August 31, 2018

Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All The Boys I've Loved Before (To All The Boys I've Loved Before #1)
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Pages: 355
Format: Audiobook/Library

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them… all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

*Some small spoilers*

Review: So I honestly had no plans to read this before the Netflix movie came out. But since its out now and everyone is raving about it, I figured I should give this a shot and see what it's all about. So I snatched up my libraries audiobook for it to give it a listen. Honestly, it wasn't bad. I overall liked the story. A few things bugged me, but overall, it was good. 

So I feel like Lara Jean's letters were the equivalent of writing in a diary back in the day. Lol. You vent about people and things you don't want others seeing in a setting that should indeed never see. The letters hidden away in the hatbox was her diary in a way. Unfortunately, those letters were in envelopes and addressed. I have to admit, this book was slightly predictable. I knew right away who sent those letters. So it being revealed in the end was not surprising. The moment the hatbox and the letters went missing and into the mail, I knew it was her sister. Despite her dad being on a "cleaning spree" around the same time, I knew it wasn't him. I knew her petty little sister took them and did it because she was mad at Lara Jean for almost telling Josh she had a crush on him. Petty petty petty. 

I didn't really like either of Lara Jeans sisters. I obviously thought Kitty was petty for what she did. And Margot was just a stuck up you know what. She had a lot of nerve getting pissed off that her family was doing ok without her. So what?? You wanted to see them fail without you?? And Margot getting pissed off that Lara Jean had liked Josh in the first place. And getting pissed off at her for Josh kissing her??? She seriously had a lot of nerve. Lara Jean had liked Josh way before he ever dated Margot. And why get pissed off at her when Josh was the one who kissed her, not the other way around. Lara Jean was trying so hard to avoid anything with Josh because of Margot, and she comes home and has the nerve to be pissed off at Lara Jean for something Josh did?? Talking down to her and making Lara Jean seem like this incredibly awful person. I'm sorry. Margot is not a great human being and I don't like her. And unless she has a huge change, I will continue not liking her. Your not better than everyone else, like you act like. 

I honestly felt for Lara Jean. She got caught up in this whole thing because of her sister. She had her secret loves exposed, had to try and keep her sister's ex from making moves on her, while also maintaining a fake relationship to try and save face, having rumors spread about her. All because of her petty sister. I thought the fake relationship was interesting though. Lara Jean used it to keep Josh from wanting her and Peter was using it to try and make his ex jealous. Unfortunately that same ex is the one who starts the rumors about Lara Jean because she's also a selfish, petty you know what. God forbid you let you ex move on. But over the course of their fake relationship, they actually genuinely do start to like each other. It's kinda cute seeing them fake date, but then seeing those real feelings creeping in. I was just incredibly annoyed that Lara Jean kept bringing up Peter still being in love with Genevieve despite the fact he was clearly interested in her. She was just scared of actually loving someone and being in a relationship and tried to sabotage the genuine feelings coming out so she wouldn't have to deal with it. I definitely feel like Lara Jean has some growing to do, but I also do feel like she did grow some  compared to the beginning of the book. 

I do feel like Lara Jean had a lot outside the letter issue too that contributed to everything. She had to take Margot's place in taking care of the family. Cooking, shopping, taking care of kitty. She had so much on her plate at home and the letter thing just made things 100% worse. I feel like maybe if she hadn't had so much on her plate, things might not have got so twisted up. 

I do feel like Lara Jean needs some more girl friends. Her closest friends are Josh and Chris (Christine). After all this, I feel like she needs to distance herself from Josh for a bit. And Chris is her only girl friend. I really feel like she needs some more friends in her circle. 

I have to say, I was disappointed in the ending. I was really hoping we'd see some resolution with Lara Jean and Peter. Like at least her trying to talk to him or something. I know there's more books in the series. But still, you could have left us with more than writing a new letter to Peter.