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

This is such an adorable, sweet and quirky feel-good YA romance! I flew through the pages of this cute chic-lit love story, not able to put it down until I’ve read it all. Lara Jean is a new favorite character, and I absolutely love the Song family dynamics. This book is just as much about family bonding as it is about teenage crushes.

Lara Jean Song Covey is the middle girl of three in a half-Korean family, where the mother died about ten years ago. To deal with heartbreak and to get over her crushes, she writes love letters to all the boys she’s loved, then hides the letters in her hatbox. Until the box goes missing, and suddenly the boys, including her sister’s ex boyfriend Josh and the school hottie Peter Kavinsky, which sets in motion a chain of event that will change Lara Jean’s life.

Lara Jean feels like a real person in so many ways. She’s quiet, shy and loves to stay at home, but yet she’s the opposite of boring! She’s funny and witty and curious and comes up with so many snarky comments you laugh straight out at times. Especially in the bickering conversations with Peter.

I also totally adored the whole Song Covey family. Lara Jean’s dad is amazing, I love the relationship he has with each of his daughters and how he makes sure their mother is still included as a vital part of the family even though she’s been gone for so long. One of my absolute favorites though is Kitty, the feisty little sister. She’s hilarious and adorable, and a total brat at times. I love her frankness and smartness and how she is just completely in her own skin all the time. I did not bond as much with Margot, the oldest sister, but she added a good mix to the family dynamics. So while this novel is also a romance, I felt that it focused on family more, which I truly appreciated. It is very rare in YA that the family gets this much focus, often the family is more or less left out. But here it was at the core of the story.
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I didn’t like Lara Jean’s love interests Peter and Josh as much though. But all in all, this book is super sweet, with more emotions than expected. The dialogue is great. It really feels realistic and like the characters in this series talk like real teenagers would. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an adorable and quirky coming-of-age story with a cute romance and heartwarming family ties.

Rating:
4.5 quirky stars rounding up to 5

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​Author info:
Jenny Han