Better Than Before Summary, Characters and Themes
Better Than Before by Lynn Painter is an young adult romantic comedy that captures the emotional messiness of late adolescence—those final moments before everything changes.
Written by Lynn Painter with her signature blend of wit and warmth, the story follows four teens over a transformative summer. It kicks off with a chance airplane encounter between two strangers and spirals into a web of tangled feelings, childhood nostalgia, unresolved tension, and unexpected sparks. Painter’s dual POV style dives deep into emotional vulnerability while keeping the tone flirty, funny, and full of heart. It’s about first impressions, second chances, and the blurry lines between annoyance and affection.
Summary
The novel opens with Bailey, a smart, tightly-wound girl en route to Nebraska to spend the summer before college. She finds herself seated next to a maddeningly charming and sarcastic boy she dubs “Mr. Nothing” (later revealed as Charlie).
What starts as a frustrating flight quickly becomes something more as the two engage in a witty, emotionally loaded exchange.
Charlie pushes her buttons—mocking her music, drink choice, and general uptightness—but also surprises her with sincere, oddly thoughtful remarks. When he thanks her for “trying” at the end of their flight, Bailey is thrown off. She’s unsettled—but in the kind of way that sticks with you.
From Charlie’s point of view, we see that Bailey left a bigger impression on him than he’s willing to admit.
He plays the part of the carefree, annoying guy, but his internal monologue reveals someone far more emotionally bruised. Bailey’s kindness—specifically her comment, “I’m sure no one hates you”—pierces through his defenses.
He regrets being a jerk, even though it’s his default mode, and can’t get her out of his head. When his cousin Wes picks him up at the airport, their banter reveals just how much Bailey is already taking up space in Charlie’s mind—even if he refuses to say it out loud.
Meanwhile, Wes—Charlie’s cousin—has his own drama brewing.
He lives next door to Liz, Bailey’s childhood best friend. Wes and Liz have a complicated history full of childhood memories, teasing, and unresolved romantic tension. Liz is sarcastic, quirky, and guarded, especially around Wes, who’s every bit the golden boy neighborhood flirt.
Their dynamic is immediately electric as Wes hops the backyard fence to talk to her, pretending it’s all casual. The truth is anything but. Their banter is filled with shared nostalgia and hints of something deeper, something left unsaid for years.
Things start to tangle further when Liz sees Charlie and visibly blushes—something Wes doesn’t miss.
Liz tries to shrug it off, but Wes’s teasing becomes territorial. He pretends he’s just being funny, but the possessiveness in his jokes suggests real jealousy. Liz, for her part, doesn’t fully understand her own feelings—torn between the safety of her history with Wes and the allure of someone new and mysterious like Charlie.
The fourth chapter dives deeper into Liz’s point of view. She’s mortified that Wes caught her reacting to Charlie and doubles down on her usual sarcasm.
But Wes keeps poking, even suggesting (half-joking, half-not) that he could “help” her practice kissing if she’s that interested in his cousin.
The tension is unmistakable. Their flirtation isn’t just teasing—it’s a battleground of emotions they’ve both avoided for too long. Childhood closeness has grown into something else, and neither of them is willing to be the first to say it out loud.
By the end of the fourth chapter, we’ve got four characters caught in a complex, emotionally charged web. Bailey and Charlie are strangers turned something-more after a single flight. Wes and Liz are childhood friends on the edge of something deeper, but scared to fall.
Everyone’s pretending not to care as much as they do, and Painter masterfully builds the tension with witty dialogue and raw vulnerability. Better Than Before is a story about the summer before everything changes—and how the people you least expect might be the ones who change you the most.
Characters
Bailey
Bailey starts off as a controlled, logical, and type-A personality. Her initial encounter with Charlie on the plane sets the stage for a personal transformation.
She is uptight, avoiding vulnerability and unplanned interactions. Throughout the story, her emotional guard starts to crack as she is pushed out of her comfort zone by Charlie’s unpredictability and teasing.
Initially irritated by him, Bailey’s attraction toward Charlie grows despite her best efforts to keep her emotions in check. As she begins to reflect on her feelings, Bailey finds herself struggling between her typical controlled behavior and the unexpected pull she feels toward Charlie.
The encounter with him challenges her view of herself and her relationship with spontaneity, hinting at the personal growth she will undergo throughout the summer before college.
Charlie
Charlie is introduced as a sarcastic, confident, and seemingly aloof figure. His interaction with Bailey on the flight appears to be driven by a desire to provoke her, but underneath this surface level of brashness, there lies a vulnerability that he is not ready to confront.
At the beginning of the story, he uses humor as a shield to protect himself from his deeper emotions, masking his loneliness and sensitivity. However, after reflecting on his encounter with Bailey, Charlie begins to realize that his facade of detachment might be hiding a more genuine desire for connection.
His development throughout the chapters reveals a young man struggling with his own self-image, seeking meaning behind his initial snarky interactions. His growing interest in Bailey reflects his shift from a self-deprecating cynic to someone who starts to acknowledge his emotional needs and potential vulnerability.
Wes
Wes, Charlie’s cousin, presents himself as the classic cocky neighborhood heartthrob who uses humor and flirtation to cover up his own insecurities. He has a long-standing playful dynamic with Liz, which is rooted in their shared childhood history.
Although Wes acts carefree and confident, his feelings for Liz are more complicated than he initially lets on. His teasing and attempts to reignite their old dynamic often come across as playful jabs, but there is a deeper layer of affection and unacknowledged longing beneath them.
As the story progresses, Wes starts to realize that his feelings for Liz are more than just friendly banter. His jealousy over Liz’s interest in Charlie reveals a new side of him—one that is not as invulnerable as he wants others to believe.
Through his interactions with Liz, Wes’s emotional arc unfolds, showing his internal struggle with his growing attachment and his fear of vulnerability.
Liz
Liz is introduced as a quirky, creative character who enjoys the playful teasing and banter with Wes. However, much like Wes, her interactions are more than just surface-level fun.
Liz is emotionally guarded, and her history with Wes complicates her ability to navigate her feelings for him. She is clearly drawn to him, but she also resists acknowledging the depth of her emotions, often deflecting them with sarcasm and jokes.
Her internal conflict becomes evident when she shows a clear emotional reaction to Charlie, which further complicates her feelings for Wes. As the story progresses, Liz’s defenses start to wear down, and her confusion over her attraction to both Charlie and Wes deepens.
Her arc shows a shift from a lighthearted, playful character to one dealing with more complex emotions related to identity, relationships, and the fear of being vulnerable.
Themes
The Role of Serendipity in Transformative Connections
The theme of fate and unexpected encounters is central to Better Than Before. Bailey and Charlie’s meeting on a turbulent flight seems like a random, momentary inconvenience at first, but it sets the stage for deep emotional shifts.
Both characters enter this encounter with preconceived notions about themselves and others—Bailey is uptight, focused on control and precision, while Charlie is brash, using sarcasm and wit to protect himself from vulnerability. Their initial antagonistic interaction sparks a kind of unspoken chemistry, revealing how sometimes, seemingly insignificant moments can alter the course of people’s lives.
Charlie, for instance, begins to recognize the emotional depth behind his usual snark, while Bailey finds herself intrigued by someone who challenges her in ways she never anticipated.
The Paradox of Humor as a Shield Against Loneliness
Another key theme explored in the narrative is the paradox of using humor as a defense mechanism to mask deeper emotional vulnerabilities. Both Charlie and Wes hide their insecurities behind humor and snark, though the narrative gradually reveals that these defenses are fragile and can only hide so much.
Charlie’s interactions with Bailey demonstrate how sarcasm and aloofness often stem from a deeper sense of loneliness and fear of intimacy. Despite his mocking exterior, he is clearly affected by Bailey’s kindness and realizes that her perception of him challenges his own guardedness.
Similarly, Wes uses playful teasing with Liz to avoid confronting his real feelings for her. His witty barbs are a way of covering up his deeper emotional attachment, which he refuses to acknowledge even to himself.
Unresolved Childhood Tensions and the Evolution of Adolescent Love
The theme of unresolved childhood emotions and their role in adolescent relationships is explored in the dynamic between Wes and Liz. Their relationship is layered with nostalgia, playful antagonism, and emotional complexity, reflecting how early interactions shape future connections.
As childhood friends who once shared an intimate bond, their interactions are fraught with unresolved feelings that bubble to the surface in moments of tension and flirtation. Wes’s teasing is not just an expression of his confidence but a way of reclaiming the closeness they once had.
Liz, on the other hand, tries to distance herself from this emotional history, but she cannot deny the magnetic pull of their shared past. This theme highlights how the intricacies of adolescent relationships often involve grappling with feelings from the past—whether it’s the nostalgia of old friendships or the deep-seated emotions that resurface when two people are reunited.
Romantic Tension Amidst Self-Discovery
Jealousy serves as a critical element of emotional self-discovery in Better Than Before, particularly in the interplay between the characters’ romantic and platonic relationships. Wes’s jealousy over Liz’s growing interest in Charlie acts as a catalyst for his own emotional realization.
His initial playful teasing transitions into something deeper, as he grapples with the idea that his feelings for Liz might be more than just a long-standing friendship. Liz, in turn, begins to experience her own confusion as she simultaneously navigates her childhood attachment to Wes and her curiosity about Charlie.
Both characters find themselves in the throes of jealousy, which forces them to confront the complexities of their feelings. The theme of jealousy reveals how such emotions—often seen as negative or immature—are essential parts of the process of self-discovery, as they force characters to question their desires, vulnerabilities, and personal growth.
The Struggle Between Friendship, Love, and Everything In-Between
The blurring of boundaries between friendship and romantic interest is another intricate theme in the narrative, particularly seen in the interactions between Wes and Liz. The line between playful childhood teasing and deeper, more intimate feelings becomes increasingly difficult to navigate as the characters grow older.
Wes’s flirtation with Liz is initially masked under the guise of friendly banter, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that their relationship has evolved beyond simple friendship. Liz’s reactions to Wes’s jabs reveal her own internal conflict—while she may be drawn to Charlie, her connection with Wes is undeniable and laden with history.
This theme reflects the complexity of adolescent relationships, where friendship and romantic love often intersect and where it is difficult to distinguish between the two. The characters struggle with understanding their evolving feelings and how to act on them, showing how growing up often involves negotiating these complex emotional territories.
The Role of Social Interactions in Shaping Self-Perception
A significant underlying theme is how social interactions, especially those that challenge one’s sense of identity, play a crucial role in shaping self-perception. Both Bailey and Charlie, though seemingly opposites, are forced to reevaluate their identities based on their experiences with each other.
Bailey’s meticulous control over her life is shaken by Charlie’s unpredictable nature, which forces her to question her need for order and perfection. Similarly, Charlie’s typical self-image as a sarcastic, untouchable person is disrupted by Bailey’s kindness and vulnerability.
For both, this interaction serves as a catalyst for exploring who they are beneath their carefully constructed personas. In the case of Wes and Liz, their shared history complicates the formation of new identities within the context of their evolving relationship.
They struggle with reconciling their childhood selves with their present feelings, showing that adolescence is not just a time for physical growth, but for a deeper exploration of one’s self-concept. This theme illustrates how relationships and experiences are pivotal in helping young adults form their identities, as they learn more about themselves through interactions with others.