REVIEW: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Published: April 15th 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books 

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction,

Pages: 288 pages

Format: Kindle Edition
Rating: 8.5/10
Description: This 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.

Let me just say: This is easily my favorite novel by Jenny Han. I wasn't impressed with her "The Summer I Turned Pretty" series at all; Maybe because it's for a younger demographic, but I digress. But, this book... It was so good. It pulled me in with it's funny, flawed characters, and it's tottally relateable premise. It had a lot of pop culture references (I highly appreciated the Harry Potter and LOTR ones). It was romantic, and cringe-worthy, and everything that you could ever want in a contemporary romance YA.


The Characters? I loved them so much. From Kitty, the sassy and adorable younger sister, to their father, the laid-back, kind dad. Lara Jean was such a relateable protagnoist. She doesn't give into peer pressure, has crushes, writes love notes, has a crazy relationship with her sisters. I loved her sisters and father! The awesome dynamic between the family was so refreshing. I loved Peter SO MUCH. The constant sassy bickering between them and the slow yet sweet descent into falling for each other was so well done. Margot's organization and bossiness was a great trait to see, especially in a young adult novel.

The Setting? Absolutely refreshing! The Korean/Asian household was just so fresh and stimulating. It was very relateable. I loved the descriptions of the Korean dishes that Lara Jean would prepare, and the descriptions of their customs. I liked the Korean household wasn't a huge stereotype. It didn't feel forced or anything. It felt real and fit right into the story. I suppose it's because Jenny Han herself grew up in a similar setting with her very own sister. Whatever the reason, Jenny Han wrote a terrific and genuine setting.

The Plot? The plot wasn't too complex. However, I was so invested in the story! The humor was spot-on. As a mentioned earlier, the references to Harry Potter, LOTR, ect. were so well placed. I felt like some potential with lost with the letters, though. It's a super cool premise, but I felt like the element with the letters could have been more implemented.
Other reviews were complaining about Lara Jean and about how a sixteen-year-old should be more mature. Um, no. I thought Lara Jean was perfectly normal sixteen-year-old. As I was just sixteen last year, I can tell you that her mind-set's were similar to mine. We're supposed to fret and fuss over little things, and write love letters, and do stupid things. I highly enjoyed Lara Jean's voice.
The loved the romance. I am a sucker for love stories like this: two people who conjure up fake love each other, and in actuality, argue and bicker with each other then end up falling in love them for real. I just love! I don't know why! I love it! And I loved Peter! And I loved Lara Jean with Peter! It was great.

Overall? One could probably deduce that I really, really, really, loved this book. From the cringe-worthy yet sweet romance, to the refreshing and loving family dynamics, to the funny pop-culture references, To All The Boys I've Loved Before is the perfect contemporary romance. I loved it.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell because of several things. Firstly, because of the sister dynamic. Cath and Wren are taking different paths and that's putting a wedge in their relationship while Lara Jean and Margot are separated due to school and the lack of communication puts a wedge in their relationship. Secondly, the Harry Potter references? Do I need to say more? And thirdly, the unlikely romance. Both are YA contemporary's and I enjoyed both of them immensely.