Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jenny Han
Format: ARC (in exchange for an honest review)
Pages: 288
Rating: 7 out of 10 (yes, we give a lot of 7's...deal with it)

Summary (I've loved no website like Goodreads): 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.

My Thoughts: I was so excited to get this novel. I started reading it as soon as I could and it was worth it. It, even though there were quite a few sad moments, is a pretty feel good novel. Even when everything is going to hell, the author managed to bring bright moments and great laughs. At first, I thought that the author was just going off on tangents but really those so called tangents brought the story together. It was really great to get little flashes of back story that explained why the main character, Lara Jean, felt the way she did. I didn't think I would enjoy this but I really did. I don't usually but I'm glad the author did it.

I would like to say that if this happened to me, I would die. I would actually die. I'm not exaggerating here. If letters I wrote to boys I loved were sent, my life would end. I wouldn't even have to like kill myself because I would just drop dead of embarrassment. I felt sooooooooooo bad for Lara Jean! It was made even worse by how she found out. I couldn't handle it.

I really, really, really love the sisters' father. I want a character like him in every novel. He was so adorable and did just about everything for his daughters. He was just the right amount of awkward to be entertaining but he clearly cared. I think this is the first novel I've read that has only a single father. It definitely is the only novel I've read with a single father and only daughters. I enjoyed reading about the dynamic. He was like a real father too. I love when characters are real.

The dynamic (I didn't start this paragraph with an "I", I'm so proud of me!! I am aware that the world does not revolve around me even though you are perpetuating that idea by reading a review about what I think about a novel that I read on my own time. I know it's not all about me.) between the sisters is great. I don't have sisters and my relationship with my brother is nothing like the Song girl's relationship. I loved reading about these girls, as different as they are. Even though she is a pain, I think my favourite character is Kitty. She was hilarious.

I expected more from Gen though if what happened to Lara Jean happened to me I would have quit life for sure.

I was not at all surprised by who sent the letters. I suppose that knowing that we find out about who sent the letters is a spoiler...sorry about that but, in the end, it isn't a main part of the novel so don't hate me. Anyway, I figured it out a long time before we were told so that was a bit of a let down. Though, yes, I understand that it really isn't that important who sent the letters.

I was not excited about the ending though. I knew the ending was coming but I didn't like how she ended the story. It could have been so much more. I wish it would have had more of a conclusion that just the letter she wrote. I mean, let's actually wrap it up...please. I think the novel could have had another 50 pages to wrap this novel up. 

I didn't find any annoying mistakes and I was reading the uncorrected proof, so yay for that. I thought that the author wrote clearly and was entertaining. I would totally buy other books by this author!

(See, after that comment about all my paragraphs starting with "I" I had to make it a thing. Look what my life is coming to. Thanks for reading my self-absorbed review. Did I mention that I really liked this novel?)

Final Wisdom: It was totally worth the read! I loved the relationship Lara Jean had with the other characters, even when they were bad relationships. I would totally recommend this novel to those that like complicated love stories and girls that figure out life. It was a good book.