Well-written and packed with laugh out loud cheesy eighties hilarity, this is a great concept, very clever and hugely entertaining with lines like "I think I lost my virginity again" and a brilliant dressing room montage scene that has me chuckling just thinking about it. The mishap turns into a chance for the friends to sort out their third-life crises, the author weaving relatable real-life problems with wit and drama and killer twists at the end. Who wouldn't want to be trapped in an eighties teen movie...for a week or so anyway...!
April 12, 2016
Pure fluffy fun with a crunchy, chewy center! Even though I was a teen in the 70's, I can relate to the lure of nostalgia and 'if only I could....' But what if you really could step into your favorite teen movie, or at least, get a second chance at your teens with your adult perspective intact?
That's what this book addresses, and while it's every bit as fun as its cover in all its neon, BetaMax glory, it also reminds us that memories get rosier the farther they are in the rearview mirror.
I read this in an afternoon, but I'll think about it far longer-- and I'll probably scrounge Netflix and the library for DVDs of the movies that inspired this blast to the past!
That's what this book addresses, and while it's every bit as fun as its cover in all its neon, BetaMax glory, it also reminds us that memories get rosier the farther they are in the rearview mirror.
I read this in an afternoon, but I'll think about it far longer-- and I'll probably scrounge Netflix and the library for DVDs of the movies that inspired this blast to the past!
April 28, 2024
Disclaimer: I did not quite finish “Trapped in an 80s Teen Movie” by Michelle Duffy, but I feel that I’ve gotten close enough to be certain the last five percent will not be any better than the first ninety-five.
The novel is billed as a romantic comedy. One of the biggest problems presented by the novel is that it’s not much of a romance. Oh, sure, there’s plenty of the two main characters mooning and moping over a couple of teenaged boys. There’s kissing and poetic words of love and all that stuff. What’s missing is chemistry. It just felt as if the author said, “Here’s a boy and here’s a girl and let’s just put them together”, completely leaving out any sort of reasoning as to whether these characters should or should not even be together. The author might as well have written, “There’s this woman who has turned into a teenaged girl and she sees this really cute boy who is a character in her favorite movie and she’s had a crush on him forever, so now they’re in love.” That pretty much sums up the romance in far, far fewer words.
The other of the biggest problems with calling this a romantic comedy is that nothing funny happens. At all. Oh, unless you count the stuff the author borrowed from actual teen movies from the eighties. Some of that is a bit cute, though it was better in the movies than in this book. For example, the two women-girls who get trapped in the movie are trying some kind of vague experiment to get back out of the movie and decide they need to put bras on their heads, just as the characters in Weird Science did. The best quote in the whole book is completely ripped from the mouth of John Cusack in “Say Anything…” Among the many reasons it doesn’t really work in this book is that the character that utters it never mentioned kickboxing again. If you’re going to have a character claim to be a kickboxer, at least have them actually be a kickboxer. While we’re at it, I’ll mention that what makes that line so good in the film is Lloyd is known for what is friends call a “nervous talking thing” and whatever character uttered it in the novel did not have that nervous talking thing through the rest of the book. Another problem with it is Mr. Cort, in the film, is an imposing figure. Mr. Peterson, the dad in the book that the line was delivered to, was not imposing at all.
Since I’ve mentioned Mr. Peterson, let’s just say out of a cast of characters I could never get a grip on and could not make myself like, he was the most confusing. One minute he’s blustering at his daughter, grounding her, calling her “young lady”, trying to interrupt her dream life and the next he’s going all out to build her an art studio or telling her over and over, “I’m not your dad, I’m your friend.” Personally, I had trouble taking the dad character seriously at all as he was called Mr. Peterson and in my mind every line he had came out sounding like Alan Ruck speaking to Mr. Rooney over the phone. So, that was comical at least, but it was my own added touch.
As for the other characters? Well, the two main characters were Julie and Rosanna. One was married to a terrible husband and the other was mother to a terrible kid. Aside from that, they were the same character. They spoke alike, they acted alike, but they were not a crazy pair. Just a couple of boring women who decide to watch a movie and end up in the film, transformed into teenaged girls. They realize pretty early on how to get back to their reality, but they decide they must wait until conditions are right. They had to have the right technology at hand and the right song playing. That’s it. Yet, these two did not just immediately replicate the situation, which should have been relatively easy, they decided to wait it out, meaning they went to school, they lived with their movie parents, and they made out with boys.
There was some mishy-mush about the boys they were involved with, Johnnie and Andrew and who was going to end up with who and who liked who better or what have you, but again… the boys were completely interchangeable, so what difference did it make? Yeah, we’re told Andrew is some kind of bad boy who has been kicked out of school and Johnnie is a “loser”, but there’s almost nothing to differentiate them beyond that. More than once when all four of these people were in the same scene I had to back up and read parts again to try to figure out who was saying what.
I know this review is pretty hateful. I will finish on a positive note. There was one little bit of the book that I really liked. Fairly deep in the novel the two woman-children go shopping in a mall and they get caught up in a montage where they keep changing outfits instantly while the Go-Go’s “We Got The Beat” is playing loudly. Sure it felt like a blend of “Stranger Things” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, but it also was entertaining and felt original. Authors borrow stuff from other sources. We all do it. The trick is to make it feel fresh. This was the only passage in the book that felt fresh, even if the sources that inspired it were not well obscured. What happened to Julie right after that was entertaining, too, playing on an all too familiar trope. I won’t say what happened, as I’m trying to avoid major spoilers, but it was appreciated. I only wish the rest of the book was as entertaining as those passages.
The novel is billed as a romantic comedy. One of the biggest problems presented by the novel is that it’s not much of a romance. Oh, sure, there’s plenty of the two main characters mooning and moping over a couple of teenaged boys. There’s kissing and poetic words of love and all that stuff. What’s missing is chemistry. It just felt as if the author said, “Here’s a boy and here’s a girl and let’s just put them together”, completely leaving out any sort of reasoning as to whether these characters should or should not even be together. The author might as well have written, “There’s this woman who has turned into a teenaged girl and she sees this really cute boy who is a character in her favorite movie and she’s had a crush on him forever, so now they’re in love.” That pretty much sums up the romance in far, far fewer words.
The other of the biggest problems with calling this a romantic comedy is that nothing funny happens. At all. Oh, unless you count the stuff the author borrowed from actual teen movies from the eighties. Some of that is a bit cute, though it was better in the movies than in this book. For example, the two women-girls who get trapped in the movie are trying some kind of vague experiment to get back out of the movie and decide they need to put bras on their heads, just as the characters in Weird Science did. The best quote in the whole book is completely ripped from the mouth of John Cusack in “Say Anything…” Among the many reasons it doesn’t really work in this book is that the character that utters it never mentioned kickboxing again. If you’re going to have a character claim to be a kickboxer, at least have them actually be a kickboxer. While we’re at it, I’ll mention that what makes that line so good in the film is Lloyd is known for what is friends call a “nervous talking thing” and whatever character uttered it in the novel did not have that nervous talking thing through the rest of the book. Another problem with it is Mr. Cort, in the film, is an imposing figure. Mr. Peterson, the dad in the book that the line was delivered to, was not imposing at all.
Since I’ve mentioned Mr. Peterson, let’s just say out of a cast of characters I could never get a grip on and could not make myself like, he was the most confusing. One minute he’s blustering at his daughter, grounding her, calling her “young lady”, trying to interrupt her dream life and the next he’s going all out to build her an art studio or telling her over and over, “I’m not your dad, I’m your friend.” Personally, I had trouble taking the dad character seriously at all as he was called Mr. Peterson and in my mind every line he had came out sounding like Alan Ruck speaking to Mr. Rooney over the phone. So, that was comical at least, but it was my own added touch.
As for the other characters? Well, the two main characters were Julie and Rosanna. One was married to a terrible husband and the other was mother to a terrible kid. Aside from that, they were the same character. They spoke alike, they acted alike, but they were not a crazy pair. Just a couple of boring women who decide to watch a movie and end up in the film, transformed into teenaged girls. They realize pretty early on how to get back to their reality, but they decide they must wait until conditions are right. They had to have the right technology at hand and the right song playing. That’s it. Yet, these two did not just immediately replicate the situation, which should have been relatively easy, they decided to wait it out, meaning they went to school, they lived with their movie parents, and they made out with boys.
There was some mishy-mush about the boys they were involved with, Johnnie and Andrew and who was going to end up with who and who liked who better or what have you, but again… the boys were completely interchangeable, so what difference did it make? Yeah, we’re told Andrew is some kind of bad boy who has been kicked out of school and Johnnie is a “loser”, but there’s almost nothing to differentiate them beyond that. More than once when all four of these people were in the same scene I had to back up and read parts again to try to figure out who was saying what.
I know this review is pretty hateful. I will finish on a positive note. There was one little bit of the book that I really liked. Fairly deep in the novel the two woman-children go shopping in a mall and they get caught up in a montage where they keep changing outfits instantly while the Go-Go’s “We Got The Beat” is playing loudly. Sure it felt like a blend of “Stranger Things” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”, but it also was entertaining and felt original. Authors borrow stuff from other sources. We all do it. The trick is to make it feel fresh. This was the only passage in the book that felt fresh, even if the sources that inspired it were not well obscured. What happened to Julie right after that was entertaining, too, playing on an all too familiar trope. I won’t say what happened, as I’m trying to avoid major spoilers, but it was appreciated. I only wish the rest of the book was as entertaining as those passages.
December 30, 2015
Great book for a young adult audience, received this book as a giveaway.
June 2, 2017
A fun read :)
September 3, 2018
Review
Silly,silly,silly. I did enjoy it tho. I love an 80'a movie and this was a good tribute. All the best movies were thrown in a blender and mixed up for the plot.
Silly,silly,silly. I did enjoy it tho. I love an 80'a movie and this was a good tribute. All the best movies were thrown in a blender and mixed up for the plot.
July 20, 2017
I could only get through a third of this book. The plot sounded good, but the writing style was very poor with lots of rambling and not enough depth. I will say there was one part of the beginning that made me LOL. It went downhill from there.
April 25, 2019
An interesting read. In a way it mimics the idea of a lot of 80s role reversal movies (think "Big") and is also full of references to movies of that era.
The start is nice, the ending.... surprising. But the ending feels a bit abrupt and too quick after all the expectation building.
The start is nice, the ending.... surprising. But the ending feels a bit abrupt and too quick after all the expectation building.
July 29, 2024
I’m not even sure how I came across this book, I must have read a review by another blogger I think, but I remember thinking that it sounded like a fun read. I picked it up just now for a bit of light relief after my last read which had quite a heavy subject matter and because the book is relatively short and I wanted something I could finish in an afternoon, it fulfilled both criteria perfectly.
Two friends in their forties, their lives stuck in ruts, get sucked into the plot of their favourite 80s teen romance movie and have to figure out how they fit into the plot and how they can get back home. Yes, it’s ridiculous but that’s the fun. The point of the book isn’t to stitch together a believable narrative, it is to explore everything that women of my generation loved about teen romance movies and to shoehorn as many different movie references into a single book as possible.
And there are a lot. There is a list at the back which lists the main movies that influenced the book, but there are lots of other sly, throwaway lines to pick up if you are paying attention, and that was my favourite part. I recognised so many of my favourite films referenced in this novel and it gave me a warm, fuzzy glow of nostalgia and made me want to hit up my DVD collection once more.
There also seemed to be more than a pinch of influence of one of my all-time favourite films in this book, which isn’t an 80’s teen movie but is a brilliant film nonetheless. The film is Pleasantville, starring Tobey Maguire and Reece Witherspoon and it’s a really beautiful movie. I don’t know if the author has seen this film, or if you have, but it is well worth a watch. Schedule that, and a reading of this book, in together for a perfect, nostalgic weekend.
Two friends in their forties, their lives stuck in ruts, get sucked into the plot of their favourite 80s teen romance movie and have to figure out how they fit into the plot and how they can get back home. Yes, it’s ridiculous but that’s the fun. The point of the book isn’t to stitch together a believable narrative, it is to explore everything that women of my generation loved about teen romance movies and to shoehorn as many different movie references into a single book as possible.
And there are a lot. There is a list at the back which lists the main movies that influenced the book, but there are lots of other sly, throwaway lines to pick up if you are paying attention, and that was my favourite part. I recognised so many of my favourite films referenced in this novel and it gave me a warm, fuzzy glow of nostalgia and made me want to hit up my DVD collection once more.
There also seemed to be more than a pinch of influence of one of my all-time favourite films in this book, which isn’t an 80’s teen movie but is a brilliant film nonetheless. The film is Pleasantville, starring Tobey Maguire and Reece Witherspoon and it’s a really beautiful movie. I don’t know if the author has seen this film, or if you have, but it is well worth a watch. Schedule that, and a reading of this book, in together for a perfect, nostalgic weekend.
May 26, 2021
There are many reasons to pick up this book and read it; firstly, if you are a fan of 80s movies, you will find more references than you can shake a glittery, legwarmer adorned stick at. Secondly, the two leading ladies are engaging, fun, and speak with 'real' voices, and thirdly, it's a rollickingly good story that will keep you entertained until the very last page.
From the outset, the tale is one of wish fulfilment, not just for our two protagonists, but also for the readers themselves. Anyone who has ever daydreamed of going back in time to the decade that style forgot, but good film makers embraced will love the pacy scenes, the fast talking dialogue and the genuine friendship between Rosanna and Julie. Two very different thirty something ladies, with enough optimism to believe in love and second chances, find themselves transported via a defective betamax VCR back to the 1980s, where love, dodgy fashion and questionable life choices all play out against the backdrop of Julie's favourite movie, complete with dreamy leading men. Will Julie turn Johnnie's head enough to give her the confidence to leave her real life behind, and will Rosanna be able to choose between her very real, but very difficult present day son and the man who could, quite possibly, be the actual love of her life? And, more importantly, will they make it to Prom Night unscathed?
One of the things I enjoyed the most about this novel was its cinematic quality. It's immediately apparent that Michelle Duffy is a talented screenwriter, and the pace of the novel seems to unfold very much like the films she references throughout. It's notable for its convincing set pieces, including the iconic prom scenes, and some very real feeling domestic moments between the girls and their 'onscreen' families. I felt swept up in the story, and very invested in the characters. I desperately wanted it all to work out for them! If you love the films of John Hughes, I am confident you'll love this novel, so go on, download it now and share the adventure!
From the outset, the tale is one of wish fulfilment, not just for our two protagonists, but also for the readers themselves. Anyone who has ever daydreamed of going back in time to the decade that style forgot, but good film makers embraced will love the pacy scenes, the fast talking dialogue and the genuine friendship between Rosanna and Julie. Two very different thirty something ladies, with enough optimism to believe in love and second chances, find themselves transported via a defective betamax VCR back to the 1980s, where love, dodgy fashion and questionable life choices all play out against the backdrop of Julie's favourite movie, complete with dreamy leading men. Will Julie turn Johnnie's head enough to give her the confidence to leave her real life behind, and will Rosanna be able to choose between her very real, but very difficult present day son and the man who could, quite possibly, be the actual love of her life? And, more importantly, will they make it to Prom Night unscathed?
One of the things I enjoyed the most about this novel was its cinematic quality. It's immediately apparent that Michelle Duffy is a talented screenwriter, and the pace of the novel seems to unfold very much like the films she references throughout. It's notable for its convincing set pieces, including the iconic prom scenes, and some very real feeling domestic moments between the girls and their 'onscreen' families. I felt swept up in the story, and very invested in the characters. I desperately wanted it all to work out for them! If you love the films of John Hughes, I am confident you'll love this novel, so go on, download it now and share the adventure!
February 26, 2016
Trapped in an 80's Teen Movie
By Michelle Duffy
When it comes to picking my all-time favorite movies, a majority of them would be those iconic 80s movies-quite a few of them John Hughes pictures. That love alone filled me with high hopes when it came to reading Trapped in an 80's Teen Movie by Michelle Duffy. Unfortunately, aside from a few moments here and there Duffy's book didn't even come close to capturing the nostalgia associated with those movies.
The story goes that best friends since high school, Julie and Rosanna, are spending their typical girl's night together-a night that, despite their commitment to kids or husbands, they have always spent together over the years. On this particular night a freak occurrence and a little alcohol causes them to both wake up in the bedrooms they each spent their high school years in.
After a brief telephone call to one another they figure out they're not dreaming but have actually ended up back in their high school years. Rosanna, who was popular in high school, isn't as stressed as Julie, who was less than popular. But until they figure out how to get home, this is their lot it seems.
The storyline attempts at times to follow the plots of numerous 80's teen movies with bits and pieces here and there reminiscent of some of the greats, but it just seemed forced. I loved that Duffy had the girls see in the distance the parade that Ferris Bueller sang in on his famous day off. But really there wasn't much else to write home about. It was a muddled storyline that on its own could have been decent. But with the hokey injection of wannabe 80's teen movie bits here and there it ended up laborious to read.
Suffice it to say that what seemed like a great idea ended up messing up what could’ve been another good idea. I wanted so badly to like it but I just didn't. I almost wish I could ask Duffy to rewrite it just because I'd love to see it come to fruition.
A.Fae
Truth About Books by A. Fae
www.tabbyafae.com
By Michelle Duffy
When it comes to picking my all-time favorite movies, a majority of them would be those iconic 80s movies-quite a few of them John Hughes pictures. That love alone filled me with high hopes when it came to reading Trapped in an 80's Teen Movie by Michelle Duffy. Unfortunately, aside from a few moments here and there Duffy's book didn't even come close to capturing the nostalgia associated with those movies.
The story goes that best friends since high school, Julie and Rosanna, are spending their typical girl's night together-a night that, despite their commitment to kids or husbands, they have always spent together over the years. On this particular night a freak occurrence and a little alcohol causes them to both wake up in the bedrooms they each spent their high school years in.
After a brief telephone call to one another they figure out they're not dreaming but have actually ended up back in their high school years. Rosanna, who was popular in high school, isn't as stressed as Julie, who was less than popular. But until they figure out how to get home, this is their lot it seems.
The storyline attempts at times to follow the plots of numerous 80's teen movies with bits and pieces here and there reminiscent of some of the greats, but it just seemed forced. I loved that Duffy had the girls see in the distance the parade that Ferris Bueller sang in on his famous day off. But really there wasn't much else to write home about. It was a muddled storyline that on its own could have been decent. But with the hokey injection of wannabe 80's teen movie bits here and there it ended up laborious to read.
Suffice it to say that what seemed like a great idea ended up messing up what could’ve been another good idea. I wanted so badly to like it but I just didn't. I almost wish I could ask Duffy to rewrite it just because I'd love to see it come to fruition.
A.Fae
Truth About Books by A. Fae
www.tabbyafae.com
December 21, 2016
This was a quick and really easy read. I try and be supportive of indie novels, but I'm really full of #$*@, so usually I end up not finishing it or not liking it at all. That wasn't the case with this book.
There was a lot that could be better, but the author can write well enough to get you going past anything that might put you off, which is a rare find by itself!
I did feel like it was very rushed, and it could definitely use some fleshing out. The book was short enough that I think she could have taken some more time to add backstory, explain more... just not rush as much!
The pov also jumped between the main characters so often and inconsistently in a chapter that it was difficult figuring out whose pov you were actually reading at any time.
I found the characters to be a pretty unbelievable, and Rosanna was really irritating me, but the story was good enough to get me through that.
And the story though... it was cliche'd and overly dramatic and ridiculous, but somehow it worked for me. It really was like watching a 80's teen movie!
I'll definitely look for more from this author.
There was a lot that could be better, but the author can write well enough to get you going past anything that might put you off, which is a rare find by itself!
I did feel like it was very rushed, and it could definitely use some fleshing out. The book was short enough that I think she could have taken some more time to add backstory, explain more... just not rush as much!
The pov also jumped between the main characters so often and inconsistently in a chapter that it was difficult figuring out whose pov you were actually reading at any time.
I found the characters to be a pretty unbelievable, and Rosanna was really irritating me, but the story was good enough to get me through that.
And the story though... it was cliche'd and overly dramatic and ridiculous, but somehow it worked for me. It really was like watching a 80's teen movie!
I'll definitely look for more from this author.
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