Some Kind of Wonderful

by David Bischoff

A young tomboy, Watts, finds her feelings for her best friend, Keith, run deeper than just friendship when he gets a date with the most popular girl in school. Unfortunately, the girl's old boyfriend, who is from the rich section of town, is unable to let go of her, and plans to get back at Keith.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Media Tie In, Romance

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

aka Mark Grant (with Bruce King), Brad Quentin (with Terry Bisson)

Born in Washington D.C. and now living in Eugene, Oregon, David Bischoff writes science fiction books, short stories, and scripts for television. Though he has been writing since the early 1970s, and has had over 80 books published, David is best known for novelizations of popular movies and TV series including the Aliens, Gremlins, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and WarGames.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You can't judge a book by its cover," he said. "No," said Watts. "But you can tell how much it's gonna cost!”
― David Bischoff, Some Kind of Wonderful



How could anyone not love this gem of a book?

[Nikaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any book based on a movie, it's not amazing; there's plenty of good lines and stuff which falls flat because they're written not said, but if you liked the movie it's definitely worth a read. The character who gets the best treatment is definitely Keith, who always kind of put me off because he seemed kind of wishy-washy with how he acted, but the book gives us a lot more about the kind of depression he's settled into and his relationship with Watts seemed a little deeper than in the movie. She also got a bigger part with relation to what she was like when Keith wasn't around, and the ending is a little smoother.
It's a nice supplement to the movie, even if it's not the best writing.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been years since I read this book. Read the book for the first time in 1986 before the movie was released. It is the high school experience so many of us had. It shaped us.

[Cátia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give it 3.5 stars, I mean, it's a pretty good adaptation of the movie, same amazing lines, but bit more of context, which was exactly what I was looking for, some backstories and some extra scenes.
It's obviously not the same as the movie, there isn't a lot of demonstration of feelings involved and sometimes the writing just seamed way too simple and slightly cringe with ontomatopoeias like "bang!", amongst others.
Overall it was a fast reading, quite enjoyable and a different way to relive the 80s romance.
But do watch the movie, it's amazing.

[Katrina Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel in loved with the movie, so when I saw this at an used bookstore I had to get it. The book provide as great an entertainment as the movie.

[Rachel Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth it just for the last chapter! Absolutely love both the film, and book! Bought this after watching the film several times. Definitely worth getting your hands on if you're a fan!

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

It really bothered me that Amanda Jones is described as blonde early on in this. Then at the end correctly as with “reddish” hair. I mean, how do you write a book based on a movie and get the hair colour wrong?!
Aside from that, this is decent for what it is. It’s only 190 pages long, so it doesn’t get too much deeper than the movie, but it’s enjoyable if you like the story.
I like the movie a lot. There are things about it that bother me.. they still bother me in the book. I just feel like Keith had his change of heart too soon after being infatuated with Amanda for so long. I like Watts, I just didn’t buy them as more than friends.
I did find myself wondering about Amanda too, and how her life would be after these events. I didn’t wonder that watching the movie.
I always worried about Keith’s future with those damned earrings. It’s kind of glamourising blowing your prospects to basically impress people - which is what Keith was against doing. I think as I get older I find that sillier and sillier, but yeah, even as a teen watching this, things bothered me about it.
Maybe overthinking it 😂

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of four San Paulo High students whose lives intertwine, including Keith Nelson, a social zero, Amanda Jones, the golden girl of the social scene, Hardy Jenns, a rich kid, and Drummer Girl, who lives only for music and Keith Nelson.
I bought my copy in 1987 (when the film came out) and I was 18, the perfect age for this kind of thing and I really enjoyed it then – so much so that the book has survived house moves, bookshelf culls and all else to still be here for me to read almost 40 years later. Coming back to it as a man in his mid-50s made the reading experience slightly different (I’ll readily admit) but it was still great fun and it still, as I recall it, tapped into that teen experience. I really should watch the film now! A good read, brisk and well told, I would recommend this to everyone but especially those of us who were teens in the 80s (to my mind, the best era to be a teenager!).

[Ranette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great teen novel

[Carolee Wheeler]

I love this movie, and I expected the "book" to be terrible. It was fairly terrible.

[Amy Yancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much a teen age book, my favorite John Hughes movie, and I cried at the end, well written book.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm actually giving the movie 5-stars because it's my favourite movie of all time...

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Classic!!