To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1)
Summary:
“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 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. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
Lara Jean is a realistic high schooler in so many ways including very cringe-worthy moments, but at times I will agree with other reviewers she felt a little young. However, seeming young made sense to me considering her relationship with her older sister and the circumstances of their family life. Part of the reason I enjoyed reading it was because I was always quite the tomboy and reading about a, still-relatable yet, completely different high school experience was nice. One warning, there are a variety of baked goods throughout the book that had me wanting to go on a spree and/or find a good bakery.
There are plenty of fluffy contemporary books out there, but another element that I enjoyed about “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is that the book represents a minority family without making the entire plot about that facet of their family. Lara Jean also has a bit of anxiety, which seemed portrayed well to me, particularly in contradiction to Kitty. Yay for diverse characters! All in all, a fun, light read that is worth it. Reading this one is essentially signing up for the series though!
Rating: 4 stars!
Who should read it? Anyone up for a light high-school read with all the angst that goes along with it.
Want to read the whole series?
P.S. I Still Love You
Always and Forever, Lara Jean