Buddy Review: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before
by Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Also in this series: P.S. I Still Love You, Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Published by Simon & Schuster, Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers on April 15, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Point of View:First Person
Pages: 355
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads

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.

Lara Jean Song Covey is about to start her junior year of high school. Everything in her life is fine. She’s got a great relationship with her family, she’s got a great but imperfect friend and even though she’s sad that her older sister Margot is goint to Scotland for college, she’s happy for Margot. Sure, she still gets a little pang in her heart at the thought of her boy best friend Josh being in a relationship with her sister but she wrote him a letter and got everything out and she moved on. She really did.

It’s what she does. When she falls in love with a boy and can’t have that boy for whatever reason, she writes them a letter and pours her heart and soul into that letter and then that letter goes into a box for safekeeping because of course, she was never going to send those letters out. So far, she’s written five letters to five different boys.

Things get really interesting when those letters get sent out…

Rowena: Alright, Ames. We’re back in action after a brief hitaus (haha, meaning we have been stinking it up in the last couple of months) and our first book is To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han in preparation for Netflix’s release of the movie next month.

What did you think?

Ames: Ok, first of all, I’m going to say I enjoyed it. But it took me a while to warm up to it in the beginning and Lara Jean annoyed me a bit, but in the end I really like how it all came together. That ending though!!!

What about you?

Rowena: When I got to the ending, I laughed out loud because I was like, “Oh, that’s why Ames was so annoyed” but yeah, I totally would have felt the same way if I didn’t have the next two books to read right away…and I did start the next book right away. I couldn’t help myself.

I enjoyed it too. It didn’t take me long to jump right into the story but I found myself wanting more Peter really early on. He’s such a boy. Josh was super perfect and because of things that we found out about him and Margot, I knew that I wanted Lara Jean to find her own person. Someone that was hers and hers alone and while Peter was still dealing with his nightmare of an ex, Lara Jean was important to him and I loved seeing them fall in love.

I’m super excited about the Netflix movie too. I cannot wait to see this story brought to life. I bet you the movie is going to get the same ending as the book. Haha.

Ames: I would have been rooting for Lara Jean and Josh too, I mean she did like him first. But we find out what we did about him and Margot and Peter was coming across as more interesting anyway. Josh was too known to Lara Jean, there was no challenge there. Peter was the perfect guy to bust Lara Jean out of her bubble, and man does Lara Jean have a big bubble! I think Josh would have kept her in her small world. I did like all the jealousy though between Peter and Josh as the story developed.

Ok, how awesome was Kitty’s character? I loved her! She was so decisive and the sass she threw Peter’s way was cute. I honestly didn’t care for Margot. That ish she pulls at the end, going to their dad? Not cool, sister. And how she barely kept in touch with Lara Jean while she was gone?

Rowena: I adored Kitty! I think outside of Peter, she was my favorite character. I just loved how sassy she was and how caring she was. She didn’t apologize for who she was but she also cared a lot about everyone in her life. When Peter became of those that she cared for, I cheered. I loved seeing the two of them together and I really loved the way that Peter was with her. Kitty’s birthday present from Peter and Lara Jean was the best thing ever. Also? I loved the dance that they did for Peter and Peter’s reaction to it. I hope that made the cut in the movie.

I agree with you about Josh. Josh was perfect and he was very book boyfriendy but I liked that it was Peter, the not so perfect boy who ended up being Lara Jean’s person. I enjoyed the jealousy on both sides with Peter and Josh. I thought Peter was perfect for Lara Jean and I loved that he did force her out of her bubble and I’m so glad that he did because she is so happy and I love it.

Margot annoyed me too when she played the snitch. That wasn’t cool. You don’t ever do shit like that, no matter how mad you are at your sister.

I think I enjoyed this book a bit more than you did because for me? I give this book a 4.5 out of 5. What about you?

Ames: Kitty and Peter becoming friends was definitely a highlight for me. And Peter’s notes! Like the one he gave Lara Jean to say he wanted to drive Kitty to school in his two seater car. *swoon*

Lara Jean annoyed me – she was very immature in my opinion. The way she acted without thinking of the repercussions. Like jumping on Peter because she didn’t want to deal with Josh coming down the hall. HOWEVER, this immaturity was consistent with who she was as a character and a teenager so even though it annoyed me, it was understandable.

Ok, now I feel like a Grinch. I’m giving this 3.75 out of 5. LOL

Rowena: Yeah, Lara Jean was annoying and immature but Jenny Han did a great job of making that a consistent trait of hers and it fit with her inexperience in all things boys and her world being so small so it didn’t bother me at all. And YES, Peter’s notes! Those were the best.

Overall, this book had me all in my feels and I just adored the hell out of Peter. And haha, you are a Grinch for that grade but it’s all good.

Final Grade

Ames: 3.75 out of 5
Rowena: 4.5 out of 5

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Series