Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
2019 Monthly Challenge
>
February Group Read Discussion: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
date
newest »
newest »
First, did anyone else watch the movie before reading it? Did it set your expectations high or low for the book?I haven't watched the movie yet, but plan to this weekend and will see how it compares, I cannot wait!
Mod
yes I think there is a difference between being in love and loving someone; to be "in love" is step 2 after that fabulous infatuation stage, it is part of loving someone but it doesn't last forever.
And yes I think teenagers are capable of true love. Some teenagers meet and fall in love and stay together forever, it happens! (not to me!!) Just as a fire that burns extra hot will burn through all the wood quickly, but is still a real fire, teenage love often burns out, but it was still true love.
Lauren wrote: "One theme this book brought to mind was the idea of loving someone vs. being "in love" with someone. I think most of Lara Jean's experiences throughout the book were typical examples of puppy love,..."I agree that teenagers are capable of true love. I sometimes wonder if more teenage relationships would last if they were encouraged to treat them like 'real' relationships instead of constantly getting told that you're not really 'supposed' to stay with your first girlfriend or boyfriend. (Admittedly, I don't know if real parents actually say things like that, I just know it bugs me that I see it movies all the time.)
Mod
Just finished! I rated it 3 stars mostly because I’d already seen the movie and I feel like because of that I can’t properly judge the book on its own. However, I did immediately request both sequels from my library and will be eagerly awaiting finishing the series! I need to know what happens!
Disclaimer: as a Brit in her fifties, I'm definitely NOT the target audience! I read it as it was the pick for the month. I haven't seen the movie, and I doubt that that I will as it's not really my kind of movie. I read the book as something a bit lighter after Kindred, and it definitely did the job for that, so I gave it three stars.
Having never been through a US high school, I didn't really connect with the setting. For the characters, I liked Josh much more than Peter, and felt sorry for him for most of the book, but to be honest, I was more interested in Lara Jean's family and their interactions.
Did I enjoy it? Yes, mostly.
Do I care enough about the characters to read the other two? Probably not.
Nadine wrote: "Raquel - yes I think some parents do say those things. I've been amazed at the number of teachers who are dismissive of teens, along the lines of "oh you think you have problems now just wait til y..."Good points. Does this mean y'all think Margot's decision to leave Josh for college wasn't the right move?
From my experience I had a boyfriend that I felt I was really in love with, and stayed with after moving away to attend UC Davis (it was only a 1.5 hour drive from my hometown, but since he didn't have a car, it was long distance-ish). I kind of wish someone wiser had convinced me that having a boyfriend back home would hinder my college experience (especially one that was emotionally unstable/abusive). It definitely prevented me from enjoying more of the experiences I would have had if I were on my own. And lesson learned: jealous partners are not worth it. Run! ;)
But in the book it seemed like that was the only reason Margot left Josh, which was probably unfair.
Mod
It's different with Margot because she made that decision on her own, no one pressured her into it. Just as I think young people are capable of falling into a lasting love, I also think they can know their own hearts well enough to know when to end it. We don't really get enough info in this book about what was going on with Margo and Josh.
I didn't break up with my boyfriend before I went away to college (and he chose not to go to college at all, so not only did I leave the state, I was also having an experience he knew nothing about), and in retrospect that relationship was clearly over before I realized it was over, but at the same time I'm glad we let it die a long lingering death, so that I didn't have any doubts later. I'm sure my parents wished I'd broken up with him but I'm really glad they didn't put any pressure on me about it.
Nadine wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Good points. Does this mean y'all think Margot's decision to leave Josh for college wasn't the right move? ..."It's different with Margot because she made that decision on her own..."
That makes sense. It would have been helpful to have more background on Margot and Josh.
I actually joke with my parents sometimes in that they should have told me to get rid of that dude (and another ex), haha. They're not meddlers, but they've made it clear they love my partner now. I just had to get through a bunch of duds first I guess. ;)
Any other experiences in this group with choosing to end relationships or trying long distance for college? Has anyone else had a younger sister go after an ex? lol
I have a hard time believing that Margot never caught on that both her sister and her boyfriend had had feelings for each other prior to her own relationship with Josh.
My sister was two years behind me in school. Fortunately, we never were interested in the same guys. That would have been so awkward.My college boyfriend and I went to the same school for a year, then followed our initial plans to transfer to different schools about two hours apart. This was back in the early 80s when phone calls on corded phones were our only means of communication. The relationship cooled and then died by the end of the school year. Long distance is hard.
Mod
I had a hard time with that too, especially since they are supposed to be so close. My daughters are three years apart. They know who the other one has a crush on, it's not a secret between them.
Nadine wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Good points. Does this mean y'all think Margot's decision to leave Josh for college wasn't the right move? ..."It's different with Margot because she made that decision on her own..."
My first reaction was to say no, it wasn't the right move, but Nadine has a good point that we don't actually have a lot of details. IF Margot's stated reason of just 'not going to college with a boyfriend' was true, then I'd think they should have at least tried to make it work. But if was more like, 'thinking about going away to college made me realize this particular relationship isn't worth the effort of doing long distance' or something similar, that's different.
I’m finished. I thought it was a sweet story that was a quick read. I haven’t seen the movie. I might read the sequel at a later time. Overall I enjoyed it. I didn’t love it, it won’t stay with me for a long time like some books do.
I finally got around to watching the movie last night after finishing reading the trilogy and I preferred the book. I feel like the characters are better developed in the book and I really enjoyed seeing more of Lara Jean's relationship with her family, which I really missed when watching the movie, although I agree that the sex talk was much better done in the movie than in the book. I think if I'd watched the movie first though, I would probably have enjoyed the movie and the book equally.
I have not watched the movie yet because I was told it incorporates plot elements from the second book, so I wanted to read that one first.But I LOVED the book. I loved how sweet and innocent Lara Jean was. It was refreshing to find in a YA book. They honestly remind me a little of the family from 10 Things I Hate About You. I really liked Peter Kavinsky. I also love how developed the secondary characters are in very subtle ways. You can see the way that Josh uses Lara Jean as a Margot substitute and how Margot wants to come home. But the story isn't about them, it's about Lara Jean, and I love how Jenny Han doesn't take away from her story to tell us all about them.
The one thing I don't like is that Lara Jean has a crush on her sister's ex-boyfriend. I get the shared history, but this is a theme in a couple of the books I've read this year, and it's making me uncomfortable.
Ian wrote: "I have not watched the movie yet because I was told it incorporates plot elements from the second book, so I wanted to read that one first.But I LOVED the book. I loved how sweet and innocent Lar..."
Ha, you're right about the connection to the family in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You! I'm glad Lara Jean's father didn't make her wear the pregnancy vest... ;)
Lauren wrote: "Ian wrote: "I have not watched the movie yet because I was told it incorporates plot elements from the second book, so I wanted to read that one first.But I LOVED the book. I loved how sweet and ..."
Oh dear! Although we came close! Especially cuz as I'm typing this I'm remembering Kat's dad ALSO worked in labor and delivery!
I ended up watching the movie first because I had to wait for the book to be available from the library. I am definitely in the I preferred the movie camp. Which is really rare for me. I agree with most everything that has been said and thought the characters were stronger in the movie. And the movie wrapped it all up nicely at the end. I feel like the book just kind of ended.
Ian wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Ian wrote: "I have not watched the movie yet because I was told it incorporates plot elements from the second book, so I wanted to read that one first.But I LOVED the book. I loved..."
True! I wonder if the author was inspired by the movie family...
I read this book a couple months back and I really enjoyed it. Was it the best book of the century? No. Were there some issues I had with characters? Absolutely. But overall, I really enjoyed Lara Jean's character and her relationships with the other characters. She was so sweet and endearing with the best intentions and it was good to read a first person novel with a character like her.To me, I was most frustrated with the dad because it was very clear that Lara Jean was having some anxiety issues with the death of her mom, Margot moving out, and trying to be a responsible teenager. There was a lot of pressure placed on both Margot and Lara Jean to be overly responsible teenagers and basically parent one another. I believe they both did they best they could, given that the dad was fairly absent at a deeper level in my opinion. I also really enjoyed Peter's character, sure he was a bit cliche at times, but he really got Lara Jean out of her shell! I also wasn't much of a
I thought the movie was okay... As other people have said, I thought Lara Jean in the movie lacked the same substance she had in the book as far as her hobbies and interests. My sister-in-law and I watched it and thought the casting for Margot's character was strange because she did not look like an 18/19-year-old AT ALL. But otherwise it was a fun movie to watch!
I just finished the book. I haven't watched the movie, nor will I unless I'm chilling with friends and I get outvoted.I'm rating it 3 stars because it seemed well written and this just isn't my kind of book. I never relate to these books because in high school, I was the girl who is always set up as the mean competition: cheerleader, well-liked, likes parties, etc. (If anyone finds a YA where that kind of character is the protagonist- let me know! lol)
Also, romances aren't my thing in general. When I read, I like the book to be pretty different from the world as I know it. Romances (except the occasional historical and paranormal ones I read if I am in the mood for something fluffy) never let me escape into the book.
Argh I'm torn. I Peter really grew in me through the book, and I wanted a conclusion but I'm not sure I liked the book enough to go through with that cliffhanger. I'll watch the movie this weekend and maybe see how long the waitlist is on the second one at my library...
Yes Katie, my sentiments exactly. I got invested enough to want a conclusion, instead it seems there are two more books to go ... Not sure yet if I 'll go read them all.I liked this first book enough, but not wholeheartedly. It was a very sweet read, a fast read too and had some very good moments. I liked the homely feel in the Covey house, and even though the father doesn't seem to be very present he is very loved by his girls. And he was very relaxed when both Josh and Peter are around. I liked how excited he was for Lara Jean to join in a school trip, but his last conversation with her was untactful.
And ahhh, sisterly strives... Very relatable for me haha.
I just watched the movie and I liked it more than the book actually! I thought it smoothed over a lot of the awkward parts of the book and changed things to make them more believable or interesting, like downplaying Lara and Josh’s relationship, changing Kitty’s motivations, making the dad less absent and giving Lucas a bigger role. Also the actors made Lara and Peter way more charming than in the book and I was rooting for their relationship a lot earlier. And it was actually laugh out loud funny in some parts.
One thing I think the movie did improve on was Kitty. I was frustrated with her in the book, and thought she was kind of a brat. She was a lot cuter in the movie.
Just two more days left for this book's discussion - thanks for everyone's participation!The only remaining question I wrote down that we didn't cover yet was whether anyone else noticed that Lara Jean would ignore people by pretending she didn't hear the question they asked her. It happened at least three times, LOL. Does anyone else do that? I would feel so rude! Maybe it's a teenager thing? ;)
I finally finished “To All the Boys I’ve Loved” it was a nice fun read and I am looking forward to the sequel. I have not watched the movie, but will be checking it out as well. It is not the type of book I generally read, but it was nice one to read as a break.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Kindred (other topics)The Giver (other topics)
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (other topics)
My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...