To All the Boys I've Loved Before

I received this book yesterday, so I have not had time to start reading it. But I have heard wonderful things about this book. The package came very quickly which was great because I go on vacation soon and wanted this book, especially in paperback. I can not wait to start reading this book along with my others books for my summer reading list.

I had high expectations for this book. While it was a good contemporary romance, I found it a little more geared toward younger adults. This would be more appropriate for eighth or ninth graders. It had a good story, but just felt a little more coming of age into what a young adult would start going through.

I heard so many good things about this book, but I was really disappointed.

As an adult reading YA books, I normally get right into them & relate to the characters, but these characters were so immature & childish, I just couldn't get behind them.

Lara Jean, like most girls has unrequited crushes but unlike most girls she writes letters AND addresses them to her former crushes when she is ready to move on. The only problem is that her letters get sent out by mistake and suddenly she is being confronted by the boys she has loved before. Yet it turns out the love she thought she had gotten over is still there. Lara Jean has the chance to move out of her comfort zone and starts to realize that love is way more than focusing on a person's impeccable qualities and finding them unattainable. She learns that life and love flawed and messy.

I liked To All the Boys I've Ever Loved Before. It had a memorable main character and a writing style that felt like it was genuinely written by a teenager. The dynamic between Lara Jean, her family, and Josh was something that I, the reader, could really get behind. This book is a YA rom-com that dreamy teens with no romantic experience can definitely relate too. However the character/ love-interest Peter, was something I just ...didn't like about the book. The story was doing a good job convincing me that people aren't always what they seemed (most of Lara Jean's friends thought that Peter was a jerk). I was finally starting to like Peter when the ending rolled around. Spoiler: Lara Jean' s reputation gets destroyed by a rumor and Peter did little to nothing to stop it. In total, even to the end Peter cared more about his reputation than Lara Jean' s. I feel like he's just a bad example of what a real good boyfriend should be. However I'm just a little biased because I had my suspicions about Peter confirmed. The book in total is very good except for the one chapter involving the rumor. I would still recommend the book to anyone who is apprehensive about "teen love".

It's a fun read, but I didn't love it or have any strong feelings about it. The main character can, at times, be a little unlikeable, but I don't see this as a flaw. Most of my favorite characters, just like most of my favorite people, are imperfect. It just feels like the book needed more of something.

I'm not one to usually read Young Adult novels, but I thought I'd give To Al The Boys I've Lived Before a try. It was a disappointment.

The protagonist, Lara Jean, is a whinny teenager that acts more like a 10 year old than a 16 year old (side note, even her wardrobe sounds like that of a 5 year old getting ready for elementary school-- fuzzy sweater with a penguin on it, really?) She acts childish and it puts the reader off as seeing her as a like-able character. Her few character traits can be summed up in three words: whinny, ditzy and naive.

Her older sister, Margot is also unenjoyable. Margot is a know-it all boss with zero character development and zero personality. There are a few interactions between Lara Jean and Margot where Margot comes off as a condescending judgmental know-it-all rather than a big supportive older sister. Given how old the sisters are, Lara Jean at 16 and Margot, 18 it seems very odd (and a little wrong) that they'd still be calling their father "Daddy." It conjures up an image of a spoiled upper middle class brat who simply has to stamp her foot to get what she wants. The Song sisters are too goody two shoes, too perfect which makes them feel unreal and un-relatable.

I did think the author, Jenny Han, did a great job writing Peter's development. At first he seems egotistical but overtime during the course of his relationship with Lara Jean--we see some of his flaws, some of his insecurities. He's written much less two-dimensional than the other characters.

I will also applaud Jenny Han for writing about the double standard teenage girls face when dating in high school. It is commendable that she highlights this societal flaw.

And despite what some other readers thought, I did enjoy the ending, its ambiguous but hopeful.

I loved this book. I was the main character Lara Jean way back when I was a teenager. You know, I bet most of us were like Lara Jean back in high school. That is one reason this book resounded so strongly with me. Lara Jean is a teenager whose mother has passed away. Her older sister Margot has kept the household organized and together. But now Margot is leaving for college. Lara Jean has to step up and prove herself to Margot. In the meantime, Lara Jean has a big problem. The box where she has always kept her letters has gone missing. Oh, yeah. The missing letters are to all of her ex crushes/ex boyfriends. They were never meant to actually be read by the boys. It was just Lara Jean's way of coming to closure over her failed romances. Then she finds out the letters were mailed. She is immediately in panic, fix it! mode.

The biggest problem is the letter that was mailed to Josh. Josh is Margot's boyfriend and he lives next door. Lara Jean liked Josh first but it never became anything. Then he and Margot started dating and it was too late for he and Lara Jean. She still kinda has a crush on Josh but never wants to hurt her sister's relationship. Impulsively Lara Jean engages in a fake relationship with Peter, another recipient of a Lara Jean letter. She hopes this will convince Josh that her letter didn't mean anything. Of course that doesn't work out the way Lara Jean intends.

Seriously, read this book. The story is so much fun and the teenager's are portrayed so vividly and realistically. This is a page turner and ultimately quite a lovely story about sisters.

I’m going to star this review by saying that I am totally the black sheep when it comes to this book. I did not like it. I did not enjoy any part of this story. It has so much hype around it and to me it just did not live up to that hype.

This is the story of dreamy-eyed Laura Jean and her family . Laura Jean Song Covey (that is her full name…) has two sisters: Margot and Kitty. Margot decides to move to Scotland and chooses to break up with Josh, her boyfriend and the family neighbor. The problems is that Laura Jean has been pining over Josh for years. Laura Jean is a huge romantic and has opted to write each of her “loves” a letter as a way of getting over them so she can move on. The problem with that is these boys did not know Laura Jean “loved” them and each of the letters ends up being mailed to the boys, including Josh. This begins the painful/funny/awkward trip through Laura Jean’s life.

The main, huge, underlying issue I had with this book is simple: Laura Jean. She is the MC but she is painfully childish, naive, and immature. She is a cookie cutter version of what a “normal girl” is supposed to be. She was not believable as a character. I did not feel anything for her and as a result I did not connect with her or the story at all. Her character came across as a pre-teen, a girl who would be 11 or 12 years old but no, she is actually 16 or 17. That’s absurd! She was just too silly and childish for a girl that should be far more mature than that.The “romance” within this book was severely lacking. Meaning it did not exist. I felt nothing swoony, gushy, or remotely sweet. She has fake romances with boys that don’t realize who she is. That really cannot be healthy.

Another thing that bothered me about this story is that Laura Jean had no friends. HOW can you have a contemporary story and the MC have no friends? How can that be realistic at all? How can I connect with a MC that chooses to alienate herself from friends to stay home and bake cookies for her family? sigh Yes, I know that Laura Jean’s family went through a traumatic event when their mother passed away, but how can nobody at school or within the family see how unhealthy it is for a child to be so emotionally stunted? I know there was a second book to this story but I was not remotely interested in picking it up. I barely made it through this book.

So here I am declaring myself: The Black Sheep

I still do not and cannot recommend this to anyone. When I read a contemporary novel, I want swoony feels and gushy romance – this book had none of that. Nowhere close. Not even in the parking lot of the ballpark. I didn’t like the characters, the story line, or the lack of chemistry. I know there are readers that adore Laura Jean and her story, alas I am not one of them. This book was not for me. Any book that makes me struggle to read and question why I read until the end is not one I could wish on anyone.

“Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That's the part of the risk. I don't want to be scared anymore.” - Lara Jean, "To All The Boy's I've Loved Before"

This book was the fun, flirty, fulfilling read I needed after reading some thrillers that really made my head hurt. This is my first book by Jenny Han and it most definitely won't be my last. I'm already about to break my self imposed book buying ban to buy the sequel..sorry not sorry, folks.

I think what I loved most about this book was the main character, Lara Jean. She is quirky, witty, and everything that I was as a teenage girl. I see so much of myself in her in her reluctance to go to parties, her nervousness around boys, her slight fear of the more popular crowd, and even her fear of driving. I love how candid and unashamed she is about each of these traits. It's refreshing to read a book with a main character that I could relate to. I felt like I was right back in high school with Lara Jean, awkwardly sitting on the arm of a couch at a party because there's no room for us.

The unique concept of this book had me excited until the very last page. I read a lot of young adult fiction, and it was nice to read something with a little different of a storyline than the conventional boy meets girl storyline. While we all love a good love story, it can get annoying to read something where you can predict the ending halfway through the story. Instead, I found myself guessing what was going to happen until the very end - and honestly, still guessing since I am trying to find the sequel in a store near me TODAY!

The writing style of this book makes more a quick read, and I especially loved how the chapters were not too long. It gave me the ability to say, "One more chapter" without committing 20 more minutes that I didn't have to reading.

This book lived up to all of the hype in my opinion - everything I wanted it to be and more. Thank you, Jenny Han! Now, I'm going to wait for my local bookstores to open so I can find the sequel in stock...

Too many curse words! It started out fine, but a few chapters in there were a handful of curse words used, and by a third of the way into the book there was profanity on nearly every page! Such a disappointment!! I’ll never understand why authors can’t use their intellect to make use of a full vocabulary, instead of resorting to profanity. I wish I would have known ahead of time, and I wouldn’t have even bothered cracking the spine on this book. At least I borrowed it from the library, so I didn’t waste any money. Although I’m bemoaning my lost time.

Holy heck, my YA heart has exploded. I looooved this story!

Reasons why I loved it:

1) The protagonist, Lara Jean, and her sisters are Korean-American (I am too).

2) I loved how different each of the Song girls were and how their family dynamic influenced Lara Jean's character arc.

3) The first-person YA voice is <i>super</i> authentic—I remember having very similar thoughts/feelings at that age—while not being grating/annoying. (That's a tough balance to achieve in YA!)

4) It's romantic without being a romance, per se.

5) While entirely predictable, it still managed to feel fresh, surprising me in small ways.

(I loved other things too, but I don't want to spoil any part of the story. ?)

I have no idea why this author or book wasn't on my radar before seeing the trailer for the Netflix movie. Once I got into the story, I could not put it down. I stayed up until 5 AM to finish it, and then I immediately bought the next book in the series (I borrowed the first book from the library) because I couldn't wait to see what happened.

This is my first 5-star read this year, and I am so excited to watch the movie adaptation this weekend! If you're in the mood for something lighthearted, romantic, and unputdownable, definitely give this book a try.

RATING: A

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a beautiful story, not just about love, but life and family, friends and growing up.

I loved the storyline of Lara Jean, her love letters and all the drama they involved. OMG how much I loved those letters!!! They were the highlight of the whole book. I just loved reading how she felt when she had her crushes on all the boys and her interactions after they’re out. And all her moments with Peter and her family. It’s just lovely and fun to read.

Also I’ve read the first book (and half of the second book) before I’ve seen the movie and I can definitely say that I loved both – the book AND the movie. Both had their own highlights. In the book definitely Lara Jean’s love letters and in the movie PETER. Although I would have loved if the book would have been made into a series instead of a movie, as I think a series format would have fit better and Lara Jean, her love interests and her family could have been represented better. But it’s still a great movie and an even better book.

Definitely a must read if you like sweet and funny YA love stories.
It’s a great book and I’m definitely going to read the second and third book in this series.

*NO SPOILERS*

For the first part of this book all I could think about was how cliché this whole story is, but then when I finished, I realized I didn’t even think about that at all when I got into the book more. It’s written in such a way that it makes you forget that there are a hundred other books with this same plot. This was such a good cliché that I didn’t mind it being cliché. Even though the beginning was slow, I found that I really enjoyed reading this book. My favorite part wasn’t the romance aspect, but the close-knit family they were. I loved how the single father with three girls still made time for family traditions and bonding time with his daughters. The romance was just a bonus, it was hard to choose who I wanted Laura-Jean to be with more: Peter or Josh. This book was so predictable, but it was fun to read and I found myself smiling and giggling like an idiot at certain parts in the story. I even teared up at the end when everything was about to end. I felt like I could relate to Laura and she was easy to understand as if she were a real person. I am an older sister myself and am always struggling with the need to be a good big sister. I feel like I sometimes I try too hard and end up getting pushed away, which is exactly how Laura felt with Kitty. I also could relate to Margot, Being the oldest you have this pressure to be the perfect sibling they can look up to and admire. I don’t like the cover on this book because it shows the girl’s face, I don’t like it when I already have an image of what a character looks like before I read it. There are two more books in this trilogy, but I’m not going to read them. I think this first book was closure enough, I don’t like to know exactly what the characters are up to afterward so I can make up my own ending. I liked how this book started and ended with a letter and this book is all I want to know about Laura-Jean’s life. I felt like this first book tied up loose ends perfectly with just enough left to the imagination. Although I would like to see a book that is in Peter’s perspective following this same plot. I would like to know what was going through his head while this whole thing was going on.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Okay so I had no idea that it was Kitty that had sent the letters! I was so shocked when I read that because I honestly thought that it was a mistake with her dad giving stuff to Goodwill. I also came around to not liking Josh in the end because of the way he could so easily switch between sisters as if they were the same person. I think it is a great idea to write a letter as a means of moving on from someone, but it would probably be best if you didn’t address them! I’m really glad that Laura got over Josh and her fear of being in a relationship, because I think her and Peter are so cute together. I think it was sweet how he wrote her little notes everyday, even if most of them were meaningless. Gen was just pure evil, but that is how her character is supposed to be. I don’t think Chris was a good character and just popped up whenever she wanted to in the story, but I assume she was there to keep the flow of the story with all of her drama. I know Laura had problems with driving, and I know it is scary, but this was taken a little out of proportion. I loved, loved, LOVED how they have a huge cookie bake around Christmas, maybe that is something I need to start doing with my family!

Oh. My.

So, what can you say about a book you wanted to read until the end ? First question : why did I ?
Because the story was funny. A little original. And it had potential.

Lara Jean is the middle sister. Se has always admired Margot, her elder sister, who basically took up their mother's role when she died. Margot is also her best friend. That is probably why she never told her about her epic crush on Josh - the boy next door and Margot's boyfriend.
When Margot leaves for the United-Kingdom, Lara Jean finds herself alone with all the chores to do, their little sister Kitty to take care of, and a heart broken Josh...
Then all her letters, to the boys she ever had a crush on, got sent. It is barely the beginning of her junior year, but this is going to be a hell of a year. With way more boys around her than she ever had in her life. How is she going to get through this ?

Oh, why ?
First thing we know about the book : all her letters were sent. How come she isn't even remotely interested in HOW THEY DID ?
While it was obvious to everyone with a brain, it wasn't to our heroine. I wonder why. No, actually I don't wonder why because she has the concentration span of a red fish with a cold. (I don't know if red fishes can have colds. It is a metaphor.)
Josh must be dumb too. And Lara Jean's excuses... I don't understand something. Josh had not one but two love letters. Why does he only talk about one letter ?
Peter is weird. Like potentially a future harasser weird. But he is also kind of sweet.

Now, what is the biggest flaw ? Besides the fact there is no consistency ?
The writing style. Even with bad characters, you can make a great story if it well written. Although the book had some potential, it didn't held any promises. I ended feeling both hungry for more and disappointed. It misses something. But what ?

In this new contemporary YA novel from Jenny Han - author of the wonderful novel The Summer I Turned Pretty - readers will find young, messy, exuberant, painful love and the complicated, unbreakable bond of sisterhood is explored.

When Lara Jean Song's love letters to five boys she once loved - private letters that were never intended to be seen by said boys - are all mailed, she must navigate her way through the fallout. Most worrisome is the letter sent to her older sister's recent ex, a boy she stopped loving the day he started dating her sister... or did she? As Lara Jean revisits and sorts her feelings, she begins a faux-relationship with a classmate which quickly spirals out of control.

Another driving force within the novel is Lara Jean's relationship with her sisters. Lara Jean is the middle sister, but when her older sister moves overseas for college, she becomes the eldest in the house, a position that changes Lara Jean's relationship with both siblings. I found this aspect of the novel very compelling and realistic. As the eldest of four siblings (two sisters, one brother) I identified with Lara Jean, but I could also identify closely with her older sister's motivations and feelings.

I was pleasantly surprised by the glimpses at Lara Jean's Korean heritage as well. These elements were mostly introduced through food and food memories, which I think is a really smart, accessible way to showcase cultural individuality in fiction.There's a misconception that characters of color or characters that are at all outside of the stereotypical white American teenager character-type are too difficult for the general YA reading public to relate to. TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE wholly demolishes that misconception - hurrah!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a fun YA contemporary novel that fans of Han's Summer trilogy will absolutely love. It was sweet and emotional and I couldn't put it down.

Lara Jean was a realistic teenage MC - yes, she's immature, but there's also a sweetness to that naiveté that makes her endearing. She definitely grows throughout the story and I loved her relationship with her sisters and father. Due to the loss of their mother, they've had to pull together and grow up much faster in ways that their peers haven't. I think it was easy for me to relate to Lara Jean because I also have older and younger sisters. I completely idolized my older sister growing up (and still do!) and in many ways she was a surrogate mother to me in the same way that Margot is to Lara Jean and Kitty. Speaking of Kitty, she is such a hilarious character and I really admired her ability to speak her mind (for better or worse). I found the secondary characters just as entertaining and interesting as the main ones, which for me is pretty rare.

I know the "love triangle" and the fact that Josh was Margot's ex-boyfriend will rub some readers the wrong way. I wasn't offended by it and felt her feelings for Josh were justified since they were friends first. Lara Jean's struggle with it and her guilt over betraying/hurting Margot again rang true and made the drama that much more emotional. I really didn't even feel that there was a true love triangle, since her letter "loves" sounded more like crushes, while what developed between her and Peter in the present was much more substantial. Oh, Peter. What to say about the most handsome boy in the world? He started off way too cocky and arrogant, but I quickly got sucked in by his sweetness and swoony moments. Yes, the story is angsty and there is typical high school drama, but that's because our characters are in high school and when you're young, there is the kind of the drama that seems world ending. I felt that Han captured the emotions of the teenage mind really well.

I did feel that sometimes the story dragged a little (although I loved that Lara Jean baked, I didn't need a blow by blow of the recipes/so much detail about food) and the ending felt way too abrupt. I kind of expected it though after reading her Summer trilogy, but I was still annoyed since I really don't like cliffhangers. I cannot wait to read the next book though, because yeah, that ending left everyone with a pretty big book hangover!

I added this to the list of books I wanted to read this Summer out of sheer curiosity. Like When Dimple Met Rishi, this is a contemporary, young adult novel with lots of romance. I normally don’t gravitate towards this kind of book, but apparently this Summer I did. I like to go through many genres throughout the year if I can, as I’m a firm believer that it’s not that some genres are bad or not for you, it’s just that you need to read the right book.

After this dramatic introduction, let me start with the book’s plot: Lara Jean is a sixteen-year-old middle child, who is starting her Junior year after Summer. Her older sister is going off to college in Scotland, and Lara Jean feels now responsible for her younger sister Kitty and her dad. Their mother passed away many years ago, and Lara Jean keeps a hat box her mom had given her. Inside it, she keeps all things that are most private to her: love letters. Not love letters she received, but ones she wrote. Every time she falls in love, writing a love letter helps her get rid of her feelings and get over her heartbreak. So she writes, puts them into an envelope and puts the address, but never sends them. Except, one day, they are all sent out…

This book is very cheesy and predictable. And yet, I really enjoyed it. It is a regular High School romcom, with love triangle, bitchy cheerleader, hot guy interested in the apparently bland girl and so on. The day I read it, I was in an awful mood – and this book changed it entirely. It was so light, fun and easy to read that I soon felt much better, and I must give it credit for that.

I found the whole “putting the letters inside envelopes, writing the address, sealing, putting them all together in an accessible box with no lock” a little too unbelievable, but I thought it unfair to judge Lara Jean for the way she deals with heartbreaks. It was just an accident waiting to happen, though. I found Lara Jean hard to relate to, but it didn’t make the reading experience bad or anything – her personality is quite light and bubbly in a pleasant way.

Personally I don’t like the Josh/Lara Jean part of the love triangle. He dated her sister! How weird is that? To me, any of the reasons they give for it to be “okay” that they have feelings and all are still is very wrong. I hope they don’t end up together! If you’ve read the book, what are your feelings about this?

That being said, I really want to read the next books, because it was such a fun read that I think will be a good series for cheering up. A very effective feelgood book! Quite good also for commuting, since the chapters aren’t very long and it easily grips attention. Also, this is the first time that a love triangle doesn’t make me roll my eyes, it works really well and it made me very invested in the story.

The last book came out this year (Always and Forever, Lara Jean)and has pretty good reviews so far!

Veredict: This book has been really hyped up, and although I don’t think it’s spectacular or a must-read, it’s a pretty good one, very entertaining and hard to put down. The love triangle works and I am very interested in reading the next two books! I don’t recommend it if you generally don’t like romcoms, though.

The narration I got from Lara Jean and Lara Jean as a character really took some getting used to on my part. Because I read so many indie books and books that center around a dystopian, sci-fi, and fantasy world, I had become very accustomed to a more…feisty, witty and strong narration. Lara Jean is anything but.

Lara Jean is the definition of soft and fluffy. She is the “good girl” who loves baking, doesn’t swear, and dresses like her part as well. She takes no risks, and she is a loving older sister that forgives her siblings way too easily….*cough*

I also didn’t like Peter as much as I should’ve. I liked him, but I’m getting a very unreliable impression from him (in other words, I’m not confident if he cares about Lara Jean that much). I know this is a book, so we all know he would care about her to a very great extent, but if this is real life and I’m Lara Jean I’ll be extremely uneased as well.

However, despite all this, I love this book – which means I must tolerate its flaws. I care about that story, and I care about the characters, so I enjoyed his book with the price of putting up with these things that I didn’t like.

I also extremely appreciate how the book revolves truly and fully around Lara Jean as a character and her life. Unlike typical contemporary YA romance books where the story-line fully revolves around the romance, I can tell that To All the Boys I’ve Loved before priority Lara Jean much more than anyone else (even Peter being at most just a main side character) because of how the story follows Lara Jean with not too much pressure to have Peter as well. You can see this from how the interactions between Peter doesn't seem forced so that he can get more “page time”, but only because Lara Jean is there and because it had something to do with Lara Jean (does that make sense?).

I think the most beautiful thing and the thing to appreciate most about this book is its simplicity and its pureness. It doesn’t have an assassin heroine, a prince as its romantic interest, or a life-threatening mission with the world on the line. It doesn’t have adrenaline-infusing action scenes, bad-ass or even an exciting fast-paced story-line. Hell, Lara Jean literally is a cry-baby, and TATBILB’s story-line can be described as “cute” when compared to other contemporary YA novels (who often have some seriously intense drama going on).

And I think that is what makes it most beautiful and attractive to me about this book.

In other words, I am probably looking at this book like how Peter view Lara Jean.

My rating:
4.5/5

The premise of this book revolves around Lara Jean and her love letters. Not letters that she received, but ones she wrote. To All The Boys She Ever Loved. Or the ones she had an intense crush on anyway.

But the thing is she never meant to send these letters or even have any of them read the contents of these letters. In-fact she wrote these letters as more of a good bye note. In hopes that once she writes down all her feelings towards someone, she can finally relieve herself of them, and move on with her life.

If Love is like a Possession, maybe my Letters are like my Exorcisms. — Lara Jean, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.

And this system worked perfectly well for her. Until one fine day when all her letters got mailed. To all 5 boys she wrote them to. All at once.

For 16 year old Lara Jean, this was no less than a nightmare of epic proportions. And the book follows her life, as she navigates the repercussions of this mortifying circumstance (?!)

Which to be completely honest was quite interesting to read. In-fact the book had everything one would expect in a light, fluffy romance, and more.

I say more, because I really connected with Lara Jean as a girl, in many (good and not so good) ways, and I loved how real her character was. Not perfect, not by a long shot, but real.

I also loved their family dynamic, and how the relationship between the sisters was portrayed. Everything, from the petty fights, the underlying tensions, the power struggles, to the genuine bond of unconditional love and support – everything was so real and relatable – that I couldn’t help but care about these fictional people.

And then of-course there’s the main “conflict” of the book – the letters to the boys. But I can’t really say much about them without risking getting into spoiler territory.

However I will say this – I really really do love the “main pairing” (if you can call it that) in this book, even though I am not sure if that’s who she is going to end up with. Because this is only the first book of the trilogy, and a lot can happen over the course of the following two books, which might completely change the course of the relationships in this book/series. But that doesn’t stop me from hoping these two are end-game.

- Shantala (Book Blogger at Shanaya Tales)

I watched the Netflix movie and was surprised that it had a cute storyline, kept my attention, and had left me thinking about it for days after it was over. Did a little research on the story and noticed it was a book series. Reading is my number 1 pass time! I put down my other book series I have been working through the get through this. I figured it would be an easy, quick, enjoyable read for all 3 books. I’m so glad I chose to do that, or I would have missed the return/refund period. I had muscled through 50 pages of such inadequate writing. The story lacked character description and development, setting the scene, and an enjoyable flow to the sentences. The sentences were choppy and matter of fact; giving you just enough details to know they were in their house, in the house, or at their school. I like to read a few details about the scenery so that if I close my eyes I can picture the room and see the characters come alive in front of me, feel like I’m sitting at the swim meet and smelling chlorine, or in the noisy cafeteria picking at the school lunch with my plastic fork. This author has a cute thought for an effortless story but loses intrigue from her lack of detail and imagination. I was shocked to read that she has other best sellers, such astounding reviews, and a masters degrees in fine arts and creative writing. The movie had been one of a kind when it comes to book/movie comparison. And such talented young actors/actresses brought a cute story to life. Honestly, the young actress who play Lara Gean was enjoyable to watch, her faces and body language proved her talent! Her portayal of the young teenager sparked my interest, as well as her natural chemistry with the actor playing Peter. I really wanted to get through the series due to the charm of the movie, but after reading that Lara Gean accuses Peter of giving girls STDs. I closed the book and submitted my return. Fortunately, the store is extremely helpful and refunded me for the 3 books.

“You'd rather make up a fantasy version of somebody in your head than be with a real person.”

I hear you, Lara Jean. I mean — I’ve lost count of the times I have said to others and to myself. The real thing disappoints you. That’s why we need fantasies.

That’s why we need writers. And readers.

Erin Han created an engaging heroine who cares about her family, especially her older sister Margot. But that doesn’t mean she’s perfect. She’s had a crush on Josh, Margot’s boyfriend, for as long as she could remember. No worries. She wrote him a love letter, and then she saved it in an old hatbox, where he’ll never read it. She wrote to several other boys she’s crushed on over the years, but those too went into the hatbox. She longed for them, but she had no hope of them loving her back. That’s OK though. The fantasy is better. Fantasies are always better.

And then disaster strikes: her letters get sent out, and panic sets in. Josh! Josh will read her letter. He’ll know about her feelings. What will she do? And that’s when a pretend relationship with the school’s cockiest and cutest boy begins. Peter is save. His ex-girlfriend acts like she still owns him, and he’s one of Lara Jean’s letter recipients. They make a deal. Peter makes his ex jealous and Lara Jean keeps her distance from Josh. Problem solved, right? Even her fantasies don’t prepare her for what comes next.

I loved this book. It engaged me. I’m halfway through the Netflix movie and, aside from some changes, it stays faithful to the story. I am also halfway through P.S., I Still Love You, and when I went to pick up Always and Forever today, there were no copies left. All three books flew off the shelves. The Netflix movie has rekindled an interest in this series. There’s nothing huge or groundbreaking about it, but that’s what makes it enjoyable. It’s just a feel-good romcom. The best part? It features a sweet and relatable Korean-American protagonist. I hope we can have more contemporary YA romances with POC as protagonists, especially if they’re this entertaining to read. I give it four out of five protein-rich frappuccinos.

Oh... and kudos Ms. Han for the Julio Iglesias reference in the title. :)

Unpopular opinion time! I disliked this book. Not a big fan of this book at all. I've read books by Jenny Han before, and that was a while ago, I just don't think I'm a big fan of her writing anymore. I feel like my critical reading has gotten a little better over the last year when it's come to reading books. I'm pretty sure if I read this book when it came out, I might have loved it.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before follows Lara Jean, a girl who has written five love letters to boys she's once loved. Somehow, her private letters get sent to the boys. She's faced with how she's supposed to handle this situation that only she, and now the boys, know about.

She enters in a fake relationship with Peter, one of the lucky boys that she once loved. And could she honestly call it love though? It seems like it more of a crush. I think the word "love" is used in this book and I feel like none of the characters know what love is. Especially, Lara Jean. But anywho, in this fake relationship, their plan is to make Peter's ex jealous and to make Josh (which is her sister's ex boyfriend and one of the boys who received the letters) jealous also.

Personally, I thought that entire idea was super childish. Let us fake date to make other people we care about jealous. I really hated this fake relationship through the entire book. I wasn't comfortable with it. I got really annoyed with it when Lara Jean's feelings for Peter started back up and she was doing everything she could to make him angry. Lara Jean has no idea how a relationship works and so Peter should have just left her annoying self, even though it was "fake".

The only aspect I liked about this book was the family relationship. I love that Lara Jean and her sisters are really close. Their mother passed away so Margot, the eldest, basically took the roll as mother. When she moves to Scotland for college, their relationship kind of dwindles. Naturally. As she's gone, Lara Jean is supposed to step up. She does a crappy job at it. Like, she can't even drive. She was way too reliant on her sister to do everything. Her younger sister, Kitty, was smarter than her. Anyway, I loved how close they all were in the beginning. This book shows you how siblings are. Like when you're mad, you tell your parents what the other sibling is doing out of spite.

The ending was absolute garbage. I understand it's left like that so you'll pick up the next book. (Which I may not pick up for a while.) I just really feel like there's going to be an even bigger love triangle than there already is. I just don't know if I can handle it. This book made me a bit cringy with the "love" aspects. Lara Jean, why are you still pining over your sister's ex boyfriend? That should be 100% off limits to you girl.

I also feel like Jenny wrote Lara Jean as twelve-year-old. Like, she's such a naive girl and she seems a bit lost. She talks very childish. I wish she was written as a mature girl. Instead of this girl who can't seem to grow up.

I wanted to like this book so much. There is so much hype surrounding this series. I still do plan on watching the movie when it comes out. Just to see if it's as cringy as this book is. Look forward to that review in the future.

1.5/5 Stars

With the movie coming out on Netflix soon (like on the 17th of August 2018), I thought that I'd read the book first, before seeing the movie.  Then I can decide if this was I good adaptation or not.  In general, I rarely like YA contemporaries, mostly because I get bored with them easily, but this one really was worth the years of hype...

Lara Jean is a sweetheart.  She is so innocent and naive at times that you'll miss your younger days.  And she is extremely stubborn at times!  Her relationship with her sisters, Margo and Katherine (Kitty) is so endearing, they are just so close as a family.  Sisters fight, but they always stand together and forgive each other.

The references to their father who tries to create Korean foods and the family dynamics are so strong.  They also don't shy away from the 'missing parent' syndrome that lots of YA books do.  Like there's only one parent but we are not explaining why or even talking about the other parent...

The traditions of Korean and American styles are well laid out in this book, indicating people's projection of others just because of their heritage.

I can see why everyone ships Lara Jean and Peter.  They have so many cute moments!  The way Peter makes Lara Jean step out of her comfort zone and try new things is the sweetest thing.  And there are so many laugh-out-loud moments.

Lucas is that super dependable gay best friend, well portrayed and there when Lara Jean needed advice.  I'm hoping he features more in book 2 (yes, I am behind, but I'll catch up)!

Josh is that typical boy-next-door.  He has been a part of the family's life for so many years, even dating Margo.  When the entire mess starts with Lara Jean's secret love letters getting sent out to all the boys she has loved, Josh realises that he always wanted Lara Jean first, but that he truly loved Margo.  Lara Jean knows this best.

The pace is a bit slow at first, but it sets the base for the story and made the journey that much more enjoyable.

Peter is that easy to love jock, chivalrous and challenging.   He helps Lara Jean to learn more about herself and grow stronger and more into herself.  That moment near the end with them together was so sweet, finally admitting how they feel, only to blow up in their faces...  Then it gets worse...  Then it gets better...

I'm in the minority on this book, outvoted by most of the reviewers, but I found "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" disappointing. The reason is: the ending. I thought Lara Jean ended up with the wrong guy. The plot is five love letters to five different boys. Five times in the past Lara Jean thought she loved a boy and when she decided her crush was over she wrote a letter pouring out her feelings, saying everything she wanted to say, and then she put the letter in an envelope, sealed it, put an address on the envelope, and purposely did not mail it. She stored the letters in a hatbox in her closet. This system worked out well, a sort of therapy in a way, until the day the boys acknowledged to her one by one that they'd received their letter. Of course, she was horrified. She had not idea how the letters got out. She then began a juggling act of lies and denial. I liked Lara Jean a lot up to that point but the lies became thick and my opinion of her shifted. I really liked the first half of the book, but I began to dislike the second half of the book, mostly because the lies were so thick. I still would have given the book four stars but then came the ending. It is my firm view that the ending of a book can make or break a book. I really liked one of the other boys and it was my strong hope that Lara Jean would be honest with boy and admit her feelings. When she ended up with a different boy, a boy who, in my opinion, was all wrong for her...well, I didn't consider it a happily-ever-after.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before starts off sweet - Lara Jean’s life is being established as having an amazing loving family, two sisters Margot and Kitty, who are like dear friends to her, and the boy-next-door, Josh, who is practically a part of their family. Lara Jean is a shy girl who doesn’t come out with her feelings, so she instead has always written letters to her crushes to get it over with and stores them for safekeeping. But when her letters get mailed to the guys, and she has to hide her current feelings from Josh (who is also Margot’s ex), she gets drawn into an elaborate lie with another of her previous crushes, Peter Kavinsky.

At first, I thought it was adorable, you know - the pretend romance becomes real trope is cute in most situations. You wait for these two to stop denying their feelings and realize that they liked each other, or start to like each other and the fake romance becomes real, right? So, in the start, when Peter is acting like a dick, I thought maybe he is just overcompensating for being half in love with her? (I blame rom-coms for instilling this kind of thought in my head - we have been conditioned to treat terrible guys as still redeemable but that is a conversation for another time) But till the end of the book, I do not get any indication that he is interested in her because of her - it seems more like she is an attractive girl who is quite different from his controlling ex, and she happens to already like him, so he also likes her.

There is also the problem of character inconsistency - the Margot and Josh at the beginning of the book hardly match the ones at the end. Margot becomes distant from Lara Jean but she also blames her first for Josh kissing LJ (which is weird for Margot, because she seems like the kind of sister who wouldn’t be mad at her beloved younger sister over a boy she doesn’t even have feelings for anymore). And Josh becomes a weird jealous ex (for LJ) as the story progresses, when initially he comes across as her close friend who confesses he once had a crush on her, but was shown to be in love with Margot. Then there is Gen, who is an enigma for most of the novel - and no, I won’t accept the evil ex trope here. Surely there had to be more to her character than just being a catalyst. And there are two weird chapters just to introduce another boy, John, who is so obviously going to be in the sequel.

So while it was cute and adorable and mushy in nearly two-thirds of the book, and I had genuinely liked the portrayal of Lara Jean and her character, I wasn’t satisfied by the romance. Which, considering this is a freaking contemporary romance and basically the whole plot, is a sad disappointment. The cute moments just couldn’t make me forget how it was wrapped in the end, I’m sorry to say.

Rating: 5 Love Letters

I couldn’t help myself.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a sweet story of Lara Jean who keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. She hasn’t received love letters, no these are the letters she has written each time she has fallen for someone. She is able to pour her heart into them and seal them away giving herself a sense of closure knowing no one will ever see them. Until one day her letters are sent out and her love life goes a bit crazy.

The concept for this alone had me hooked. I know I would be mortified if someone ever read my journal, be it my high school one or my current one. There is just something about knowing no one will ever read it that lets you be brutally honest. It’s cathartic. I was instantly drawn into this world with sweet Laura Jean and her sisters. I loved their bond. It has ups and downs which I think most families have. I also enjoyed the way it dealt with someone being close with the whole family breaking up with one and how it leaves the uncertainty with the rest. It really has a lot of heart to it.

“I’m always wondering about the what-its, about the road not taking.”

The chapters were all super-fast and I listened to it in just a couple of short sittings and each time I never really wanted to turn it off. I was on the fence at times as to what I wanted to happen for the characters as Lara Jean is thrust into this new world. Stuck between everything being a first and new and also fake but also good that in between feeling. I could feel for her even when she blundered many things because I could see where she was coming from and it endured her to me. This book just hit me in the feels and had me ‘aweing’ A LOT! I also randomly busted out laughing many times, one HP moment in particular reminded me of me and my friends.

“If love is like a possession, maybe my letters are like my exorcisms.”

My only complaint is the ending was a bit complicated. I had to go back and listen to a small part to make sure I got it and it also left off with many things unresolved. Yes I understand there is another two book for which I am diving into ASAP (already have book 2 ready to start but had to get my thoughts to paper on book 1 first so I didn’t risk mixing them up) but some of the things that seemed somewhat resolved to Lara Jean were still a bit iffy for me. I’m still rating this 5 Stars and in love with it and all the feels but I am hoping that those iffy things are resolved in the books to come and don’t hold me back. Well that is it off to start P.S. I Still Love You.

**Review originally posted on My Fangirl Chronicles**

Rating: 4.5 stars!

I can't believe it took me this long to finally read this book because it was lovely and I enjoyed it so much!

Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical about the whole concept of love letters accidentally being sent to their recipients, but also very intrigued. The way it plays out and is explained in the book, however, makes so much sense that any doubts I had were quickly put to rest. The way each letter and boy is revealed throughout the story was adorable and felt completely natural. I also love how with every letter we get a glimpse of Lara Jean's character during different points in her life, from her very first real crush to her most recent one.

I loved the dynamic between the Song sisters; it seemed so genuine and typical of how most Asian sisters are, especially with how the eldest sister, Margot, took charge after their mother passed away. Out of all the sisters, I could relate to Margot the most because I am also the eldest sister in my family and have been instilled with the sense of responsibility for my siblings since I was young. I admire her dedication to her family and how she's able to be the ideal older sister, but still have enough of her own flaws to feel realistic and human. I'm pretty sure if Jenny were to write any future books where Margot is the main character I would thoroughly enjoy them, too.

The situation that Lara Jean finds herself in after her love letters are sent was not original whatsoever, but the way Jenny tells the story is so compelling and engaging that I could not help but be enthralled. Even though I already kind of knew where the main plot was heading, I was still captivated and eagerly looking forward to how it all fell into place, especially with the boys in Lara Jean's life. I really admire her for being so strong and resilient throughout the entire ordeal. I really sympathized with her feelings, too, because I imagine that I would be absolutely mortified if I were in her shoes and would have no idea how I could face my crushes afterwards. It was lovely watching Lara Jean mature a bit and develop a more realistic idea of love and relationships, something I wish I had learned back when I was her age.

I'm so happy that I chose this book as my first one for the Beat the Backlist book challenge because it gave me all the happy and warm feelings. Such a wonderful read to start the new year with! To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a lovely, heartwarming contemporary story about family, love and relationships that I am happily adding to my list of favorite books. I can't wait to dive into the sequel and find out what happens after that cliffhanger! Highly recommended if you're looking for a cute contemporary read!

This book is one of those books that is just plain good.
'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' is an adorable little gem of a book. If you are an older reader of this one it will take you back to your days of high school, whether you were a do-gooder or not so much or just somewhere in the middle. Although the main character may be just a little too good for many (she sure put me to shame so may times over!) she is very loveable! You can't help but like her. When you start reading you quickly realize this book is not going to be an easy one to put down so be warned!
I will say I thought there would be just a little bit more to do with the letters in the book but it was still very good as it was. I can see how this one is making it to the big screen.
I won't give the storyline away as I think the synopsis and the hundreds of other reviews probably do a fine enough job of that as it is and I don't want to ruin your reading experience. This is one book I recommend to almost anyone of any age. It's just so good (even though there are times you want to break through the very well written teen angst and do a bit of shaking some sense into the characters every so often!). I can't wait to get to the second then third books!

This is about a girl named Laura Jean and she has a hat box with five letters addressed to five boys that she has loved before. She writes them to get out her feelings with no intentions of them ever reaching the intended boy she's into. One day her hat box and the letters in it go missing and the boys who she thought would never see their letters are now receiving them in the mail.

I am trying to figure out a good rating for this book. This was a very well paced contemporary with a lot of story packed into 350 pages. On one hand the story was original and fun, but on the other hand the love interest was cringy and I felt bad that her first real relationship was with someone who didn't absolutely adore her. Every girl deserves to be with someone that adores them. The love interest also came off kinda cold emotionally and all of his behaviors felt rehearsed and forced.

I loved the story and while I did get a lot of fuzzy feelings I wanted so badly to have them for her love interest.

I am going to be a bit gushy here. I won't be able to help myself. I just.. cannot even... my heart. Love, love, love. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han is the book equivalent of a macaroon. Pastel colored, sweet, beautiful, and oh, so addicting. If you are looking for heavy angst-ridden YA just move along because you are not going to find it here. Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song Covey (Why is her name wrong in the blurb? It bugs me.) has written love letters to every boy she has ever had a crush on and saved them in a hatbox. Now, somehow, they have all been sent.

Sisters and the relationships between them play a huge part in this book. It was heartwarming. They genuinely loved one another and liked one another (entirely different things), valued one another's differences. I love how they were all such unique individuals but also able to act as a single "Song Girls" unit. Does their dynamic remind anyone else of modern Little Women? Margot is obviously a Meg and Kitty is clearly an Amy. In my head, Lara Jean was a cross between Jo and Beth. She has Jo's impulsiveness and personality and Beth's love of home and thoughtfulness.

I love Lara Jean. I hardcore relate to Lara Jean. I am in acute physical pain that Lara Jean is not a real person that I can make friends with. I have never read such relatable introversion in my life. "Hmm, on the one hand, I could go out with my wild friend; but on the other, I just ordered a new sheet mask and could bake cookies." Or cheesecake in my case, as that is what is in the oven at this moment. She is so grounded. I love her lack of rebellion. She knows who she is. She doesn't reject her peers and makes friends, but she goes after the things that interest her even if no one else appreciates them.

Peter Kavinsky is a surprisingly excellent love interest. At first, I was sure that I would hate him. There is a Dudebro arrogance to him that I usually find off-putting. I think that it is because Lara Jean sees through it and is forever pricking at his ego that it was adorable rather than douchey.

Diversity in YA is incredibly important. There are so many people who are still looking for characters that truly reflect them. There is still a huge need for more. While I loved books like The Hate U Give and Allegedly, I also think that there is a huge need for more diversity like this. The story of an ordinary girl doing ordinary things who just happens to be half Korean. Race, ethnicity, culture, sexuality, gender don't have to be a problem or something to overcome. Diverse readers deserve to see characters like themselves going about their lives. More of all of this please publishing. I for one am buying it.

If you have any interest in YA romance, this is a must-read.

I laughed, giggled, flailed, and teared-up a bit. This book is so sweet. If it were candy, it would probably give me a lot of cavities. The premise of the story is quite simple. The climax happens when the letters Lara Jean wrote (for the guys she fell in love with), got sent out to the boys. It was AWKWARD. I WAS CRINGING because one of the boys was the ex-boyfriend of her sister.

The story was predictable. For instance, I knew who sent those letters! Even if that was the case, I would probably rate this higher than what I wanted; Only because this book meant everything to me! I can see myself as Lara Jean. I can identify myself with her awkwardness and quirkiness. The way her sister would just push her to do things, the way she only has a few friends, and the way she decides to keep her feelings locked up inside (quite literally- although that did not go as planned). Sometimes I feel like this book was specifically meant for ME. This book gave me all the feels!

I know some people would rate this lower than expected because the character was naive. Let's get this straighten out. FIRST of all, this girl was NEVER in a relationship. Let her learn on her own, people! She's not supposed to be perfect (I don't want a Mary Sue, do you want a Mary Sue? I don't think so). SECOND, this girl is still in high school. At some point in our lives, we all made some mistakes in high school. FINALLY, what's up with her and Josh (aka sister's ex?)- SHE PUT HER FEELINGS ASIDE. JUST LET IT GO. SHE TRIED SO HARD! My favorite part was when she was dressed up as Cho Chang and coincidentally, Josh dressed up as Harry Potter. THAT KILLED ME. OMG. I WAS GRINNING LIKE AN IDIOT IN MY ANTHRO CLASS!!!

However, I SHIP Lara x Kavinsky WITH ALL MY HEART. P.S. I Still Love You is probably all about Kavinsky. Hopefully. At first, I thought it was Josh because it was mentioned in this book. But dammit, I can't... IT HAS TO BE KAVINSKY OR NO ONE AT ALL (this is probably the best). Were left with that cliff-hanger wherein Lara Jean writes another love letter!

I was set to study Japanese Kanji last night but I was exhausted. Our dog has been waking us up early, like 3:30-4:00 am for a week's straight now that's why I'm so tired and have been nursing a nasty eye bags eversince. But I guess whatever state you are in, if you're a pure blood bookworm, you can't go to bed without reading at least a few chapters from a new book, so yep, I did. I've been scrolling in my e-reader what should I read and then I stumbled to this one. The title itself is quite intriguing so I said, just one or two chapters and then I'll go to bed.

I started my July with some intense reads, intense anime and intense Japanese lessons, so when I read the first chapter of this story, I was kind of, how do I say this... I felt like it's been forever since I've read a cozy book like this one. It was so light to read that even if I was exhausted, I feel so relaxed.

I've been planning to just read two chapters but I can't seem to stop. There's really nothing interesting going on, and when I said interesting, there's still no romance scene yet. I just keep reading until I decided to finish it even though I have a ton of things to do at work the next day haha.

Pretend relationship is quite cliché, so I really don't have any idea why I liked this one. I dunno, maybe because Peter won me over? Or because the idea of your goodbye letters being sent out to your old crushes was kind of amusing? I also love that it doesn't just involves teen romance; being conflicted about who to love or whether you should go for it but it also gave us a sweet family bonding between the Song sisters and their father.

I can also relate when Lara Jean pointed out how we used to be mindless about our family and not getting along with our siblings and let our mothers deal with it alone. For this story, the Song sisters lost their mother an early age and I can't imagine how hard it was growing up, good thing the eldest, Margot was very responsible and keep the family going.

And ofcourse, aside from the family vibe, I really enjoyed the romance.  I'm always a sucker for teen romance but I can't tolerate teen angst, but luckily, this one has zero angst. Like, na da! The romance, even though it's just pretend was really romantic. It was romantic but not trashy and is totally clean, so readers of any age can absolutely read To All the Boys I've Loved Before without any problem at all.

For Lara Jane, I kind of totally relate with her character. We definitely have our own share of crushes and I think Peter was right when he said she only goes for guys who won't like her back, those that are unattainable. I mean, like yeah right? One example would be celebrities haha. But I also agree to her when she said it's so much better to love someone nearby than looking at them from afar. And I'm glad she was able to figure that out herself and in the end finally willing to let go of her worries and go for it. As what she said, goodbye doesn't always mean forever. I also love how her characters becomes mature and responsible especially that her older sister, Margot, goes to college. Her struggles to become a good big sister material to her younger sister was so rewarding to read. She's afraid, yes, but I love how she persevere to make herself better.

For Peter, well, let's just say that I'm not really taken by his character on the early chapters of this book because he sounded like a jerk or something close to being one. But man! I didn't expected I'll be liking him this much. He's totally far from just the pretty boy but with zero personality. He's definitely something and I liked it.

Josh. Well, I'm pretty sure at the first chapter that I'm going to like him. The perfect boyfriend material and he's a good family friend too. But as the story goes on, I shifted that admiration to Peter. I guess that's because he doesn't have much scenes in this story, if he had, he was pictured out as a jealous judgmental boyfriend. He did some poor judgments, and we all do too right? So who am I to judge anyway.

The conflict was something you normally encounter in most teen romance stories. Fabricated rumors spreading out and all of the kids talking about it, and looking at you with disgusts. I normally don't like stories using rumors as their conflict but I was surprised with my reaction to this story. I expected myself to be disappointed or scream something like "unoriginal" but I didn't. Well, it's a teen romance after all right? Besides, Jenny Han wrote this one wonderfully so we won't lose our cool.

This was my first time reading a story of hers and I'm definitely be reading more. I like her writing style, the words she used, everything, excluding the ending haha. I didn't know this one has book two so I expecting of HEA.

I am being spiteful today so I am giving this one a 4.5 star rating because of the ending. It wasn't really an annoying, hair pulling ending but something that will make you want to rush the bookstore and get a hold of the second book. It's a good thing right? But the ending left us wondering what Lara Jean will do next and what she is going to write in her first ever love letter. Not a goodbye letter but a plain love letter.

Having another book about them getting back together or making up was too painful for me to imagine. It may be like, the guy will screw up now that she's finally ready to step up and face everything. It's just, I dunno, it makes me think of something worse. I am dying to find out what will happen next, but I guess I'll wait for a week or two and make sure to save all the sweet scenes this story has into my memory before pursuing the second book.

If you want to relive your first love or your fun childhood memory, then let To All The Boys I've Ever Loved Before accompany you.

“You'd rather make up a fantasy version of somebody in your head than be with a real person.”

So contemporary novels have never really been my thing. I’ve always preferred fantasy over all the book genres in the universe and beyond. But this book really did intrigue me but I never got around to reading it. The movie came out on the 17th of August this year, and my cousin and I just HAD to see it. I watched the movie and fell in love with it! I wanted to read it the moment I finished it but I promised myself I could only rewatch it if I read the book first. That’s what I did!

“I want to say yes, but I don't want to be with a boy whose heart belongs to somebody else. Just once, I want to be somebody else's first choice”

I buddy read the book with my bestie, Shaahida (Hey there! ❤️) and I finished it today. Now, I loved the movie so you can imagine how much I loved the book more. It was such a light and fluffy book. I dont usually read books like this (I’ve only read like 2 or 3?) but I just connected with it so fast! The writing was really simple and it just felt like an everyday kind of conversation. When it comes to the characters I’m afraid I need to make a list.

✶ I loved Lara Jean’s character. How awkward she is just reminded me of myself most of the time. Actually, probably all the time. She prefers to be with her family, check. She doesn't like going to party's, double check. And let me just mention her agreeing to go on a ski trip so she can read? that’s a triple check!

“Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That's part of the risk.”

✶ Margot and I share the role of older sibling. Her making sure everything is okay is something I still do. Lara Jean and Kitty look up to her so much, and you can imagine how hard it is for them to suddenly be without her.

“There is a specific kind of fight you can only have with your sister. It’s the kind where you say things you can’t take back. You say them because you can’t help but say them, because you’re so angry it’s coming up your throat and out your eyes; you’re so angry you can’t see straight. All you see is blood.”

✶ Kitty was just iconic. She was just constantly quirky and always had the best moments. The relationship between the three Song Sisters was the best. I loved how close they are to each other and how much they care about family.

“If love is like a possession, maybe my letter are like my exorcisms”

✶ The Peter Kavinsky in the movie was wonderful. I was so excited to see what he was like in the book. He seemed like a jerk at first but I just loved him the more into the story we went. He did little things that really hinted to the fact that he loved Lara Jean. I was waiting for so many things to happen by the end of the book. Definitely things to be fixed. Alas, I need to read the next book to find out.

“That's when I see him. Peter Kavinsky, walking down the hallway. Like magic. Beautiful, dark-haired Peter. He deserves background music, he looks so good.”

(I cracked up reading this one and I’m pretty sure my bestie did too!)

✶ Josh Sanderson and I have a bit of a problem. He was really sweet and everything but he got so damn annoying sometimes. I wanted to hop into the book just so I could give him a piece of my mind. But truthfully, I always ended up forgiving him. Just like Lara Jean.

✶ Okay, John Ambrose McClaren just seemed so fancy. We didn't seem him much. At all really except for that one time. I have a feeling this isn't the end for him. You dont usually mention an important character and then never bring them again, do you?

✶ Lucas Krapf was such a sweetheart. I wish we’d seen more of him but I guess I’ll have to read the next book? (Please tell me he’s around?)

Overall, the letters really made my pulse jump. Everytime Lara Jean turns a corner there’s someone wanting to talk about the letter they got. Might have been only two characters that showed up to talk to her but they sure brought enough drama with them.

I needed something light to read this month and I found the perfect pick. Jenny Han wrote such a funny and romantic story, and I’m honestly so looking forward to reading her other books.

It's summer so I guess it's time for all YA contemporary all the time until further notice because I love the genre. I have had this book on my TBR forever, I've even had the sequel for more than a year but haven't picked it up. First it was cause I didn't want to start an unfinished series and then I got the sequel and it was announced and I just decided to wait, and it was worth it. Lara Jean was such a fun character to read, she's Korean American, has 3 sisters who she is incredibly close too and a dad who she adores. Her mother died when she was young but she is a big part of her life still because love of a parents is something that usually stays with you. I love when parents are portrayed well in YA because so often they aren't, or they aren't even there at all. When I was 16 I didn't notice this quite as much but at 26 it's glaringly obvious when the parents aren't in the picture. Anyways, there's a lot of food and cooking in this book which isn't something that I've read a ton about, characters that can cook, mainly because I can't and am terrified of the stove. I loved Lara Jeans relationship with her sisters and the desire to be there for Kitty her younger sister and to prove to Margot her older that she can take care of herself and her family. I loved her fear of driving because I had my license at 16 but didn't drive until 18 and the very first day out I got in a wreck much the same as I ran a red light/yield situation where I was turning and didn't see a car coming. It frightened me so much I didn't drive again until I graduated high school in 4 months and was forced to because of a job, now I still would take a ride any day before I would drive if the options available. I loved Peter because he's such the cliche ya love interest but he's also not because it wasn't insta-love and he cared about her feelings. There is really only one character I really hate and I'm not gonna get into it because it would spoil it, all I would say is he's a jerk, you think he isn't but he is. It's a fun, fast paced story filled with characters that I can't wait to read again with the sequel!

This book was suggested to me by a librarian at my local library. She described it as a "feel good" book and I have to agree. If you enjoy heartwarming stories about family, love, and growing up, you'll really enjoy this story.

Laura Jean is what we all remember being like as a teenager. Wanting to be in love, wanting to make the right choices, wanting to please her family. She is a truly relatable character and I found myself sympathizing with her from the very first page. Even as a grown woman, I can remember those feelings of High School romance and embarrassments and crushes and friendships and how it all seemed so important and everything was so dramatic all of the time. I can't say I was ever in a position that Laura Jean was in, but I can certainly see myself doing something similar in the same set of circumstances.

The book ends with an elipses so you know there is more to come. I am very eager to read the next part of Laura Jean's journey and I have my hopes for what will become of the people we were introduced to in this book. If you enjoy YA realistic fiction, you are going to love this book.

Sugar. Spice. And Everything nice ..... right sorry don't confuse this with Powerpuff girls but Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before, felt just like that. Its sugary. Its Bubbly. Its Cute. And all round perfect. I am no contemporary fan but I decided to make an exception for it after reading such glorious reviews for this delightfully precious drama of middle sister Lara Jean and her clandestine love letters to the 5 boys she ever loved.

Mind you those letters are only meant to be for closure and not to be seen by the addressed boys. But somehow they get sent. One returned to Lara Jean. Another turned out to be gay. One didn't say anything to her. Then there is her next door neighbor, her best friend and older sister Margo's ex-boyfriend, Josh Sanderson and the last to Peter Kavinsky, the school heartthrob and her first kiss.

Lara Jean was a cutie. A dreamer at heart and the middle sister between Margot and Kitty, she tries to uphold her relationship with her sisters. She tries to be a good daughter to her father. Optimistic by nature, loyal to a fault. She decides to get a fake boyfriend just so Josh won't regret no looking to her before and so he and Margot can get back together.

And then goes and falls for said fake boyfriend. (I'm pretty sure you all know who that is if you are familiar with the story ... if not that's great and I'll congratulate myself on keeping this spoiler free) after spending time and getting to know the guy. He was definitely a likable guy, this fake boyfriend. His public image may say otherwise but he was a considerate boyfriend to Lara Jean and brought a different color to her life aside from all the drama and angst surrounding them.

Its not exactly a love triangle here. Pretty clear who should be with who because Lara Jean and that guy had a pretty great chemistry and they shared some very poignant and swoon-worthy scenes together. Jenny Han really puts it on the go here. The narrative doesn't feel forced at all but rather maintains the perfect pace and just flows like water.

The whole book maybe filled with cliches but Han keeps it simple and charming. The romance is important but family is very very important. Before you know it, you are so into the story that you don't wanna let go at all and it has you warm and fuzzy all over ..... because i'll say it again its cute and so - so perfect ...... But why did it end there *gasps* *oh the horror*.... why didn't I get the second book too, when I bought this one .... Need it ASAP ..... I TOTALLY RECOMMEND THIS.

Wow, this book is the closet thing to a time machine that I’ve ever experienced. I was completely transported back to the age of sixteen, even tho for me that was 20 years ago. Some things never change! I don’t normally tread into YA/teen fiction territory, but I really wanted to read this book before watching the movie on Netflix. It’s all here: the absent parents, the friend dumping, the driving anxiety, the sex anxiety, the post-high school anxiety, and of course, the intense romantic infatuations which generate feelings with no logical end game. Lara Jean has the good yet fortuitous sense to organize her feelings on paper in the form of secret love letters she never intends to send. When the letters mysteriously do get sent and the objects of her affection come looking for answers, all hell breaks loose. An enjoyable read, but geez
am I glad not to be sixteen anymore!

I need to admit a few biases right now -- I love any plot having to do with love letters and sisters. As an only child, I always wondered what it would be like to have an older or a younger sister, and Lara Jean has both. But, she also has a mom who died when her youngest sister was barely a toddler. Living in the perfect shadow of her older sister and in the proximity of her older sister's boyfriend, the boy-next-door Josh, makes life interesting for Lara Jean. Complicating the matter is the fact that her older sister has left for college and somehow the unsent letters to all of Lara Jean's crushes (including Josh) have been sent out.

Those of you who know my taste in books just gasped with me. I was hook-line-and-sinker-ed within the first few chapters. Jenny Han complicates and twists those family bonds so well that I felt like I could invite all the Song girls over for dinner and it would be like having old friends over for a drink. These girls know their roles -- the responsible oldest, the dreaming middle one and the pining-for-a-puppy youngest. But in Jenny's hands they are complex and completely three dimensional.

Jenny also handles that much maligned Love Triangle concept really well. I'm a fan of well executed love triangles, and I know even the biggest critics will love this one. As a reader, we are meant to fall in love with Josh, but Josh isn't always as dreamy a choice as he appears to be. Conversely, Peter (the big man on campus) isn't as stuck-up and jerk-ish as he appears to be. The blurring of these lines makes choices much more difficult and therefore much more realistic. I won't tell you who I was cheering for, but it may have to do with a certain boy in a hot tub who knows just the kind of donuts a certain girl likes. See? No spoilers.

Then there's Jenny's gorgeous phrasing and ability to convey the deepest sadness and disappointment as well as a poetic understanding of family ties. I think I highlighted more quotes in this story than I have in any other this year or last. Here's one of my favorites (from page 294):
When someone's been gone a long time, at first you save up all the things you want to tell them. You try to keep track of everything in your head. But it's like trying to hold on to a fistful of sand: all the little buts slip out of your hands, and then you're just clutching air and grit. That's why you can't save it all up like that.

Watching Lara Jean mature and step out of the spotlight of her older sister reminded me of so many of those "new chapter" moments in my own life. Those moments when I accepted changes, new people and yes, shocking developments. I'm placing this on my Share with the Kids bookshelf. In fact, I've already told my soon-to-be-sixth-grader about it. I have a feeling that she will love this story as much as her mama does.

(Reviewed on Mundie Moms by Sophie)

4 stars

GUYS! THIS WAS A SUPER CUTE BOOK!!!!

“Life doesn't have to be so planned. Just roll with it and let it happen.”

Lara Jean has written 5 letters for all of the boys she has "loved". She keeps them in her room, never intending them to be sent until the day the unthinkable happens, someone sends them. Now Lara Jean finds herself confronted with the boys from her past, namely two boys becoming more present. Josh, her sisters exboyfriend, and Peter the popular boy in school.

In an effort to save face around her sister's ex, and for Peter to make his own ex jealous, Lara Jean and Peter decide to pretend to date. But as time goes by, the lines become blurred and Lara Jean finds herself confused about the two boys in her life.

“You'd rather make up a fantasy version of somebody in your head than be with a real person.”

The title of this book is a little bit deceiving because while the letters were sent out, they really only affected two of the boys who received them. Hence a small love triangle is formed fill with unrequited love and angst. Which was just perfect for me! I personally am shipping Lara Jean and Peter, Josh had his chance! Plus he dated her sister, not cool to jump between them. My favorite character surprisingly was Kitty, Lara's youngest sister. She had so much snark and spunk I laughed and chuckled almost every time she came up.

I'd never read Jenny Han before this book and I can honestly say I would read a lot more by her. Her writing is fresh, sweet and fun and perfect for when you want a good book that is light but hits the important emotions at the same time. It's always fun to discover a new author because then there is a whole new set of books to devour.

Warning, this book doesn't end on a cliffhanger but there isn't a resolution. So have the next book ready! I'm glad I do!

“I don’t have to be so afraid of good-bye, because good-bye doesn’t have to be forever.”

To continue my trajectory down the YA sappy romance novel train, I picked up To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before from the library. I LOVED it. So sappy. So deliciously cheesy and honest. Jenny Han is a phenomenal YA author, and I just really want to read all of her books right now. I’m so happy I picked this book up. Ok, now to actually tell you why instead of just saying the same thing over and over…. I’m just so excited about it.

This is not the most unique plot you will ever read, this is true. However, Han creates this beautiful story about family, particularly about sisterhood and father-daughter relationships. She really hits the nail on the head in giving each member of the family their own wants, sorrows, personalities, and lives. They are not contingent on our protagonist, dear Lara Jean, but rather they move through and around her life living out their own beautiful lives.

Secondly, although Lara Jean does fall into some stereotypical roles of a teenage girl in YA romance novels, i.e. she is a virgin, has a rebellious best friend, not many friends because she’s nerdy and socially isolates herself, she is also a very well-rounded and compassionate character. I can see Lara Jean in myself and in friends of mine. She is innocent and trying her best. She often projects what she thinks others will say or do onto them, sometimes not being bold because she believes she already knows the answer and that that answer would be no. But what she discovers is that people aren’t going to say what she expects them to and that she should stand up for herself.

Finally, I did think her romances were cheesy. But they were also honest. Sometimes I don’t want to admit how easy it is to be into someone if you suddenly realize that maybe they are into you, but this is something that Lara Jean comes to recognize. Sometimes all it takes is the information that someone else likes you to help you open up your eyes to the possibilities of a relationship with them, and often I find more optimism than discouragement.

Also Han makes some really good observations about life. I was blown away by this tidbit,

“When someone’s been gone a long time, at first you save up all the things you want to tell them. You try to keep track of everything in your head. But it’s like trying to hold on to a fistful of sand: all the little bits slip out of your hands, and then you’re just clutching air and grit. That’s why you can’t save it all up like that. Because by the time you finally see each other, you’re catching up only on the big things, because it’s too much bother to tell about the little things. But the little things are what make up life.”

Also Han talks a bit about racism, particularly southern culture and white remarks towards Asian American people, as well as mentioning biracial identities and how ignored they are in the media. She brings up sexism and other forms of racism too, such as microaggressions, etc. And feminism! As well as a bit about LGBT rights…. so yeah, this was a very well-rounded book. Non of these were the focal points, but they are small topics for discussion, and having a Korean American protagonist is always a good thing.

i'm finally done! i read this with a very slow start which i think is becoming a routine for me. but once i sat down and read it, i just couldn't stop!

i like Lara Jean. we're the same in the sense that we're homely and sheltered. but i also like how she grew here. her character development is definitely, i would say, one of the best in the YA contemporary genre. the secondary characters i like too. i love the fact that they are not black and white. like Peter's friends are really decent and funny guys to Lara Jean even though stereo typically, they are not. one is also Josh and Chris! the family members are pretty awesome too!

the book, though romance, has much more to convey which are family and friendship. i like the fact that the book can be surprising. i like the level of drama too. like i said it's not black and white.

i'm not really into the part that it's one of the stories that are pretend relationships. but this time, it really has a cool plot on how they got into the situation. i love the plot of it all, but the flow in the start of the book is quite slow. which is why i dropped the book for awhile.

this book will definitely leave you wanting more. i'm very glad there's a sequel. yet, i am satisfied of how the book ended... quite realistic.

in general, this book is so good! i'm looking forward to reading the next one. i really would love to know what will happen to the main and minor characters!

i've won this book in a sweepstakes! and i am truly grateful

Lara Jean, the female main character, was a little too childish at first. Really, I thought I wouldn't be able to get through with the whole book because I had this impression that she was a weakling and acted like a 12 year old instead of 16. Like she didn't know what to do with her life, or with herself, now that her older sister Margot was moving to Scotland. It was time for her to grow up!

Then her love letters happened. Love letters that were mysteriously sent out to the boys she loved before. Peter Kavinsky, her first kiss, got a letter. Josh, her next-door neighbor and her older sister's ex-boyfriend got a letter. The one from the camp got a letter. Even the one who happened to be gay got her letter. Lara Jean was doomed.

Except, everything seemed to change once the love letters were received. Soon, Josh learned the truth, became more interested in her. But she asked Peter to pretend as her boyfriend just to save face. Could their pretend relationship lead them out to nowhere?

In the end, I realized, I liked Lara Jean and her unique "quirky" self. I liked how she was slowly growing up, how she was slowly taking in the things she'd been afraid to do before.

And Peter.. well, he's the one who really stood out for me. He got me all giddy and dreamy, and reminded me a lot about my dear crush in high school. He was a total heartbreaker, and I don't blame him for that, not one bit.

Josh.. I still got some issues about Josh. I think he better get his act together. For Lara Jean's sake. For Margot's sake. For his sake. But this is not the end yet for Lara Jean and Peter and Josh.. And Kitty and Margot and Genevieve, too. And then there's still McLaren, another guy from Lara Jean's past who mildly intrigued me. They're more interesting to know now, you know.

Jenny Han's writing still needed a little work in this book, but I got past the minute details because I end up liking the story. I can't wait to see and read what happen's next to Peter and Lara Jean. This was surprisingly a really feel-good and smile inducing love story! Yay!

More than half way through the year and I have finally started a series. Or, well, trilogy. Talk about a late bloomer, huh? I’m usually intimidated and anxious about going into series because what happens if I read the first and then not like it? I can’t just stop there. Even if I don’t like a series, I feel obliged to stick it out through each and every book. Spoiler alert: that did not happen with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. I’m writing a review on the first, though let me warn you that I read all three this week alone! I simply could not put this book down. It was not thrilling in any stretch of the imagination but had me smiling, laughing, reminiscing on my own high school relationships the whole way through. I’m officially a Jenny Han fangirl and after reading my review I hope my readers will be too.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a cute and humorous coming of age story told in the first person by a quirky and hopeless romantic 16 year old high school girl living in Virginia, Lara Jean (Song) Covey. She’s never had a boyfriend and it’s obvious from the very first page that it’s her goal to remain taken in her mind but single in reality. But she doesn’t say this. Instead she writes love letters to all the boys that she’s ever had feelings for, seals them, and then tucks them away into a hat box her deceased mother gave her when she was little. To be exact, their are five love letters total and it is never Lara Jean’s plan for any of these boys to read these letters. But that is exactly what happens…

Lara Jean has one older sister, Margo who is just about ready to head off to college in Scotland, leaving her boyfriend, Josh, behind. She heeds her mother’s advise: “never go to college with a boyfriend,” and breaks up with Josh just a few weeks before she leaves. And then, of course, there is Kitty, the youngest of the Song sisters. She is nine years old and is spunky, feisty, and quick with a comeback. Very little happens that misses Kitty’s radar and easily finds antics to get what she wants and have her way no matter what. The girls live with their American father, whose a doctor, but seem to relate more with their Korean side, getting giddy over Green Tea face masks, cute stationary, and tuna sushi dipped in soy sauce.

One day, as Lara Jean is walking around the field with her best friend, Chris during P.E. the hottest guy in school, Peter Kavinsky runs right up to her and asks what she really meant by her letter and even goes on to make the point that he does not have STDs as the letter assumes. Lara Jean is almost sure this is a nightmare. It has to be. How could it be that Peter, the first boy she’s ever loved. The first boy she’s ever kissed, could have seen that letter?

That very day Lara Jean runs home in a frenzy to check her hat box. All letter gone, undoubtedly in the hands of the five boys. To make matters worse one of these lucky fellows is Josh. Yes, the same Josh that just got dumped from Margot, and he even lives right next door… awkward. The confrontation Lara Jean must endure with Josh regarding the letter is really what gets the ball rolling in this book.

Lara Jean doesn’t want Josh to think she still loves him so in the middle of the hallway at school Lara Jean makes a mad dash to the first boy in sight: Peter, jumps right up, wraps her legs around his waist and plants a kiss directly on his lips. Mission accomplished: Josh thinks Lara Jean is dating the lacrosse stud and Lara Jean has just humiliated herself in front of the whole school. Peter is startled, of course, but lets not say in a bad way.

Lara Jean and Peter make a deal: pretend to be in a relationship for Lara Jean’s sake concerning Josh and to make Peter’s vicious ex girlfriend, Genevieve jealous. As a character Peter initially seems like a complete and utter jerk whose only objective is to get right into a girls pants without first asking what her name is. Peter has a great many flaws and he’s so into himself but there’s something about him that ticks when he’s around Lara Jean and he automatically becomes almost a different person. Even though Peter does some pretty shady stuff and at times seems to be playing Lara Jean as a puppet, by the end I was probably just as in love with hime as Lara Jean herself. He has confidence and certainty which makes him admirable, but he’s also caring with a fragile heart. He’s scared, though he doesn’t explicitly say it, of having his heart broken, just as Lara Jean is. As the plot progresses and takes some unexpected turns it becomes harder and harder for Lara Jean and Peter to keep pretending as they soon realize that everything they have been looking for in a relationship is right in front of their eyes.

The plot sounds totally cheesy and cliché – I get it people. But what’s the big deal in reading a book that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and gives you back lost hope that somewhere out there love really is attainable (*scoff* if only that were true). This didn’t bother me like it did most people because I was so charmed by Lara Jean’s character and her close relationship with her family. She’s sweet and innocent, but with Peter she feels different. Not wild, but just, looked at; important; popular; cared for. There were several moments in this book where I just couldn’t hold back a laugh or a smile – it was just all too adorable to handle. Lara Jean’s letters are sentimental and heartfelt. She lives in a dreamy daze. She’s a helpless romantic who wants her first kiss to be filled with tingling passion, her first sexual encounter to be memorable and with someone that knows her inside and out. In short, she lives in la-la land. But now with this “thing” she has going on with Peter and the other four letters flowing around she comes back to mother earth.

The letters being sent off is really the best thing that could have happened to Lara Jean because it makes her grow and become more self-aware of the delicacy of her heart. She wants love and affection, but is terrified of the possibility for heartbreak. She thinks she can love more than one boy at once and what I really love is the fact that she does. She musters up the courage to have love and even though she shies away from it at times, in the end, she always seems to find her way back.

The writing style is simple and lighthearted. It’s almost a given that this book will easily be adapted into a film. There aren’t too many descriptions and the book is very heavy in dialogue which makes it extremely easy to understand and follow. Han’s idea was not to provide some romantic fairytale but to demonstrate to demonstrate the growth of a relationship with all its hardships and obstacles. I really noted a lot more character development and focus on change rather than language. None of the characters, including the minor or supporting characters remain static; they all undergo some sort of change. This is definitely seen in the home with Lara Jean taking on the role Margot once had by looking after Kitty. Margot is initially the hard-headed practical character who does everything just as it should be done. No one ever sees her cry or crack under pressure. I said this book is about character development, so you can probably guess what changes Margot undergoes…

This book is about romance, yes. But there’s so much more than that. There are deep rooted feelings that and internal conflicts that each character must battle and overcome. There is friendship, family, school – all the little things that make high school one of the most bitter sweet time of one’s life. Special. That’s exactly what this book is. Special. It gives a portrait of teenage drama, sacrifice, and everything that adults call “part of being a teenager.” This book was funny, hearfelt and all together a delightfully quick read that I will happily recommend to any fangirl out there who would rather swoon over a fictional boy than a real one.

Lara Jean is a slightly romantic high school student. You can't really blame her - she's been dealt a tough hand: her Mom died when she was younger, so it's just Lara Jean, her Dad, her older sister (Margot), and her younger sister, Kitty. And now, Margot-- her surrogate Mom-- is headed off to college, all the way in Scotland. To cope with her romantic heartbreak over the years, Lara Jean writes letters to the boys in question and sticks them in a hat box. But one day, she realizes the letters have somehow been mailed, leading to some awkward confrontations with some of her crushes: including Margot's ex-boyfriend. While dealing with the aftermath, Lara Jean has to grow up a bit and start thinking for herself.

This was one of those books that I must have read about somewhere, added to my library queue, and by the time it was available, completely forgot where I read about it, or why I wanted to read it. It was an incredibly fast read; I blew through it in about 24 hours. Lara Jean is a very engaging main character, who quickly draws you into her world. It's a mostly believable portrayal of the high school experience. My biggest issue with Lara Jean was that she seemed awfully young for her sixteen years at times; her voice (calling her parents Mommy and Daddy, for instance) and actions made her age hard to believe. While we are led to believe Lara Jean has been sheltered a bit by her older sister, it was still a little odd and off-putting at times. Also odd was the feelings she had for Margot's boyfriend (he becomes her ex quickly, but still factors into the story). It seemed strange that Margot would be so oblivious - and said boy, as well.

The book better excels when Lara Jean gets closer to another boy from her school - Peter Kavinksy, a popular kid. Their interactions were the real meat of the story and what kept me reading. Overall, I enjoyed the book, though its abrupt ending was a bit disappointing. However, there is a sequel featuring Lara Jean and several of the others in the story, so that's rather exciting. I shall add that to said library queue and be eager to see where life takes her. All in all, a cute read, even if it does feel like something is missing, or a bit off. A solid 3 stars

You know what? I think I'm on a contemporary romance kick right now. Two contemporary romance books in a row is a rare occurrence for me. Out of all the books I own, I think I believe I only own 9 contemporary romances, 6 of which are Sarah Dessen. But I was wandering around the library this afternoon, and To All the Boys I've Loved Before caught my eye. I know that the sequel just came out, and I know that a lot of people adored this book. And I mean will you look at that cover? So I picked it up. I have 6 more books on my May TBR list, and I wanted to work on some of them next. I figured after one or two books, I would start this one. I read the first page for curiosity's sake, and next thing I know I'm reading the last line and wondering where the last 6 hours went.

I was so sucked into this book, I don't think I could put it down even if I wanted to. It was such a fun, fast paced read, I was sad when suddenly it was over. Especially sense I don't have the sequel, and couldn't immediately see what happens next. The direction this book went took me by surprise, but I guess it shouldn't have. From the first few chapters I had this distinct idea of what would happen, and I was sort of dreading it. It wasn't until almost half way that I started to realize how wrong I was. I knew there was a sequel, I knew it, and yet when the pages left started to dwindle, and everything wasn't happy ever after, I started to panic. I was so engrossed in Lara Jean's story, I wanted it all to work out and be wrapped up in a little bow. And instead, of course, of course, there was a cliff hanger. Why do you do this to me Jenny Han? My heart can't take it.

It's kind of funny how much I connected with Lara Jean, considering we are quite different. She's so good and pure. I remember there's this scene where she found out that someone cheated on a quiz in 7th grade and she was appalled. And all I can think is hasn't everyone cheated at least once? I remember high school, some teachers practically asked you to cheat. Even in AP courses, teachers stepping out for 5 minutes in the middle of the test, allowing 2 days to complete tests, giving take home tests, and of course the students are going to compare answers. But she still had spunk, and a wild side, and I wonder how couldn't you connect with her?

I loved the family dynamic between Lara Jean, Margot, Kitty and their dad. They fight sometimes, but they are always there for each other, they support each other, like a real family. It's always so good to read a contemporary romance where the family play an important role. I also like Josh, and Peter, and Peter's friends.

This book was such a quick fun read, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. Like, now, preferably.

I listened to the book on Audible & loved it so much!

The narrator was amazing (Laura Knight Keating), I am now searching for what other books she has narrated! Her voice and storytelling was perfect!

Now on to the book review:

I watched the movie prior to finishing the book and liked the book better. Although, the ending of the book isn't like the movie & for that reason, I like the movie ending better. The book was actually funny in some parts and it had me giggling like a little school girl!

I highly recommend this book. With that said, I am off to read (or listen) to the next book in this series!

You know you love a book when you sit down, start reading and after five hours you realize you have finished the whole book.

This book follows the life of Lara Jean. When she thinks she’s done loving someone, she writes a good bye letter and keeps them inside her teal hatbox her mother gave her before she died. She has loved five guys, and there are five letters. One day someone approached her and she realizes her letter has been sent.

“If love is like a possession, maybe my letter are like my exorcisms”

The first thing I loved was how different Lara is from other girls. She isn’t this common type of girl who loves fashion, and being with a different boy every week. She likes to stay at home making cookies or just spending time with her family. She and her two sisters are called “the Song Girls”. The were inseparable until Margot went to Scotland for college. In some ways I felt like Lara Jean is me. You know, her big sister is on the other side of the world and now she has to take care of her little sister. I had to take care of my little sister since I was like 11 (I think or younger) and it was hard because as Lara Jean, I didn’t have any idea how to do it and sometimes I messed up very bad trying to do the right thing. My favorite character is Kitty, Lara’s little sister. She is nine years old but she has the mind and attitude of someone older. In some ways she is independent, sassy, funny, emotional. I would love to have a little sister like her… so full of life.

I instantly fell in love with Josh and Peter. They are really different. Josh is the kind of guy who stays at home, they guy who every parent would want for their daughters. Peter is the hot guy every girl likes, they guy who likes to go to parties, the guy who loves sports, a player (if you know what I mean). You’ll love Josh since the beginning, and Peter is someone you’ll learn to love throughout the story.

“Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That’s the part of the risk. I don’t want to be scared anymore.”

The romance in this story wasn’t rushed. Yeah, they were in a fake relationship, but spending a lot of time together made them like each other a little bit more. At times they forgot that it was a fake relationship, that they weren’t together for real. I think that’s what I liked the most; having them realize little by little that they wanted to be together for real, that they were starting to have feelings for each other. It was sad how things ended, but I hope everything gets better in the sequel. I’m dying to read it.

“My letters are for when I don’t want to be in love anymore. They’re for good-bye. Because after I write in my letter, I’m not longer consumed by my all-consuming love…My letters set me free. Or at least they’re supposed to.”

I enjoyed the concept of the letters. I’m a hopeless romantic so love letters are really cute in my opinion. I would love to check my mailbox and see love letters from my love but yeah… guys don’t do that these days. The font they used for the letters was beautiful, I really loved it. I didn’t get bored while reading this. It was so easy to follow and so interesting that I couldn’t stop. This is my first book by Jenny Han and I absolutely loved how easy to read is her writing. I’m looking forward to read more books by her, and obviously the sequel to this amazing book. I highly recommend this book; it is a good read for the summer. Make sure to pick it up… you won’t regret it.

I figured this was either going to be cute or silly, and it was a little bit of both and then some. I definitely didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Lara Jean is to blame for that. Her personality reminded me so much of myself as a teenager, so I related to her a lot. Her little sister was adorable. She made me want a sibling. The oldest sister? Not so much. She makes me glad to be an only child.

I wouldn't really call this a love triangle, but at this point, I'm leaning towards Team Peter. So, I'm on the fence. There are things I don't like about him. I think he's insecure, despite appearances, and I think that's why he acts like a jerk sometimes. He has potential though. I liked Josh enough, but I don't think he's right for Lara Jean either. So, my Team status is pending.

This was such a light and entertaining story. I had so much fun in high school, and this book brought me right back to it!

This book was absolutely phenomenal. I am just really upset I finished this book at 3am and no place is open for me to go buy the other two books. I'm really disappointed I didn't think ahead. The way this book made me feel, and every chance I got I was reading it. I couldn't stop. It was so realistic, so uplifting and just heart warming. Everything about this book was what I needed. I haven't read a book in less than 24 hours in a long time. I haven't read a book that gave me all the feels, like this one did. The book is so relatable. It reminded me a lot of "fried green tomatoes.." like a continuance or sequel. It just had the same wholesome vibe and family togetherness. I just like where the book takes you and you're going through this with Lara Jean. It's just so well written. It has a classical feel in current times.

podcast: [...]

Favorite Character

This is so hard! I relate to all three of the Song sisters. As the bossy elder sister who thinks she knows everything in my own family, I relate to Margo well. I love Lara Jean’s bravery and spunk, and adore Kitty for her precocious nature. If I had to pick one, though, it would be Lara Jean. Her courage in the face of social destruction is admirable.

Favorite Line

“There is a specific kind of fight you can only have with your sister. It’s the kind where you say things you can’t take back. You say them because you can’t help but say them, because you’re so angry it’s coming up your throat and out our eyes; you’re so angry you can’t see straight. All you see is blood.”

This book is as much about sisterhood as it is about first loves. I love how this perfectly captures the sibling relationship.

Fun Author Fact

While I do have a Jenny Han fun fact (according to an interview with Ron Reads, she wrote never-to-be-sent love letters to her crushes too!), I actually love her take on diversity in literature.

When asked about the diverse casting in the book, she said, “I want my books to look like the real world, and the real world is populated by all kinds of people. I think diversity in young adult literature is very important because it reflects what the world really looks like, and that it’s a larger experience. It’s not just one narrow experience. I was thinking about that.”

YES

Is this worth a book hangover?

If you’re into fun teenage romances (I am!), then it is. For those more inclined to science fiction or fantasy, they may enjoy this book, but it won’t be hangover materiel. But I read it in one go!

While I enjoyed the book, I was also a little disappointed in it. First of all, it was rather slow to get going, both the plot and the character development. Second, it was super unclear who was supposed to be the love interest. It wasn't a love triangle, it was just confusing. I honestly had no idea where the story or characters were going until the end. This is often suspenseful and exciting but in this case it felt more erratic and confusing. Not only that, but after I discovered that the series continues following the same characters and love interests in the next book, I felt like this book was lacking quite a bit of character building in the hopes of dragging readers into the next book to discover more. However, it just left me feeling like too much was missing from this book to justify continuing the series.

How can YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THAT give me more

I got rec so hard for this book. Siiri and Sue the main instigators. You guys: THANK YOU FOR THAT. I adored this book. I finished it in one sitting and the heart emojis coming out of my body were so visible. I was all "awwww"ing and "you are so my otp"ing during my reading, I can't deny.

Lara Jean is such a fave characters. I loved her since the start. But I think what made me love her more was the way Jenny wrote her. Jenny's wrote were so compelling and she really makes it look easy. Everything was so cute to me.

All the talk I've heard about Peter K, I never imagined my undying love for him. WHEN I FIRST SAW HIS NAME I WAS LIKE HOLY SHHHH** THIS IS IT. I blame Sue mainly for this. But anyways, Peter K was easy to love. So easy. Everything he did, I was half in love and Lara Jean's relationship with him was so kawaii and epic.

It's actually a good storyline. The whole "my love letters were sent and now all of them are with my ex crushes." It really intrigued me. Also the cover is super nice and I adore it probably one of my fave out there.

BUT THEN YOU LEAVE ME WITH THAT ENDING, I MEAN IT'S NICE AND WE FINALLY SEE WHAT WE WANT TO SEE BUT YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME L IKE THAT AGAIN PLEASE. ****ps I'm very scared. I've heard Jenny doesn't really make good "ending" books. If she messes up Peter K, mostly Peter K, because I have a feeling all his characters development from book 1 will suffer (please make me wrong JENNY MAKE ME WRONG), but yeah I don't know why all the love triangle in book 2. IT'S NOT NECESSARY. BUT OKAY JENNY HAN IF YOU DO A GOOD ENDING I WILL PUT A SHRINE FOR YOU.****

Younger readers are advised that there is some promiscuous content and birds and bees talk in the book.

My Thoughts:

I didn't have very high expectations of this book especially after I found out it was written by Jenny Han.Her The Summer I Turned Pretty series is not one of my favorites. I loved the premise of the book so I picked it up even though Jenny Han has disappointed me before.
I loved this book! It's young adult contemporary romance at its best and I love how it gives insight into Korean culture as well. I had a very strong desire to eat Korean food after reading this book because of the beautiful way in which it was described.

Lara Jean is such a relateable character. Her relationship with her family especially her sisters was beautiful. It's been a long time since I've seen a healthy representation of family life in young adult.This, in my opinion is one of the major plus points of this book. Parents and family exist for once in Young Adult and it's beautifully implemented.

The characters are well defined and are realistic as is the story. The drama is not melodramatic and the book left me wanting more. The idea of letter writing and how it's formatted in the book really adds authenticity to the book.

The ending might not satisfy some people but I loved it. In my opinion this book doesn't need a sequel but I think it already has one. I'm too scared to spoil the perfection that is this book by reading a continuation that quite a few people on Goodreads have stated is unnecessary. Well, if my library procures it I might read it but I'm very satisfied with just reading this book as it was great.

It's a great contemporary romance young adult after a really long time which got me out of my reading slump so I can't recommend it enough. The only reason it is not a full 5 stars is because I didn't like some of the male characters but that is just my opinion.
Overall, Where's my Korean food at?

My Rating:
4.5/5

Beautiful

Comment with your thoughts and suggestions on what Korean dish I should try.

Ever since the too-adorbs-for-words cover of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was released, I was pretty much convinced I had to read this. It just looks so cute and lovely – and Jenny Han is an author that I’ve been meaning to check out for a while. Well, I finally got enough room in my schedule to read it and… LOVE. Loved, loved, loved this book. It is top notch banterfluff, make no mistake.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before tells the story of Lara Jean, a Korean-American junior in high school, whose love letters to her old crushes accidentally get mailed out. She usually writes these letters to get out all her feelings so she can move on from the guys – some of them being years and years old, and one of them being written to… her sister’s ex-boyfriend. UH OH. Her sister having left to college in Scotland, Lara Jean covers to keep things from being awkward with Josh by… pretending Peter – another letter-recipient – is her new boyfriend.

FAKE DATING. Seriously, I don’t know how, but I either completely forgot that this all-time favorite trope of mine was used in this book, or it completely escaped my notice. BUT OH MY GOD. It’s so good. It gets me every time. Peter is almost a polar opposite to Lara Jean. He’s the popular, somewhat of a playboy, definitely more experienced guy who likes to take life as it comes and not get too serious about anything. Lara Jean is much more conservative, having grown up in a family without a mother, and now without her older sister Margot, she bares the weight of caring for her little sister. She’s more introverted and bookish – kind of a homebody. But these two vastly different characters are magic together.

Obviously, with Lara Jean’s more introverted and shy personality, I could instantly form a bond with her. She’s maybe a bit more (or a lot more) naive than I was in high school, but it’s a difficult period for her. She’s always been heavily reliant on Margot – not only in terms of keeping the family together, but also as her absolute best friend. Without her, she’s struggling to keep her head above water, and she makes more than enough mistakes. That romantic mishaps should come on top of that was not exactly part of the plan.

Peter is hilarious, though. He agrees to the fake dating scenario so that he can also prove to his ex-girlfriend that he’s moving on and is not her property. He and Lara Jean don’t particularly like each other at the start (Lara Jean had some arguably rude things to say about him in her letter), but as they start spending time together, they both mellow out. They both had misconceptions about the other, and being together lets Peter chill out a bit, not having to be the big shot popular guy, and Lara Jean develop more of a social life. The banter, above all, is top notch. Seriously. Their dialogue is amazing. I ship it soooooo much.

The one thing that did kind of get on my nerves is Josh and the sort-of love triangle that develops. Josh gets Lara Jean’s letter to him and finds out that she liked him before he started dating her sister. He then comes with the brilliant revelation that way back when, he liked her too. And he seems to feel like that’s at all relevant or permissible now. I’m sorry, Josh, but you need to quit. You dated her sister. For two years. That’s not even a violation of girl code, that’s just an unwritten law of the universe – you don’t date or pursue your ex’s sister. Period. You can take your jealousy and stuff it. I get that his presence was necessary to set up the whole fake dating thing, but towards the end of the book, he really went too far.

But that’s okay, because all throughout the book I was filled with happy feels. It’s not only just Lara Jean and Peter’s every interaction, it’s also the beautiful family bond going on. Lara Jean is incredibly close with her sisters, and though Margot quickly leaves, her relationship with her younger sister Kitty is too adorbs for words. Kitty is absolutely one of my favorite characters. She’s just so REAL. She’s young and annoying, childish and selfish, but she is the quintessential little sister. All those moments when she annoys you simultaneously endears her to you, because she’s so cute. And yeah. All the family scenes with Lara Jean, Kitty, their dad, and even Josh made my heart very very happy.

Summing Up:

I’m so glad I finally got the time to read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, because this is absolutely a Debby Book. Lara Jean’s personality and narrative voice just instantly struck a chord with me, and her romance with Peter has me shouting, “I SHIP IT!” from the rooftops. The banter is AMAZING. And the family scenes just help to make this an all-round heartwarming novel. Kitty is the most adorable little sister I’ve ever read. I can’t wait to read the sequel, because I must know how this story ends!!!

Recommended To:

Fans of banterfluff, Since You’ve Been Gone, and/or The Start of Me and You.

I had a difficult time with this book. On one hand, it is lighthearted and easy to read, but one the other hand, it lacked any real sense of character development and the ending was highly unsatisfying.

My biggest issue with his book (one I have with his author’s protagonists in general) is that Lara Jean feels absolutely too young and childish to be a YA protagonist. She is quite immature and reads entirely too young to be a believable high school student to me. I’m not saying that every YA protagonist has to be swearing and smoking behind the bleachers at school, but Lara Jean’s reactions to everyday situations and her relationships with boys feel so young to me here. It made it so that I was unable to really identify with her in this novel. Plus- she’s incredibly privileged and comes across as bratty sometimes, which really turns me off. She never really develops from start to finish, though, and that’s a deal breaker for me.

That being said, this book does have some nice familial elements that I really enjoyed and the main plot is engaging. I really liked the idea of the book and the concept of the plot, but I disliked the character too much to become too invested.

As for the unsatisfying ending- I know there is a sequel out to this novel, but I need a satisfying ending to the current book in order to even think about picking up the next one. And in this case- I probably won’t.

I like Jenny Han's novels, but her current (co-written) series doesn't appeal to me. TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, however, sounded awesome. Laura Jean Song writes letters to the boys she's crushed on when she's ready to let go of the crush and move on. When her letters get mailed, she has to deal with the leak of her private feelings.

When I started TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, I was expecting a romance. If you are expecting a romance, then you'll be disappointed. The novel's focus is Lara Jean and her personal journey. Boys are involved, but they're secondary. Just as important are Lara Jean's sisters. Margot, the older sister, took over the household after their mother died, but now she's off to college in another country. Lara Jean misses her sister, but it also gives her some of the space she needs to define herself. She's lived a cautious, non-confrontational life, but sometimes you have to say what you want and go for it.

That being said, the romantic parts are great. You see, Lara Jean isn't over one of the boys: Josh. But Josh was Margot's boyfriend until she moved. So Lara Jean pretends to be dating Peter, one of the other letter recipients, who happens to want to send a "We are really broken up" message to his ex. I am so tired of love triangles, but this one worked for me because I wasn't able to predict where it was going. (At least, not initially.) Lara Jean's interest in the boys didn't seem plot mandated, nor were they mysterious bad boys who just walked into her life. She clearly had an interest in both before the book began.

I also enjoyed how Lara Jean's Korean heritage was woven through the story. She's only half, but obviously Asian. Most of the time, it doesn't matter, but sometimes it really does, like how all her Halloween costumes are assumed to be Asian characters. Han really understands that adding specificity to Lara Jean's story makes it more realistic and relatable instead of less.

I think that TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen and other contemporary YA writers. There is going to be a sequel, P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU, and I can't wait till next spring to read it. (Please note that I read the ARC of TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, and it has been announced that the final book has a longer ending and a couple of extra chapters. I will update this review after I read the final version if there are any changes relevant to my review.)

I listened to this audiobook on a road trip to visit my family. I immediately loved it. The narrator was fantastic, the content was amazing, and I couldn’t stop laughing, swooning, and falling in love while I was driving. People probably thought I was crazy, but listening to this audiobook to pass my 8 or so hour car ride (to and from visiting family) was so worth it! Definitely 5 out of 5 stars.

Lara Jean was an outstanding main character. I really liked her family as well, especially Kitty. Listening to this story definitely made my drive go faster, and I was upset that I had to wait a couple days to listen to the second half of the book when I left to go home. I just wanted to keep listening to the entire book in one sitting.

Peter Kavinsky was a great book boyfriend, even though he had some douche-y moments. Listening to the interactions between Lara Jean and Peter were some of the most entertaining parts of the audiobook. Since I’d been listening to the audiobook while driving, I wasn’t able to keep track of any of my favorite lines. But if an audiobook can make me laugh, swoon, and squeal without caring if anyone sees me, it’s got to be a good!

The cliffhanger ending made me want to read book two in the series right away, so I was happy that P.S. I Still Love You was already published.

Final note: Amazing audiobook. Such a cute story with great characters and an unique plot that first made me choose the book to listen to in the first place. Whether or not you’ve read this book before, give the audiobook a try!

Lara Jean likes a lot of things like baking and scrapbooking. She loves her family and, most of the time, she enjoys spending time with her sisters. Above all, Lara Jean knows who she is and she is happy with that person.

Sometimes, like a lot of girls, Lara Jean has a crush. She might even call it love. But nothing has ever come of that. Any time the feelings get too big or too uncomfortable, Lara Jean just sits down and writes a love letter. She addresses it, seals the envelope, and puts the letter away in the teal hatbox her mother gave her. Easy.

Until the day all of Lara Jean's most private love letters are mailed.

No one was ever supposed to see the letters except Lara Jean. They were never meant for anyone else. With all of her feelings laid bare for these five boys, Lara Jean isn't sure how to go back to the girl she used to be before the letters were delivered in To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2014) by Jenny Han.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the first book in a planned duology. The second book P. S. I Still Love You is scheduled to publish in 2015.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a delightful breathe of fresh air.

Lara Jean is a realistic, immediately endearing heroine. She, like so many of us, walks a thin line between confident self-assurance and moments of doubt. Although (hopefully) most readers will not find themselves in the same situation, Lara Jean's story remains totally approachable.

In addition to an original, well-paced story, Han thoughtfully addresses issues of racial identity and family dynamics. Although part of a duology, the story is fairly well-contained with just the right blend of closure and hints of things to come. To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a subtle, flawless read. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: Nothing But the Truth (And a Few White Lies) by Justina Chen, Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg, The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman, The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson, The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart, This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales, The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

The concept for Jenny Han's latest YA contemporary To All the Boys I've Loved Before is every teenage girls nightmare, and Han pulls it off wonderfully. Lara Jean [Song] Covey is an apprehensive driver, middle sister, and a quiet, all-around good girl. But, when the five love letters she keeps put away in her deceased mother's old hatbox are mailed to all five boys, Lara Jean's life becomes a bit more complicated as she tries to control the damage however she can, with a little help from one of the recipients...

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is fun, flirty, awkward, and oh so entertaining. Lara Jean is an easy girl to relate with, and much braver than she gives herself credit for. I was entirely unsure of what to expect from this novel, and Han surprised me with the directions she took. But, like all Han stories, this novel features realistically flawed characters, a strong emphasis on family, a complicated yet very sweet romance, and healthy dose of drama to tie it all together in one messy but realistic bow. While I think Han's earlier novel, The Summer I Turned Pretty, packed a stronger and more memorable emotional punch, To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a sweet story that will make you feel a variety of emotions, and enjoy every second of it.

HIGHLIGHTS: Han excels at creating realistically flawed human beings. They make smart decisions and silly mistakes, they bicker and fight, they make you smile, they make you sigh with annoyance, and they make you chuckle under your breath. Lara Jean's family is very present in her life, and even when everything is chaos, they are still there for each other. I'd say characters, in general, are a highlight.

LOWLIGHTS: I wasn't ready for the story to end? The romance aspect is only just beginning to form (it's hard to talk about this aspect without spoiling a large part of this novel's plot - I initially wasn't pleased the "romantic" direction Han took, but I do like where things left off) and I'm curious to see where the sequel will take readers.

RATING: Between a 4 and a 4.5 out of 5. Overall, a great story.

MY THOUGHTS
I'm actually really surprised by how much I loved this book! Despite all the raving reviews I've seen for this book, I was still wary about whether I would like this one. 1) While I liked The Summer I Turned Pretty series, I didn't love it. 2)This just didn't seem like my kind of book.
Boy, was I stupid to be wary of this book! This was such a great book!

It's hard for me to put into words what I loved about this book. One thing that I oddy loved was how unexpected this book was. I wasn't expecting to love this book, of course, but I also wasn't expecting how the story would turn out. The book begins with Lara Jean's love letters of the past being sent out to those she wrote them for (without intending for them to see the letters), but that is only the beginning of the book. The letters just sparks events that happen in the book, the letters aren't really the focus of the book. While the whole letter thing would make a really great book, I loved how it was expanded to show the impact that these letters being sent out had on Lara Jean's life.

Now, onto the romance. I loved it. If you know me at all, which you probably don't, it is very rare for me to not have a problem with the romance. And I actually loved the romance in this book! It worked into the book so perfectly! It was slow-going, imperfect, and I just all around loved it! There are so many other things that I want to say about the romance, but I can't say it all without spoiling things. I guess you'll just have to read the book!

Now, I did have issues with all the drama in the book, since I'm not a fan of lots of drama, but that mostly just annoyed me because it interfered in the awesome romance. I also didn't like Chris (who was Lara Jean's friend). I didn't like her character and I honestly didn't see the point in having her in the story. But none of these things affect my overall feeling of the book.

IN CONCLUSION
This was such a perfect contemporary book! I read it in one sitting! I am really looking forward to the next book, since this is apparently a series! I also feel inspired to try The Summer I Turned Pretty series again. Like I said, I did like the books, but now I get the feeling that I'll love them!

I love it when I find the right book for the right moment. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han was that book. I’m not sure what it is right now, but lately I’ve only been interested in reading contemps that are on the lighter side. Lara Jean’s story couldn’t have fit any better.

I’ve never read any of Jenny Han’s books, but after reading this I’ll be sure to get my hands on the rest of her books. I really enjoyed Lara Jean’s story because her voice is very much that of a junior in high school. She’s a little on the innocent side of the spectrum, which I found to be a breath of a fresh air. That innocence fits her character perfectly because she’s basically been raised by her older sister since her mother died. Lara Jean is very much a middle child who works hard to be responsible like her father and older sister want her to be and her younger sister needs her to be. She also spends a great deal of time thinking about Margot (her older sister), focusing on two of the guys in her life Josh and Peter, and taking care of her little sister Kitty and her dad.

Lara Jean’s focus on everyone else added well to the conflicts of the story, but it also drew away from her character. By the end of the story I knew I really liked the book and want to read the second one, but I don’t feel like I know Lara Jean as well as I think I should. I know that she is devoted to her family. I know that she’s a romantic at heart. I also know that she wants to take risks. But I don’t know as much about her personal interests and passions besides her family and close friends. I really hope to learn more about her in the second book which is currently titled P.S. I Still Love You.

While I wanted to know Lara Jean a little better, I did love the cast of characters in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Kitty is absolutely adorable and a great addition to the story. She’s one of the reasons why Lara Jean’s family works so hard to keep their Korean traditions alive despite the fact that their father isn’t Korean and that their mother has passed away. I liked both Peter and Josh, but I think I enjoyed Peter’s character just a little bit more. He along with Kitty added a nice amount of humor to the story.

I do have to admit that I’m not wholly satisfied with the ending, and I know I’m supposed to feel that way. Sure, it fits with the story, but it left so much unanswered! Some pieces of the conflict are resolved at least. I’m really happy there’s a sequel, but I really wish I didn’t have to wait until 2015 for it!

When my sister recommends a book I almost always pick it up. She reads so rarely and finishes so few books that when she’d told me she finished To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before in just a few sittings I knew I had to read it.

The story focuses around Laura Jean the middle child of a Korean/American family. Laura Jean has fallen in love many times, and each time she writes a letter to the boy she’s loved. In this letter she pours out all of her emotions and says everything she couldn’t tell the boy to his face. These letters are addressed and tucked away in a hatbox she received from her mother.

Her older sister Margot has always taken care of the family, and in the wake of her going off to college that duty falls on Laura Jean. Laura Jean is just keeping her head above water balancing school and her family when the unthinkable happens: her hatbox goes missing and the letters are mailed off. All of a sudden her life is turned upside down, and she finds herself fake-dating one of the boys who got her letter in order to make another one jealous. The catch? The one Laura Jean is trying to make jealous is also her sister’s ex.

I could not put this book down once I started reading it. It took me a moment to get use to Jenny Han’s distinctive writing style but once I did I had no problem blasting through the book. Laura Jean is easy to relate to, her desire to take care of her family while also keep her social life alive in high school is a struggle many face. Even as an older sister, I found myself relating to Laura Jean a lot more than Margot. Her personality struck home with me and I felt like it was me trying desperately to gain the attention of the boy I’d admired for ever.

Laura Jean’s letters were what really touched me. I loved how she poured everything out in them, something I’ve often wished I could do myself. Her fear of actually finding someone to reciprocate her feelings and her desire to be the best example for her younger sister (and fill her older sister’s shoes) struck me as something that I would have done/felt, and have.

I also especially loved the focus on family in this book. More than a romance, To All the Boy’s I’ve Loved Before teaches readers that sisterhood and family are unbreakable. Laura Jean and Margot’s relationship is rocked and tested and I couldn’t help but reflect on my own relationship with my sister.

Funny, gripping, and poignant To All the Boy’s I’ve Loved Before is a story that will take readers on an adventure to find love, family, and themselves.

You might have heard I’m a fan of the Summer series. If so, you’ve heart right. For years I’ve been waiting for a new contemporary by Jenny Han and I remember squealing in delight when I first found out about this book. It was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait and has further cemented the fact why I'm such a fan of the author.

I loved the Song sisters, especially Kitty, the youngest sister; you can’t help but love her. Lara Jean was such a great character, and right from the start I related and saw bits of myself in her. She possessed so many thoughts and feelings I have as a teenager and female, and the author expressed them all so well. Not only has the author managed to write a new, great YA character but a rich, diverse one (Lara Jean is half-Korean), which has certainly come at the right time with the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign going on.

This book has everything I love about Jenny Han; it’s full of heart; humour that makes you laugh out loud; an amazing bunch of characters; swoon; and standout writing. To All the Boys I've Loved Before is such a sweet, lovely and honest read; perfect for snuggling up with a hot chocolate on a rainy day or lounging outside in the sun, ice cream in tow, depending on your whereabouts. Basically, it’s an anytime, anywhere read; just make sure you don’t read this on an empty stomach!

As soon as I finished, I pulled myself together, so sad I had finished, and checked the release date for P.S. I Still Love You (these titles win my heart) and then proceeded to die on the inside when I read 2015. So until then, I'll be recommending you read To All the Boys I've Loved Before because it is fabulous and you deserve fabulous books in your life.

HOW CAN YOU END THIS BOOK HERE. AND I NEED THE NEXT ONE.

This story is just so cute! Lara Jean writes letters to the boys she's loved as a way to get over them until one day the get sent out. Chaos ensued. I must say this plot was different than I expected. I didn't really know what would happen after they got sent out but it was definitely not this. It made me love it even more...

There were of course some minor things that I found a bit weird, but that happens in every story. As I said, they are minor. I felt like Lara Jean sounded younger than she was? Especially when she calls her father "Daddy". It seems like something only a little child would do. Yet that does not effect to overall awesomeness of the story.

Can I just say that I wish I had a little sister like Kitty? She is hilarious.

I immediately made my friend read it, and just like me she finished reading and said: WHAT? WHERE IS THE REST OF IT?

Review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood.

Jenny Han, you have bewitched me, my body and soul.

I thought I was over this phase. It’s not that I think I am too mighty for this genre, but because I just knew I wouldn’t enjoy this book but alas I am once again proven wrong! You better drop everything now and read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before because this book is literally everything.

Diversity (in race, gender)
POC Author
Family Dynamics (Fierce sister relationship, and an active parent)
Relatable Protagonist
Cute Boys
Cute Swoon Worthy Romance
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before follows the story of Lara Jean, who wrote letters about how she felt to every boy she ever liked. One day, Tada! She discovers someone has mailed her letters causing all her crushes to resurface. One of these is her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.

At first I was really iffy about this book, the “I liked my sister’s ex-boyfriend “ makes me uncomfortable on another level, but after getting to know Lara, I understood where she’s coming from. This book is so easy to love and I’m a little bit sad it’s too short. There’s a strong emphasis to Lara and her family’s Korean roots. There’s diversity in race and gender. I also love the family dynamics of this book as her dad is present and active throughout the novel. The Song sisters fierce bond and love to each other made a lasting impression on me. It’s one of my favorite things about this book. It’s so rare to find a Young Adult book that deeply explores the family relationship of the protagonist. Kudos to Jenny Han.

I easily identify myself with Lara Jean, the protagonist. She’s a loyal sister who fiercely loves her family and who has such a great responsibility on her shoulders despite her young age. She’s also a hopeless romantic and hilarious. The romance is so cute. It’s one of my favorite tropes ever. <spoiler> Let’s pretend we are in a relationship to get a rise out of my ex girlfriend and to save face from my friend. After that, all of the mischief, flirting and unexpectedly falling in love ensue. Fantastic, I’m sold.

When I started this book I was just passing through, but after I’m done with it I was like, oh no being a casual fan is not an option. Why not? Because this book consumed me in the best way possible. That’s what basically happened.

In case you haven’t noticed from my ramblings I am so in love with To All The Boys I’ve Ever Loved Before and YOU SHOULD READ IT IMMEDIATELY. This book is what dreams are made of…it’s charming and will definitely give you warm and fuzzy feelings.

Dear Simon & Schuster Books, no one will get hurt if you would just kindly give me the sequel as soon as possible.

I’ve never read a Jenny Han book before, and honestly? The Summer trilogy isn’t really that tempting considering that it features a heavy back-and-forth love triangle that seems just a tad bit too much for me. This one, however? Everyone raved about it and after my lovely Jasprit kindly gifted me this gorgeous hardcover, I just couldn’t wait any longer and knew I had to pick it up this summer. I wasn't completely sure it was for me, but boy was I ever surprised how perfect this book ended up being.

“Life doesn't have to be so planned. Just roll with it and let it happen.”

Lara Jean’s narrative may come off as very young to some people, but you know what? She was written in such a great, quirky and adorable way that she didn’t come off as cliché, hence I didn’t find myself rolling eyes either. I was rooting for her to experience new situations and relationships; wanted her to discover herself and explore the world with a new mindset. By the end of the novel, she had done just that and I couldn’t have been happier about her character growth.

TATBILB gives us a glimpse of Asian-American culture, has different food references in it, unique personalities and Korean references. I adored the writing a lot actually. Since I’m not a very visual reader, I don’t usually enjoy stories that are rich in all sorts of details, but they worked well in this story and the writing in general was smooth, well-paced and really enjoyable. Han created a great scenery for every scene and no paragraph felt unnecessary to me.

I loved the slow-burn romance that took place in this novel. I adored the guy Lara Jean ends up falling for, but at the same time I wanted to strangle him for being so clueless at times. Guys, I say! *shrugs* Still, their slowest of burns gave me feels I wasn’t ready for and the little notes broke me in too many ways to count. What I liked more than anything about this novel were the family dynamics and I totally got teary eyed over Margot and Lara Jean fighting at the very end. Being able to relate to sisterly quarrels always makes reading about them emotional. All the characters in this book had ups and downs; strengths and weaknesses. It’s what makes them human and so very perfect because imperfections are gorgeous.

I have mixed feelings about the sequel though because on one hand I need it more than anything, but.. it has a love triangle. A heavy one based on the synopsis. How could I ever pass that up? *headdesk* I’ll read it when people who get the arcs confirm that it’ll end the way I want it to end. BECAUSE NOTHING WILL COME IN THE WAY OF MY OTP OKAY??! Also, I just need to mention Akitas. Why? Because AKITAS!!!! (Our extended family has them and they’re just the cutest ever!)

The novel takes place a little over 6 month and was enjoyable to follow. It covers different topics such as family, friendship, romance, self-discovery, bravery, honesty, missed opportunities and new chances. It’s a wonderful story which I will definitely re-visit quite a few times in the upcoming years. I got so many feels and if the sequel ends in a satisfying way, I’ll read it with utmost pleasure :)

Overall rating: 4.4 out of 5.0

I really wanted to loved this book. I had read so many raving reviews and it sounded like the type of sweet romance that would make me happy. But, for some reason, it fell flat for me. I enjoyed parts of the book, but I was never quite behind the romance. And once the book was over, I was left with a sort of "Was that it?" feeling.

When Lara Jean's secret love letters somehow get mailed, it turns her life upside down. The worst letter is the one that she had written to her sister's (newly) ex-boyfriend. She knows that her crush on Josh could cause her, Josh and her sister all pain. So, in order to cover up her feelings for him, she pretends to be dating someone else - another recipient of one of her letters (her first kiss, Peter). Peter agrees to the arrangement because he wants to make his ex-girlfriend jealous.

What I enjoyed:

The family relationships.
Despite the way it sounds, this book wasn't just about the romance. In fact, in my opinion, the best thing about the book was the complexity of Lara Jean's family relationships, especially with her older sister. Lara's older sister has spent much of her pre-teen and teen years filling in for their mother, who died. This has created a really interesting dynamic between the two girls - both bringing them closer, but also causing Lara's sister to bottle her emotions in many ways. Lara's little sister is also a wonderful character and I loved the sweet way that both Josh and Peter bonded with her!

Diversity!
Yay for a multi-ethnic main character! Lara and her sisters are half-Korean. I loved that the family worked to hold on to that ethnic connection not just because it made up part of who they were but also because it gave them a link to their mother. (Again, deepening those family relationships!)

Not so crazy about:

The love triangle.
This was my real problem with the book. The romance. Don't get me wrong - there were points where I was enamored with both Josh and Peter and I saw how they could be good for Lara. But with both guys there was something major that just made a relationship with Lara feel ... wrong. With Josh, his relationship with Lara's sister was an obvious barrier. Something that just wasn't able to be overcome. For Peter, I had more hope, but his attachment to his ex-girlfriend just made me squirm and I could never quite get behind him and Lara together. I wanted to root for one of these guys, but I just never completely got there.

The ending.
The ending of this book left me a bit cold. It just didn't feel like anything was really resolved. We're told that Lara has a feeling that everything is going to be okay - and then it ends. Um, okay? I wasn't convinced. BUT, I will say that I was surprised to see that there is another book - so maybe this book was left this way as kind of a cliffhanger? I will read the next book to find out what happens next and to see if Han develops the romantic relationships more.

So, I guess I wasn't as enamored with this book as I wanted to be. I liked it, but didn't love it. There are plenty of people who did love it, though, so I definitely wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it. For me, it was 3/5 stars.

I will start off by saying that there will be nothing but praise in this book, because this is one of those rainy day reads I pull out on a regular basis to cheer me up. For someone that can be extremely critical (but extremely loving) of ya novels, in my head, To All the Boys I've Loved Before can do no wrong.

Five reasons why:

1. Lara Jean has no superpowers, no special talents, is not destined to save the world, and still manages to be incredibly interesting while winning over all our hearts. While being the chosen one is fine and dandy, most of us will (unfortunately) never be the chosen one in this reality, and this helps us relate to her so much better.

2. Family ties. I don't think I've ever read another book that emphasizes the importance of family so much and in such a genuine way. While there is certainly a Tall Dark and Handsome in this book, he gets almost relegated to supporting actor in favor of Lara Jean's wonderful relationships with her sisters. (This is not a bad thing, believe me.) Mr. Covey is also the epitome of a loving single father, having his faults but also wanting to always do right by his daughters. (More on Margot and Kitty below.)

3. The beautiful fluff that is Lara Jean and Peter's relationship. I've seen this trope so many times and I love it every time, but this is probably the best I've seen it in book format. Also, there's a 95% chance Peter K will become your next literary crush.

4. Diversity and culture. Lara Jean and her sisters are half Korean, and that does not go unnoticed in this book. Jenny Han does a wonderful job implementing beautiful cultural aspects in this book, and every stumble-upon is delightful.

5. Overall relatability. Although ya novels are usually hailed for their relatability to regular teens, very little of them actually are. (It's like when movies or tv shows set in high school have twenty-something actors. It's necessary, but it doesn't work.) But while I can't see myself going on Margo's quest for self-realization (Paper Towns by John Green reference), I can almost see myself in Lara Jean's shoes. The responsible older sister, goody-two-shoes middle sister, and the babied youngest sister is also seen in this family, but never in a condescending format. It instead allows us to reexplore the relationships we have with our own siblings through LJ's eyes, and that is a wonderful thing.

Bottom line: This is a good book and you should read it.

It’s normal for me to read a book and listen to a different book, I’m always doing two at once. When I really get into an audio book, sometimes there are moments I could be reading and I’ll find things to do around the house so I can listen. That was me listening to this book. I was having so much fun with it, I didn’t want to stop listening. I was in a YA mood and I picked this up on a whim.

Lara Jean is getting ready to start her junior year of high school. It will be the first year her older sister, Margo isn’t around. Lara has something terribly embarrassing happen to her right away. You see, when Lara falls in love, she writes letters to her ‘loves’. More goodbye letters than love letters, but somehow they get sent to the 5 boys she’s ever had feelings for. One of them is her sisters ex-boyfriend, Josh- the other is the popular guy in school, Peter K.

Lara Jean’s story is fun, sweet and heartwarming. She’s an endearing character and is relatable. I was a lot like her in high school. I loved her relationship with her sisters and her dad. I love love love Peter. When I finished this book I was a little upset. I thought this was a standalone and I was like WHAT??? I’m gonna need more closure than that! Then I checked Goodreads and saw it was the first book. I feel better now. Safe to say I will immediately be listening to book 2.


I loved Jenny Han's Summer series, but it's been a while since I read those books, so I tried to keep my expectations low for To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Luckily, though, there was no need, because I was most definitely not disappointed! Just as I remember it being in the Summer series, Jenny Han's writing in To All the Boys I've Loved Before is engaging and addictive, and it reminded me of why I love reading. I absolutely loved this book!

The description of this one is super-vague, and I loved going in without knowing much. Some people might complain that the book doesn't have enough drive and no real central conflict (I know lit-agent-me would probably have to turn this down for that exact reason), but I didn't mind. You have no idea where the story is going because it develops in such a natural way, rather than following any standard formulaic pacing. This might bother some people who prefer plot-driven novels, but as someone who loves character-driven writing, I really appreciated this set-up.

Asides from Jenny Han's addictive writing, the characters are what make this book work. I loved Lara Jean so much! Her voice is so relatable, and she's the perfect balance of vulnerable and strong. (I especially loved reading about her driving anxiety because that made her even more relatable to me.) The secondary characters are great, too: my favorites would have to be Lara Jean's sisters, Margo and Kitty. The relationships between these three are complex and fascinating to read about. Their dad is super-sweet, too - I just loved all of the family dynamics in this one. Chris is Lara Jean's only female friend, really, and she's also tons of fun to read about - she's very unconventional, and I loved it. And then, of course, there's the boys. I don't want to really talk about them because, like I said, I loved going into this without knowing anything, but I'll just say that I really liked reading about all the boys Lara Jean has loved before (and still does?).

I had mixed feelings about the ending. My initial reaction was anger because it's very open-ended in regards to the romance, and I need to know what happens! But in a way, I really appreciated that the ending focuses on the sister relationship rather than the romance. And it's not like it matters anyways, since there's going to be a sequel...

I absolutely loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I can see how it's not for everyone, because the plot doesn't really have a clear track or central conflict. But I think that Jenny Han's addictive writing and engaging characters more than made up for it. I can't wait to read PS. I Still Love You!

Why I chose this book:
Let's not lie to ourselves; the cover of this book is downright adorable. Is it not? While I try not to judge a book by its cover, I was suckered into the adorable factor of the story. As a teenager, I was often found penning a heartfelt letter or twenty to a boy that I "loved". It was the only way to express my feelings, because at 13 no one could relate with the matters of my heart. Or so I thought. I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Four Things You Should Know:

1. This book is all about matters of the heart.
Lara Jean is a girl who has never confessed her feelings of admiration to her crushes. She remains timid, shy, and content in her safe way of life. I related with Lara Jean on this level. Growing up I was terrified to try anything new, and clung to the safety of the consistent. You see the change in Lara Jean as she slowly begins to take charge of her life and finds strength in leadership roles. She makes decisions that bring new factors in her life; from the smallest decision of new Christmas cookies to even dating boys that she once deemed unthinkable.

2. Details that just don't feel realistic.
While I enjoyed the story there were several parts that left me grimacing or thinking, "this would simply never happen in real life". I suppose this is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to contemporary/realistic fiction. It should be lifelike, and when an author does not portray teens, parents, or relationships correctly, I get peeved.

3. Perhaps I just don't understand sisters.
I'll be the first to admit it, I do not understand the sister dynamic. I do not have a sister, only one brother. So when deep seeded issues between sisters get resolved so easily in books, I wonder. Is this simply the wishful thinking of the author? Or are sisters this quick to forgive? In the instance of the driving issue between Lara Jean and her sister Margo, I have a feeling that it was one that was far too easily solved.

4. Notable shout outs to cultural heritage.
One thing I really liked was the special attention to Lara Jean's Korean heritage. Even in her mother's absence Lara Jean and her family still keep her memory alive by incorporating aspects of Korea into their everyday life.

Final Thoughts
This was an okay book. From hearing other book bloggers rave about it, I suppose I expected more. The book had the set up for more content, but failed to deliver. Nevertheless, this is still a charming read.

I gave this book three stars on Goodreads.

Check out more of my reviews at ofspectaclesandbooks.com

Book: To All the Boy I've Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
Rating: 5 out 5 Stars

Great read! I had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved the characters, which really do seem like real people. I loved the closeness of the sisters and how the family seemed like a real live family. Margo was perhaps the most relatable one. I know how sure felt with the whole going any to university thing and coming home to find out that life went on without you. I know how left out she felt.

Jenny Han also makes her characters act in a manner that this fitting for their age, which is just great. There are so many authors out there who do not do it. It was very refreshing to see such well put together characters. It was like I was friends with these characters, which was just great! The characters are also flawed. There are no Mary Sue's in this book, which just gives this book another hands up. I hate prefect characters and was relieved to read one that did not have a single Mary Sue. The flaws of each character are ones that readers will relate to.

The concept of this book was really cute. Lara Jean writes love letters to all the boys she has ever loved, only to have all the letters get sent out to the boys. This is every teenage girl's worse nightmare. She spends a ton of time throughout the book trying to prevent these letters from getting to the boys. I love the extremes she goes to prove to her true love that she does not really love him. It was just so funny and so well done.

Yes, the letters are a big focus of the book, but that is not all that Jenny Han does with this amazing book. She adds in the closeness of the sisters and the importance of families sticking together. This is so hard to find in today's young adult book world. So, many authors play down the importance of family and attempt to make their characters somewhat step away from their family, making them seem bigger than they actually are. I like how Kitty, even though she is years younger than Lara Jean, is included everything. So many older sisters leave the younger sister out and it was just kind of refreshing to see this relationship.

I also like how Jenny Han plays up the Korean culture. Again, so many books in this genre involve teenagers who are trying to get away from their culture. Lara Jean does not do so, but, instead, embraces it. I like books that involve teenagers just simply accepting who they are. It is just great!

Han's writing is also very beautiful. It is one hundred percent smooth. Each word, each detail adds to the story. There are no filler scenes or anything of that nature. Everything gets right to the point, but without giving anything up in the plot. Overall, an excellent book! I recommend this to everyone!

This book was way better than the what I expected. I loved it actually. While the storyline is moved by the mailing of the letters, it is really about a boy and a girl who decide to fake date each other. I know it sounds cheesy and awful, but the was Jenny Han manages to write with a real honesty and authenticity makes it irresistible. There are plenty of satisfying twists and turns that leave you wondering who you and Laura Jean and really rooting for. The mystery of who sent the letters is easily solvable, but some of the other road bumps are more of a mystery. I was so happy to discover that Han has continued this series. I can't wait to keep reading about her intriguing, multifaceted cast and the troubles and road bumps they face. As I teenager, I can truly attest to the authenticity and relateability of the fun read.

First line: Josh is Margot's boyfriend, but I guess you could say my whole family is a little in love with him.

This is a stay-up-all-night, lose-all-sleep-even-if-you-have-work-the-next-morning kind of book. The writing is charming, funny and a joy to read. A heart-warming story about sisters, love, and navigating the social waters that is high school. I loved the Asian nuances (MC Lara Jean is half-Korean), and I think it added a very unique tone to the book.

Lara Jean is the middle of 3 sisters. When Margot, the eldest, breaks up with her boyfriend Josh before flying to Scotland for college, Lara Jean finds herself in a bit of a turmoil. First: what will she do without her sister, the one who's been filling in the mother's role since their mother passed years ago? Second: How could Margot dump Josh - the most perfect boy in the world?

Lara Jean has always been in love with Josh. In fact, she has written a love letter to him, safely sealed in her hatbox. Then one day her hatbox disappears and one of her ex-loves approaches her about a love letter he received. That means one thing - Josh received his letter too.

This book is equal parts hilarious and heart-warming. The rapport between the 3 Song sisters will make anyone with a sister smile. The boys are likable and behave like real teenage boys (aka. quite clueless). Lara Jean's love letters are a joy to read; she's got to be the best letter writer around! Heck, reading this book will make you want to write letters of your own.

I loved this book. It brightened my days and brought back sweet memories of my own teenage years. May I add a fair bit of warning - you are going to want to get the sequel immediately after this ends. Pick this up if you're looking for a light read that makes you smile, cry and go "aww."

Everyone that I've spoken to about this book has absolutely loved it. I thought it was really good but I found the ending extremely annoying. This book is a just-for-fun type of book. The language is easy and YA appropriate. There aren't any challenging words that force you to use context clues to find out.

The part of the plot that makes this unique to me is the amazing bond between the sisters. Though I found the uncharacteristic decisions the sisters made toward the end actually really frustrated me and seemed immature for their ages. I know a lot of people praise that the main characters aren't the stereotypical blonde haired blue eyed white cheerleader type that run most YA stories but I kind of find that praise inappropriate, I'll tell you why.

Authors should write about their ethnicity to make the story feel real so I expected to hear about a different culture when I read the summary about this book. There are actually tons of books that are ethnically diverse so I don't see that as the selling point for this book. What made the book so great is that I felt invited into this world, I didn't feel like an outsider I felt welcomed by the author into this culture and to learn about how their ethnicity cultivates a different family structure, sense of responsibility and expectations for young women growing up.

The romance part of the book is a typical YA plot and is predictable but still enjoyable. The ending frustrated me. It sounded like a conclusion and then all of a sudden it wasn't. I think the last page could have been left for the next book. I enjoy series that can also be stand alone.

I gave the book 4 ⭐ because it was fun to read and the characters are great. I didn't think it was a super intelligent read but it also excelled in diversity. I recommend this to anyone looking for a little guilty pleasure but beware the maturity level of high school students, this might be best for a YA audience rather than any older.

Nevertheless, I would like to check out P.S. I Still Love You if I can snag a copy somewhere.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (April 15, 2014). 368 pages. Fiction: YA, social and family issues. I purchased this copy.

I ummed and aahhed about picking up this title a number of times; friends of mine had given To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before commendable reviews, however something about the blurb wasn’t enticing me… but I finally gave into the torture and read the book in one sitting.

I expected a little more Mean Girls bitchiness (and pleasantly gratified there wasn’t) but overall I’d describe this book as ‘cute.’ Our main protagonist, Lara Jean, added a unique perspective with a mixed race background and self-confidence. Although that confidence felt a little too trite at times, like when Laura Jean was dolled up for a date and knew how fantastic she looked, compared to her insecurities about facing the boys from her past after they had received her carefrontation letters. I felt it would have added Lara more depth if we’d had her a little more humble about her looks. It’s not a strong tone throughout this novel, but it was something that stood out to me.

This novel distinctively shows Lara Jean’s growth by the end of the book - if you measure her reactions to bad news with those at the start. It’s subtle, but I felt realistic, if not gracious. I love a good character development story!

I loved the family dynamics, especially between sisters – I did not have the benefit of female siblings growing up, and am always fascinated at how they are represented in books, and Jenny Han nailed it.

I’m uncertain about my feelings on Lara Jeans little sister, Kitty. There was a mix of childishness and maturity about her I did not quite understand. Her behaviour at the beginning is typical of any child of her age, but near the end, I was questioning if she was beginning to feel a little too grown up. It may have been in reaction to her circumstances, or a slip by the author. Whether intentional or not, I loved the spoiled stubborn brat and felt it added tension to the story.

For a contemporary romance, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before had a surprising amount of other content around school, friends, family and identity which kept my attention. If it had been too mushy, I’d probably have abandoned it. With a clear concise narrative and age appropriate voice it is a great and quick read. It not only fills the romance quota, but is empowering at the same time - polite feel within its style that is refreshing.

Throw a touch of irony and comedy into the mix and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a great way to while away the afternoon.

This book has a lot of hype surrounding it, so I totally went into it thinking that it would just be a cute, light contemporary read. And it was. But it wasn’t. And I’m not sure how to explain that. You’ll just have to read it to see what I mean. ;)

Lara Jean has two sisters, an older one and a younger one. Margot, the oldest, has a boyfriend named Josh. Margot breaks up with Josh because she’s leaving for college. Lara Jean has a crush on Josh. Lara Jean writes a letter to Josh about her crush. That letter gets accidentally mailed. Cue a messed up whirlwind of drama and craziness.

Lara Jean is a great main character. She’s the epitome of every homebody girl that just doesn’t understand why people like to go to parties, football games, etc. I think we’d get along great. She also spends a lot of time with her family which makes for some adorable familial interactions throughout the book. Now the love interests, Josh and Peter, are very different. Josh is kind of like the nerdy guy next door, while Peter is the lacrosse star that everyone loves. And while Josh is a nice guy, I just didn’t see him clicking with Lara Jean. But that’s just my opinion.

The plot of the book was amazingly entertaining. While there are some original elements to the story, like the letters getting accidentally sent and the family and boyfriend dynamic, the big plot points of the story have really already been done before, but Han does a great job making all of these situations seem like she invented them. Like the pretending-to-date-another-guy trope or even the ex-girlfriend-is-a-beotch cliché. Nothing about the book seemed like it had been overdone in every Hollywood rom-com ever.

I loved Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty series and I didn’t think that this book would surpass the feels I had for those books (at least the first two, because the last one wasn’t that great), but To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before totally blew me away, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this sugary sweet duology!

5/5 stars

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book for myself.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the perfect book to read if you're in the mood for a light contemporary read. This is the first Jenny Han book I've read and I'm pleased to say I really enjoyed this. All I knew that about this before going in was that my best friend Becca absolutely loved this and that all of Lara Jean's letters she wrote to all the boys she's loved in the past got mailed to them. Honestly, if that happened to me I would die from embarrassment. Especially if one of the boys was my sister's ex-boyfriend.

When Josh, Lara Jean's older sister's ex-boyfriend, gets a letter from Lara Jean who had poured her heart on the page, Lara Jean does the only thing she can think of when he shows her. She lies. She tells Josh that she's dating Peter Kavinsky, another boy who got a letter from her.

Peter and Lara Jean are complete opposites. Peter is the popular hot guy who likes attention on him and Lara Jean is the quiet girl who would rather spend time with her family on a friday night inside of going to a party. So why would they pretend to be in a fake relationship? To keep Josh away and so Peter won't get back together with ex-girlfriend.

Lara Jean is such a relatable character to read. I really connected with her. She's really close with her family, especially her sisters and that's what I liked about it. There was a heavy focus on family which was nice to read since most YA doesn't have it. Lara Jean's sisters and father were so much fun to read about. Especially the younger sibling, Kitty. She was so sassy, especially with Peter.

As fake relationships go, I loved the one between Peter and Lara Jean. I loved when they would have these really sweet moments that felt very genuine. Or how Peter would get jealous of Josh, it was so cute! Their relationship might have started out as fake, but feelings did start to develop into something more real. The only thing is, can Lara Jean and Peter really work when they come from two different worlds?

There is a cliffhanger (that killed me omg!) but the good news is that the sequel which is the final book in the series comes out next week on May 26th so you can marathon the books and soak in the cuteness that is Lara Jean and Peter.

This is a perfect book to read during summer. Even though it takes place during the first semester of school, it's a light quick read to bring to the beach, pool, or just to read when you want something really cute to devour in one sitting!

The thing that captivated me about this book was how realistic it was. Sure, like all fiction there are parts that makes you go "psh.. like that ever happens in the real world" and its true for all books but that what it means to write fiction. To All the Boys I've Loved Before (to me) felt more real, like I could see stuff from the book happening in real life. The story line itself was spot on. This is a YA book which means the main character is obviously a teen so there is some stuff in the book that seems childish but that's the beauty of this book, it reflects so well the the life of a teenage girl. From crushes to love letters to making out in a hot tub, this is what a teenage life would look like an I think Jenny Han did a great job capturing that.
Now, about the main character: Lara Jean and thankfully I didn't hate her. I know that sounds mean but there are a lot of main character I got to meet in other books that made me grind my teeth. Lara Jean wasn't like that. I mean I didn't love her like I loved Katniss (the Hunger Games) or Cinder (Lunar Chronicles) but she did't make me want to throw my book across the room.
Anyways, I recommend this book to those who like YA and teen romance and who just wants a quick escape from the world. If you do read this book I'm just letting you know there is a book two so the cliff hanger at the end wont haunt you like it did me when I thought there was only gonna be one book and stayed up thinking of how I wished the story had just a few more pages so it could end properly. The second book is called : P.S I Still Love You. Hope you enjoy this book if you decide to give it a shot and happy reading!

THE SHORT OF IT:

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before exceeded my expectations. I was drawn in by the plot (I mean, all your secret love letters being sent to the boys you wrote them to??) and it absolutely delivered on everything that could have gone with that. Everything was just impeccable in this story — Lara Jean’s voice, the romance, the family dynamics and just the overall FEELING I got from reading it. It embodies youth in the best way possible and was a very charming and heartfelt story. Warm and fuzzies, y’all. It’s one that is a must read for fans of contemporary YA because it’s just so, so great and I think it has all the things that drew us to realistic teen fiction in the first place. A very refreshing read for me!

FULL REVIEW:

You ever have one of those really delightful reads where you open your mouth to speak about it and you end up doing some high pitched squeal and clapping your hands emphatically? No? Just me? Okay. Well that was To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before for me. Let’s talk about WHY!

1. Lara Jean is one of the most fabulous characters I’ve encountered in a while! I just want to park my butt in the kitchen and chat while she bakes cookies and I eat them all. I LOVED being in her head and I just feel like we would have been friends — her fab sense of style right down to HS Jamie’s skiddish-ness about driving. I really connected with her in the absence of her mom and navigating the changes going on her life. I really just slipped right in next to her and watched everything unfold along with her and I didn’t want the experience to be over. She made me laugh quite a bit and I just really loved her to death! She just shines. I haven’t adored a main character like this in a while. My only thing is that at times her voice seemed super young (inner monologue mostly) and then it didn’t.

2. HOLY CRAP I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO TORN ABOUT A FICTIONAL LOVE LIFE EVER: I mean, I know who I WANT her to be with but oh my gawd the tension and the complications and GAH. But seriously…her love life because of these letters coming out was just so absolutely fascinating! I LOVED IT. I don’t want to say much because I want YOU to discover it for yourself but I loved how the letters brought about truths

3. Sisterly bonds for the win: I have sisters and so I tend to really dig books exploring the complex relationships of sisters. I felt like I really got to know each sister through their bond with Lara Jean and I really understood how they worked as a unit. I loved those sisters! And I could feel their resilience and their need to take care of each other all these years after they lost their mom. And I really could feel that strain and the shift of things in their household when Margot leaves. Lara Jean becomes the one who has to take Margot’s place in keeping everything running the household and watching her try to do that just reinforced just how much they had relied on each other as a unit — to take care of each other, their dad and just to keep the household going in general.

4. Diversity FTW! Lara Jean is half Korean (her mom was Korean) and I loved that we get a sense of her culture which I loved but it’s not the only thing about her as a character (because, to me, that’s not how it is in real life. One’s heritage is not your defining THING). I loved how her dad still tried to keep their Korean roots present as best as he could after their mom passed. It was sweet and touching. Also, HELL YES to the cover model actually not being whitewashed!!

This review also appears on my blog The Perpetual Page-Turner. I received this book for review consideration but all opinions are fully my own.

WHAT I LIKED: I really liked Lara Jean's family. Lara Jean's kid sister is great. Kitty is witty and wise beyond her years (she should have been the main character :)) she is the voice of reason (while Margo is away). She notices that Peter really likes Lara Jean, and makes Lara Jean realize that she should consider giving him a second chance.

The characters weren't extremely mean. Peter is the most popular kid in school. He has a ton of friends and every girl wants to date him. When Genevieve breaks up with him, he starts dating invisible Lara Jean. None of his friends treat her badly not even Genevieve or her friends. While I'm glad there wasn't any drama, especially after reading the burn for burn trilogy, the lack of cattiness made the book unrealistic. People are dramatic and immature in HS especially when an ex goes out with someone else shortly after the break up.

WHAT I DISLIKED: Lara Jean was immature. She never allowed Josh or Peter to talk or explain things. She never really questioned Peter about his secret meetings w Genevieve. She never talked to him about the rumor that He supposedly started. She took Genevieve's word for it, when it was painfully obvious that Genevieve started the rumor. Peter didn't fight for her. He let her go. He didn't defend her to his friends or stand up to Genevieve. I'm guessing the next book will show us more of Peter. I feel there's a secret that he and Genevieve share, maybe the reason for their break up and the reason he can't let go (I'm guessing he's a virgin or something that Genevieve can hold over him). Maybe in the next book, Lara Jean will allow Peter to explain himself and maybe even give her that expensive necklace she wanted (when her dad wanted to get it for her for Christmas it was mysteriously gone). I'm hoping both of them just cut the crap and can be honest about heir feelings.

Also Lara Jean reminded me a lot of Lillia from the burn for burn series. I wish the MC was more unique.

While I liked Josh as much as Lara Jean's family did, I thought it was stupid that he allowed a letter that was written years ago to affect the way he felt not only about her but about his ex girlfriend (Lara jean's older sister). He loved Margot, was heartbroken when she broke up w him, cried when she left for Scotland. But then at the drop of a hat he felt differently. He didn't fight to work things out. He just let her go and started pinning over Lara Jean. No one in this book cared enough to try!

Jenny Han never seizes to amaze me with her fantastic writing, romance scenes and even love triangles. I devoured To All the Boy's I've Loved Before. I have read the Summer series which I loved as well, but this book was perfection in one book. The book sounds like its more about the romance but Han with her amazing writing to include Lara Jean relationships with her family, and friendships with her sisters.

The Song girls throughout the entire book really have this bond between them. Margot, Kitty and Lara Jean have this strong relationship that it makes me wish I was closer with my sister. Their bonds are tested through their ups and downs but their are so many moments that even though they have arguments they still manage to overcome it and become even closer. Han delivers each character as though they are real and easy to relate to. The situations that Lara Jean has to face was funny and also embarrassing but she sticks it out to prove everyone wrong. Kitty is a great character because she can put her sisters in place at times, and with her temper. Josh and Peter (or all the boys) in the letters I really loved each of them. I didn't want the book to end because I got so involved in the story!

Overall, I loved this book from the moment I started reading it because Jenny Han knows her audience well and also try to beg for the next book. The character development is growing as you get to know Lara Jean and her family/friends. Everything about this book made me giddy inside. I'm looking forward to what the next book will have in store because this world gives all the happy feels and I need to know what will happen next! Pick up any of Jenny Han books and be guaranteed a great !! read!

My Thoughts: When I saw the summary for this one, I had a feeling I would love it, and I knew I needed to read it! And by Jenny Han? Yes Please!

I can’t even. I can’t even. I can’t even express my love for this book. I want to jump and down and scream at the top of my lungs. I absolutely adored it and loved it so much.

I can see where this one won’t be for everyone but I loved it to pieces. You have to take it for what it is, a cute story with a crazy plot. But one that every girl can relate to. If it happened to you, what would you do?

We are introduced to Lara Jean who has two sisters. A younger sister and an older sister. They live with their father. Her mother passed away.

She also lives next door to a boy named Josh who was dating her sister. They just broke up but Lara Jean has had feelings for him a long time, even before her sister was dating him. But she turned them off.

Lara Jean has loved five boys in her life. And, after each one ended she wrote them a letter. A letter for her eyes only. Words she needed to get off her chest.

Well, the letters get mailed. We get to explore each guy who gets the letters and how things go down. This is a very disastrous situation but its even worst for the two main guys who matter. Josh and a boy named Peter K who attends her school. Peter is a boy whose popular and Lara Jean couldn’t believe she ever liked. Its awkward with Josh and things get weird with Peter. Things go haywire and Lara Jean has to come up with a plan to make herself save face with Josh. She starts hanging out with Peter. There, for a few minutes I wasn't sure what was going to happen and who she was going to end up with. In the back of my head, I kind of had a feeling but I wasn't sure. I liked both Josh and Peter. I was drawn to both of them at times.

I really enjoyed this one. A lot of drama, and I loved Lara Jeans voice. She probably made things more dramatic than they needed to be, but I loved it!

This probably could be a standalone but the way it ended it makes me think it isn’t? I wanted to read more, I didn’t want it to just stop!!!

I loved this one. I love Han’s Summer series so I knew this one would be a hit for me as well.

Overall: YES YES YES! I loved it. Perfect Contemporary in my eyes. It was a book made for me! HAHA! I will devour anything Han writes! Loved it!

Cover: Love it!! I love how she is just laying there and I think this girl could totally be Lara Jean! Cute neat cover! Love how she is writing as well!

What I’d Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
____________
Taken From Princess Bookie

I listened to the audiobook version for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. I thought the plot sounded intriguing and that this book will really hook me and I would fall in love. However, as much as I wanted to know what was happening, I felt that I had issues with Josh, and how that intertwined with Lara-Jean.

I thought the fake boyfriend aspect was interesting, I gotta say, I love cliche things. It was interesting enough for me to find out what would happen. But, I didn’t love it enough to give it more ratings. I found Lara-Jean to be a bit annoying, and although her character can be relatable and real in the sense that she has really honest thoughts, I thought that it was a bit too young for me. I know it’s a young adult book, aimed at this age range, I’m actually a lot older than that, and it just didn’t fit with me. It had some cute aspects, but I didn’t love it as much as some of the other young love contemporary books I’ve read. Peter did grow on me, and Kitty was cute, I loved her personality!

Overall, I liked it so-so, but it was still a ‘page-turner’ since I wanted to know what happened. I think it best you be your own judge to this story! Especially if you find it intriguing.

Guys! This book is AMAZING! Can I rave about this book enough? Nope! Will my review do this book Justice? Nope!

Ok so we have Miss Lara Jean a Junior in high school, with 2 sisters Margot who is older and Kitten who is younger, and a dad who is raising his three girls as a single father. Margot and Lara are very close, more so than most sisters. After their mother died, Margot is the one who took care of the family. Well Margot has graduated and is now going to college..... Out of the Country. Of course this is very hard on the whole family, but even more so on Lara. She now must take responsibility of the family while dealing with being a junior in High school.
Lara Jean now has even bigger issues.... When she decides she doesn't want to love a boy anymore she writes them a letter to get over it. They are just her way of venting, she doesn't actually send them out. She does the opposite she stashes them away in a Hatbox her mother had given her. Well one day Peter, the boy who stole her first kiss comes up to Lara at school asking about this letter she sent..... What? She didn't send him a letter.... Oh no, Some how all her old letters have gotten sent out to the boys she used to love. Poor Lara Jean.

My Favorite part of this book????? Lara Jean has a family! OH MY GOSH who knew YA characters actually have those? This family also includes a..... DAD... ***GASP*** So rare.

Characters:
Kitten (the youngest sister) is my Absolute FAVORITE second character in this book. She is a little Firecracker. She made me laugh so hard I was crying. Kitten reminds me so much of my youngest child. She has no filter and no problem speaking her mind. Just a in your face personality. BOOM!

Margot- She has a stick up her booty. She doesn't let her emotions show and you can tell she tries hard to be strong for the family. I still love her though.

Lara Jean is just so sweet. I love her so much. Sometimes I felt like I was in this book with her and I jsut wanted to grab and comfort her through her hard times.

Peter I liked him right off the bat. Cocky arrogance and all

Josh is sweet and yet so confused. I love his connection with the family and watching him grow as a character.

This book is so hard to review. I read it Saturday in one sitting and waited till 4/23/14 to write a review so I could collect my thoughts. I still can't put my emotions into words. So you know what?!?!?! Stop reading this and go BUY THE BOOK! You wont regret it.

Apparently the month of April was a Jenny Han month for me, because I had pretty much binged on most of her books. I ended up reading the whole Summer trilogy one right after the other, then read Fire with Fire, and finally received a gorgeous ARC of To All the Boys I've Loved Before in my mailbox right afterwards. To say that I love Jenny Han's writing style and her ability to tell a story in such a realistic and relatable way, is probably an understatement. The truth is, that within the last few years I've been reading quite a bit more contemporary books than I normally would have considered before I started my book blog and I've actually been really enjoying them. To All the Boys I've Loved Before, was absolutely sweet, funny, charming, and definitely emotionally charged. I had an absolute fantastic time reading it and found that I didn't want to put it down until I was finished with it.

The family dynamic was masterfully written and definitely managed to pull at my heart strings a bit. I loved how close the three sister's were, with their father and how they all interacted with one another. If something was happening with one of them, then it was happening with all of them. Each of them have wonderful appeal and different personalities that shined through the pages of this book in so many ways. Laura Jean, was beautifully fleshed out and such a wide-eyed optimistic hopeless romantic. I loved the fact that she sort of lived in her own little romance story and wrote all of these letter's to all the boys that she loved, but only kept them for herself as a way of letting them go when her heart felt like it was time for her to move on.

It's not surprise that it was a complete mess when all of those letter's that had been written, had been accidentally mailed to all of those boys. The humor and wit that was conveyed this this story was balanced really well with Laura Jean having to deal with the consequences from the fall out of those letter's having gotten out when they were never really supposed to have been seen at all by anyone, let alone the boys they were written to. Seeing the way that Laura Jean handled the situation was refreshing, because she acted just as any panicky teenage girl would in this situation, and I enjoyed that Jenny Han had written her reactions and feelings in such a realistic way. Jenny Han has such a wonderful way of building up amazing dynamic in her books, as well as allowing her characters to grow and evolved realistically from beginning to end. It's one of the reasons that I enjoy picking up her books and delving into the stories she creates.

It was so much fun reading about the two main crushes, Peter and Josh, because you never really knew which one was going to end up being the potential one to kick-start a real relationship off with Laura Jean. I know the one that I wanted her to be with, but I won't divulge that here, because I don't want to give too much away. Both of the guys were pretty amazing in their own ways. The romance part of this novel was so much fun, so if you're looking for an emotionally charged read that has some pretty good wit and humor peppered throughout it, then To All the Boys I've Loved Before will be right up your contemporary alley.

Note: I received an ARC of To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han through ATW ARC Tours for review. This is an honest review of my thoughts on this book.

So I've had some pretty embarrassing moments in my life. Some so humiliating that there is no way I would ever speak of them on the internet. But when I read the synopsis of this book, not only was I instantly intrigued, I also felt so much sympathy for he main character without even reading the book. Seriously, just think about it for a second. Imagine being in high school and having a love letter sent to your crush, that would make me want to be home schooled for the rest of high school. Now imagine every boy you've ever crushed on being sent a love letter. That would make me want to leave the country! But Lara Jean is not that type of girl. This girl has more guts than I ever would at her age. She takes it all with great stride.

I know from the synopsis some may think this book is a bit heavy. But it really isn't! There were times in which I was grinning so hard from Lara Jean's quirky and quick-witted attitude. She's the exact type of girl that I want to read about in contemporary books. I know sometimes in YA contemporary books females get criticized for not being "strong enough". I personally think that that's nonsense, and anyone who says that clearly hasn't read many YA contemporary books.

For a little back story on Lara Jean. She's a 16 year old biracial teenage girl (Her father is white, her mother was Korean) with two sisters. Her older sister is Margot, and her younger sister Kitty. Their mother died when they were younger, so their father has been the one to raise them. Immediately I took notice that all three girls call their father daddy, and any reference to their mother as mommy. I know that may seem like such a small thing. But I am almost 30 years old and I still call my mother mommy. In fact, many of my friends still call their parents mommy and daddy. But for some reason I don't really see many characters in books call their parents mommy and daddy. In some books, I've even seen children call their parents by their first names, and I think that is just odd. So yeah, this small thing was extremely significant to me. The family dynamic between the sisters and their father is just so endearing. They all really take care of each other, and it was really sweet to read.

The love letters that Lara Jean writes, while a very important part of the plot, isn't really the major focus of the book. Two of the boys who received letters both have completely different reactions, and from there the story really takes off. Now, I am going to say this. Lately I've had a distaste for love triangles. The YA market is so saturated with them. I try to stay as far away from them as I possibly can. And if I find out that a book I want to read has a love triangle, it usually gets thrown to the bottom of my to be read pile. I wouldn't really call this a love triangle. Yes, there are two potential love interest. But it's not like any of the characters were being lead on. Lara Jean doesn't bounce back and forth between the two holding a leash over both of their heads.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before was such a great read. I can't possibly gush about this book anymore. I pretty much read it all in one day. I even cancelled plans I had because I was so into this book. The best part is, there is a sequel! This series is a duology! I can't wait for the second book, P.S. I Still Love You.

Reviewed by Sana @ Step Into Fiction

I read this book as a library recommended novel. There are some outstanding YA novels that adults can enjoy, but this is not one of them. The characters were nothing but stereotypes: Korean teen who can't drive, jock who dates hottest girl in school, Asian girls who are good and get good grades, white girl from divorced family who is the town tramp...and on and on. Book is seriously worth avoiding.

you're looking for a book that's all about the angst and excitement of love this weekend, consider To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. I first fell in love with Jenny Han's writing when I read The Summer I Turned Pretty (also a good pick for some Valentine's Day reading). Han has a graceful writing style that encapsulates the emotions of love and heartbreak.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before may sound like a mouthful at first, but the title is a great hook for this story. Lara Jean loves deeply, but she's never been quite brave enough to reveal her feelings for any of the boys she's loved. Instead, she devotes herself to being a good sister and substitute mother. She bottles up her feelings and writes a letter to each of her crushes, seals it, and hides it away, convincing herself that she is then "over" her feelings. Lara Jean's carefully ordered life begins to fall apart when those letters are sent without her knowledge, and suddenly she finds herself pretending to date Peter, a guy she no longer likes, as a decoy against the guy she really does like--Josh. Her older sister's ex-boyfriend.

Han navigates these twisty plot developments with soft humor and lots of yearning. Lara Jean struggles to mold an identity for herself now that she's no longer in the shadow of her older sister, one that is independent of the caretaker role she has always assumed, but not completely separate. Her faux-relationship with Peter has all of the trappings of clichéd teenage drama, but Lara Jean doesn't succumb to the pitfalls. She's her own person, she asserts her will, and she doesn't do what everyone expects of her if she doesn't want to. Her clashes with Peter have an undercurrent of romantic tension that Lara Jean is blind to as first, and even though their relationship is unconventional, they do become genuine friends. This new level of emotional intimacy in their friendship is what drives the story to the climax, where everything that can go wrong does, the truth comes out, feelings are hurt, and intentions are misconstrued. Nothing is tidy in this book, but Han has done an excellent job at portraying convincing teenage relationships, with some swoony moments and painful growth.

Some aspects of the plot seem a bit too contrived to be totally believable, but these parts are easy enough to ignore. This is a fast, fun read, and there is a sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, coming out later this year!

Cover Comments: I love the blend of Sharpie title and soft pinks and whites in the background. It works--pretty with a surprising, bold twist.

Lara Jean Song is sixteen going on seventeen. She has written love letters to five guys. These are her private thoughts, stored in a hatbox and never meant to be shared. But then, someone mails the letters.

Part of the synopsis: Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

A teenage girl's innermost thoughts written on paper for her eyes only and the letters are missing. Lara Jean didn't want these guys to know what she liked and didn't like about them, but now they will know. Her reaction was not as frantic as I expected. The guys reactions weren't what I expected. What I thought might happen did not happen. The story went in an entirely different direction than what I expected. A life out of control? I didn't see it.

There are seventy-two chapters (I have an ARC, so not sure if this changed). Normally, the thought of so many chapters would make me feel like the reading is going to take forever, but most of these chapters are short. Some were to the point. Some didn't seem necessary. I didn't like reading so much profanity, but I realize some teens use obscene words often and unapologetically so, unfortunately, this was realistic.

The author created flawed teenage characters. She didn't sugarcoat; I appreciated that. Every now and then the teens said things I didn't think teens would say, but other than that they were believable. Lara Jean was likable. Not sure how I felt about Chris, but the girl was honest and she was a true friend to Lara Jean. Josh was my favorite guy character.

The bad attitudes some teenage girls have towards each other. The nervousness and awkwardness that can come with having feelings for someone. Choices made to be accepted. The ups and downs of family relationships. The mean girl. All are well-written.

I liked the story, but there wasn't much that moved me. And I like the cover. The words written in magic marker is very creative.

I read TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE over a week ago at this point but have been having such a hard time writing a review. It's one of those books that you like so much you just can't come up with the words to describe why you like it. So while this review may ramble a bit, just know this: this book is so cute and a must read!

Lara Jean has made a goodbye love letter to all the boys she has once loved. After sealing and addressing them, she promptly stores them away in an old hatbox to never be seen again. But one day, one of her former loves confronts her. He got the letter in the mail. This means that all 5 boys that she has written a letter to have gotten theirs. Disaster ensues, obviously. The boy that she is still in love with gets a letter, but to avoid awkwardness and him finding out the truth, Lara Jean teams up with another former crush. He wants to make his ex jealous, she wants her longtime crush to not know the truth, so they pretend to date. As you can imagine, hilarity, more awkwardness, and crashes and burns take place.

At times, especially at the beginning, Lara Jean seemed rather childish and whiny to me. She has relied on her older sister to take care of everything around the house, drive her wherever she wants to go, and to take care of their younger sister, Kitty. So when Margot travels across the world to go to college, everything is left up to Lara Jean. But as the novel continued she sort of grew into her, now that she actually has responsibilities around the house. She matures, takes matters into her own hands, and becomes a very enjoyable main character. No, she's not perfect but that's her charm. She is sarcastic, a little clumsy, makes mistakes, and is just an all around sweet girl. I loved being inside her head!

While we only get to really meet two of the boys that Lara Jean has loved, Peter and Josh, they were the two that were perfect for the story. Josh and Peter could not be any more opposite from one another. Peter is the school jock who all the girls fawn over. Josh is a little dorky, loves movies, and is the type of guy you'd want as a friend. I loved that Han created two characters who are polar opposites but could both be perfect for Lara Jean. I couldn't have asked for two better choices, honestly! As you noticed in the second paragraph, I didn't tell you the names of Lara Jean's longtime crush or the name of the former crush. You're just going to have to read it to figure out who is who. Without giving anything away, it became obvious pretty quickly who Lara Jean is meant to be with and who she isn't...well at least who I thought/hoped/prayed was meant for her. It takes Lara Jean pretty much the entire novel to discover this for herself, but guys! This boy is sort of perfect for her. The two of them just meshed so well!

I knew that I was going to love this book. Who wouldn't like a book about what happens when all the love letters that you have written over your lifetime get mailed to those people? Talk about traumatic! I expected a book with laughs, drama, embarrassment, friendship, love, and everything else that should come with a contemporary novel like this. TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE delivered! I read this in the span of two days and couldn't set it down. I wanted to see how this would all play out and if Lara Jean got the boy she wanted for good. We're sort of left with an optimistic cliff hanger, so maybe we might get another book?! I hope so. I'm not ready to leave Lara Jean, Kitty, Josh, and Peter behind just yet. Read this book, you'll love it!

I read Jenny Han's short story in the holiday collection "My True Love Gave to Me," and wanted to read more. I started with this book. I like Han's subtle approach to YA romance. So many of these books seem to be about worlds of teenagers who lives devoid of real world connections, played out in scenes occurring in high school hallways and big kegger parties. Han's characters seem real, and her romance is a slow burn. I like novels like that, where I really come to feel about the characters.

(Spoilers ahead)
"To all the boys..." started out slow. I wanted to skip through because I was waiting for something to happen. Even when it went slow though, I feel a lot was left out. Margot & Josh could (and should) have their own story. In fact, I've been trying to figure out if I missed a book, because it seems as though there should be more explanation as to why Margot is heading off to Scotland, why she is breaking up with Josh and what else was in that letter!

When the story started to pick up, I finally figured out that Peter was the one that Lara Jean was meant to be with. I really didn't see that coming. I felt like it took me a little long to figure that out; I had my eyes on Josh the whole time until his letter to Margot is uncovered.

There seems to be so much left unexplored. The McClaren kid. Uh, the "ending." I was completely baffled how that ending suffices as an ending. Until I looked at some reviews and realized that this is going to become a series. Oh. On Han's website (which hasn't been updated) it states that "To all the boys..." would be a standalone book. I'm all for series, but I hate reading a book and not realizing it is only part one until I get to the end (or lack there of). Boo. Although to be honest I was enjoying Peter and Lara Jean's relationship and character development so much that I am looking forward to reading more. In fact, I would love to read more about all the sisters. I wish that was what the series had actually covered. It would be so amazing to have read book 1 about Lara Jean, book 2 about Margot and then book 3 about Kitty. Complementary tales.

On the store, the book recommendations tied to this are for Stephanie Perkins. I would definitely liken the two authors. They have similar themes of imperfect-perfect teenage love. They both focus on internal faults in the protagonist that almost cause the relationship to fail. They both are able to write about that type of love that is so painful and yet still so enjoyable. The kind of hurt you want because it comes with love.

I am disappointed I have to wait to find out more about Lara Jean and the Song sisters. But I'm glad there is more to wait for. It's an insufferable waiting I am happy to suffer through.

Though I didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would, it was a solid read.

My favourite aspect of this book was actually how Lara Jean was half Korean and how her, her two sisters, and their caucasian father really embraced this identity. We need diverse books, and to me it's a treat to get this perspective added in. I especially enjoyed hearing about their cooking.

The premise was set up differently than I imagined it would be, with Lara really only having feelings for one of the five boys. After the first few chapters, this part didn't play that big of a role at all, and it was more Lara Jean pretending to be in love with one guy so another will think she doesn't love him.

Really, almost as important as her love life was Lara Jean's relationship with her sisters. Margot, her seemingly perfect older sister, has just gone to college leaving Lara Jean to take care of her father and nine-year-old sister Kitty. I adored seeing their relationships change--how they fight but mature almost simultaneously.

Josh as a character really frustrated me and I found it hard in places to see why the Song girls adored him other than out of habit. Peter, on the other hand, I found sweet and I enjoyed seeing him dive into Lara Jean's family.

This book had some really funny moments and was very easy to read.

Summary:

Lara Jean is in the middle of her sophomore year, and the middle child of three sisters, who call themselves the Song girl. Song was their late mother’s maiden name, and they use it as a tribute to her and a way of remaining bonded to her in her absence. She is Korean on her mother’s side, and American on her father’s. The family carries on Korean traditions, and celebrates Korean holidays, and it’s a very important part of their culture. So is family, and Lara Jean’s is about to change dramatically.

The eldest sister, Margot, is leaving for college in Scotland at the end of the week. She decides to break up with her long-term boyfriend, Josh, to make the transition easier for both of them. Shortly after Margot leaves, Lara Jean’s box of love letters that she has written to previous crushes mysteriously disappear. She searches everywhere, but she could not find them. Well, until the boys at school come up to them with their respective letters, demanding explanations.

When Josh receives his letter, Lara Jean panics and kisses the most popular boy in school – Peter, another letter recipient. Having just broken up with his girlfriend, he comes up with an idea. They make a pact, and enter into a fake relationship to make his ex jealous and throw Josh off the idea that Lara Jean loves him.
Will this work out? What will happen when Margot comes back? Worse, yet, is Peter’s ex going to kill her?

Pre-reading Opinions:

I was really excited about reading this book. The cover, the exciting synopsis, and the raving reviews were all things that had me longing to read this. It sounded really cute, and I was ecstatic when I was finally able to get it. (Birthdays are a wonderful thing.)
give it to me now

Post-Reading Reactions:

Um…What? Okay, so I’m probably going to be labeled as bitter or grumpy with my past two reviews, but I feel validated in my opinions. The main character is a really important part of any story – the most crucial part, in fact – and this main character was obnoxious. This severely dampened my enjoyment of the book.

She is naïve to a fault, selfish, and pretty darn dumb. Some of the things she says, thinks, and does are just plain stupid, and I could not help but roll my eyes at her. Oh, and the whole Josh thing? Not acceptable. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to have a romantic relationship with my sibling’s ex. You’re touching places they’ve touched, and just…UGH. *Shudder*

The main plot sounded great in the synopsis. If any of the letters that I had written back in my teenage years had been mailed out like that, I would have been so mortified that I would have quite literally died. Just fallen over and BAM! Dead. Lara Jean, on the other hand, doesn’t seem all *that* embarrassed, and the result of such a horrible event really was pretty anticlimactic.

The female friendship was really lacking, too. I just didn’t get any emotion from Lara Jean and Chris’ relationship.
That being said. . .

I really wanted to know how it was going to all work out. I couldn’t put this book down, despite the obnoxious main character. I was horrified at her actions, but it made for a really dramatic read. I wanted to know how her faux relationship with Peter would turn out, and how it would affect Josh.

It wasn’t the complete love triangle that most YA Romances have, and it worked really well with the main plotline. Plus, I absolutely loved the cultural diversity! The family finds their Korean heritage to be very important to them, and that is evident throughout the story.

The character development of Margot and Kitty were evident, though I’m still not keen on Lara Jean. All in all, it was a good read and I recommend it. I don’t regret spending money on it at all.

This story shows that, sometimes, even something horrible can be truly beautiful.cannot hold all the feels.gif
4/5 stars for this adorable read. Oh, and I REALLY want to know what the sequel will bring. That ending has me on edge.

Reviewed by A. P. Bullard
Have YOU read this book? Did you like it? What did you dislike? Let me know over at: https://triskelereviews.wordpress.com

Well, what a great book to start off my 2015 reading year! I absolutely loved this book! This was my first Jenny Han book, but it definitely will not be my last! In fact, I just bought Burn for Burn. So, I'll read that at some point! :) Jenny's writing is beautiful. It's simple and easy to read but it has this elegance to it. She really knows how to make the reader really invest in her writing. She makes you believe that these characters are real. She makes you want to care about them and I loved that! Plus, look at that cover! I love that it has that Sharpie feel to it. :)

The characters. I loved some more than others. Number one, I loved Lara Jean. She was relatable and cute in a quirky way. :) I really enjoyed getting to know her and sharing this experience with her. Margot. Not a huge fan of her, to be honest. I liked her, but I didn't love her. I felt at times she was just plain mean. I loved Kitty. I thought she was adorable and she definitely acted her age, but then showed some maturity as well. Josh. Mmmm, not a big fan. He didn't really do it for me. Margot can have him! Plus, I didn't like Josh and Lara Jean together anyways. Peter K, I adored him!

My favorite part was being able to read the letters. That was a fun aspect and something I was looking forward to. The story line was interesting. And I loved the fake relationship. I loved the fresh start that Lara Jean and Peter gave to each other. My least favorite part and the only reason why it is a 4 star review was the voice. Lara Jean I ended up loving, but it took me a while to warm up to her voice. At times she sounded so young (maybe it was just because she was more goody-two-shoe) and then at times she sounded so mature. I ended up loving her and I got used to the voice. And she did seem like she grew up by the end of the book.

And speaking of that ending... WTF was that! You heard me, it has a freaking cliffhanger! That's not normal with a standalone novel, oh wait, it's a duology! YAY! But seriously, I want more. When I read it, I thought I was reading a standalone novel. And then with that ending I was like "Oh, hell no, you are not leaving me at that open ender!" Thank god there is more coming!

Lara Jean is upset because her sister, who is two years older than her and pretty much runs the family since her mother died when they were younger, is moving to Scotland for college. Not only is Lara Jean now supposed essentially take Margot’s place, but she’s losing her best friend. Add to that, she’s torn by her sister breaking up with Josh, their next door neighbor and close family friend. But Lara Jean has a secret: she’s in love with Josh. She knows nothing can ever come from it because he belongs to Margot. She keeps a box of letters that she writes to the boys she’s loved as a way to get over them, and there is one for Josh, who Lara Jean loved first. Then, inexplicably, the letters are mailed. Lara Jean is in quite a pickle because Josh now knows her true feelings, though she doesn’t want things to be weird between them and she also feels like she betrayed her sister. She employs another letter recipient, Peter, to pretend to be her boyfriend so that 1) Josh will know she is over him and 2) so his newly ex-girlfriend will be jealous.

This was quite a lovely book. Lara Jean is definitely my kind of girl. She’s smart and funny and completely devoted to her family. I loved her & her awkwardness & her somewhat prudish nature (other than the fact that she’s half Korean and five inches shorter than me, I think we’re a lot alike). I loved that she was so completely different than her BFF Chris, but she never judged Chris for all her missteps and various issues. They were a true opposites attract situation. The family dynamics were also a great part of the story. I enjoyed the different ways Lara Jean related to each of her family members and how she played a part in the family. Her father was just adorable, the widowed doctor having to take care of three girls. His calm demeanor and the fact that he incorporated their half-Korean heritage into their lives seemlessly showed what a competent and wonderful father he was. The youngest sister, Kitty, was a real fireball and I just loved her. I mean, if she was my sister, I’d probably not like it so much, but I do have a sister similar to Kitty and I understand the need to shelter her because she’s the baby and also want to smack her occassionally. Margot and Lara Jean’s relationship was an interesting one to read about. I always wanted an older sister and Margot seems just about perfect, though I do think she might have been a little bit judgmental, which is entirely expected from someone who helped raise her two sisters in the wake of the unexpected death of their beloved mother.

The guys…oh, I don’t even know where to start. I loved them both and I’m still having a hard time deciding who I like best. There are lots of issues with both and there could be sticky situations in either case, so I’m excited to read the next book to find out which direction she goes in. Though I could be completely wrong and misinterpreted the kind of open ending…I still hold out hope that there will be more waffling on Lara Jean’s part. There is also another guy, who we briefly met but didn’t get to know. I was at Teen Book Con in April and listened in on a panel that Jenny Han was on, and she said that there’s a letter that we haven’t read and it’s going to be in the second book, so I’m on pins and needles about it. Is it for the guy we briefly met? Cause he sounds like a lot of fun. I liked his reaction to Lara Jean. Could it be a love square? Looking forward to getting my hands on it.

4.5/5

My full review can be found on my blog, Reader Rayna, as well as Goodreads.

All in all, the characters each had their own flaws and unique characteristics that made them believable throughout the story. Can I also just mention that a lot of these names, especially for the girls, are weird? Not in a bad way, but just really unique. I thought it was weird to read it in a contemporary novel, but I guess it’s also refreshing to see such unique names in a real place setting.

The plot itself seemed like it would drag on at times, especially at the beginning, but as I read on I was more and more engulfed in the story and wanted to see how it played out. I realize that this is the first book in a trilogy (I think its a trilogy), and I really hope we get to see what happens next between Lara Jean and Peter because I have a few theories that I want to see if they get played out or not.

Overall, this book was fun and cute and definitely reminiscent of high school, first loves, and all the drama in between.

One of my favorite books growing up was WRONG WAY ROMANCE by Sherri Cobb South. It was my introduction to the literary world of contract dating. Fast forward to my ever growing addiction to Kdramas, and contract dating becomes something of a staple in my entertainment diet. I didn't know that TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han, was going to feature this particular plot device, but I am so glad it did!

What first intrigued me about this book was the plot summary, and I'll just paraphrase: Lara Jean has written a love letter to each boy she's ever loved. Those letters bared her soul, kind of like a diary. And then someone mails them to the unintended recipients!

How do you not want to read that story? I had never read anything by Jenny Han before, but I just knew I was going to love this book. And I was right. It works that way sometimes.

Lara Jean's story isn't just about her love life -- her family is pretty important to her as well. I love that each character, and each relationship, is so well developed. I felt like each member of the story was real, and their connections to each other were authentic. Lara Jean is the middle sister, and her relationship with her older sister, Margot, has always been stronger than her relationship with younger sister Kitty. Margot goes off to college in Scotland at the beginning of the book, thus changing the family dynamic.

So I (obviously) loved this book, and intend to inhale every other book Jenny Han has ever written :)

This review and others can be found at www.wovenwithwords.com

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a fun, light read. I picked it up based on a recommendation by Seo, my bff, and I do enjoy Jenny Han’s books immensely.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a story that centers around a girl named Lara Jean that has to deal with the fall-out of love letters being sent to boys she never meant for them to see. It definitely a contemporary romance, but it also deals with sibling relationships, and I love the way all three girls have drastically different personalities and little traditions that they do together.

The characters are infectious. I went into it thinking I wouldn’t enjoy the main character (all Seo’s fault), but Lara Jean seriously is unique. She can be whiny and narcissistic and slightly selfish, but she’s definitely a character that stands out in her own right and is memorable (Just like her name. I didn’t like it at first, but it definitely suits the character well). The book doesn’t ever get too bogged down in unimportant scenes or information but held my attention and kept me engaged.

Seriously, though, I need a To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before cookbook with every recipe from the book in it because I had cravings after (and while) reading. I can’t wait for the next book to come out so I can learn what happens between Peter and Josh and Lara Jean.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before was adorable. It was fun and cute and easy to read, and all I want is more Lara Jean.
The book surprised me over and over again. The plot kept me guessing. I love when I can't predict the story line and ending of a book. It makes it much more interesting. That is what happened with this book. It seemed like it was headed one direction, then completely surprised me, then surprised me again and again.
The characters in the book were great. They each had their own personalities and problems and ideas. Each character had a story, which brought many more dimensions to the book. I loved the relationships between the Song Girls (Lara Jean and her sisters), between Josh and pretty much everyone, and Peter and Lara Jean. Just everything about the book was adorable and made me giddy.
I absolutely can't wait to find out what happens in the next book!

Sigh. I really wanted to love this book. Jenny Han is amazing on Twitter and I love how many people support her books. Also Asian MC YAY!!!. But Lara Jean’s thoughts felt too child-like in an unrealistic way. There were large chunks of the books where I would push my head into the pillow or sigh and think “really”.
Maybe she’s just naïve, but here naivety was so frustrating that it took a while to finish reading. I almost DNR’d it.
I did love the moment with LJ dealing with Peter (the “fake boyfriend”/love interest) being not so knowledgeable about race and stereotypes. It’s Halloween and LJ doesn’t want people to think she’s a manga character, so she goes as Cho from Harry Potter, but Peter still thinks she’s a manga character. The dialogue in these scenes and the anger LJ felt was one of the more poignant moments in the novel and I’m glad that there were other moments like this, making LJ less naïve-seeming.
I truly wanted to connect with Lara Jean, but repeatedly I was let down by her. One big issue I had was with the portrayal of her best friend, Chris. She was used as a foil to LJ and never really developed past the oversexed best friend who is the one always taking risks and making bad decisions. There could have been a stronger storyline with her, but instead she’s more of a prop (though there is one scene where she isn’t, but I don’t think that scene made up for the rest of the problems I had). It made me uncomfortable to read because I don’t think LJ ever understood Chris more than a thin layer of friendship.
Best Part: Sisterhood, strong relationship. Need more of this.
Worst Part: Whininess and not enough character growth

This was such a cute book! I seem to be reading a lot of those lately - I`ll blame it on the warm, finally summer, weather! It read like a nice fluffy cloud - does that sound bad? What I mean is, the book had a nice flow to it and never felt over done or heavy. I was constantly smiling while reading this book - that's how cute it was! Lara Jean wrote letters to the boys she's loved but never told. Those letters get mailed out mysteriously and the five boys (Peter, Josh, and three non-main characters) confront her with them. To avoid the feelings she doesn't want to admit to, she decides to fake-date Peter.

Lara Jean is a little innocent for her age, which was nice. It was nice not having the main character constantly be worried about sex or having it. The idea of writing letters to boys you love and never told sounds so innocent and fresh - I just loved the idea! To go through the emotions Lara Jean go through was fun. She's one of the more emotional characters I've read - without being unnecessarily or ridiculous in the reactions. She does maybe over react to the situation looking at it from an adult's perspective - but if you ever remember what it's like being a 16 year old girl, well let's just say she didn't go far enough (jk).

At first, I hated Peter! He seemed so arrogant and he was using Lara Jean and her innocent, which I guess he was. But as time went on he became more of a character - there was more depth to him. He was caring and helped out his family and was really good with Kitty (Lara Jean's younger sister). He had a reputation, but he doesn't seem to care about what people think of him - but at the same time does (it's hard to narrow down the thinkings of a popular boy). He cares about Lara Jean and seems to try to show it - but because of her innocence and because of they started off as a lie she has a hard time seeing it for what it is. There are times when I find him to be flaky - one minute being sweet to her, the next paying way to much attention to his ex. In the end, although I wavered at times, I was cheering for him. I loved seeing their relationship grow and seeing Lara Jean grow in the process.

This book was a quick, easy read that is perfect for a nice, warm summer day of lounging outside. I found it well written. although my copy did seem to have a couple typing errors in it. Sadly, I thought this was a stand alone book - even after finishing this book and starting the review. Now that I know that this is a series (at least a duology) I am less upset about the ending. It was actually one of my few negatives to this book and that just got thrown out the window. It felt too open ended and actually left me with questions. Now that I see there`s another one to come (April 25, 2015 - P.S. I Still Love You) I can`t wait and I actually wished I had waited until closer to the release date of the second book so I don`t have to wait this painstakingly long year in between.

Jenny Han is a well known author, but I have never read anything by her before. After reading this book, I will gladly pick up her previous series, The Summer I Turned Pretty.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a cute romance, looking for a summer read, or loves Jenny Han - although I'm only basing this on the idea that this is in similar writing to her previous books).

The first time I saw the title and the cover, I knew I'm going to love it. It was pretty catchy, and the summary made me even more curious.

Having a crush on someone was one of the best moments in our teenage life, maybe until now we still have crushes. They gave us butterflies in our tummies, made our breaths stopped for a moment, flushed cheeks etc.. but what happens when they knew what you are feeling about them?

There is no use of asking what ifs. No one could give you the answers

Lara Jean Song wrote letters as a way of venting out feelings to the boys she loved. All her secret feelings were kept in a hat box. One day, those letters were accidentally sent to the 5 boys she'd loved. No one knows how will they react and she just have to face it.

I love the story. It was light and cute, I love the characters particularly the Song sisters. They may have different personalities but their relationship was strong and I just admire how they worked together. It makes me want to have a sister!

This book definitely made me giggle, smile and fangirl. I LOVE PETER KAVINSKY!I know there were times he was sweet then becomes a jerk (view spoiler)but I'm hoping he'll improve on the next book. *fangirling* Sorry, I can't help it, he's adorable. I still love Josh, but he's for Margot. I hate that it's a cliffhanger, on the brighter side of it.. Good things come to those who wait. (It's an agony to wait for the sequel to be released. We got no choice but to wait)

Is it just me that I have mixed feelings towards Chris?

Anyways, Jenny Han's writing style was pretty impressive. Definitely a thumbs up! I highly recommend this book if you love contemporary romance. :)

Let me first start out by saying that this was a light and fluffy read. What I mean by that is if you're just looking to take your mind off something or just escape into another person's life and drama then this is the book for you. Its not the next John Green book or anything like that. So don't expect that out of this book.

I did like this book despite the lack of character development and well developed plot. It took my mind off the drama in my life. Escaping into this book and focusing on these troubled characters was a lot better than focusing on my own life.

This book read more like a Middle Grade novel than a YA and maybe that's why it was so easy to read and so hard to like the characters. The constant use of "Daddy" instead of "Dad" was annoying. Maybe I found that so because I never called my own Dad Daddy.

We have the jerk who we find out can actually be kind of nice when he wants to be. We have the guy who is in love with the wrong girl. We have the girl who wants to be accepted--aka, main character. We have the jealous ex. And we have the broken up families. Everything in a novel that has already been done a million times before in YA.

But the story line and plot, however, is something I've never read about. The jerk and the MC decide to have a fake relationship to make the people they love jealous. But I guess if everyone ended up with who they were supposed to be with the story would be boring.

This book was engaging and easy to read. It held my attention. I am looking forward to reading the sequel and will buy it when it comes out.

This book is the first that I've read by Jenny Han. I was a little hesitant to buy it in the first place being as its an author I've never read before. I don't think I'll be reading any of her other books besides this series.

Overall, I wasn't disappointed in this book. I liked it overall. I really didn't know what to expect from an author I've never read before. It was decent nonetheless.

For a couple of years now I’ve heard all sorts of hype about Jenny Han’s contemporary trilogy The Summer I Turned Pretty and somehow I’ve just never gotten around to reading the series. So when To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was released and I heard bloggers talking about it, I knew I needed to pick it up to see what all the fuss was about. I’ve been in a serious contemporary mood lately and this book was exactly what I was looking for. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean who is in her late teens and has a pretty non-existent love life. She is the middle child of three sisters. Her older sister, Margot, is a bit of a perfectionist and is preparing to go off to college in Scotland. Kitty is her younger sister who is nine and truly needs her sisters as their mother died when Kitty was young and she was raised with Margot and Lara Jean as her female role models.

Lara Jean has never kissed a boy and has never pursued the feelings that she has. When she feels that she is “over it” and needs to let go of her current crush or love, she writes him a letter. Not a letter to mail out to them so that they are aware of her feelings, or a love letter that professes her undying love for them, but a letter where she has the ability to be completely and gut-wrenchingly honest. She can delve into every emotion that she has and write it out and to rid herself of those feelings. Then she seals it up in the hat box that her mother gave to her. However, everything goes awry when somehow the five letters that she has written to boys are mailed out to them.

One of the things that I loved the most about this book – although it’s hard to focus on just one or two things – was the family aspect. As a family they were absolutely amazing and realistic. Since their mother died when they were all young, Margot took over the role of organizer with a primary goal of making it as easy as possible for their father to raise the three of them. However when Margot jets off to Scotland for college Lara Jean’s role in the household changes from middle child to the eldest with its own host of new responsibilities. I loved the flashbacks and moments that looked back at their Chinese heritage that they tried to keep alive, though mostly through food. They were a wonderful family and I LOVED them.

I found Lara Jean to be largely comical and just a really fun, yet flawed, character. The romantic entanglements and storyline are great—and I’m grateful that the synopsis doesn’t give more away because I had a lot of fun discovering. Who were the five boys? What would their role be in her life? It’s better to find out once you’ve been thrown into this amazing world that Jenny Han has built. I did have a moment of ‘what the heck??’ at the end because seriously, who ends a standalone like that? And then I found out that there would be a sequel which has calmed my emotions— at least a little bit. I can now say I am a Jenny Han fan and will anxiously await the sequel. In the meantime, I will happily read her trilogy.

So I'm sure you're already aware of the swoon worthy romance plot that is within To All the Boys I've Loved Before. And, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. There's something so precious about Lara Jean. Maybe because she reminds me a lot of myself? (Except I wish I had that fashion sense as a teenager). There's a genuine honesty, a compassion, a loving heart, that I just found delightfully endearing. But what I really loved about this book was the sisterhood relationships.

I know this is a contemporary and I normally don't LOVE these unless they deal with real-life issues and are very deep and sad. But this was just adorable and I loved it! I started reading as soon as I woke up and finished it without putting it down.
The main character is very relatable and not unrealistically perfect like some are. She's very funny and quirky and it was nice to read from her point of view. I liked all the interactions she had with "all the boys she's loved before" they were all very cute and funny.
I liked her family a lot, and how close she was with them. Most book protagonists don't really have, or at least interact with, families. I liked that her family and homelife was shown.
This was a lot like watching a ROM-COM, which are sometimes stupid, but if this was made into a movie, I don't think this would be stupid. It would be cute and I would go and see it with my sister and we would squeal at all the cute parts and annoy everybody in the theater. We'd probably get kicked out.
The only issue I had with it was that two of the boys were named Josh and Peter. And those are also my cousins' names (gross). Still, I very much enjoyed those characters, and the entire book. The pacing was perfect, and I think I've said this five times, but I LOVED IT.

First of all, I simply adore this cover. It’s so super cute and definitely had me dying to read this book. I decided to go with the audiobook simply because I have such a huge review pile I was concerned if I waited too much longer, I would never get to reading it.

I’m not 100% sure how I felt about this book. At times I really, really liked it. I thought it was a lot of fun, and definitely along the lines of a great beach read. At others times, I was just not feeling it. The beginning was a bit shaky for me… but once we got into the meat of the story, it really turned around.

Lara Jean came off to me as a sweet, very naïve teenager. Yes, I was pretty much exactly like her in my teens, so I could definitely relate. She had an annoying little sister that really kept her on her toes, and an older sister that recently went away to college. The family dynamic between the sisters and their father was really sweet. I like seeing strong family ties like that. Without a mother in the picture, this father was forced to parent three daughters to the best of his ability. Lara Jean in the past had written several letters to boys she had loved, and somehow the box of letters gets mailed. After her immediate freak-out over this, she soon finds out that maybe she can benefit from the truth coming out after all.

I read this book last week, and though that wasn’t too long ago, I’m actually at a loss when it comes to a lot of the specific details. For some reason this story just didn’t stick with me. Though it was enjoyable and fun, it wasn’t as memorable as I had hoped, and lacked any oomph that would have me thinking about it long after it’s conclusion.

I’m glad I decided to read this book after all. I really enjoy sweet stories that are just fun and simple, especially in the summer months. If you’re looking for a short, sweet story to get you through a beach outing, this is definitely a book I would recommend. If you’re looking for something deep, this probably isn’t the story for you.

Audiobook Impressions:
This is the first audiobook I listened to narrated by Laura Knight Keating. Though it took me a bit to really enjoy her voice, I ended up convinced that she was the perfect person to play Lara Jean. She hit her innocence and sweetness (and total cluelessness at times) right on the head. This was a fun audiobook that went rather quickly and enjoyably.

I did not think I would have that much to say about this book—I was wrong. I saw it on a stack of library books at my sister’s house and she recommended it. The entire time I was reading this I kept thinking to myself “I can’t believe I am reading this…and I actually like it!” It made me very nostalgic thinking about my teenage years. Oh, the games youth play. I want to tell them to speak up and stop torturing yourself. I wrote in a journal about the boys I loved similar to the way the main character Lara Jean did. It struck a chord with me. I think I would have been both mortified and relieved if someone had sent it to the boys I loved.

There were subtle details I loved about this book. The simple pleasures sisters enjoy together—watching their neighbor spill coffee on herself every week. The inner thoughts were realistic, especially from a teenager’s point of view, not wanting to come across as unintelligent. Right after responding to someone aloud “That’s what he said” Lara Jean would think That’s not what he said. “Yes, I know what it means!” I have no idea what it means. It made me laugh because it’s truthful.

Growing up we had mostly boy friends like the sisters in this book. They’d hang around all day long like they were part of the family. I didn’t like that many girls because of all the drama, and they gossiped, and were petty. Boys were fun! You could be yourself around them.

This had believable familial relationships that I related to. The three sisters admired one another. I appreciated the dynamic between them with their distinct personalities. My sisters and I were very close growing up. Our Mom went back to work and in a way we lost her for a time. My oldest sister became nurturing watching out for her 2 younger sisters. We were one year apart and best friends. Like Lara Jean, people thought of me as the innocent good girl, but as they got to know me they realized there was more to me than that. I mean come on, I belched all the time. I was disgusting. I was the comedian in the family too, always striving to make things lighter. My little sister was the spitfire in the family, outspoken and not to be taken lightly. I’ve never understood other siblings bickering, not getting along. We loved being with each other.

There was a description of a picture of these sisters in matching outfits and the youngest sister was picking her nose. Awesome. It reminded me of a picture of me and my two sisters in white and yellow polka dot dresses my Mom sewed. In it my littlest sister has missing teeth and her hair is sticking up on one side. So dang cute.

They were genuinely concerned for their Dad. They said he tried hard to understand them. In one scene after Lara Jean wrecked her Dad’s car his response was “As long as you’re all right.” I think I audibly sighed. I was in awe. My Dad would have said something like “what did you do that for?!!!” I was often made to feel stupid. He seemed constantly exasperated with us. Teenage girls!!!

It was refreshing reading about Lara Jean, a virgin planning on waiting for marriage and she was innocent. She was naïve about sex “I wonder though…what would it be like? To be that close to a boy and have him see all of you, no holding back. Would it be scary only for a second or two, or would it be scary the whole time? What if I don’t like it at all? Or what if I liked it too much? It’s a lot to think about.” Perfect teenage angst was captured. Strangely I still sometimes have those thoughts after having children and being married for 15 years.

Of course the boys were awesome in this book. I could see the appeal of both Josh and Peter, once you got to know the real Peter. My favorite sarcastic Peter moment: (flour was in Lara Jean’s hair) Peter: “You look like a grandma. Actually you’re really a lot like my granny. You hate cussing. You like to bake. You stay at home on Friday nights. Wow, I’m dating my granny. Gross.”

Another silly moment was with Lara Jean’s youngest sister, Kitty, teaching Peter a pop-and-lock dance move “I watch them dance all afternoon, my little sister the ninja and my pretend boyfriend Spider-man.” There were many such moments that were familiar from my teenage life. What a surprising entertaining read.

Original review can be found <a href="http://hellojennyreviews.blogspot.com/">here</a>.
I can't be sure whether I really liked this book or if it was just okay for me. At times I was really into it and the pages just flew by. But at other times I found myself thinking that I have read a lot of other books similar to this.

The one thing that did get to me was Lara Jeans inability to live. She was such a weak minded character. She couldn't function without her older sister and to me that shows weakness. I despise weak female protagonists.

The whole Josh situation also got on my nerves. He is a PERSON, a human being, not a piece of property for two sisters to fight over. If Lara Jean wanted Josh then she should have just tried for him. Margot and Josh has broken up so that means he was available. Regardless of him having dated her sister.

Margot was a little bit stuck up and thought she was better than everyone. Or, at least, that's how it appeared on the outside. On the inside she was just a scared little girl who was put in charge of her sisters at a young age. She tried to appear strong for Lara Jean and Kitty but inside she was cracked and torn.

I think Lara Jean got what she deserved with the whole hot tub sex scandal situation. If she wanted to stay off the radar and continue to be little miss innocent then she never should have done the fake relationship with Peter. Especially since she knows what Gen is capable of.

I didn't see the book ending the way it did. I didn't think she would really want Peter. I was actually rooting for Josh. But in the end it wasn't clear what happened. It was just clear who she had actually fallen for. I just hope she doesn't end up getting her heart broken in the next book.

I also have a theory. I thin Peter bought Lara Jean that necklace she was looking at all the time. For some reason I just feel like that will be in the beginning of the next book.

The book had a pretty good concept. A girl having written love letters and they accidentally get mailed out. But the good concept was covered up with your typical, unoriginal Young Adult Contemporary theme. Girl in high school, dead parent, boys and random love.

Overall, I gave the book 3.5/5 Kitties.

This is a sweet, gentle book. It does have its share of angst, for those who like that in YA fiction, which I've found most Young Adults seem to. Lara Jean has loved 5 boys in her life. She has never really succeeded with any. To draw her hopeless feelings to a close, she writes a letter to each, which she addresses but does not mail. Instead she keeps them in a hidden box in her room: until one day someone finds and mails them! Then her love life turns complicated. Two of the boys are soon perplexed about why they have received a "goodbye love letter" from her. Naturally Lara Jean is completely embarrassed. But this peculiar event changes her life, and Lara Jean has to make some choices...

I really enjoyed reading this book aloud to my wife, and she loved it as well. We are about to start the sequel, P.S. I still love you.

Originally seen at The Bookish Owl [...]

Surprisingly enough, this is my first Jenny Han book. It’s shocking since her The Summer I Turned Pretty series popularized her but after hearing loads of negativity about it, I knew that I would have never gone into the series with an open mind. Admittedly, I was never interested in reading Jenny Han’s books but To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before had an intriguing title and a blurb that just hit home for me. I knew that this would be my first Han book as soon as it popped up on my radar.

The book focuses on Lara Jean Covey, a high school Junior with two sisters. Her older sister, Margot, has been the head honcho of the family ever since their mother died. While Lara Jean has a wonderful and amiable relationship with Margot, she and her younger sister, Kitty, are prone to fighting and mercilessly teasing each other. Pretty soon, Margot leaves for a college in Scotland and Lara Jean is left to take her place.

With all the calls for more diversity in YA literature, it’s relevant that Jenny Han’s protagonist is a Korean-American. There are Korean food nights and Lara Jean’s complaint that there are limited Halloween costume choices for Asian girls, all which answered the cries for diversity. I would have loved to have seen more integration of the Korean culture as it is such a diverse and colorful heritage but since Eve Song, the matriarch of the Covey family and its original Korean, had already died, it was still a suitable portrayal. I also loved how the Song girls were in touch with both their Korean and American sides. From their perspective, they weren’t just American or just Korean; they were Korean-American.

To be honest, I struggled a lot with Lara Jean’s character. She had some endearing qualities about her, most notably how she didn’t try to conform to others’ ideals and how she always spoke her mind. However, she was naïve and immature so much so that 9-year-old Kitty sounded more adult than her. While her character development was impressive, her dependency on Margot during the first half of the book was really annoying. Nonetheless, I have to reiterate that her development was excellent. From being reliant and needy, she grew to be a young girl who was capable of solving her own problems and getting herself out of messy situations.

My greatest drawback with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was how the background characters were depicted. Genevieve, Peter Kravinsky’s ex-girlfriend, was a conniving jealous little bitch. Chris, Lara Jean’s sort of friend, was slutty, a drunk and a rebel. The other girls were considerably inferior to the Song girls and it was more than disturbing. Peter and Josh were seen as equal contenders, handsome with both good and bad qualities, but there was a certain inequity among the girls. What the book lacked was another girl who was similar to Lara Jean; a normal teenager who was neither a bitch nor a slut.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was swoony but the plot was a little cliché and unexpected. Even the twist of who really sent the letters was unsurprising. It’s undoubtedly compelling but I wasn’t a big fan of the “plot twists”.

I was caught unawares by how much I enjoyed To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. It’s not just a simple love triangle story as it also deals with Lara Jean’s development and her learning how to cope with being the eldest daughter what with Margot leaving. In some ways, this book was also a coming of age story with Lara Jean discovering her own identity without Margot’s more formidable shadow. The ending was a massive cliffhanger and I can’t believe that an author would be that cruel to close it that way. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was a light and lovely read and I am definitely looking forward to its sequel.

I wanted to read this one since I saw it on YA Romantics, and loved the premise. I can only imagine the waves that letters helping her get over boys she'd loved were actually mailed. You can't take words back and I wonder what sort will be unleashed on unsuspecting boys.
I wasn't expecting the strong family dynamics in this one, and it really was well done and a positive surprise. Our main character Lara is really close with her older sister Margot and younger Kitty. They band together to help their single dad (mom died). They really work for each other's happiness, and have a bond that only loss, time and being family can form.
The first boy that Lara gets over is her older sister's boyfriend Josh. He was the next door neighbor and was around and friends with them even longer than he had a relationship with Margot, so I can def see where Lara would fall for him. Plus, he is a good guy, being nice and playing with Kitty, hanging out with their dad, and is thoughtful and fun. This is such a hard subject though because you know that it would only hurt the bond if Lara was ever to act on or admit her feelings, but we also know this will happen because of the summary, so I was anxious at how that would effect their friendship and relationship. I also couldn't pull for Lara to get him because I saw how much he cared for Margot. It still added another element to the story because I had to know if he ever felt anything back and how Lara continues to deal with it.
Lara Jean herself is such a fun narrator. She is quirky and thinks a lot like me, she doesn't quite fit into the old crowd of friends she had, but she isn't unpopular persay. She is smart but she is more of a homebody than the average high schooler, also like me. She isn't perfect and that is what makes her even greater. She makes questionable decisions, says things that hurts her sister, and she has bad days. But she rebounds, she figures out a way to get through, and even when she makes a stack of lies, something I know I have done before, she doesn't weasel out of any responsibility of consequences. It was fun to watch her grow and deal with the changes in her life, and watch her to learn a person not just from a fantasy in her mind but up close and personal.
The romance was different, and while I have read a setup that shares similarities it was pretty new to me, and interesting to see how it played out and how their decisions effected themselves, the other person and those around them. I ended up liking guy in question more than I thought that I could and he surprised me on more than one occassion (Lara too) at how deep he could actually be and what was hidden behind his good looks. I especially loved how he ended up being at the house with Lara and Kitty a lot and how he treated Kitty like a real person and joked with her, making her feel included and special.
I liked that their dad tried so hard to be a good parent. He probably missed his wife so much he couldn't think some days, but he kept the girls, and they stuck together. He made the awkward talks with them, and tried to take back some of the responsibilities that the girls took on to help him, he tried to let them be kids. Even though he worked hard, he wasn't an absent parent, and when he was home, he did things with the family instead of holing up or going out.
I enjoyed it and flew through the story. I will def be picking up the next book and can't wait to see more from the life of the Song girls, especially Lara Jean.

Bottom Line: It was a fast, sweet, sometimes emotional book with a romance I could get behind, a premise I loved, a quirky main character, and sweet romance.

I really wanted to love this book with a capital 'L.' I purchased a copy at my local Barnes and Noble because I was so freaking happy to see an Asian girl on the cover of a YA book. In fact, I think I did a little dance in the aisle. Plus, the premise sounded cute, and I've been in the mood to read something other than dark YA or fantasy.

My first stumbling block was Lara Jean, and stumbling is an apt word. When her older sister goes away to college, Lara Jean has to figure out how to fill Margot's very big footsteps. She needs to wrangle her littlest sister, reassure her father that everything is going smoothly, and navigate her way through her junior year. When her old love letters are "accidentally" mailed out, Lara Jean embarks on a complicated fake relationship with one boy in order to keep another boy (Margot's ex-boyfriend) from thinking that she still has feelings for him, even though she, umm, does. At times, Lara Jean seems much younger than sixteen, and very naive.

This is a novel about first love, which it does well. But I feel that the most important relationship in this book is between Lara Jean and her older sister, Margot. The problem is that Margot is out of the country until the last few chapters. There are a few letters and an awkward video conference beforehand, but that's it. I love how the novel ends, but I wish Margot had more of a real presence.

Other things I love? The very genuine way the Song girls struggle to get in touch with their Korean heritage (they're half Korean), especially when they don't get to see their Korean relatives often. Lara Jean has a few memories of dishes her mother used to cook, but that's about it.

Here's a great quote from the book:

There are very limited options for Asian girls on Halloween. Like one year I went as Velma from Scooby-Doo, but people just asked me if I was a manga character. I even wore a wig! So now I'm committed to dressing up as Asian characters exclusively.

This! This is so true!!

So ultimately Lara Jean endeared herself to me, and I did feel sad as I read the last few pages and closed the book. I'll definitely read the sequel, if one's in the works.

“To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” by Jenny Han

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I really liked “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.” It was one of those reads that you’ve heard about from people or seen on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, but you just never thought to pick it up on you own. I probably wouldn’t have read it if it wasn’t for my sister; her description of the characters and story made me want to read it, and I am very glad I got the opportunity.

Lara Jean is in my top five favorite female characters (America from “The Selection” is #1 at the moment) because of how real she was. A lot of heroines that I have read about are so unrealistic, and I guess a lot of times I don’t connect with them. I may like the book, but it’s like there is something holding me back from really liking the main female character; they’re not someone (usually) who I would want to be friends with in real life. Lara Jean, however, would be an awesome friend to have. She’s funny, sweet, smart, and a little quirky, and I could imagine her being a real high school student just trying to survive after something REALLY embarrassing had happened to her. If I was in her shoes, I would have crawled under a rock to wait it out so I wouldn’t have to deal with the humiliation. Lara Jean, though, took the situation in stride (granted, she’s fictional) and it made for some very funny situations. They were so funny in
fact, that I would actually burst out laughing (at inopportune times, I might add). I tried to stop myself from laughing out loud, at least while I was hanging out with people, but it could not be contained. I haven’t had a book do that to me in a long time and I forgot what it was like to have one make me burst out laughing like this one did.

“To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” is worth a lot more than laughs, and it deals with some pretty big topics that I think a lot of teens/people eventually deal with in life. I also loved that this book didn’t ended up being one of those awful, empty, vain books where the characters’ minds are so vacant that there is no potential for character growth. I was so proud of Lara Jean for how much she grew as a person in this book. Jenny Han didn’t compromise her character’s (unlike a lot of authors I’ve read) personality, making her someone she wasn’t, she just helped Lara Jean grow up a little and moved her in the right direction. It was cool to see that happen in a more realistic way. Now that you know a little about Lara Jean (I can’t tell you too much because it will ruin the story), let’s talk about some of the other characters.

Josh, Josh, Josh… At first, I kind of liked his character and I wanted to know more about him and his relationship with Margot, but the longer I read this book, the more I came to dislike his character (you’ll understand why I disliked him once you read this book). In the beginning I felt bad for Josh, and I wanted Margot and him to resolve their issues because you knew that they wanted to get back together, but then he started to get all moody towards Lara Jean (kind of unintentionally, but still), and it was really irritating. I felt like he didn’t deserve to have Lara Jean as a friend and that she was way too good for him. The final nail his coffin (for me) happened in the last couple of chapters; it was just SOOOOO selfish of him, and what he did put a lot of other people in bad positions. I was done with the character long before that scene had happened, but it made me dislike him even more.*Sighs*

Josh and his awfulness aside, I felt like Jenny Han did a really good job of creating believable situations between friends and siblings, especially between the Song sisters. Margot, Lara Jean, and Kitty all love each other, but that doesn’t make things easy, and I liked seeing their dynamic as they went about life. I do have to say that Margot was a bit cold for my taste, and the scene that really made me dislike her attitude was when she came home for Christmas break. Something happened and she treated Lara Jean really terribly when it wasn’t even her sister’s fault. I get that people lash out, but that was unwarranted! I do have to give props to the author, though, because after all their fights, the sisters decide to mend their broken fences and forgive one another. It reminded me of the last epic scene in “Frozen.” I’m always up for a story about sisters sticking together!

The last person I want to discuss in Peter. In the beginning of the book you know that he’s the popular, super good-looking guy at school. Peter’s the kind of guy that everyone either has a crush on, or they want to be like him. He was a good guy character, but when I first started this book, I didn’t like or dislike him; I guess you could say I was neutral when it came to Peter. I didn’t care whether he was in a scene or not, I was just reading “To All The Boys I’ve Love Before” because of how much I liked Lara Jean. But the more he was in the book, the more he endeared himself to me. His character snuck up on me when I wasn’t paying attention, and once I finally took a moment in the middle of the book to absorb what I liked and disliked, that’s when I realized how much I loved his character.

I don’t know all the reasons why I ended up liking Peter so much, but I do know that I loved that he got along so well with Kitty and how nice he was to her and Lara Jean, and I also liked that he fit in with the Song/Covey family so well. It was really cute and sweet, and I liked what his character brought to this story. Lara Jean’s and Peter’s fake relationship was also quite funny at times (there’s a scene that involves a car, antiques, and competitive spirit. I was laughing so hard I almost cried!), and I really loved that Lara Jean brought out the best in him.

“To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” by Jenny Han ended well, but it was on a bittersweet note and it even made me tear up a bit. This was a beautifully written and sweet book. I so enjoyed Lara Jean as a character, and I loved seeing her grow into a young woman. This is a really great coming of age story. Loved it!! Check-out my blog: http://booksandwonderfulthings.wordpress.com

Lara Jean is the middle child in a family of three sisters, a caring dad and a deceased mom. Her eldest sister Margot is the responsible one who keeps things running smoothly but now she is off to college in Scotland leaving Lara Jean to try to fill her shoes and take care of their younger sister, Kitty. Lara Jean feels woefully inadequate to the task. She is also struggling with some unresolved feelings for Josh, one of her best friends and the boy Margot just broke up with. So when her secret goodbye love letters get mailed, Josh finds out how Lara Jean feels and so does Peter Kavinsky, the on again-off again boyfriend of Lara Jean's ex-best friend Genevieve. To make things even more complicated, Peter decides that he and Lara Jean should pretend to date to make Genevieve jealous and so that Josh will think she has moved on from her crush.

I would say that the romance is actually weaker compared to the other elements. Both of Lara Jean's "love interests" seem less worthy of her though one is better than the other. I did like how Lara Jean and Peter developed a friendship over time but he still seemed to be playing games or just unsure of his own feelings where Genevieve and Lara Jean are concerned. I think this makes Lara Jean feel off balance and not sure where things stand between them and while I found it annoying that there was ambiguity in their relationship perhaps teens would be able to relate to that. I wish the romance had been a little better planned out but it still had an authentic feel to the way teen dating relationships (and even grown up ones) can be confusing.

Lara Jean could seem a little immature and naive at times for her age and the romance was not quite what I expected but I still liked this book because of Lara Jean and her relationship with her family. I liked how her dad was portrayed in a positive light and how close she was to her sisters. The synopsis of this book makes it sound like it is a contemporary romance and while Lara Jean's romantic predicament is part of the plot, there is much more to the story. Themes of sisterhood, family relationships, failed friendships, facing fears and growing up are all explored. That is what really made the book worth reading for me.

We are immediately introduced to the dynamics of Lara Jean's family: Margot, her elder sister who will be going to Scotland for her freshman year of college; Kitty, their nine-year-old sister; Josh, their neighbor and Margot's boyfriend; and their father, an OB-GYN. Their mother died about five years ago and Margot took up the role of the mother figure.

A few days after Margot's departure, Lara Jean's goodbye love letters (she only writes these letters when she's no longer in love with their subject) get mailed out. Peter Kavinsky, an only friend from middle school, is the first to confront her. Naturally she is mortified, especially since Josh was sent a letter as well.

Lara Jean is an amazing narrator. Her voice is strong, clear, and age appropriate. She admits, to the reader anyway, when she is lost and unsure of what to do. She debates with calling Margot for help, but states that she cannot always lean on her sister and needs to be more independent. And she does. Lara Jean really comes into her own throughout the novel and you can see her character development.

Aside from the romantic relationships, Jenny gives us a healthy amount of Lara Jean's family life as well. Her younger sister Kitty is your quintessential younger sister. She hangs out with her sisters, but if you tease her too much she holds the biggest grudge and usually has to be bribed into forgiveness with sweets. Her "hints" about wanting a puppy are also pretty amusing.

The last few chapters are amazing - not that the prior chapters are anything less. The way Jenny handles the intriguing and tense situations she puts these characters in to is nothing short of wonderful. While one of the major issues is resolved within To All the Boys I've Loved Before, another begs for closure. Thank goodness there is a sequel, because . . . for real Jenny? That ending? That last line? Come on now. (No, it wasn't a bad ending, just exceptionally open ended.)

This book was one of the best books I’ve read in a really long time. This was also my first Jenny Han book and I have to say if the rest of her books are as good as this one was, she’ll be my new favorite author. I was so excited to read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and I had really high hopes going into it and I was not disappointed at all.

I loved Lara Jean. She’s so quirky and funny and young but in a good way. Han has a way of writing that doesn’t come off as immature or annoying. Lara Jean was so cute. I loved her reactions to everything that happened and I found myself laughing out loud at the most random moments from the things she did or said or thought.

All the relationships in this book were really well done as well. It was interesting going into a romance story and not knowing who the main love interest was going to be, although I am happy with who it was. The family, more specifically, the sister relationships was done so well. I don’t have sisters but I found myself relating to their banter and loving every second of it. I loved the entire family.

The end annoys me but not too badly because I preordered the sequel that comes out on Tuesday. Overall, this book was really well done and I think that even if you don’t really like contemporary novels you would still enjoy this book. I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book!

There are several things in this book that really stand out and that I found myself loving a lot. The characters. Lara Jean's personality really shines through in this book, but everyone else does as well. Her family especially. Family. Family is an important part of the story. Sisters mostly, but her father is very present as well. Diversity. Lara Jean and her sisters are half Korean. While it's not really an 'issue' in the book, it is mentioned as well as some minor little issues she's had in life with being Korean (mostly regarding Halloween costumes).

I loved the characters so much! I know I mentioned that but I think I need to go into detail here. The little things can really make a characters personality come through. For example Lara Jean is terrified of driving. When explaining how she feels about this when driving it's easier to relate to her. I'm not a timid driver, but when I was younger I was terrified of driving in the city. Kitty, her youngest sister, is only 9 but is the smartest little 9 year old I've read about. She's precocious, I suppose you could say. And Margot was interesting because we see her in the beginning before she moves to Scotland for college and we're seeing her from Lara Jeans perspective, so when she comes back for Christmas we can see how both of them have changed. I loved that Peter was a popular guy but still a good guy. At least we think so. And his interaction with Kitty was entertaining.

The romance was unique in this book because it was hard to say who the romance was suppose to be with. We have the neighbor boy, Josh, and then we have Peter. Josh is kind of off limits but everything changes when the love letters get mailed out and Lara Jean has to deny her love for him. Hence she turns to Peter. Her and Peter's relationship isn't real but it was interesting trying to figure out who she might end up with. Who she should end up with.

This book was slow paced for me. I sometimes didn't have a strong urge to pick it up. It felt maybe a bit longer than it needed to be and maybe had too much included that didn't need to be there. But it may have just been my mood as well. And really, that characters still made up for it.

I was a bit disappointed in the end. I had in my head that this was a stand alone (contemporary books tend to be stand alones more often then not) so I had expected a full conclusion. It's not really a cliffhanger or anything, it's just not everything tied up. But then I realized that this is the first in a series. So there is more and I can overlook the fact that things aren't completely finished. I'll definitely read the next book as I'm very curious to see where things go. And I really am attached to this family so I'll be happy to visit them again.

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This is such an endearing novel. What started off as something I felt like I wouldn't connect with became a book I would clutch to my chest with love at the end.

The novel started off a little slow so I was a little worried that it wouldn't pick up. I thought I would get bored with it but that was not the case. The Song-Covey girls are like the sisters you wish you had. They're realistic to a fault and down right amusing. I laughed quite a few times while reading this. The youngest sister Kitty is by far the sassiest and cutest little sister ever. I thoroughly loved and enjoyed her character. She was nine years of sass, and I enjoyed when her character spoke in the story.
Margot is the ideal big sister, protective and fierce. Lara Jean is naive in the most endearing way, and her characters growth was one of my favorite parts of the story. I think her teenaged naivety was what made this book as good as it was. In most cases where that character trait wouldn't work, it thrived here.
It's also interesting the way the author weaved the Korean culture into the story so seamelessly. I don't see a lot of culture in Young Adult novels so I was glad for it's presence here.

I think readers of any age, and of any walk of life will find something in this novel that they can connect with. I am actually quite surprised how well this one went over for me.
The ending is sort of cliffhanger-y so it leaves something to be desired for the next one, which is pretty interesting, especially for a contemporary novel but it's done so perfectly, and so effortlessly you won't even mind it.
I think it's worth reading. It's light, it's enjoyable and it's sort of swoon-y. It has all the makings of a great series (I already seen the title of book two on Goodreads) and I'm excited for book two.

Lara Jean is a teenage girl. She is a middle child. Her older sister leaves for college in Scotland which causes a domino of events. One of these events results in love letters that Lara Jean wrote to five boys from her past to be mailed to them. Suddenly she finds she must own up to those letters as the boys confront her after receiving them.

This is a young adult book. It's the type of young adult book that I love. The heroine is somewhat gawky and different but also sweet and funny. She is a square peg in a high-school with round holes and she's okay with it. Her focus is her family, especially her sisters who are her best friends. The characters are wonderfully developed. Unique but realistic.

As I glanced through the other reviews I see a lot of "Team Peter". I'm really curious how the next book plays out. I can't possibly see Peter working out but there is a part of me that wants it to. Right now I'm "Team Lara Jean" because I think Josh was right when he said she's too good for everyone.

Published: April 15th 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA
Read: June 16, 2015
The blurb:
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this. It was a light fun read and has an extremely interesting plot. Its such a unique story, and i think thats what sold me. The MC Lara Jean holds nothing back and we get to know her on a deep level. This book has an unexpected ending that will leave you needing more. If you are looking for a light easy contemporary to read, this is the one.

Recommend: Highly

When I first started reading this book, I didn't get the appeal of Lara Jean. She seemed so quirky, so naive. But I kept reading.
, and I'm so glad I did. Lara Jean became quirky in a cute way ;) In three days, I read all three books in this series. I fell in love Lara Jean and wish I had her self-confidence and personality when I was in high school. Lara Jean would rather stay in on a Friday night with her family, scrapbook on a Saturday, and pull an all nighter baking chocolate chip cookies. She always stays true to herself. She is a one of a kind character that you grew to love. And reading her grow throughout the series was joyful. The love story in the book is wonderful. The sister bonds, family aspect, and friendship to this story were wonderful. I truly loved every page. Thank you, Jenny Han.

Why I read it: A lot of my friends have been reading the sequel, P.S. I Still Love You. I don't read a lot of contemporary YA, so I figured, why the hell not. Of course, I needed to read this one before I could read the sequel. So I did. You guys, I fell in love with this book.

ZOMG Yes! At first, I wasn't sure. I didn't know where it was going, but I knew I loved books about sisters. So I kept with it. And then I devoured it.

I loved Lara Jean. She was so honest and shy and unsure and sure of herself at the same time. Her character was just perfect to me. And then when the love letters happened, and the romance started to unfold, I couldn't put the damn book down.

I have to say that I'm really happy with how this romance played out. The whole time I was cheering against the boy she didn't choose because I didn't think he deserved her. And of course, I was falling in love with the same boy she was falling in love with.

Kthxbai: I'm number 8 out of 14 for the hold list for the sequel, so I won't be getting to it until probably the end of the summer. I'm a little upset about it, because I would happily pick it up and go, go, go. But I think this is good for me. It will let the first book sink in and force me to do some other things until I'm ready to part with this story and pick up the next one on my list.

I strongly, highly, very much so recommend this book!

I didn't expect to fall in love with this book as much as I did, but I really dove in headfirst.

Lara Jean is THE most relatable character I have ever read in my life. I feel like Jenny Han took my younger, naive, and sheltered self, turned her into a literary figure with a funner family, and with her writing magic translated with stunning accuracy every quirky thing about who I once was (still am in some ways?) in her narrative. I had so much FUN with this book; I just plowed through it, stopping only to read random parts to my boyfriend (trying to sleep, next to me) that describe me perfectly. From the playful-annoying relationship with Kitty to her semi-awkward social status at school to her frequent wardrobe styling dilemmas, I just loved her.

I had a super not-fun time for most of high school, so in a way this novel gave me a chance to rewrite that script. :) I just devoured the sequel in two days, flat. They both give me an interesting sense of nostalgia (by proxy). Had to leave my raving reviews before going to sleep! :)

I used to feel a sort of literary shame for continuing to read young adult well into my adult years, but I feel none as I tell you all I ADORE this book and its sequel.

Jenny Han, you're killing me. Why oh whyyyyyyy does the book have to end like that?! WHYYYY? Please please please tell me this is going to be a series. Or even a short novella afterwards... a quick couple of paragraphs online or something... I can't stand it! For those of you who haven't read this book yet, it's a good one but the ending.. OMG the ending! Why can't it just continue just a little bit more :(

I really liked this book. It was simple storytelling and there were moments where I really couldn't tell how it was going to end. It could have really gone one way (boy) or the other depending on how Jenny wanted to play this. After reading the basic summary on the store, I wanted to read it immediately since it's about letters written to past loves - that were accidentally sent out! So you can just imagine what kind of mayhem and grief something like this would cause a teenage girl. Totally my type of drama! And I loved every minute of it! *thumbs up*

I don't think I can go into it without going too much into the spoilers. But I will say that the characters of the Song sisters were so cute, so loveable and homey that it made me want to be a Song sister myself.. either that or be one of their best friends :)

Not a must read before you die, but you won't regret it! A fun read!

Don't know how to hide spoilers on an the store review, so see my profile's website link for spoilers.

Full review posted on http://myriadinklings.wordpress.com

rating: 4.5/5
This book is probably the most hyped book of Jenny Han I've heard about. Especially since its sequel just came out last month. Usually, I like to go into a book somewhat blind, so others' opinions can't affect my own. I know a big majority of people loved this book, but I also saw a few people extremely hate it. This made it a little hard for me to get started because I was worried that these opinions would bias my own which is why I waited a bit before I started it. Also, someone on my IG had spoiled the ending of the second book, so I had to wait it out until I forgot what that person said before I dove into it at all.
Overall, this was a great contemporary romance, you know I'm a sucker for those. I loved Jenny Han's writing in this one, I would definitely recommend you pick it up and read it if you are a fan of Jenny Han or are in the mood for a cute light contemporary read.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Book One of the To All the Boys I've Loved Before series
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Copy won from a giveaway

Summary (from Goodreads):

Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

What I Liked:

I don't even know how to begin this review. I read this book several days ago, and I'm writing this review now, NOT because I'm lazy and couldn't write it right away, but because I couldn't find the words to create a review for this book. I still can't, honestly, but the review is supposed to go up on Monday (which you would be reading now), so I have to write something. I already know I'm not going to be doing this book (or my love for this book) justice, so... just know that I love this book so so so so so SO MUCH. Like, a lot.

This book follows the first person narration of Lara Jean, the middle child of three daughters. Her older sister, Margot, is about to go to college in Scotland for her freshman year. Her younger sister, Kitty, is nine years old, and needs her older sisters. Their mother is dead, and their father is a single parent, raising three daughters.

But then there is the small problem of Lara Jean's love letters being sent. They aren't really love letters - they're Lara Jean's "goodbyes", letters that were for her to have closure, and for no one else to see. Well, someone sent them. And four of the five boys got the letters (one was sent back). Peter Kavinsky was smug and gloating. Josh Sanderson (who is now Margot's ex-boyfriend) was pensive and slightly regretful. Lucas Krapf is gay. McClaren (I can't remember his full name) never said anything to Lara Jean.

So, this story is really two stories - about Lara Jean's family life, and her personal life. I LOVE how Jenny Han focuses on both - many times in contemporary novels, we see the romance side really fleshed out, but the family side not-so-fleshed-out. In this book, the importance of sisterhood is really there. Lara Jean must "grow up" and be somewhat of a better role model for Kitty. BUT, Lara Jean must also keep a relationship with her sister in Scotland. Also, notice how one of of the five boys that Lara Jean used to love is Josh, the next-door neighbor, the best friend, and Margot's boyfriend (right until she went to Scotland). That is something that the sisters must reconcile.

I promise I have not given anything away, in terms of the romance. I promise. The romance is so, so perfect, in my opinion. I've seen some reviewers say that they weren't feeling the romance, but I LOVED it. Lara Jean decides to take on a fake boyfriend, so that Josh won't think that she is still interested in him, and so that Margot can get back together with Josh when she comes back in December (and in that way, Lara Jean won't be guilty of liking Margot's ex-boyfriend). But with all things, it's hard not to fall for the fake boyfriend.

So, you might think to yourself, but Alyssa, that sounds a bit like a love triangle? Lara Jean and Josh? Lara Jean and fake boyfriend? Margot and Josh? WHAT?! Trust me, it doesn't seem like a love triangle when you are reading the book. One guy and one girl are CLEARLY meant for each other. I love the romance in this book - it is very well-developed and the progression is gradual and subtle. There were specific scenes that were so poignant and beautiful, but they were the smallest things, like the boy putting his head in Lara Jean's lap, or buying her a donut. LOVE IT.

I'm not telling you who ends up with who or who the fake boyfriend is, but I'm definitely all the way on one boy's side. I don't dislike the other, but there are two distinct pairs and I think the author is going in that direction as well. But I think the author is making the characters work for it, which is a tiny bit irritating but totally worth the read.

The plot of this book is straightforward except not. This book starts in the fall (beginning of a school year), and ends around Christmas time. It's about Lara Jean's romantic journey - figuring out her feelings for Josh and the fake boyfriend and even some of the other letter recipients. It's also about Lara Jean's friendship with a not-so-great influence, Chris. It's about her relationship with her older sister, Margot, her young sister, Kitty, and her father. I would even say it's about her friendship with Josh, even though he is one of the boys she was totally in love with, according to her letter.

The author's writing style is so great! It's cute and girly and definitely fits Lara Jean's personality. I was a bit taken aback when I started reading, because the narration was very informal and bubbly and cute, and I'm so used to a more serious tone. But I really liked this - it worked for Lara Jean, and this book.

I seriously loved this book so, so much, people. I don't think I've said nearly enough about this book, but I think you all understand. I re-read this book about an hour after I finished it, which almost NEVER HAPPENS. It's rare, these days, that I have a desire to re-read books, especially so soon after reading it the first time. Well, this book had that effect on me! I NEED BOOK TWO!

What I Did Not Like:

That it ended. NOT the way it ended, but the fact that it ended. I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK?! What madness is this?

Would I Recommend It:

Oh my gosh YES! I'm not a contemporary person, but this book BLEW ME AWAY. I was excited to read it beforehand (which is surprising, since it's contemporary), so I had a feeling that I would be pretty good (I don't read just ANY contemporary novel). Well, this book was not just good, or great - it was FANTASTIC.

So, contemporary fan or not, you should read this book! It's *kind of* like Rowell's Fangirl - in the sense that anyone can read this book and love it, because it's easy to relate to this heroine and her life in some way or another. I highly recommend to anyone and everyone (which is super helpful, I know. Just trust me).

Rating:

5 stars. This book was simply AMAZING. I loved everything about it, even the heartbreaking yet beautiful ending. Trust me when I say that I will be HUNTING DOWN every and any advanced reader copy of the second book (if they are printed), because I must read that book AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

What I loved most about this book was Lara Jean's family's dynamic, especially the three Song girls. I also liked that it felt realistic in that Lara Jean (at 16) didn't have a HUGE GOAL that she put all her energy into reaching. She was just a kid doing her best, living her life. Due to that lack of a huge goal, it wasn't really plot driven though, which I kind of missed. Regardless, it was a sweet, fun read. 3.5/5 stars, rounded up :)

You don't often come across a YA novel from the point of view of an Asian American or bi-racial lead, so it was fun reading about young Lara Jean Song. Lara Jean's Korean American mother passed away when she was young, and she's grown up with her older sister Margot, her father, and her baby sister Kitty.

When Margot leaves for college in Scotland, she leaves behind not just Kitty, Lara Jean and their father but also her boyfriend, Josh. Lara Jean thought she'd recovered from her longtime crush/love for Josh, but she finds herself falling back in love with him. She tries to get control of her feelings the way that she had in the past. Lara Jean's solution had been to write boys love letters - not to proclaim their love but to end things. Lara Jean doesn't send her letters but keeps them for herself, hidden in the hat box her mother gave her when she was a kid.

One day, she learns that the five letters she'd written were somehow found and mailed. And one by one the boys she'd loved learn about Lara Jean, that's when things get really fun.

Fortunately, Lara Jean is such a fun, charming character - and so relatable. I loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before - I wish this book was around when I was growing up!

Grade: 60%
Rating: ★★★
Read Full Review: [...]

I honestly thought I was going to hate this book. This book was suggested to me so I thought I would read it since the summary looked decent. First, few chapters were very rough, not sure if this is the author's first book, but it seemed so. The middle and the beginning of the end had me going and thought maybe the author had redeemed herself, but then the ending was unfinished. I am just glad it turned out better than I originally thought it would.
While writing this review, I discovered that there is a second book. Judging by the first book, I don't think I will read this one, however, maybe I might change my mind later down the road to see if the author grew from this novel.

Disclaimer: I haven't even finished this book yet, but I just wanted to say something.

To anyone who loved the Alice McKinley series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor--

TRY THIS BOOK.

Lara Jean's voice reminds me a lot of Alice McKinley's, while Han writes in an amusing style similar to Naylor's. So far, it's just entertaining, not cliched, and fun. This coming from a 31-year-old YA fan.

I bought this book on sale. It was $3, and the plot seemed interesting enough, so I thought I'd give it a go, and am I glad I did. Even though it did have some light cussing and talked slightly about subject matters I wasn't comfortable with (older-teen territory), it's still a good book about love.

I loved the sisterhood between Margo-Lara Jean-and Kitty. My favorite scenes were mostly with them. And I loved that it took place in the late part of the year.

This book makes me want to read the next one - "P.S. I Still Love You".

Had this book on my shelf for a while and finally decided to pick it up for the #Emojiathon and it was a good decision!

I enjoyed this book so much, the story was very cute (just like that beautiful cover), with lots of interesting characters that made me really care about the story, it was easy to get lost in all the high school drama as well as Lara Jean’s home life.

You can see how much Lara Jean grows in the book, she goes from being super dependent to start questioning things and coming out of her shell which I think is only going to increase as the series continues.

I really enjoyed the story of Lara Jean who unfortunately finds that the 'goodbye' love letters she wrote to the only five guys she had ever loved have been mailed out just in time for hate first day of high school. Oh and one of those guys happened to be her next door neighbor and the ex-boyfriend of her beloved older sister Margot.
While Lara Jean is flighty and at times a little oblivious to what's right in front of her I liked the fact that she was a good decent character who was just trying to do the right thing by everyone. In fact I really enjoyed all the characters in the book. It felt a lot more true to life than a lot of other novels to me especially in this genre.
Special note of Kitty; the youngest song sister was definitely my favorite and I thought it was nice that the relationship between hate three sisters who had lost their mother when they were young was emphasized just as much if not more than romance. I just thought the ending was a bit abrupt and left a couple of loose ends that could have been tied up. But then again that's just me and this is a book I enjoyed a great deal regardless and would definitely recommend.

I walked by this book whenever I walked into my local bookstore. I always contemplated buying it but was scared to purchase it and not like it. Boy, was I wrong. Not only did I read this book in a day but I finished the other two books in the series within the next two. I definitely regret not reading it earlier. I immediately fell in love with Lara Jean and Peter. I found myself rooting for them throughout the story and grasping to every world. I also enjoyed how the book did not only revolve around Lara Jean's relationship with boys but with her own family as well. It showed her growth throughout the story and how she inevitably found herself. Overall, It's a great story. Beware for the cliffhanger! You'll want to read the second book ASAP to figure out what happens.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

This book is cute. I was not big on the cussing and the (usually) carefree talk about sex. Lara Jean--and a few of the other characters--got on my nerves sometimes, but other than that, I sped through this one, enjoying the writing and the fun storyline. Lara Jean's narrative is funny and entertaining though. It wasn't the greatest book I've read, but it certainly was not the worst! By far!

I absolutely loved this book! I may be a 26 year old adult woman, but I still adore teen romance novels.

I could relate to Laura Jean so much, thinking back to when I was younger in high school and had a boyfriend for the first time. This book is both funny, adorable, and will make you cry. Laura Jean is such an amazing character with a big heart and a wonderful family. I enjoyed the big sister, little sister dynamic and the dad who is doing the best he can raising three girls.

I read through this book so quickly that I immediately read and finished the second book the next day. And just like Laura Jean, I had an internal battle over who should win her heart! Jenny Han is a great writer and I can't wait to read her The Summer I Turned Pretty series. And now I'm counting down the days for the Netflix movie to premire.

This was a weird buy for me because I watched the show on Netflix first. But that was so adorable I had to immediately listen to the book and then purchase the second book and as soon as I'm done with that I know I'll be off for the third. Super cute and sweet, clean enough for road trips with someone else in the car, and a really amazing narrator. Loved it. (loving it still)

I absolutely adored this book. From beginning to end I couldn't put it down till I finished. So glad I discovered this author. And am excited that there are two more books after this so I don't have to wait to read them. I love the young adult genre. The first blooms of love, all the feelings... such a beautiful thing to go through. Although being a teenager you don't think so yourself. The book is very well written and I am so glad I stumbled upon it.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. I've been a little bored with "romance" genre books lately, so I feared this one would be another cookie cutter chick lit novel. I was very pleasantly surprised! What a fun and sweet book! I think most people wonder often about "what could have been" if they had ever told a certain person how they felt about them. Lara Jean gets to find out, whether she wanted to tell them or not, when her old love letters are mailed off to her former crushed. What follows is a hot mess, but it's fun to see where her former crushed ended up and how they felt about her. This is a great book to live out that fantasy without having to endure the drama yourself! Great book and would be a wonderful summer beach read!

Why put a cliffhanger??? Doesn't make any sense!!!

I first didn't like the whole pretending boyfriend-girlfriend thing with Peter, because I originally liked Josh. But then Peter just grew out on me as I got through the book, and I wanted her to end up with him. But now to make a WHOLE sequel on just Lara saying that she chose him? What else is going to happen? She could've just added an epilogue or something, I just don't get it. I'm not complaining but really?

What could happen is that Margot ends up with Josh and transfers colleges, Peter and Lara end up together and make up with Genevieve and Kitty has her own little crush..

I have no idea what can happen next, unless their dad starts seeing people, oh and Lara's experience in her senior year?!?! I don't know, but I want to find out, and May is just so far awwwaaaay :(

Holy. Freakin. Crap. This book was absolutely amazing. I read it in one sitting because of how fantastic it was.

Lara Jean has always kept a hat box in her room with letters in it. The letters were ones she had written to the boys she had been in love with. While there were only five letters, they meant a lot to Lara Jean because they were her way of saying good-bye to those boys and getting over her feelings for them.

One day, the hat box goes missing and a boy that she had written a letter to confronts her at school. He tells her that he got her letter and tries to dispute some of what she says about him in it. Quickly Lara Jean realizes how screwed she is. Somehow all of those letters were mailed out to the boys.

I don’t want to say more than that because it was so wonderful I want everyone to read it!!! Jenny Han is as great of an author as everyone said that she was and apparently this is going to be a duology!!

I'd seen this book in stores since it first came out and never picked up until now. After reading it, I'm kicking myself for not grabbing it sooner! It was a wonderfully beautiful and well written story. It captured a realism of being a teenager in a way that the last few YA novels I've read have failed to do. There were no overly weird names, the characters weren't overly dramatic (any more than a normal teen would be), and the plot was intriguingly fresh. If you're looking for something that's fluffy, sweet without being sickly sweet, and a quick read, do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

I really liked this book.

When I first started reading it I thought it was boring. But then Margot left and things got so much better.

I related a lot to Lara Jean. We're both half white and half Asian (she's Korean, I'm Filipino). We also both look more Asian than white. We both don't like driving. At one point she says that it's practically a weapon and I agree. We both wear berets. In general I'm in love with how Lara Jean dresses. We both like old/antique stuff.

I also loved how the book managed to lightly touch upon being Asian and being slut shamed.

The ending of the book was slightly subpar but since there is a sequel I’m not that upset about it.

This book completely surprised me in every way possible. I have seen a lot of mixed reviews and it's been on my to-read shelf for awhile, however, it just seemed so cheesy. To my surprise, I really loved the book, I am 25 and the way Laura Jean and the others can sometimes act can be "annoying" but I really just had to put myself back in the shoes of my teenage self. I enjoyed Jenny Han's style of writing and the way she decided to tell Laura Jean's story. I cannot wait to get the next book!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is such a cute and fun read. I wasn't expecting to like it so much. All the characters were very likable. I loved the main character Lara Jean. Usually when it comes to girl main characters they seem to be a little annoying. Especially when they fall in love with a guy instantly. Lara Jean may be a goody goody, but that's what I loved about her. After her mom dies and her older sister goes to college in Scotland, Lara Jean has to step up and take care of her dad and little sister. On top of all that she ends up getting caught up in some boy trouble. What is a girl to do when you're in love with your sister's boyfriend and starting to fall in love with the guy that you're pretending to date? Can't wait for the second book to be released. Thankfully I only have to wait another month.

I was looking for something different and then this came along. I saw that it was a movie on Netflix so i had to read the book first and I was so glade that I did. It was so heart felt and had some humor in it that makes this a very cute story. I dont read many books where the main characters are so young but I am do glad I got to read this one.

The writing! Oh, the glorious writing! I just kept thinking I need to earmark this page because of what a wonderful passage this was and to make sure my daughter reads this and that closely. I read the books that I give my daughter to make sure I know what I am giving her to read and if she is ready for it age and maturity wise. I did not expect to love this book so much since I am not a teenager but this writer is really making me believe that some of the best writers are writing for this age group. She captures the thought process and emotion and well, just the life experience so very accurately and with such aptitude. I just can not say enough good about this writer and I will be purchasing her other books along these lines as much for me as my daughter.

I'm the mother of a teenager, but I also love reading YA just for me. I love remembering what it was like to be a teen. Lara Jean's junior year is going to be different. Her sister has just left for college -- in Scotland! -- breaking up with her boyfriend, literally the boy next door, before she leaves. Lara Jean, Kitty, and her father have accepted Josh as a part of the family, so this changes thing for their family. The absence of Margot is even more felt in this family because she's sort of stood in as their mother since her death years ago.

Lara Jean has never really had a boyfriend, but she's certainly had her share of crushes. But when she decides that she's "over" the boy or that it's time to be over him, she writes him a letter and puts it in her special hatbox. When Peter Kavinsky -- the "it" boy of her school -- comes up to her with the letter, she's dumbfounded. How did he get it? And does that mean....?? She rushes home to find all of her letters are gone.

I don't want to give anything away, but it leads to a funny comedy of errors and misunderstandings. Lara Jean is a sweet teen with that mix of insecurity and confidence that many teens have. This was my first Jenny Han novel, though I've been meaning to read them, but her characters reminded me of the equally lovable Maureen Johnson's.

CONTENT NOTES (from a mom): This book is about a high school junior, so there is definitely some content that is more suitable for older teens, such as sexual activity, drinking, etc, however this is mostly just discussed in reference to someone's character, but not described or glorified. The swearing is probably moderate -- more than just a few mild swear words, but not as prevalent as some novels.

Of all the books I have read in this genre, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is beyond my favorite book. Not only is it well written, it is very easy for me to personally connect with. I absolutely loved it. I am planning on rereading the series because I enjoyed it so much.
The book begins with telling the background of our main character Lara Jean. She lives a almost perfect life with her father and two sisters, Margot and Kitty. The only thing missing is her mother who had passed away when she was younger. She is your average goody goody teenage girl who follows all her father's rules. However that begins to change once the love letters she wrote in middle school get mailed. How you ask? Well you will just have to read to find out!
One of the five love letters she wrote was to her sister Margot’s boyfriend. Lara Jean's older sister, Margot, is leaving to go to Scotland for college, so to keep the house running perfectly falls on Lara Jean’s shoulders. Not even a week after her sister leaves, Lara Jean's social life begins to fall apart. The love letters she kept hidden away get sent out and she has no idea until Peter Kavinsky confronts her. Once she learns her letters were mailed out she panics over the thought of what is going to happen when the other boys get them. Once her sister’s ex boyfriend Josh gets the letter she plays it off and pretends she wrote it a while ago and makes up a lie that she and Peter K are a thing. Just from this one action they both realize they could use each other for their own benefits. For Lara Jean it is to show Josh that she doesn’t have feelings for him and for Peter it is to make his ex girlfriend jealous. By doing this they create a plan that they are “dating”, which means Lara Jean must step out of her comfort zone just to play the role. But what happens when Lara Jean actually starts to fall for Peter?
Lara Jean believes she knows all about love from reading about it in books. But I think that is what excited her but also scared her. What made To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before so relatable to me is when you are younger and you don’t believe you could understand something as big as love.
The more I read this book the more I fell in love. What I enjoyed most about this book was the relationships between the characters. Lara Jean and her siblings. They are so close with each other and their father. Also, the way Peter treats her younger sister Kitty is heartwarming and how Peter was so protective over Lara Jean and how he cared for her too. But most of all the way Peter and Lara Jean act around each other even though they aren’t actually dating made me keep wanting to read more. But something Lara Jean said really stood out to me,
“I want to say yes, but I don't want to be with a boy whose heart belongs to somebody else. Just once, I want to be somebody else's first choice” (Han 311). This stood out to me because everyone, whether they admit it or not, wants to be someone's first choice no matter what. As the story continues on I fell more and more in love with the thought of Lara Jean and Peter as a real couple. I remember reading the book and forgetting they were faking a relationship.
I absolutely loved this book and I wouldn’t change a thing. This is definitely a ten out of ten read for me and I highly recommend it. I am so excited for the third and final book in the series to come out so I can read it. Even if you don’t enjoy a teen romance novel, I believe you should give it a try because it could change your opinions and open your eyes to a whole new genre!
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before showed how Lara Jean dreamed about love and what it would feel like. This book showed me the not all love stories are perfect and that it is okay to not know what love is. I can not tell you how much I loved this book! It is a eye opener and right off the bat I was able to relate, positively absolutely recommend To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

I loved this book. I thought the characters were great, Lara Jean was so cute and a fun character to read about. She was a normal girl who might be your friend in real life. I loved the build of the romance, it was sweet and exciting and I found myself smiling as I was reading parts of this story. I can't wait to read the next book!!

After I read, The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han, I knew instantly I would pick this up. Jenny Han can write like no other and it speaks to my young heart. The way she incorporates family and high school drama is spot on! I am absolutely sure she is my favorite young adult-contemporary writer. Her capability to write such genuine, realistic characters is evidence of her expertise. This new duology was everything I was expecting and more.

Lara Jean Song has been, a middle child, living in a house with her 2 sisters and dad. The three Song girls embrace a special bond: they are daughters without a mother. Now that their mother has left them too suddenly, they have to look at each other for moral support and more than sisterly advice. Their personality traits shine through the whole book and anyone can spot it out.

It was more of Lara Jean's disposition that left me wanting more. She had always had hopeless, romantic fantasies. Lara Jean had written love letters to boys she had been in love with, but it was more of a part of herself when it was sent. The letters were never intentional to being mailed to those boys, so when the time came, the mess is chaos.

The humor of the book was refreshing and comes up a lot in the story. The relationships between Lara Jean and the boys are unforgettable. There is one boy in particular that has so much charisma, it's not right. But you end up loving him.

The development in the characters are undefinable and well thought out. Jenny Han has written a story that is genuine like no other. It feels you're reading a love letter yourself. It constitutes all the qualities that will allow any reader to fall in love with young-adult contemporary. Jenny Han has originated this story and frankly deserves high praise. I'm picking up the last book in the dulogy in 2015, P.S I Still Love You, nonetheless.

I am writing this review from my Kindle at 2:16 A.M. Awake right now- having just finished the book- was not something I thought I'd be when I started "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" four hours ago. I was looking for a quick, easy read. Something romantic and very chick-lit with petty teenage drama to entertain me until I was tired. I came across TATBILB, was intrigued by the title, and bought it after a quick scan of the description.

Something quick and easy was not what I got.

Instead, I got a wholeheartedly charming, romantic-but-not-too-cheesy, beautifully told coming-of-age novel. Lara Jean was so likable from the get-go- her bubbly tone kept the story going. The way her family life was well-woven into the plot made it realistic. Intimate little flashbacks cleverly told the reader details about Lara Jean, Margot, and Kitty without taking away from the action of the story. I was completely sucked into the romance of the letters and the boys themselves- getting to know them felt so sweet and enchanting, it became personal. By the end of the book, I realized how like Lara Jean I am. As a 14-year-old girl who has believed herself in love before, the way Lara Jean addressed the difference between fantasy and reality was real, touching, and relatable. I did not expect to be so taken with Lara Jean's love story, nor did I expect this novel to cause me to reflect.

Overall, a completely touching and relatable love story that perfectly captures all the joys (and troubles) of growing up and falling in love.

I don't normally read books like this so I wasn't sure if I would like it. After all the good things I have heard about it I thought I would give it a try . I ended up loving this book. It was an easy read with great characters and an amazing storyline. I have never read a book like this one ,and I don't think I ever will. This was a really cute book. I am so glad I picked up this book. I will be continuing on with this series ASAP.

Wow! This is one of my favorite books ever!

Lara jean, Oh how I love her. I love how she and Josh remain friends. I loved how involved Dr. Covey is with his girls. This was well written.

I think Lara jean is one of the bravest characters ever. I love Gogo (Margot) and lets not forget kitty. She's a firecracker!

While I did like the whole concept of the book, I couldn't get pass the writing style. I heard so much rave about To All the Boys I've Loved Before that I wanted to check it out myself and I am sure most people would like this book because honestly it is cute. However, like I said, the writing style was not for me, it was too much detailed. For example, "Daddy and Kitty come downstairs at the same time. Margo pours Daddy a cup of coffee, black, and I pour milk in Kitty's cereal bowl. I push it in front of her, and she turns her head away from me and gets a yogurt out of the fridge. She takes it into the living room to eat in front of the TV."
Not my cup of tea but I pushed through because the story kept getting interesting. All in all it is worth it but if you don't like this style of writing you might have some issues.

An overall, cute book. The stroke of innocence in young love is so heartwarming throughout this book. The story shares the good parts of being a teenager. The flutters of crushes. The haphazard navigation of friendships. It’s not always easy in the moment, but in hindsight, each sweet memory dwarfs the rough patches. The author has hooked me on the events unfolding for Lara Jean. I want to continue on with this story. Find out how young love ends up... A strong 3/5

I nearly stopped reading, but once I made it to chapter 15 I laughed out loud and was glad I didn't give up. This series has easily become one of my favorites. I listened to the Audible version and it was fantastic. The narrators performance really brought the characters to life and made me love it even more. I will definitely relisten. I enjoyed the relationship between sisters, the development of wonderful characters and the relationships between them. It's a sweet, light, fun read with some depth and wisdom.

I wanted to start this blog with one of my favorite books. Honestly, I have very little negativity to offer for this book. I adore literally everything about it from the characters, to the writing and the plot. And especially, the cover, I think the cover looks really appealing.

I probably really enjoyed this book because honestly, I could truly relate to this whole novel, well most of it. The main character is half-Korean and she mentions numerous food that are Korean which I knew what they were because I'm full Korean. The main character also has two sisters which I have, but instead of the middle child, I am instead, the youngest child. And just like Lara Jean, I had to deal with my sister leaving home to attend college, but I had to deal with two sisters leaving instead of one. I think the fact that I could connect with the character, made the novel more likable to me.

I have no real complaint of the characters. I adored the main character because she was amusing, quirky, humorous and sweet. I thought that the main character was probably a great character. And her love interests, yep, note the s in interests. There are two love interests and you're probably going to hate one love interest, but love the other one which was how I felt. Most of the characters were appealing to me and I enjoyed them, but of course, there will be a few characters you simply dislike.

One thing I can fawn over is the writing of the book. The author definitely captured the perfect amount of humor, wit and emotion. I love Jenny Han's writing like the way she describes stuff, she uses the right words for description. Parts I just absolutely adore is when she describes the way water is on the lettuce when they eat bo sam and the beginning of the novel when she describes a commercial.

And this is my only negative thing which is the ending. It ended to sudden, when you want more, it just ends. Luckily, there will be a second book in 2015. But that just seems so far especially because I just want to know what happens. But honestly, I've read the book three times and I've had it for two months that just shows how much I love this book. It is on my favorites list and it will remain there because it's just one of those books you can't get tired of.

I would definitely recommend this novel to anybody who loves contemporary because this is a must-have for YA contemporary.

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten!

Multiple romantic entanglements that result from a girl’s letters to former crushes getting sent? Yes please! Since YA is probably not going to embrace the reverse harem anytime soon and give awesome girls all the sexy men, books like these are the closest I will get to one of my favorite tropes. Plus Jenny Han can write some really evocative novels, as I saw myself when the sense of summer consumed me as I read The Summer I Turned Pretty. Though this didn’t give me the almost-harem fix I was looking for, this girl’s coming-of-age complete with romantic dilemmas and the call of adulthood is a pretty fun contemporary novel.

With her sister off at college in Scotland, Lara Jean is stuck being the family mom and keeping the house running (their mother died a number of years before the novel’s beginning). Lara Jean has a habit of writing letters to boys when she’s getting over her crushes on them and then hides them in her hatbox, but those letters getting sent somehow is what makes her start dealing with the world like an adult. Mixing her first relationship and other various firsts with some insights into her life as a half-Korean girl (like how she goes as Asian characters for Halloween because everyone assumes she’s dressing as a manga character if she doesn’t; that sounds incredibly frustrating) provides for a good coming-of-age tale, though it’s a tale that doesn’t always move forward.

Though she’s a sweet, generally inoffensive narrator, I oftentimes forgot she’s about seventeen and not twelve. With sentiments like “He was hers first, which means he’s hers always” (ARC, p. 60) and the way she only calls her parents Mommy and Daddy, it’s hard to remember she’s on the cusp of womanhood and not closer in age to her nine-year-old sister Kitty. To make a lengthy aside, I didn’t expect her names for her parents to bother me as much as they did since I call my parents Mama and Daddy fairly often (it’s a Southern thing, I think; both my dad and my mom refer/referred to their parents the same way without fail), but I guess Mommy from Lara Jean’s mouth was too much for me.

This is one of those odd novels where I got distracted by the little things a lot. This may be the smallest, stupidest thing I’ve ever been stuck on in a book, but the reason fake boyfriend Peter and former crush/sister’s ex Josh hate each other? Peter cheated on a Spanish quiz using a calculator and Josh turned him in for it. I mean– How did Peter even think he would get away with it? No one needs a calculator on a Spanish test for anything, especially not in seventh grade Spanish! As soon as he looked at it, it would have been obvious to everyone. It’s such a weird, unbelievable incident, but that’s what their dislike of each other boils down to, which makes their conflict feel heavily contrived. Like I said, stupid, but when I get hung up on something that badly, I have GOT to mention it.

Sounds like I really wasn’t into it, huh? But I swear I was! It’s hard to communicate what makes this a good novel is all. Lara Jean’s struggle with her contracted boyfriend (they have a fake relationship and a contract and everything), possibly returning feelings for her older sister’s former boyfriend/one of her old crushes who got a letter, and also the whole fake relationship maybe not being fake anymore are what make the novel. This isn’t exactly something I dealt with when I was her age, but it’s not hard to step into her shoes and feel it all with her–and I say that as someone who doesn’t step into others’ shoes easily and get invested. Lara Jean/Peter? I can ship it. For that matter, Lara Jean/Josh too! I ship many ships, only few of them sensible.

Even though I’ve only read one of Han’s previous novels (well, two if her collaboration with Siobhan Vivian counts since I read the first book of that trilogy), something tells me her fans aren’t going to be disappointed by this. I’m not exactly going to run out and buy her other novels, but new ones from her in the future? Bring it on. That includes P.S. I Still Love You, the second book in this duology. I need to know how Lara Jean’s love life turns out! WHO DO I SHIP HER WITH?

Adorable, adorable, ADORABLE!

I, of course, picked this book up with the hype of the recently released Netflix show. Based on the trailers alone, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

But what impressed me the most was the voice. I loved how well Jenny handled portraying this character in the perfect timid, loving, insecure teenage language. The romance was incredibly sweet, but the characters weren't stereotypical or boring. I loved that every single character went through growth that you could see.

While I would love to jump right into the sequel, I've got another book to read first. But I'll be picking it up as soon as I can!

this review could be originally found in [...]

this was my very first jenny han book and in all honestly, i ADORED it. it was a light read and was something i needed at the time.

“to all the boys ive loved before” is narrated by lara jean song, a sixteen year-old who lives with her dad and her two sisters. you might get the impression that it's about someone's secret crushes becoming not-so-secret anymore after her love letters get sent out but it's actually more about family dynamic, sisterhood and experiencing love for the first time.

the book cover is so pretty. it has a pastel and rosey vibe that would instantly catch someone's eye. lara jean is someone i would want to be, or be friends with at least. i wanted to immerse myself in the cover and live her life. she is dreamy eyed, funny, quirky and is just easy relate to. i loved her wardrobe, how she loves baking and her bond with her older sister margo and her sassy little sister kitty.

she was living a normal mundane life but things started to take a turn after her love letters to her past crushes mysteriously gets sent out and ends up fake dating peter, another receiver of the love letter (i don't wanna spoil it, you guys!)

peter kavinsky. oh god where do i even start. i loved him so much. but if i was to be honest, i didn't /automatically/ liked him. i asked myself, why peter?? peter who was over-confident, vain and just seemed like your typical douche in high school. but in the course of the book, you wouldn't be able to resist his charm. he's funny, handsome and more than he lets everyone see. peter was one lara jean’s childhood friends and just so happens to be her first kiss! so who knows feelings may still linger and sparks may fly.

this book is far from perfect (as everyone would say), but it's easy to ignore the little flaws because the book is so fun and cute and it's just hard not to adore lara jean’s family. i just want to hug all of them!

overall, the book made me happy. this is the type of book that would make you smile whilst reading it. i love how jenny han detailed lara jean’s ever so shifting emotions, how she got her to face her fears and expand her world

so basically what im trying to say is, go out and buy this book because you won't regret it. i loved this inside out and hope youll find to love it yourself

At one point in time, everyone can fall into love at a young age and not know everything that goes into it. This story is told from a perspective of a young girl who has come from her time of falling in love, but with different boys at different times in her life, and she starts to write letters to each of the boys that she felt she needed to think of, and why or how it went wrong. This letter is to all the boys she's loved before.

I'm doing a review on a book called, To All The Boys I've Loved Before," by Jenny Han that I've classed into the genre of romance. Some may say it's fiction or nonfiction, but could be both. My criteria I was looking for in this book were; the characters, symbols, and traits. The extent this book has gone to meet my criteria has been beyond met. All of the five letters are truly written from the heart of this young girl. Many of the characters within her life were significant loved ones that played in special times while growing up. Unique things that she has or each characters would have that represents their own personality. The characters in this book are family and friends. Lara Jean's relatives are her dad, mom, with older and younger sisters, Margot and Kitty. Her friends are Josh, Chris, Peter, Genevieve, Kenny, Lucas, and John. Let me tell you more about them.

To introduce these characters, I'll start with her parents her Dad and Mom Eve, dad is a single parent due to an accident of their mom. Fishing is his symbol that represents his love of trying to show three crying girls how to fish. With their mom being a Song girl for life represented as their last name that symbolizes as her identity. Then there's Margot, she is the oldest sister of Lara Jean and probably the wisest. A symbol for Margot was a story that was said from her mom. On the other end, the youngest sister is named Katherine, but Kitty for short. Her symbol was a toasted crunchy peanut butter sandwich that symbolizes a win at hand. When their Dad puts an effort to make all the girls happy, I think it's a way of coping with their loss of their mother and that she a significant part in their life. To Margot she say to not go overboard with a boyfriend to college. It's a nurturing way of comfort and protection, while also to Lara Jean and Kitty by them being aware of love always.

Now we move on to introducing Lara Jean's friends beginning with Josh. He's the family friend, neighbor, and boyfriend of Margot. A symbol for Josh was comics, and how it's his hobby. Then there's Chris, as a close friend since elementary school. A Magnolia tree represents her when she'll come knocking on the door at night. Then there's Peter who's been a childhood friend of Lara Jean. His black Audi shows his high wealth. Which links to Genevieve, who was a long time distant friend. Her blond hair showed how her real attitude was. Next is Kenny a boy Lara Jean wish knew. A lake represents him accidentally drowning. Then there is Lucas Krapf, wearing a thin V-neck sweater in brilliant blue and stone colored khakis. Confidence show his personal coming out being gay. While finally there was John, who got a kiss when at a kids party playing spin the bottle. A small kiss represents Lara Jean soon to kiss him. All of these friends of Lara Jean have shown how they can come and go throughout her life. Some may have left an important thought in her mind, or have at least met them.

They have been the most influenced characters in Lara Jean's life and it's a great support system. If you think there would be any objections, these are my answers. Another class this book could be is nonfiction. Because it has a real story connected with the author. Instead of having criteria of looking at the characters, symbols, and traits. They could be of her culture, family, traditions, and dessert recipes. To go more in depth of what she does, and how she is at home away from school. The genre of romance does match my criteria by displaying an event that can happen, but not fiction. I feel this a real story and Jenny Han puts Lara Jean as herself to say, this is how it was, but I'm going to finish what I've started.

I am evaluating this novel about a girl who had liked all of these boys an has fantasized about going back into her memories of each of them writing down what she would've wanted to say and how her feelings progressed during that moment. There is always an interest I've had of reading about love. And this book is set from a perspective I can relate to, where at a young age, you mature by having an emotional response to falling in love. And if it ends, that's only the start of a new beginning. This is what has caught my attention to read more of what it is in this book.

My call to this action was an outstanding great personal box of unique lives all into the heart of this girl, who tries to make it through her life challenges, benefits, and create a message through a letter of love. My engaging title for this review is called "Unending Love." This is to an audience of young teenagers who have had unspoken feelings of a past love. My rating I would give this book would be 4 stars, a B+. That is what I think it deserves, because of all the great characters associated into it with also, a great experience of her journey.

Are there any details I should include?

I'm not exactly a fan of contemporary novels, and certainly not of teen-angst-driven contemporary novels. But if it is written by Jenny Han? Then YES. Sign me up. The way that Han writes is so enchanting, so sweet and funny, poignant and HONEST, that you cannot help but fall in love with her books. Even if... brace yourself... you are a 32 year old grown woman, a mother of three and happily married wife. Yeah, that's right. I'm only slightly ashamed to admit it, I was a teenager more than 12 years ago, and I LOVE Jenny's Han's books. "All The Boys I've Loved Before" is so engaging, so beautifully written, that I forgot all about the last 12-15 years of my life and suddenly felt like my 17 year old self again. I had so many REAL, emotional responses to this book that I had to take a few breaks to recover. I identified (as my 17 year old self) with the main character, Lara Jean SO MUCH. I mean, like so much that it was scary. Aside from not being half Korean and not having had a fake romance, I essentially WAS Lara Jean at age 17. The entire book was so sweet and gut-wrenching. And honestly, I would gladly give it a rare five stars except for only one reason - I just DO NOT see the appeal of her main love interest. I've seen other reviews where people talk about how they love the dynamic between Lara Jean and this particular character, and I simply cannot see it. Maybe because my heart was broken by more than one of those kind of boys in my teen years. Or maybe the side of him that I will sympathize with, fall in love with, will be better developed in the second book, "P.S. I Still Love You", which is set to be published in 2015. I cannot WAIT to get my hands on that one!

This is my first Jenny Han read, but it won't be my last. To All the Boys I've Loved Before was a fast read for me. Poor Lara Jean has kept letters written to all the boys she's loved before, but what she doesn't know is they've mailed to each of the boys. Readers get a chance to experience Lara Jean's embarrassment and pleasant surprises as each boy addresses her about the letters.

I really liked sweet tone of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. It was light and fun, but not at all fluffy. While this book is not going to change anyone's life, it is nice to read a YA contemporary novel that does not rely on heavy issues to get the reader's attention. Lara Jean is a realistic teenage girl, and her story will resonate with YA readers. Super excited to read book 2!

This is my first by Jenny Han. Although, I've read her short story in My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories and liked it very much, I've never had a chance to read a full book by her until now. And, well.

It was...cute.

Lara Jean is living happily with her sisters, Kitty and Margot, and father, when one day the hatbox where she stores her love letters goes missing. Those letters are promptly mailed to all the boys she's crushed on over-the-years. More importantly, her sister's boyfriend and longtime secret crush, Josh, whom she refers to as "Our Josh." She also considers him her first real love.

Let me cut in there. Is that not crooked or what? Lara Jean, our MC, never even dated the kid, mind you, so the fact she's drawing hearts around his name is disturbing to me. How could you have feelings for your sister's man? I kept thinking of terms like, "swapping spit" and "sloppy seconds." Ew, Lara Jean? Why? What controlled you to ever? Honestly, EVER? That violates every Girl/Sister/Sibling code inexistence.

AND BEFORE I FORGET. Their littlest sister, Kitty, also has a giant crush on Josh as well. As if one sister crushing on your boyfriend wasn't bad enough.

So Margot leaves for school in Scotland before the start of Lara Jean's new school year and this is when Lara finally decides to pounce on the newly-single Josh. The love letters being unleashed temporarily disrupts that. When Josh attempts to confront Lara over the letter-in-question, she sees another boy she'd written to, "the stealer of her first-kiss", Peter, and launches herself into his arms in a grand-slam kiss.

Peter and Lara concoct a plan to use one another to make their respective exes/crushes jealous. And slowly, slowly, slowly, Lara Jean develops minuscule feelings for Peter.

God, I had a thousand problems with this book. I honestly wanted to like it. I always hear good things about Jenny Han's work, but this was ick. Lara Jean, for one, cries over everything. Like, honestly? Calm yourself. I get her sister moved away and words hurt, but tears were in her eyes every next page. And during the Lara/Margot argument in the end, I expected some big blowout, but she and her sister just cried on each other's shoulders.

Also: girl hate. Every girl that wasn't Lara Jean was snot on. Genevieve was Queen Bee, aka Peter's ex. Lara's best friend, Chris, hooked up with a lot, too. Lara is constantly trying to be the good girl: "I stay home on Fridays and bake brownies and NEVER cheat on tests." and Genevieve is given so much hate, but she was the realest.

Lara Jean pinballs back and forth between Josh and Peter. Because, why not? Although, Peter occasionally skips back to Genevieve whenever she "needs" him. He's a mostly genuine soul. He's also pretty hilarious. I found myself literally LOLing over some of his lines. Josh was a lot like her sister, Margot. He lied enormously, claimed to have liked her in the past, and would've probably stayed with Margot, whom he called his "dream girl" if she never dumped him. I couldn't be less attracted to a YA boy.

BUT THE FOOD. BLACK-BEAN LASAGNA. PEANUT-BUTTER BROWNIES. CUPCAKES. GREEN-BEAN CASSEROLE. CINNAMON SUGAR DONUTS AHHHHHHHHH.

Anyway, not my favorite, but peeps may disagree. I probably won't pursue the series further, but Jenny Han is still lovely.

Every once in a while a book comes along that seems to have a lot of promise that just doesn't quite deliver and I'm left wondering how on Earth I am going to review it. I'll admit to being suckered first by the cover, second by the premise, and lastly, by the mentions of it from other readers.

I adored the characters and I liked the idea behind the book, but as the end of the book got closer I could feel the random ending without resolution coming. Sometimes I like that kind of ending and yet this time it just did not work for me. I think it will be hit-and-miss with most readers in that regard.

While it wound up not really resonating with me beyond an affection for Lara Jean and her family, it will probably be much enjoyed by teen readers.

More like 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. It’s a fast read, but it made me sad and mad to see the main character try to mold herself around the perceived desires of boys she likes or has liked in the past. I know this is a frequent occurrence. But to never even see her examine why she cares so much about guys she has never dated is disappointing.

I was a little horrified that Lara Jean and Kitty laughed about their dad slipping on a banana peel...when their mother died after she slipped and hit her head. Umm, I see the correlation, why don't they?! I didn't like how downplayed their dead mother was. Also, I wanted to yell at the characters because they kept making really stupid decisions and not seeing the obvious. And I didn't like the semi-cliffhanger ending but apparently this is now book #1 as book #2 is slated for a Spring 2015 release. Completely unnecessary to have a sequel... I'll stick with the Burn for Burn series Han wrote with Siobhan Vivian.

This is such a cute and optimistic tale of teenage love.

It's rare to see a bi-racial character, even in contemporary stories and Jenny Han does this right. Lara Jean happens to be half Korean so it flavors her life, but it doesn't mean she's an Asian stereotype. She's all about her family and damage control when some embarrassing childhood love letters are accidentally sent out.

Adorable, charming and so relatable, the book is so much fun and will make you hungry for cookies. Luckily, the paperback version comes with cookie recipes!

Way back in elementary school this book was required reading for me. I absolutely hated the book. I must have understood the general concepts, because I did well on all my tests. Straight A's, thank you very much. #nerdalert However, I didn't truly understand the nuances of the life lessons the author was trying to accomplish with the book. So I'm really glad the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2018 encouraged me to go back and reread this assigned book that I originally hated.

As an adult, I really enjoyed Holes. I'm not really a middle grade book reader, but it's a book that people of all ages can enjoy and learn from. The relevant concepts introduced are child labor, jails, incarceration, the unfairness of the justice system and world in general, deceitful people, learning, personal growth, precious resources, friendship, and finding strength within yourself to accomplish great things. Wow! That's a lot of hard hitting, important life lessons al jam packed into a middle grade book. No wonder it's so popular.

I really enjoyed Holes and recommend you give it a read or reread. If you're a parent, Holes could be a book you group read as a family, and discuss the relevant topics. Might even help explain some of the things going on in the media today.

I'm not usually a reader of YA romance fiction, but I saw that the author went to my high school and I needed a beach read, so I gave it a try. Well, a beach read turned into a home read and then a bed read and then a stay-up-until-4am-and-my-eyes-blur-from-exhaustion read, but I had to finish it! I have no idea why, but I HAD to make sure Lara Jean picked the right one. I don't even like high school settings or love triangles, but man this book hooked me.

One of the best things about it, though, was that I was so impressed with Han's portrayal Lara Jean's race. As a half-Korean girl myself, I LOVED:

1) That Lara Jean was half-Korean
2) That her being half-Korean was not some sort of plot point. She just was. It was an important part of her identity, but the author didn't make it seem like she was filling some sort of diversity quota
3) That the characters did not treat her any differently than if she had been white, or that she was not sexualized because of her race.
4) THE HALLOWEEN STRUGGLE. I am SO happy that the author brought it up. Every. Single. Year. I face the struggle of any non-white person who tries to dress up as their favorite--usually white--fictional character. Instead of being Velma from Scooby Doo, I am an asian nerd. Instead of being the Black Widow, I am a ninja. Instead of being a catholic schoolgirl, I am an anime character. Instead of being literally anything but a geisha, no one can tell what I am. This part made me so happy because I could totally relate.

All in all, great writing, touching characters, and an excellent--and IMPORTANT--handle of race.

Jenny Han had a way with words. She creates these sweet adolescent worlds that are so relatable for teens and bring back memories for those older. It was hard not to be immediately swept up into the world of Lara Jean. What always impresses me about Han's books is the unpredictability. I did not expect for things to happen the way they did and that's what made this story so fresh and unique. I don't want to give anything away, but if you are looking for a sweet story about first love and sisterhood, this is a sure winner.

This book was a fun, quick read. I am a 29 year old adult and I thought it was cute. I think it would be a good book for teenage girls. Nothing delves too far in the romance department. It does show how having sister's can be complicated and so can teenage love. It displays the bond between two sisters. One sister dated the boy next door and the other sister was in love with him. When the youngest sister mails the love letter to him (and all her other "loves") after a fight, she doesn't know what to do. Even when she finds he had feelings for her, she doesn't break her bond with her sister and go after him. It is also refreashing to see the different cultures in this book.

I was really exctited to see what is all this hype about.
I wasn't disappointed. I liked the book - it's cute and the characters are likable.
The "mystery" of who sent Lara Jean's letters is not so mysterious after all. I knew it like instatntly after it happened.
I'm a huge fan of Kavinsky and I love the relationship the sisters have. I feel ambivalent about Josh, I can't say if I like him or not.
The plot itself is not as original as it could be. It's basically "Wrong-Way Romance" by sheri Cobb South, but that's ok it still has some originality in it.

*Review posted on SmartFolksRead.tumblr.com*

I read this book on a flight I took recently and it went by much quicker than I expected. I heard so many good things about this book on Youtube, Goodreads, and Tumblr that I was expected this book to be amazing and of course I should learn that books rarely live up to the hype. The book had a slow beginning and it took quite a while for it to pick up. The writing seemed a bit simple, but not to the point where it got annoying to me, but it was noticeable. Lara Jean was a bit immature and honestly I found her a tad bit boring. Her narrative just didn’t capture; she seemed like a plethora of other female narratives I have seen before. The end of the book just left me hanging and I honestly feel like this could have been a stand-alone novel if there had just been an extra few chapters instead of making it a duology. I cannot say that I’ll rush out to buy the sequel, but I will read it as the book was in some ways enjoyable, just not nearly up to the hype that it has been receiving.

I absolutely loved this book. Jenny Han nails the family dynamic in the novel, particularly the relationship between the sisters, and Lara Jean feels like a very real, very relatable character. I liked how she was immature, and how she had to learn to be more independent without the help of her older sister. The perfect read if you're looking for something funny and light.

It's a mortifying thought - to tell all of your past crushes/loves how you felt about them. People could say that it's courageous. Lara Jean has to deal with this when her letters are mysteriously sent. One of the recipients is someone from years ago, the other is someone who's at her house as often as she is - it's her sister's boyfriend.

The premise isn't as enticing as you'd want a book to be. But the characters just grab you. This isn't just your typical YA Romance novel. There is so much about family and personal self in this book that it's refreshing. Maybe you come for the YA Romance but you stay for the realistic family and their stories. You want to keep reading about Lara Jean's younger sister who's 9 years old and as feisty as can be. You want to know what will happen when Margot goes to Scotland, and returns to see how her sisters and their doctor father have faired without her.

And maybe you stay for the romance, which is worth staying for. This book is worth staying for. Lara Jean is worth staying for. As I read this book, I felt like she was me. I was her. She stays home Friday nights, she'd rather read than go skiing, she likes mushroom and sausage pizza, and she's a nervous driver. Lara Jean is one of the most realistic teenage characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading the mind of.

This is a book to read if you're in your teens, if you're in your twenties, and if you're looking to restore your faith in the youths of today. Teenagers aren't all Chris's (read the book), there are so many Lara Jeans out there. Don't overlook the Lara Jeans.

I'm pretty picky about fluffy books for whatever reason. I often lose interest without fantasy elements or adventure and action but I sincerely loved this book. The family dynamic is so great and it's hilarious and endearing and I loved the fact that Lara Jean and her sisters are half-Korean, but that's not the focus of the book. MORE BOOKS WITH NON-WHITE CHARACTERS JUST LIVING THEIR LIVES!! This book just totally won me over and I can't wait to read the sequel <3

This book is the best. I've read it so many times I could probably tell you every word and not miss anything. It's such a relatable high school story. I mean sure no one just magically get the hottest guy in school just because 5 love letters were sent out by accident. The part that makes this book so relatable is the character Lara Jean. She's hilarious! She's so real and I myself consider myself just like her. We both can't help but be awkward because that's how we are and we both want to live in fairytales. This book is not a disappointment at all. If anything, you'll be recommending this read to everyone just like I am.

Everything I need in a contemporary romance! This book is as sweet as chocolate chip cookies. I wish I had this book when I was a kid, as this would have made my asian-american heart very happy. If you're looking for the perfect summer read with an awesome cast of characters this is it.

3.5 stars

When I read the synopsis of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I felt so much sympathy for Lara Jean, the main character. Lara Jean has written letters to a number of her crushes over the years, never intending to actually send them. She pours her heart out in the letters, telling each guy what she loves about him and what she hates. She recounts events in painstaking detail. And then, horror of horrors, those letters are somehow taken from her room and mailed. Lara Jean first learns of this when one of the guys approaches her, puzzled as to why she wrote him this letter.

The story wasn't what I expected, based on the synopsis. I thought Lara Jean would be mortified over the mailing of her secret letters and that she would spend a significant amount of time recovering from the embarrassment. Perhaps she would even be ridiculed. When I think how I would have felt if something like that had happened to me in high school, I'm sure I would have been afraid to show my face. Hell, I'd be embarrassed today if something like that happened! But all of the guys who received Lara Jean's letters were flattered, if a tad confused. That was a bit hard to believe. I would think that at least one of them would have shown it to his friends and had a good laugh over it. Harder to believe was the fact that Lara Jean somehow seemed empowered, and her social life immediately picks up steam. Just to be clear, I wasn't wishing the story would consist of Lara Jean hibernating in her room and weeping over the embarrassment, but I didn't find her actual actions to be very realistic.

One more criticism, and it's a big one, and then I'll tell you about the things I liked about this story. There's a love triangle, which is not the end of the world, except...one side of this triangle involves the very recent ex-boyfriend of her beloved older sister. I've given a hard time to books that involved a girl involved in a love triangle with two brothers, and I think that an MC pursuing her sister's ex is even less endearing.

On to the good stuff:

- Lara Jean's relationships with her two sisters are so warm and loving (minus the whole "I'm going after your ex" thing). This book made me wish that I had a sister. Nine-year-old Kitty manages to be precocious without being annoying, and Margot is a wonderfully supportive older sister.
- It's easy to see what attracts Lara Jean to both guys. Neither is perfect, and neither is ridiculously and obsessively in love with her, unlike some less successful YA romances. They both behave like typical high school guys, with all of the good and bad that that entails.
- The ending was what I wanted, even though it still took me by surprise. It's not all roses, but it's very sweet and very clever.

I can't wait to hear what other readers think of the ending. I think it will be one that divides people, but I thought it was perfect.

For Parents: Mild language and suggestive themes, but overall a clean read.

This was probably one of the better "growing up" type books I've read recently. While it still has it's share of PLL or 90210-esque drama, it's an honest story of learning what it means to love someone. While I would have loved a little bit more development in regard to the relationship between the main character and her older sister, Jenny Han incorporates so many fun experiences between the characters for you as a reader to observe that you can't help but wish all of them the best by the end of the book. But, if the ending doesn't totally satisfy you,apparently there's a sequel coming out next year. :/

“To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” by Jenny Han was such a fun read. It transported me back to junior high and high school when I could relate to Lara Jean’s biggest problems like dealing with popular ex-friends, ex-crushes, and family drama. This is a young adult book which realistically depicts teenage life. The Song family was an interesting mix of characters who brought cultural originality to the story with their Korean traditions. Lara Jean’s life is turned upside down when her therapeutic method of writing love letters to her crushes to end their hold over her comes back to bite her. Throughout the novel, this question was always at the back of my mind: who sent the letters?! The answer is unexpected but understandable in relation to the story. Lara Jean’s reactions when being confronted by her former crushes are completely realistic and I panicked right along with her. The way Han vividly describes Lara Jean’s thoughts makes us really understand how truly catastrophic these events are for Lara Jean.

Now I have to talk about the boys, since the story sort of revolves around them. Although Peter is a love interest, he isn’t perfect. He says and does mean things, and Lara Jean’s reactions to them are understandable. Peter seems like any popular, mysterious guy that you’d know in real life, but as the book progresses, he becomes an unique character whom you eventually root for. We also witness his feelings develop for Lara Jean which was really sweet to read. Han certainly doesn’t use the instant-love approach and have Peter fall for Lara Jean immediately after realizing how great and different she is. Likewise, it takes time for Lara Jean to remember why she found Peter so crush-worthy in the first place before he became the self-conscious popular guy he is now. Although I enjoyed Josh, (her next door neighbor, crush, and sister’s ex-boyfriend), Peter appealed more to me as a character. I’m also anxious to see how the Song family acts once they’re all back together again, and I wonder where this fantastic story will end up. I’m very eager to see where Lara Jean’s heart is in the next book, the conclusion to this duology. Before book 2 comes out, I suggest all of you pick up this bittersweet and funny YA read.

This book was amazing, obviously I watched the Netflix movie first, but who cares. After falling in love with the characters in the movie I needed more. I'm 25 and still enjoyed the story line, and the relateability of High School love and all of the drama that comes with it, especially in this day and age. Parts of the book gave me butterflies and all around made me giddy. Great read, pick it up you wont be disappointed - until the end when you realize there aren't any more books to read. [i read one book a day, probably would have taken me less time is I didn't have a job]

This was very fun book to me. It a fast read, because the chapters are really short, but it flowed really well to what it was. The cliffhanger makes me want to pick up the next book so fast, but I would have to wait for my library to get it so I can borrow it. This is a 5 star book for me, and I would highly recommend it to a lot of contemporary lovers alike.

3.5 stars. First, let me say that this book is worth the read and I'll probably buy the next one. But I can't give it a higher rating because there was a lot wrong with it, in my opinion. The beginning is really slow. In fact, I almost stopped reading and the ending is very abrupt and unsatisfying. But, the middle is fabulous and once I got into the story, it was hard to put down. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that the voice felt more 14 than 17, but I was able to look past that. I do hope her next book in the series is better.

Such a sweet book. I'm in love with it. I watched the movie first and really liked it, but the book was still great. Often times the movie doesn't hold up to the book. I'm so happy that it wasn't the case here. :)

I love this book. I was a fan of it before the movie came out. Lara Jean is a girl that most of us can relate to. This book is such a fun read. If you are looking for a feel-good book, this is it. So, so good.

I devoured this book. I had no choice because I simply could not put it down, even brought it to work with me.
First of all, I love that Lara Jean is Korean and white because I'm Korean and white so it made me feel cool. Just kidding, but I do love that Jenny Han puts in little tidbits that I connect with like the Pocky sticks and the yogurt drink.
This book seriously had me on an emotional roller coaster. One thing I generally dislike about contemporary is how predictable the story ends up being. However that's not how I felt reading this story. It had me emotional. I felt so invested in the characters.
A great number of stories I have read lately have let me down with this perfect cookie cutter ending where everything has to come together in a perfect ending for everyone. Jenny Han did not let me down.
I will say I was a little creeped out that she was in love with her sister's boyfriends, but whatever I'm still team Joshy all the way!

<a href="http://noordinarybookwhore.blogspot.com/">book whore</a>

-This review can also be found at http://theduchesoffiction.blogspot.ca-
I loved this book. When I started the book I did not really like it at first. But I told myself that I have to finish it and I'm glad I did.

I like premise of her having a child hood neighbour and her having a crush on him long ago and that he was her sister's ex, it was what sparked my interest, LIKE WHAT?! Controversy.When the plot began to become clearer I thought it cliche, how I guessed that she would fall for the extremely irresistible jock. The thing is that I never actually read a book like this or much of any contemporary novels, it was interesting to watch how everything played out. If I was ever in her position I probably won't of lived.

I loved the idea that summary at the back didn't really give of much of plot of the book, it just mentioned that her letters were sent out. This book focused of many ideas such as family, sisterhood and relationships.

Jenny Han did an amazing job incorpriating it all together. I would say this book was unlike anything I've read.I though the character Jenny Han created was unique and something I haven't read before, It was a fantastic beautiful read.

The ending was something that shocked me most it wasn't something I expected to happen, but it defiantly bound to.

I would rate this book a 4.5/5 starts! :D

Whoa, I can't believe I'm enjoying this book THIS MUCH! The narrator did an incredible job recording the entire book and I listened to it in one sitting. The plot is amazing, the characters are perfect and the romance is even more irresistible. Highly recommend to everyone!

I'm a fan of Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty series so I knew this was a book I wanted to read. I really liked the sweet story even though to me it was more about a relationship between three sisters than any boys. The boys were a side-note in this contemporary. The story is told through the voice of Lara Jean, the middle sister. There's also Margot, the oldest and Kitty, the youngest sister. This addresses younger themes than the Summer series so this would be perfect book for a twelve year old. I look forward to reading P.S. I Still Love You in 2015 and finding out which boy Lara Jean ends up with.

It was a good read, but not as good as I expected after hearing so many people talk about it. The characters were likable, except Margot. She was such a goody good and acted better than everyone. Honestly I hated her. My favorite was probably Peter. At times Lara Jean seemed too immature for her age. Still a solid read though.

I'm tough when it comes to books. I read a TON. So I don't give out 4 & 5 stars willy nilly. But Jenny Han really sucked me in to her story and though it was at times it was a tab bit predictable. I found myself loving the "Song girls" and not wanting to put the book down. I can't wait to read the next book in this series... And will definitely be recommending this to fellow YA lovers.

The truth is I'm not a big fan of Contemporary. Why would I want to read about the same old stuff that I went through as a teen, or my daughter is going through, or other kids go through. I want epic. I want adventure. I want to be transported to another world. So when I saw this on the <em>New Reads</em> shelf at my library, my hand hesitated ever so slightly before picking it up. Once I read the blurb, I was mildly intrigued, though I would have preferred she had to save the world too. :)

Sans world saving, at least give me something to care about, and for the most part Han did that. Lara Jean is a likable and interesting character, though I hated the name. I don't know why. I like Lara. I like Jean. Put 'em together and I was annoyed. The little sister is precocious and entertaining, which younger kids in books like this usually are, and big sis was a reasonable addition, if not very deep. Dad was barely-there, which I found annoying, but at least he wasn't a dead-beat or abusive. Mom is dead, which is a big part of the story, but really it wasn't. The story could have happened mostly the same if Mom had been present. I'm not entirely sure I how I feel about this, since I like it when characters have an "issue", but the issue isn't the book. But still, it felt like a not particularly important aspect of the book, though it was made important. I guess the side issue of Mom's death made everything more complicated and dramatic, but it felt like a device to make everything more complicated and dramatic. Which I find unnecessary.

So even though I felt the missing-mom aspect was a device, I was still invested in the characters. I understood why Margot felt like she had to mother everyone. I felt for Lara Jean in her angst over the boys she crushed on finding out. And I was really hoping Kitty would get that puppy, though there are no dogs allowed in my house.

And of course the writing was pretty good. I'll share a few of my favorites. These are favorites because they say some pretty typical things in a creative way, which is hard to do:
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align:center;">Kitty answers back lightning fast . . .</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">I feel a pinch in my heart.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">***</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">My scalp tingles with gratitude.</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align:left;">So I'll get the things I didn't like out of the way. First, the idea that these two young girls, especially the oldest, takes it upon themselves to become mommy of the family when their own mom passes away was a bit of a stretch for me. Maybe it has something to do with their Korean heritage, and I'll admit I know next to nothing about Korean-Americans, but I think we have to consider that their exposure to the Korean side of their family was portrayed as minor. If the heritage would dictate that pre-teen girls become the women of the house and do the cooking, cleaning, organizing, shopping and scheduling for the family, okay I guess, but where was the influence? Dad is white American. I can't see my white American husband expecting my kids to take care of each other so he can work long hours. And they never question or complain about it either. Once again it felt like a vehicle to get us from Point A to Point B. Even Korean-American kids raised in this culture would be a little angsty over having to bake cupcakes for their little sister's PTA event and make sure she gets places on time and know when her field trips are and pack her lunch every day. That's dad's job and I was actually appalled at the portrayal of this family as if all of this is completely normal. If it would have been highlighted that this was different ("Hey, Lara Jean! You sure take on a lot of responsibility I don't have. Glad my mom's not dead.") then maybe I could have bought it, but if you think you're going to make the average American teen feel guilty because they don't have this load, well, trust me, I've tried it. No luck.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">And I was less than impressed with that age old trope let's-pretend-we're-in-love-so-I-can-make-my-girlfriend/boyfriend-jealous. Yes, I actually have some fake love in my current MS, so it's a little hypocritical, but this came out of left field for me and I didn't like it. Okay, so the novel might not have progressed properly if Han didn't use it, but I would have been more impressed if she found a way to pull it off. Especially when the whole thing starts off because Lara Jean wants to make Josh think she doesn't like him. Here's an idea: Tell him you don't like him. It usually works. Seriously.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Now I'm going to share another few lines from the book I enjoyed, and take you on a tangent. Lara Jean is talking to a gay friend and I love his response:</p>

<blockquote>
<p style="text-align:left;">"I just let people believe what they please. I don't feel like it's my responsibility to quantify myself for them. I mean, you get what I'm talking about. As a biracial person, I'm sure people are always asking you what race you are, right?"</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">I haven't thought of it that way before, but yes yes yes! Lucas just gets it. "Exactly. It's like, why do you need to know?"</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align:left;">I hate the term "coming out", though I have used it. And I use it in my current MS. Still, I don't like the idea that anyone has to "quantify" themselves. Why can't we just be people and not be defined by our sexual orientation? I won't rant too long about that, at least not in this post, but I wanted to share that little bit. Also, in regards to heritage and race, I understand that people might find those questions annoying, but do consider if you are biracial or bicultural, that people's interest may not be in the realm of trying to categorize you. It might be (in the case of my own interest) an effort to understand where you are coming from culturally, and to admire how amazing we humans are when we embrace and share our own cultural experiences. I will never truly know anyone's cultural experience but my own, yet I want to know as much as I can about other's experiences so I can learn and grow from that as well.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Moving on. Not withstanding the previously mentioned flaws, I liked this book. It was a heart warming story about a teen girl who grows in her love for her family and learns a bit about herself and what she wants from the love of a boy as well. It is well-written and kept me turning the pages to find out if Lara Jean would develop her unrequited love for Josh, break her sister's heart, discover something in Peter beside his pretty-boy image or basically screw everything up. I won't tell you, of course, but I will say I felt the ending to be unsatisfactory. I guess you could say the important things were wrapped up, so I wasn't horribly disappointed, but I wanted more. And I'll just leave it at that.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">All in all, it was a cute read that wasn't too sappy and annoying. I was really afraid I would have to read some novel about every day teen problems that aren't really problems and end up throwing the book against the wall. I guess if there hadn't been the missing-mom issue, it would have been that kind of book, so I can take that part back. :) Anyway, if you're looking for a light entertaining read that isn't total fluff, I'd highly recommend this.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">My review: 3/5 stars (Come on! She didn't even slay dragons or anything!)</p>

First of all I purchased this book on a whim at my local Walmart the other day because I thought it would be a pretty good book to read. And it was. To all the boys I loved before was the first book I have read by Jenny Han. It it also the first book were the main charater was Asian. I love the story about Laura Jeans life how her letters accidentally got sent out and it started this Fake relationship that eventually got a little more complicated. At times though she would explain stuff about how she was Asian and she didn't look like a charater she was trying to be because she was Asian. While I was reading this book I didn't really remember she was Asian and I didn't really see her of and Asian race. And don't get me wrong the writing was fantastic it just didn't give me that thrill that it was a book I couldn't put down. Sometimes I felt bored with it and almost stopped reading it. But then something drastic or unexpected would happen and I would keep reading to find out what would eventually happen.
As for the ending I felt as if it was just not finished. And while I was reading I thought it was a stand alone even though the ending was sort of a cliffhanger .
When I was reading this boom without the dust facet on I accidentally got a tiny drop of water almost from the rain and the white/ spine part of the book just kinda came off a little bit and you could see glue or something like cardboard. This has never happened to any of my othe hardbacks when getting a little drip on.

But over all it was still a pretty good book and worth the money.

I probably would have given this 2.5 or even 3 stars right up to the very end. I won't spoil it, but there's hardly anything to spoil and it was over completely abruptly and left me feeling both unsatisfied and relieved.

This book wasn't well written or developed enough to need a sequel. What it needed was a good editor to help shape an idea into a cohesive whole. Does every single YA book need to have a sequel, or four, now? A single excellent book is better than 2 mediocre ones any day, in my view.

So on to the plot...lots of other people have summarized the book well, so I'll just say that this whole family needs therapy. Margot and her overachieving, trying to fill-in for dead mommy role is heart-breaking. Kitty doesn't come across as anything but manipulative and whiny from the very start (though this impression may have been helped along by her portrayal by the narrator of the audiobook). Once the supposedly pivotal plot point was revealed, there was no question in my mind exactly how it had happened. And the idea that this wouldn't provoke more of a reaction within the family was ludicrous and naive. Why this family coddles Kitty the way they do is explained away by the early loss of their mother. But I'm sure their dead mother wouldn't be pleased to know that they were raising a brat with the morals of a sociopath in her memory.

I would have liked to read a story about these three sisters and agree that the author has some solid ideas and a way with words. But too much doesn't ring true for it to be a great or even good story here in this case.

Lara Jean seems all at once too grown up (the letters she sends are just so over the top for a high school crush with a few boys who probably hardly even knew her name) and too young and fearful. I kept forgetting she was supposed to be 16 because she acted much more like 13 or 14. We're supposed to witness her evolution from fearful and afraid of everything, including driving a car or operating the very dangerous coffee maker to knowing and going after what she wants and needs. But it's all caricature and superficial and very hard to care about by the end.

The two boys essentially chosen for this love triangle were equally poorly thought out. Even the reader with the loosest moral code might see an issue with hooking up with older sister's ex the moment she leaves for college. Sure, this happens from time to time, but it is a BIG DEAL within families. That plot line was never going to fly...and it pulls down the rest of the story.

None of the relationships were fleshed out well enough for anything more than a tease at what they might have been. We learn so much about Margot and her Type-A ness at the start and then...nothing. She is basically just gone until the plot needs her again at the end, so she returns.

Also, Peter's ex-girlfriend that Lara Jean supposedly has some negative history with...she pops up menacingly every now and again but it always just fizzles out. Peter supposedly loved her for years and she is supposedly vengeful but it never materializes. The lie she spreads at the end just doesn't ring true. Why Lara Jean would take that to heart and not the mailing of her letters in the first place makes no sense.

I wanted this to be good and I wanted to like it so much more, but unfortunately, there just wasn't enough there to like.