Welcome to the little blessed, brilliant, beautiful book reviews! Here, it is! The review so many of you have been waiting for! (Hahaha, just kidding.) A couple of months ago, I was flying back into Pittsburgh and I stopped at the bookstore I typically always visit when I am traveling back to college from a trip. I guess it is just a cute little ritual I like to do every now and then. I remember my searching up and down the tall bookshelves for my next exciting read when this book caught my eye. The Netflix movie for this show had just come out maybe a week before and it was everywhere. I remember my Instagram swarming with photos of my fellow bloggers taking perfectly posed photos on their Instagram stories with their tea in their right hand and their feet covered with cute fuzzy socks that partially blocked the view of the movie played in the background. So, I thought, why not? Before I knew it, I was spending an entire Saturday morning cuddling with my super soft pink blanket next to my own cup of hot mint tea as I read, almost from start to finish, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, “by Jenny Han.”
So What’s it About???
Ever since she had her very first crush, Lara Jean had written love letters to all boys that she loved. (Hence, the name of the book.) Lara Jean would pour her heart into these letters, writing all the things she wouldn’t dare to say out loud. She would address them, seal them tightly, then store them in her special hat box given to her by her mother with no intentions of ever allowing anyone’s eyes to read them. Not even her sisters, Margot and Kitty, knew anything about them until one day, after Peter Kavinsky came up to her during school holding one of her letters in her hand, she realized all those precious love letters that she never meant to send were now patiently sitting in the mailboxes of all her past crushes. Lara Jean was left with two decisions: tell the truth or continue to conceal her feelings and act like nothing happened. Throughout this journey, Lara Jean begins to discover who she is and what it means to have the courage to speak your heart. This story is about friendship, fear, love, heartbreak, sisterhood, and every possible feeling you have ever had in high school about a boy.
My Thoughts
This books itself is extremely well written. It is a quick, lighthearted read that kept me thinking oh my gosh, no way almost the entire time. I think what really spoiled the book for me was how much it was over-hyped. From the characters to the story line, I really didn’t think that is was that unique of a story. Don’t get me wrong, I did like the story, but it was a simple love story, one that I am sure all of us can relate to, but also have read many times before. The way the book ended was not what I was expecting nevertheless, the story was relatable, easy to follow, and intriguing.
//Unpopular Opinion Alert!!!//
Okay, so don’t go crazy on me, but I didn’t really like the Peter Kavinsky character. I found him very distasteful and never got to a point in the text where I was like awhhhh how cute. I often times found myself rolling my eyes at the him. He just reminded me of every ‘not so nice’ pretty boy who is in every high school. I am not sure how I feel about his fate at the end of the book, nor am I settled with the “lessons” that Lara Jean learned. However, to be fair, one of my friends did tell me I had to read the sequels to truly fall in love with the story. But honestly, I am not too sure if i am up for it. At least for now.
Overall, I would recommend the book if you are looking for something sweet, engaging, and quick to read. If you are looking for something with a little more substance, this probably isn’t the book for you and I would only recommend it to young adult readers.
I am going to rate this book a 3.5/5.0.
I hope you enjoyed this review and if you also read “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” by Jenny Han, please let me know in the comments how you felt about the book!
See y’all soon!
< TD
I didn’t read the book (although I’d like to), but I felt the same way about Peter from watching the movie!! Glad someone else gets it haha! I love reading book reviews so I really enjoyed this.