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To All the Boys I've Loved Before

(To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1)

Jenny Han (Goodreads Author)

4.17 · Rating details · 401,963 ratings · 35,824 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 355 pages

Published April 15th 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Lists with This Book

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

2014 Contemporary YA

257 books — 1,979 voters

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

YA Novels of 2014

1,543 books — 9,141 voters

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Average rating 4.17 ·

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Apr 16, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance, ya, ya-contemporary, high-school, siblings, contemporary, boring-main-character

There are certain lines that you do not cross, and coveting your beloved sister's ex-boyfriend is one of them. That's why this book made me gag a little.

This book was purposeless. There was no ending. There was no romance. There was no character growth (and the main character was pretty dumb to begin with). I don't usually read contemporary YA novels, but when I do, I have certain expectations. I want sweetness, I want a character that matures, and I want some really cute romance. Yeah. Me. There are certain lines that you do not cross, and coveting your beloved sister's ex-boyfriend is one of them. That's why this book made me gag a little.

This book was purposeless. There was no ending. There was no romance. There was no character growth (and the main character was pretty dumb to begin with). I don't usually read contemporary YA novels, but when I do, I have certain expectations. I want sweetness, I want a character that matures, and I want some really cute romance. Yeah. Me. Wanting a cute romance. It happens!

That was what I wanted out of this book. I don't think it's too much to ask. I didn't get much of anything, so really, it felt like I read this book for no reason at all. I am left completely unsatisfied. Why did I waste my time?

In short:

1. There is no ending!!!!!!! If you want a definite conclusion or an HEA, get the heck away from this book.

2. The main character (Lara Jean) is silly, childish, and privileged in a sheltered upper-middle-class kind of way. She never really matured.

3. There was no true romance. There is a halfhearted love triangle. The romance is a literal "contract," a pretend one to make an ex-girlfriend and a former crush jealous. They are friends, nothing more.

4. The main character has long since been crushing on her big sister's ex-boyfriend. Excuse me while I throw up my recently ingested dinner.

5. There is almost no female friendship in the book. Lara Jean has a best friend (Chris) who is an outrageous, loud slut, and they so rarely talk and that their relationship feels pointless and artificial.

The Plot:

"[Josh] is into you.”
I freeze. “No, he isn’t. He loves my sister. He always has and he always will.”

Lara Jean has been in love with Josh for a long time. They've grown up alongside each other for the past five years; her dad and sisters all adore Josh. There's just one problem with her little crush: Josh is dating her older sister, Margot. Margot is about to leave for college, so she decides to do the decent thing and break up with him. Josh is left brokenhearted. Lara Jean sees him crying. She thinks...

If you were mine, I would never have broken up with you, not in a million years.

Lara Jean is a romantic. She has had a few crushes in her life, and she has written love letters to all of them. There has been five.

And now there's a problem: someone has sent all her crushes the love letters that she wrote them (if you can't guess who it is, we seriously need to have a talk). This is problematic...because Lara Jean wrote a letter to Josh. And Peter.

This is a nightmare. Peter Kavinsky is holding my letter in his hand. It’s my handwriting, my envelope, my everything. “How—how did you get that?”
“It came in the mail yesterday.” Peter sighs.

To a teenaged girl, to any girl or woman, really, this is truly a mortifying experience, having your crushes find out is just an unimaginable humiliation. When Josh finds out, Lara Jean has no choice but to save face. She pretends to be dating one of her letter recipients, Peter. It turns out that Peter is in need of a little distraction himself.

“Let’s just do this for a little while.”
“Do what?”
“Let’s let people think we’re a couple.”
Wait...what?

Peter has recently been dumped by his girlfriend, Genevieve. He wants to make his ex-girlfriend jealous, Lara Jean needs to pretend that Josh means nothing to her. They enter into a dating contract. But then Lara Jean finds himself liking Peter...but is Peter truly over his ex-gf? And what happens when Josh realizes that he might have feelings for her after all?

“Ever since I got your letter...I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

Lara Jean: Inoffensive, silly, stupid at times, and incredibly boring. Lara Jean reminds me of some of my baby sister's friends. She is so starry-eyed with innocence that I just wanted to slap some reality into her. She is stupid at times, she runs a stop sign, she takes some stupid risks involving her own baby sister and a car seat, she would probably buy the London Bridge from you if you offered it to her.

I have a sudden revelation. I lower my voice and say, “Wait...can you read?”
He bursts out laughing. “Yes, I can read! Geez, Lara Jean.” He snorts. “Can I read? I’ve written you multiple notes! You’re hilarious.”

She never really matured throughout the novel. Her maturity at the end of the book equates to "I can order pizza for my dad and sister while my older sister is out of the country now!" She has the sort of wide-eyed innocence that makes me think, "Child, the real world is going to chew you up and spit you out one day." I want a certain toughness in my main characters, not a starry-eyed fluff of an overprotected, privileged upper-middle-class girl. Her definition of maturity includes admitting to her mistakes...

I brighten up and then I remember how Margot said I’m in charge now. I’m pretty sure taking responsibility for one’s mistakes is part of being in charge.

Lara Jean feels like a 13-year old.

Your sister's EX, REALLY?!: I don't know about you, but I find the thought of dating my sister's ex pretty fucking nauseating, and I'm willing to bet that my sister feels the same way about my ex-boyfriend. Let's get one thing straight, if you're going to be in a relationship with someone, there's going to be some touching involved. You're going to go beyond first base.

The last thing I need when I'm kissing a guy is thinking about my sister kissing the same pair of lips. The last thing I need when I'm *ahem* a guy is knowing my sister has probably done the same thing to him. The last thing I need when I'm sleeping with a guy is to be thinking "Has my sister been in this bed? Under these same sheet?"

Gross. Gross. GROSS. No, thank you.

To top it off, do you really want to be dating a guy who was thinking about you when he was dating your sister? What does that say about his behaviors, his morality? What does that say about his character. Is he going to do the same thing to your OTHER sister 10 years down the road? (Lara Jean has two sisters) Do you really want your sister's leftover? Do you really want to date him knowing that he's had sex with your sister? Why would you even consider that? What kind of a sister would you be? I don't care if your sister broke up with HIM. It's still a betrayal of the worst sort.

Female Friendship: When I read a contemporary novel, one of the things I look forward to is a realistic, true portrayal of female friendship. Instead, I have this:

I wish I’d made more friends. If I had more friends, maybe I wouldn’t have done something as stupid as kiss Peter K. in the hallway and tell Josh he’s my boyfriend.

What Romance?: There really is no romance in this book. There is barely anything but Lara Jean mooning and daydreaming that she and Josh were Meant To Be, if only he could see it. Her fake relationship with Peter....petered out. Lara Jean may find herself liking Peter more and more every day, but there's the fact that Peter is not over his ex-girlfriend.

He doesn’t know it, but when Peter talks about Genevieve, he gets a certain softness in his face. It’s tenderness mixed with impatience. And something else. Love. Peter can protest all he wants, but I know he still loves her.

Lara Jean is supposed to be developing a true relationship with Peter, but how can she, when it's clear that Peter has a tremendous amount of emotional baggage.

Peter shakes his head. “What Gen and I have is completely separate from you and me,” he says.

I was truly disappointed by this book. I wanted a sweet romance. I wanted to be swept away. I didn't get anything, and the ending left me reeling with disappointment because, while it was not a cliffhanger, nothing ever got resolved. ...more

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Aug 24, 2013 Avery TheLibrariansDaughter added it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

If I wrote this book it would go a little something like this:
To all the boys I've loved before...
Fuck You.
description

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Sep 14, 2016 C.G. Drews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, 5-star, read-2016, reread, foodie-fiction, read-2018

REREAD #2: February 2018
So I absolutely frikkin ADORED this book when I first read it and proceeded to order book 2 immediately and then wait in agony for it to arrive. And then (remember: SO MUCH AGONY)...I proceeded to not read it. Because my ship. My ship. Anyway I went ahead and forgot the whole thing so that's great of me. I'm only now rereading it because I own the second two books and intend to read them soon.

SOMEONE HOLD ME TO IT OMG or I'll just keep rereading this one until my heart ...more

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May 07, 2014 Emily May rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, 2014

The Blurb: 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.

The Reality: Privileged, boring, 16-year-old girl (whose "voice" sounds closer to 12) feels sorry for herself because her sister's boyfriend doesn't want her. Until he does. Conclusion? There is none. Just a lot of faffing about, moronically pining, and an inconclusive non-ending.

2014 Contemporary YA sucks. So many books ...more

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Apr 14, 2014 Raeleen Lemay rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, young-adult, 2020

re-read in 2020 (3 stars)

I still wouldn’t say I LOVED this but it was definitely better the second time around! I 100% give credit to the movie for making me enjoy it more, because Lara Jean is definitely quite immature and Peter is a huge loser in the book lol but being able to imagine the actors while I read made it all a bit better

first read in 2015 (2 stars)

Well... That was disappointing.

I absolutely could not stand Lara Jean's voice. She sounded like a child, even though she's 16 years old. ...more

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Feb 22, 2019 Miranda Reads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-series, audiobook, best-of-decade

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.

Lara Jean has had plenty of crushes. Plenty.

And she's fallen in and out of love with said crushes without them ever knowing.

Do you know what it’s like to like someone so much you can’t stand it and know that they’ll never feel the same way?

Her secret to getting over a crush is to write them a letter - ...more

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Jun 09, 2014 Zoë rated it really liked it

4.5/5
Reread in August 2018
This was so much cuter than I remember! Though I still have some of the problems with the book that I had the first time I read it (basically, it just annoyed me that she called her dad Daddy - though I did the same thing up until I was like 13? Why am I so judgmental?), it was a very enjoyable experience. It was even more enjoyable since it was a reread in preparation for watching the Netflix original! Though I haven't seen it yet, I had the actors in mind the entire ...more

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Aug 20, 2018 Maria rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4/5 Stars

“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.”

I need to talk about something here. By the time I'm writing this review, I have read the entire trilogy. I finished it under three days because, you know, I had nothing better to do these days ...more

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Mar 16, 2014 Regan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-owned-read

I read this in a day. SO CUTE.

Follows a girl called Lara Jean and through her life she has written letters to all the boys she has loved in her past, she keeps these letters safely tucked away from the word. However, one day she finds they are gone, her letters have been sent out, and everyone she has ever loved now knows. Including her older sisters ex-boyfriend. This story follows Lara Jean as she struggles with her relationship with her older sister and her past loves.

It had so many levels, ...more

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Jul 08, 2018 Emily (Books with Emily Fox) rated it liked it

(3.75?) With the movie coming out soon, I decided to finally pick this book up. It's a YA contemporary with a romance so really it's not my usual genre but I've been a bit in a slump and needed a pick me up.

This was perfect for it! Lara Jean has loved 5 boys in her life and has written to each of a them a love letter that she hid before moving on. One day they are all sent and she has to deal with the consequences.

This was cute! It's all about family, relationships and getting out of your ...more

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Aug 20, 2017 jessica rated it really liked it

this technically isnt a christmas story, but it sure feels like one to me. hallmark walked so this book could run, as far as im concerned. i mean, this has:

- fake to real dating trope
- school ski trip
- that cheesy feeling that makes your heart flutter
- sweet family bonds
- PETER KAVINSKY

what more could anyone want?!

4 stars ...more

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Apr 17, 2014 Claudia Ramírez rated it it was amazing

Shelves: perfection, cover-love, hilarious-humor, 2014, top-2014, i-ship-them, my-sons

AHHHHHHHHHHHH.

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Apr 11, 2018 High Lady of The Night Court rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-read

I was extremely shocked when I started reading this book. The intention was to read the first paragraph and if I didn’t feel like it I would pick another book. I couldn’t stop. I read the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first chapter and that's it, I was not going to stop, it just wasn’t an option anymore. There are few books that will rope you in so completely that you can't help but keep reading, this is definitely one of them. I loved everything about this book, the characters, the I was extremely shocked when I started reading this book. The intention was to read the first paragraph and if I didn’t feel like it I would pick another book. I couldn’t stop. I read the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first chapter and that's it, I was not going to stop, it just wasn’t an option anymore. There are few books that will rope you in so completely that you can't help but keep reading, this is definitely one of them. I loved everything about this book, the characters, the story, the relationships. This is the fastest I've fallen in love with characters in a long time.

Every word, every sentence, every paragraph is bursting with so much emotion, it shouldn’t be possible. The love, the happiness, the sorrow, the regret, all of it is so overwhelming yet so perfect. From the very start all the way to the end there is not a single moment I would change about this book. Every conversation, every interaction will have you hanging on each of the words both spoken and thought. The relationships, let it be family, friends, or something unrealised all have so much emotional weight to them I couldn’t help but love them.

The characters are very well thought out. Each of them have a depth and realism to them that drew me in no matter what. Their secrets, the parts of them they refuse to reveal to the world, and all their emotional baggage just adds to my love of them. You'd think with all the love interests going on it would get slightly irritating but it doesn't, not in the least. The love interests and each of their attributes are so well written that no matter what happens with them, and in between them, I will continue to like each of them for the individuals they are. Our protagonist, Lara Jean is an amazing protagonist and for a story such as this I wouldn't have wished for anyone else. The familial bond between all of them, because of the past they share, or because of the responsibility they have towards each other is mesmerising.

The story’s plot is that Lara Jean wrote letters to all the boys she has loved, they may be perceived as love letters but to her they are good bye letters. She writes down every single thing she feels towards them and by doing so she is free of the all consuming live she bears for them. But someone has posted these letters to the boys they were written for and her heart will face the most arduous experience in her life. This is the plot but all the little bits surrounding this plot are what makes the story so phenomenal. They add that tiny piece of love that completes this work of art.

This story had me hanging on every syllable and I am a fool to have not picked this up earlier. The story was written from the heart and I wouldn't have it any other way. Love emanates from this book and I couldn’t help but reciprocate. Jenny Han has written one of the best contemporaries I have read and I rate it 5 stars without second thought.

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

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Dec 05, 2017 Chloe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: re-reads, 5-stars, 2017-reads, 2018-reads, own-voices, 2019-reads

3rd read: May 2019
5 stars. Audiobook.
This was my least favourite re-read of the book as a lot of things annoyed me. I no longer consider this a favourite book of all time, but I still absolutely love this book and it will always mean a lot to me.

2nd read: November-December 2018
5 stars. Audiobook.
This time around I noticed a few issues I have with it, but I still adore it with all of my heart and it will always mean so much to me. <3

1st read: November-December 2018
5 stars. Physical.
I ...more

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Jun 05, 2015 Warda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: re-reads

MOVIE REVIEW:

I loved it!!! (Hello, Peter! )
It was just the goddamn cutest. They captured the feel of the book so perfectly and now I want to reread them again.
I really hope there’s an adaptation for the other two books.
Netflix did good. Highly recommend.

Book review:
This is a great book if you're in the mood for something light and fluffy or in my case, you're trying to get out of a slump.

The voice and tone of the book is young, which does at times, come across as really immature and childish. ...more

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Apr 02, 2015 Kai rated it liked it

Shelves: finished-series, 2015

“Do you know what it’s like to like someone so much you can’t stand it and know that they’ll never feel the same way?”

To All The Boys I've Loved Before is as quirky and cute as its protagonist.
After the first few pages, I wasn't sure I would finish this book. Everything seemed so picture perfect, so girlie. The way Lara Jean always said "Daddy", how Kitty outwitted any other living nine-year-old, etc. But I'm glad I kept reading, even though the plot wasn't overexciting and very predictable. ...more

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Nov 22, 2013 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-ive-reread

Re-read 8/20/18: Okay so it has to be said: movie Peter > book Peter, and book Josh > movie Josh. However we all know that John Ambrose McClaren >>>>>>>> everyone and that’s the tea

Re-read 4/27/17: I cannot even begin to tell you guys how much joy re-reading this book brought me. I love the Song girls so much. So so so so so so so cute.

Original read 4/26/14: Hands down, my favorite Jenny Han book. I loved the writing and the fashion and the boys and the FOOD ...more

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Dec 03, 2015 Nat rated it liked it

Shelves: diverse-reads, library

Returning To the Starting Point: My (Book)Spoilery Review of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

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

Knowing this book would be waiting for me upon completingAlways and Forever, Lara Jeanmade it a bittersweet reading experience, revisiting where it all started.

*slowly turns into a fan-page for the TATBILB series.*

I took a bit of an odd journey with this series, what with watching the Netflix adaption first ...more

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Jul 07, 2014 emma rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, contemporary, eh, diverse, reread, reviewed, gorgeous-covers, 2-stars, unpopular-opinion, ya

This was...fine.

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https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...

FULL SERIES REVIEW: https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...

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Like...it didn’t take a long time to read. It was fun sometimes. Significantly less fun at others. Good characters, bad characters, couldn’t-care-less-will-forget-their-names-ASAP-could-you-BE-any-flatter characters. It was just a very eh read this time around.

Well, I can say a lot. This is me we’re talking about, guys. You could hand me a sewing machine instruction ...more

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Mar 28, 2014 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Reread in June 2015 for my Goodreads group readalong! Loved it just as much the second time!

1st read:
SO CUTE.
I loved the Song sister's relationship! Can't wait for book two! I didn't realize at first that there were going to be more and I was so sad that this book was over :(

Keep watching for my full review! PLUS a giveaway is coming soon near you soon!! *wink wink*

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Aug 09, 2018 Ashley Nuckles rated it really liked it

Reread for the reading rush 2019: I definitely stand by my solid four star rating because it was cute but wowowowow that ending sucked. Like how do you build all that tension and then literally just leave it like that? (I realize I’m describing a cliffhanger, but it feels different than that lol, this just feels like the story is unfinished)

It’s times like these I’m very glad to already have Book #2 because IM STARTING IT RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND TO CONTINUE THE STORY

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Dec 13, 2016 enqi ☁️✨ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, will-read-this-authors-grocery-list, certified-book-boyfriends, pure-art, 2016-favs, the-ones-that-own-my-soul, diverse-reads, i-will-go-down-with-this-ship

all i have to say is: let me warn you about peter kavinsky. he's the kind of boy who's sarcastic and witty and amused all the time and who is actually the tiniest cinnamon roll on the planet. also his smile is dangerously cute and you will swoon and you will want to have his babies but you will be in for a huge disappointment. because he is mine.

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Apr 24, 2014 Whitney Atkinson rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2016, audiobook, unhauled

This book was so dramatic and childish that I just could not enjoy it. Lara Jean's plan was so foolish and the love triangle in this was so irritating that I found myself craving the scenes that focused on family rather than relationships. I gave this book some stars though because I listened to it on audiobook in two sittings and it was rather addicting, even though I hated Peter and the ending was a bit of a let-down. You might like this if you're into dramatic, cheesy YA books about jealousy ...more

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Feb 27, 2014 Natalie Monroe rated it did not like it

Shelves: not-as-good-as-i-expected, protagonists-i-want-to-laser-face, would-make-great-chick-flick, sugar-spice-n-everything-nice, way-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot, i-spy-something-pointy

EDIT 8/2/2014: Marking this down to one star. My original 3-star review can be found below.

Let's kick off this review with a little music:

Look at me, I'm Lara Jean!
Lousy at figuring out mysteries
Won't drive a car unless I absolutely have to
I can't! I'm Lara Jean!

Watch it! Hey, I'm Miss Goody Two-shoes
I was not brought up that way
Scandalized by
Peter cheating off a quiz
Because cheating is so wrooooong.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is our protagonist. The girl whose head we have to live in for 288 ...more

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Nov 27, 2018 Teodora rated it really liked it

Shelves: on-app, ya, contemporary, romance

This was the lightest book I've read in a while and all I can say is that I enjoyed it very much. Lara Jean is the perfect example for all the good and kind-hearted girls out there. I don't say that in an offensive way. No. She really is a good girl, making her own way through high school life and love life, innocent and genuine as she is starting to leave behind her childhood and find a bridge towards adulthood.
Lara Jean teaches us an important lesson, even though it is not that obvious at ...more

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Aug 21, 2018 Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporaries, deserves-the-hype, couples-i-love

3.5 Stars

”It's not like in the movies. It's better, because it's real.”

Does this need introduction at this point??

description

Pros:

- Asian FMC! And she’s allowed to be soft and tough and everything in between!
- Lucas is precious and deserves all the ascots he wants.
- Peter Kavinsky comes over and helps Lara Jean bake cupcakes while she’s in her sweats. Need me a freak like that.

description

- It’s actually an inventive take on the fake dating trope.
- There’s this whole thing about growing up and learning to say ...more

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Oct 03, 2013 Brianna H marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: priority-reads, gorgeous-covers, own-physical-copy, young-adult

This sounds adorable!

And looks pretty adorable too!

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Sep 06, 2018 Larry H rated it really liked it

I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.

Lara Jean has written five love letters. There is one letter for every boy she's ever fallen in love with, however brief the infatuation. But she never sent any of the letters to the objects of her affection—she saves them in one of her most prized possessions, a teal hatbox her mother gave her before she died.

"They're not love letters in the strictest sense of the word. My letters are for when I don't want to be in love anymore. They're for goodbye. Because after I I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.

Lara Jean has written five love letters. There is one letter for every boy she's ever fallen in love with, however brief the infatuation. But she never sent any of the letters to the objects of her affection—she saves them in one of her most prized possessions, a teal hatbox her mother gave her before she died.

"They're not love letters in the strictest sense of the word. My letters are for when I don't want to be in love anymore. They're for goodbye. Because after I write my letter, I'm no longer consumed by my all-consuming love. I can eat my cereal and not wonder if he likes bananas over his Cheerios too; I can sing along to love songs and not be singing them to him. If love is like a possession, maybe my letters are like my exorcisms. My letters set me free. Or at least they're supposed to."

While Lara Jean has loved five boys, she's never had a boyfriend. She's been kissed a few times (mainly in 7th or 8th grade), but she's always been content to watch from the sidelines, even play third wheel to her older sister Margot and her boyfriend Josh (on whom Lara Jean has always had a bit of a crush). But when Margot goes to Scotland for college, Lara Jean suddenly must start taking more responsibility for helping her dad and her younger sister, while buckling down for the all-important junior year of school.

But everything changes in a split second when somehow, Lara Jean's love letters get sent to their intended recipients. Suddenly she finds herself having to confront her feelings, in many cases feelings that had long since dissipated. Yet in an effort to uncomplicate things, she actually makes things even more complicated, and she realizes that there's a fine line between pretending how you feel and really feeling. And either way, someone is bound to get hurt in the crossfire.

"I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want to be brave. I want...life to start happening. I want to fall in love and I want a boy to fall in love with me back."

I haven't seen the Netflix series based on the book, but I really enjoyed To All the Boys I've Loved Before . It's charming, sweet, poignant, funny, even frustrating at times—just like the teenage years. This is one of those books with a lot of heart, one you want to keep reading even though you pretty much know how the plot will unfold, and you don't really care.

Jenny Han is a really engaging writer, and she evoked a lot of nostalgic feelings for me about crushes and jealousy and being afraid to share your true feelings. And more than that, she reminded me of the pain and angst and embarrassment which occurs when your most private thoughts get shared with the object of those thoughts! (Ugh.)

This is the first book in a trilogy. I hope the next two are just as enjoyable, although it will be interesting to see where Han takes her characters. I'll certainly be checking them out!

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html. ...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Taschima rated it really liked it

Shelves: stacking-the-shelves

This book was actually super engaging. I loved the main character, her navigation through her crushes and past loves, and her family!

Full review to come.

Old Update:

I love this title. Like, really love it. It's just, we all have boys we have loved before so it resonates. Plus it sounds like quite a beginning to an awesome letter to all your past loves about why it didn't quite work out. We can only hope for a very juicy/scandalous explanation.

description

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Apr 12, 2018 sam {Multi Dreamer}⚔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, contemporary-read

4.25

If you've read my review of Geekerella by Ashley Poston then you probably already know that I was never a huge fan of contemporary novels. In fact I used to despise the genre as a whole and to be honest I don't know why. After reading this book I kind of grasped at the reason why people enjoy this genre so much because, much to my surprise, I have too.

“It's not like in the movies. It's better, because it's real.”
This book follows Lara Jean who, as your average high school teenager, 4.25⭐

If you've read my review of Geekerella by Ashley Poston then you probably already know that I was never a huge fan of contemporary novels. In fact I used to despise the genre as a whole and to be honest I don't know why. After reading this book I kind of grasped at the reason why people enjoy this genre so much because, much to my surprise, I have too.

“It's not like in the movies. It's better, because it's real.”
This book follows Lara Jean who, as your average high school teenager, tends to have crushes on guys. Every time she has a really intense crush, she writes a letter to him but never sends it. Instead she stores the letter-which she pours all her deepest feelings into- in a hatbox in her room. One day, she finds out all her letters have been mailed and her life spirals out of control.

Ok so first of all I didn't plan on reading this book. I only read it because my friend was obsessing about it non stop. So, just to see what all the hype was about, I began to read. And read. And read. Before I knew it, I was done. This book got ahold of my complete undivided attention right from the first chapter. I love Lara Jean's relationship with her family and Lara Jean herself so much.

“You'd rather make up a fantasy version of somebody in your head than be with a real person.”
What I actually didn't like as much in this book were the relationships. Sure, they were fun to read about but I feel like I wasn't as emotionally invested in them as I wanted to be. Or as much as everyone else was but this is just my opinion. I liked Peter Kavinsky as person and sure he and Lara Jean would probably be great friends but beyond that? Maybe to you but not to me.

Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone because it's a book that'll definitely make you happy, gushing on the inside and have you picking up the next one right away and I can guarantee that it'll be one hell of an emotional rollercoaster. Also if you've already read this series then watch the movie on Netflix because as far as adaptations go, this one was pretty well done.

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

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Peter v Josh	65	400	Feb 11, 2020 01:16PM
Floral Tea Cups B...: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han	1	3	Jan 30, 2020 01:02AM
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About Jenny Han

Jenny Han

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Other books in the series

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (3 books)

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Quotes from To All the Boys I...

“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.” — 1296 likes

“Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That's the part of the risk. I don't want to be scared anymore.” — 1072 likes

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