To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is another literary success by Jenny Han. This novel spent 40 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into over 30 languages. In 2018, the book received its movie adaptation, which was also very well received.
Here, we’ll provide information about the book’s author and review the book.
About Jenny Han
Jenny Han is a young adult and children’s fiction author. She was born to Korean-American parents in Richmond, Virginia, in 1980.
She graduated from the Governor’s School for Government and International Studies in 1998 and went on to get her bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2006, Han received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at The New School.
The first book Han wrote was a children’s novel called Shug. She wrote the book while attending college, and it was first published in 2006.
Han’s breakthrough was The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy. The books; The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer quickly made bestseller lists worldwide. The storyline focuses on Belly Conklin, a girl who falls in love with two brothers.
Han co-authored a book series with Siobhan Vivian. The series Burn for Burn features three books: Burn for Burn, Fire with Fire, and Ashes to Ashes.
In 2014, Han published To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (TATBILB). A year later, she published the sequel, P.S. I Still Love You. The third and final installment of the series, Always and Forever, Lara Jean, was released in 2017.
The book, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was turned into a romantic comedy (rom-com) starring Lana Condor, John Corbett, Israel Broussard, Emilija Baranac, Anna Cathcart, Janel Parrish, Noah Centineo, and Trezzo Mahoro in 2018. The movie was directed by Susan Johnson.
Sequel films To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All the Boys: Always and Forever were released in 2020 and 2021. Moreover, a spin-off series called XO, Kitty, created by the author Jenny Han, is currently in production.
A review of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
This coming-of-age romance novel focuses on Lara Jean Covey, a half-Korean high school student. Lara Jean writes five love letters to boys she’s had a crush on in the past. However, these letters aren’t meant for the boys to read; instead, Lara Jean writes them for herself to remind her how powerful her emotions can be.
Unfortunately, the letters get sent to the respective recipients, and Lara Jean finds herself mortified. The recipients are Peter Kavinsky, John Ambrose McClaren, Josh Sanderson, Lucas James, and Kenny Donati. To make things worse, Josh is her sister’s ex-boyfriend.
Peter and Lara Jean agree to start a fake relationship. The fake dating is beneficial for both: Lara Jean uses the relationship to deal with Josh, and Peter uses it to get over his ex-girlfriend and Lara Jean’s ex-best friend, mean girl Genevieve (Gen). Soon, Lara Jean and Peter find there’s something more between them, and both want to start dating each other for real.
However, due to a rumor, the two break up. When Peter approaches Lara Jean, Josh steps in to protect her. Lara Jean’s older sister Margot hears that Lara Jean and Josh kissed, and the two sisters fight.
Another fight between sisters arises, but this time between Lara Jean and her little sister Kitty. Kitty admits she stole Lara Jean’s hatbox and sent the secret letters to the boys. In the end, the sisters reconcile, and Lara Jean writes a real love letter to her ex-boyfriend Peter.
At first glance, this book portrays a high school girl who’s going through a lot since her secret letters aren’t so secret anymore. We see the drama and can feel her embarrassment.
At a deeper level, this book is a great representation of the relationship between Lara Jean and her older and younger sister. We see the sisters confront each other, but in the end, they realize nothing’s more important than family.
Another reason many people praise this book is that the main character is Asian-American. Not many main characters in this genre are of mixed race, so this was a breath of fresh air for many readers.
Some readers state that Lara Jean acts rather immature and childish for her age. And many thought she was much younger than 16.
Overall, this is a fun and interesting read for teenagers that tackles sensitive subjects, so it’s no surprise the book was trending for a long time after it was published.
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FAQ
Who does Lara Jean end up with in the end?
She ends up with Peter.
Is To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before only on Netflix?
Yes, the movie is only on Netflix.
Where does Lara Jean go to school?
She goes to Adler High School.
What is Lara Jean’s favorite movie?
Her favorite movie is Sixteen Candles.
What is the name of the sequel to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before?
There are two sequels, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean.
How long does it take to read To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before?
Depends on how fast you’re reading. If you read at average speed, it should take you around six or seven hours to finish the book.
