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Lights. Camera. Sabotage. Rochelle “The Shell” Coleman is laser focused on only three things: becoming valedictorian, getting into Wharton, and, of course, taking down her annoyingly charismatic nemesis and only academic competition, Amira Rodriguez. However, despite her stellar grades, Rochelle’s college application is missing that extra special something: a job. When Rochelle gets an opportunity to work at Horizon Cinemas, the beloved Black-owned movie theater, she begrudgingly jumps at the chance to boost her chances of getting into her dream school. There’s only one problem: Amira works there . . . and is also her boss. Rochelle feels that being around Amira is its own kind of horror movie, but as the two begin working closely together, Rochelle starts to see Amira in a new light, one that may have her beginning to actually . . . like her? But Horizon’s in trouble, and when mysterious things begin happening that make Horizon’s chances of staying open slim, it’s up to the employees to solve the mystery before it’s too late. But will love also find its way into the spotlight?
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0 0Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book! All opinions stated below are my own and honest thoughts :)
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 - I loved it!!
Rochelle Coleman is an introverted, hard-working student with big plans for her future. Amira Rodriguez is a bit opposite; she's loud, out-going, and quite popular at school. Rochelle and Amira used to be best friends as a by-product of their mothers' friendship, but a falling out freshman year has had them at each other's throats in competition for academic success. Now, it's the summer before senior year and in order to get into her dream school, Rochelle has decided she needs a job to help round out her application. She lands a job at the Black-owned local movie theater, Horizons. The problem? Amira works there too, and she's the assistant manager, effectively making her Rochelle's boss for the summer. When Horizons starts struggling and an unknown prankster starts wreaking havoc on the theater, these two characters have to set aside their differences in order to help save the beloved local business. But they might find more than just an unexpected friendship along the way...
I absolutely loved this YA sapphic romance! "If We Were a Movie" gave me that nostalgic teen, summer-movie feeling (seriously, a production company should reach out to Zakiya N. Jamal ASAP for negotiations here). The setting of the local, Black-owned theater, Horizons, was so quaint and cozy - it made me want to attend a movie showing there! The details in the scene and character descriptions were thorough and made visualizing every aspect of this book so easy. Each of the characters were unique and quirky and I loved every single one of them. I felt like there was great character development by the main character, Rochelle, both internally and in her relationships with other characters.
The only thing I wish was a little different, is that I would love to see more of Rochelle and Amira's rivalry prior to working together. I feel like their competitiveness/animosity is just touched on as background information, and I think I would have liked to see more of it actually on-page. But I do understand that the main driver of the plot is the mystery surrounding the theater prankster and saving the business, so I get why the book was written the way it is - this is just a personal preference I have.
If you are a fan of friends-to-enemies/rivals-to-lovers romance, YA romance, or books featuring LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC characters, I would HIGHLY recommending checking out this book. It's sweet, cute, and a fast-paced, easy read. I'm looking forward to reading more works by Zakiya N. Jamal in the future.
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