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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
For the first time in a long time, I have multiple books going. I can’t seem to find out what kind of reading mood I’m in. I pick up a book, read a few chapters, put it down and move on to something else. I have never been this indecisive about my book reading! It was a jarring feeling, but not altogether unpleasant. And then I got wrapped up in the world of Lara Jean.
I suppose the book has been getting a lot of hype lately, and I’m just another reader jumping on the bandwagon. I noticed the film adaptation in my Netflix queue. I hadn’t realized it was a trilogy until my partner stopped me from queueing up the film before I’d read the book. So I ran out and borrowed the books from my friend. And boy, am I glad I did!
I finished the book a couple days ago, and then sat down and watched the film. This isn’t going to be a compare and contrast. But I loved both in their entirety, for all their differences and similarities.
Lara Jean is a fantastical sort of girl. The idea of romance and relationships is fun to think about, but in practice it’s a terrifying notion. I related to this so hard when I was her age. (It’s still terrifying, to be honest, even though I’m an old married lady now.)
But, as Lara Jean soon discovers, fantasy and reality are never quite the same. Her situation with Peter is, for the time being, very convenient. But convenience isn't always good, or healthy. Not only is she in an elaborate ruse with Peter, but she's keeping up appearances with her friends and family.
Shit gets very real very fast. Rumours fly and Lara Jean finds herself the main character in her own high octane romance novel. Where she was once always a reader, she's now an active participant - sorting through emotions she didn't think she had, and organizing thoughts and feelings into some semblance of order.
Thankfully, she has a good head on her shoulders and a great ability for self-reflection and growth. I'm quite looking forward to reading the second book!
I suppose the book has been getting a lot of hype lately, and I’m just another reader jumping on the bandwagon. I noticed the film adaptation in my Netflix queue. I hadn’t realized it was a trilogy until my partner stopped me from queueing up the film before I’d read the book. So I ran out and borrowed the books from my friend. And boy, am I glad I did!
I finished the book a couple days ago, and then sat down and watched the film. This isn’t going to be a compare and contrast. But I loved both in their entirety, for all their differences and similarities.
Lara Jean is a fantastical sort of girl. The idea of romance and relationships is fun to think about, but in practice it’s a terrifying notion. I related to this so hard when I was her age. (It’s still terrifying, to be honest, even though I’m an old married lady now.)
But, as Lara Jean soon discovers, fantasy and reality are never quite the same. Her situation with Peter is, for the time being, very convenient. But convenience isn't always good, or healthy. Not only is she in an elaborate ruse with Peter, but she's keeping up appearances with her friends and family.
Shit gets very real very fast. Rumours fly and Lara Jean finds herself the main character in her own high octane romance novel. Where she was once always a reader, she's now an active participant - sorting through emotions she didn't think she had, and organizing thoughts and feelings into some semblance of order.
Thankfully, she has a good head on her shoulders and a great ability for self-reflection and growth. I'm quite looking forward to reading the second book!
"I don't think relationships are just about physicality. There are ways to show you care about someone, not just using your lips."
4/5
This review can also be found on my blog!
If you ever need a break from the constant action/suspense/tension in thriller books, or just need something simple to follow along with rather than the elaborate world of fantasy stories, Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before is your solution.
In this novel, we follow sixteen-year-old Lara Jean, who is probably in love with love. She's had numerous crushes, but never dares to confess - instead, she writes them love letters and hides them away in her hatbox. She writes to her heart's content, withholding not a trickle of her feelings; everything she would never say out loud. However, when Lara Jean discovers that those letters have actually been mailed, her life turns into a whirlwind of mortification, embarrassment, and, most important of all, unexpected romance.
Spoilers ahead!
Lara Jean is possibly one of the most lovable characters I've ever read about. She's real, she's optimistic, she's quirky, and she loves her family more than anything. Usually, when reading a romance novel, things such as family and friends are cast aside for the sake of the love interest - I was ecstatic to find out that that is not the case here. The father-daughter relationship, sister-sister bonding, and strong friendships are a fundamental part of this book. Lara Jean looks up to Margot, cares deeply for Kitty, and loves her father to death. She misses her mother and constantly thinks about her, but not in a way that seems to beg for pity from the reader. Thank God. Also, Chris is seriously badass - even if I do question her priorities at times. Seriously, how could you hate Chris? OR LUCAS? I really love Lucas. ❤
The Korean representation is excellent in this book. You have snippets here and there about Korean food, clothing and lifestyle, and there's no overload of information just to tell you: "LOOK! WE HAVE AN ASIAN MC, SO YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LACK OF DIVERSITY!" *claps* I also really appreciate how the Song Girls' father keeps trying to preserve their Korean heritage by cooking their food and practising their traditions. You rock, Daniel. Here, have this Dad of the Year medal; you deserve it.
The romance in this book is bubbly, funny, witty, and definitely not annoying to read. I love Peter Kavinsky to death, y'all. Everyone in the book keeps on clubbing him with the "douche-y guys" who only want to "use" girls, but really, Peter smashes through that stereotype. I love how realistic he is: yeah, sure, he's vain and likes to talk about himself a lot, but that doesn't change the fact that he really loves Lara Jean. He can be extremely considerate and caring when the situation calls for it, and having those parts of him slowly revealed to us is a joy to read.
There are also very important issues addressed here: rumours and sex, especially in high school. As Chris says, "It's not fair for the girl. Guys have it easy. I'm sure they were all congratulating him, pounding him on the back for being such a stud."
You'd think this book is just about the ups and downs of romance, but it's not. It's so much more.
"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."
"Just because a girl is sad, it doesn't mean it has anything to do with PMS."
"Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That's part of the risk. I don't want to be scared anymore."
I'd recommend this book in a heartbeat - a light and adorable read for everyone.
I'd give this book 4.5 stars, rounded up as one does to 5 stars. It was an enjoyable read, for a book that's mostly not that plot-driven. I liked it!
When I first picked up the book, I wasn't sure what to expect since the movie had not been released yet. The plot, characters and family dynamic kept me connected with the book and wanting to keep reading it. Lara Jean is so relatable with her shyness but it was also great to see her change her point of view about love through the relationship with Peter. Now that I've also seen the movie, I can say that the adaptation was done pretty well! I cannot wait to read the sequel.
This story was a fun quick read. I enjoyed every characters of this story and I wish Amazon could sense it when you want to get the rest of a series while you're reading it, this way I wouldn't have to wait until Friday to get the next two books x)
Completely fun and fluffy, with lots of scenes of cooking and eating, plus the occasional delightful description of choosing outfits. Oh, and some cute scenes with little sisters and boys.
Original review: https://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/2018/08/to-all-boys-ive-loved-before-series-by.html
I LOVED THESE BOOKS SO MUCH, OMG. 💕 I was really curious to see what the hype was for this series since the books are super popular and the movie is coming out as well. Now that I finished reading it, all I can say is that I love Peter so much. I need my own Peter in my life ASAP.
It’s incredibly easy to fall in love with the characters and the story. I loved reading about Lara Jean’s relationship with her sisters as well as her dad. Her family is so close-knit and kind of reminds me of my own family except my mom is alive. But in terms of the familial relationships, I can completely relate with Lara Jean. The sibling squabbles especially struck true with me.
Out of the three books, I think I might like the first one just a tad bit more because it’s the starter book where everyone is introduced and I loved the make-believe couple relationship that she had with Peter. Even though it started off as fake, the genuine affection that they had for each other grew as the book and series continued. I also loved how Peter’s relationship with Kitty also grew throughout the books. You know when the guy is a good one when he takes the time to get to know your family especially your siblings. He doesn’t just care about you but your family as well and that really made me love Peter even more.
I also loved how immature they were at times (remember, they’re 16 when the first book takes place). There was that one scene when Peter plays hard to get and it basically backfires because Lara Jean is a bit more on the serious side and took it to heart. I considered leaving that statement out but I don’t really consider that as a major spoiler. However, despite their occasional immaturity (more on Peter’s end), I liked how they came together when it actually mattered. Peter would go out of his way to do a lot of things for her which I loved. It’s all the little things that count and Peter was really good with that.
For me, when I read series, there is usually at least one book that I’m meh about but for this one, I genuinely loved all of them pretty much equally. That’s how much I adored these books. I wish there were more Peter in my life and I can’t wait for the movie because now I want there to be movies for the rest of the books.
I LOVED THESE BOOKS SO MUCH, OMG. 💕 I was really curious to see what the hype was for this series since the books are super popular and the movie is coming out as well. Now that I finished reading it, all I can say is that I love Peter so much. I need my own Peter in my life ASAP.
It’s incredibly easy to fall in love with the characters and the story. I loved reading about Lara Jean’s relationship with her sisters as well as her dad. Her family is so close-knit and kind of reminds me of my own family except my mom is alive. But in terms of the familial relationships, I can completely relate with Lara Jean. The sibling squabbles especially struck true with me.
Out of the three books, I think I might like the first one just a tad bit more because it’s the starter book where everyone is introduced and I loved the make-believe couple relationship that she had with Peter. Even though it started off as fake, the genuine affection that they had for each other grew as the book and series continued. I also loved how Peter’s relationship with Kitty also grew throughout the books. You know when the guy is a good one when he takes the time to get to know your family especially your siblings. He doesn’t just care about you but your family as well and that really made me love Peter even more.
I also loved how immature they were at times (remember, they’re 16 when the first book takes place). There was that one scene when Peter plays hard to get and it basically backfires because Lara Jean is a bit more on the serious side and took it to heart. I considered leaving that statement out but I don’t really consider that as a major spoiler. However, despite their occasional immaturity (more on Peter’s end), I liked how they came together when it actually mattered. Peter would go out of his way to do a lot of things for her which I loved. It’s all the little things that count and Peter was really good with that.
For me, when I read series, there is usually at least one book that I’m meh about but for this one, I genuinely loved all of them pretty much equally. That’s how much I adored these books. I wish there were more Peter in my life and I can’t wait for the movie because now I want there to be movies for the rest of the books.
After reading The Summer I Turned Pretty, I just kind of lost faith in Jenny Han because I didn't like how it ended. (With who ended with who) But after reading this, I guess I shouldn't have hated her other books just because Belly didn't end up with Jeremiah.
The story was definitely sweet but I think the story was just a little underdeveloped and was not really tackled that much.
Peter's feelings are just hard to understand because one minute he looks lovingly at Lara Jean then gaze longingly at Gen. I'm guessing there's still a story behind it and will be discussed at the second book but it should have been explained a little. And Margot was also getting on my nerves a couple of times but I guess she just has it hard being the older sister and all.
But all in all, I had a lot of fun reading it and that ending just got me so good.
I know the book is ending with only a few pages left but then I read the page and flip it over only to know that that was it! And the second book will be coming out on 2015! I have to wait that long!
The story was definitely sweet but I think the story was just a little underdeveloped and was not really tackled that much.
Peter's feelings are just hard to understand because one minute he looks lovingly at Lara Jean then gaze longingly at Gen. I'm guessing there's still a story behind it and will be discussed at the second book but it should have been explained a little. And Margot was also getting on my nerves a couple of times but I guess she just has it hard being the older sister and all.
But all in all, I had a lot of fun reading it and that ending just got me so good.
I know the book is ending with only a few pages left but then I read the page and flip it over only to know that that was it! And the second book will be coming out on 2015! I have to wait that long!