TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE

Whoops

As I often say, please don't be offended by my (very) honest reviews! If I like a book, I'll say it. If I don't, then I don't.

If you disagree with my opinion on this book, don't hesitate to leave a comment below! I'd love to know what you guys thought XD 

TATBILB, at best, was a mediocre stand-alone novel. It didn't live up to Jenny Han's other series, The Summer I Turned Pretty Series, which actually WAS superb. TATBILB, while I didn't hate it, wasn't all that great. Although I must admit that there was some pretty cute quotes. Some of my fav being-------->

Not in verbatim: "You know what's funny? I think I like you." - Peter .

"When someone's been gone a long time, at first you save up all the things you want to tell them. You try to keep track of everything in your head. But it's like trying to hold on to a fistful of sand: all the little bits slip out of your hands, and then you're just clutching air and grit."
― Jenny Han, To All The Boys I've Loved Before

"Life doesn't have to be so planned. Just roll with it and let it happen."
― Jenny Han, To All The Boys I've Loved Before

"It's not like in the movies. It's better, because it's real."

― Jenny Han, To All The Boys I've Loved Before

"I don't have to be so afraid of good-bye, because good-bye doesn't have to be forever."
― Jenny Han, To All The Boys I've Loved Before

"I didn't fall for you, you tripped me!"
― Jenny Han, To All The Boys I've Loved Before

"When someone's been gone a long time, at first you save up all the things you want to tell them. You try to keep track of everything in your head. But it's like trying to hold on to a fistful of sand: all the little bits slip out of your hands, and then you're just clutching air and grit. That's why you can't save it all up like that.

Because by the time you finally see each other, you're catching up only on the big things, because it's too much bother to tell about the little things. But the little things are what make up life."

― Jenny Han, To All The Boys I've Loved Before

 Seventeen's not so young. A hundred years ago people got married when they were practically our age." 

"Yeah, that was before electricity and the Internet. A hundred years ago eighteen-year-old guys were out there fighting wars with bayonets and holding a man's life in their hands! They lived a lot of life by the time they were our age. What do kids our age know about love and life?"
― Jenny Han, To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Cons first

- I found the plot to be little (A LOT) boring :( It took me almost the whole summer to read, and it's supposed to be a quick summer read. lt just wasn't that interesting, likely because I wasn't invested in any of the characters. Lara Jean, the protagonist, and I share very little in common. So, maybe that's why I can't relate to her on a deep level. But not just her--I couldn't connect to any of the other characters, enough to care about the plot. Her sister kitty, Josh, etc.

- Now, I adore love stories. And there's a pretty significant love story/love triangle dent in the story. I was frustrated however, by the love story cliffhanger at the end. Maybe I'm just too picky, but I like to have some sort of resolution at the end of a novel. But this story just ended, and at the time, I thought it was a standalone book, not a series. You can see how that would have annoyed me.

But, for me, a novel can usually be redeemed, even without a good plot or good love story, if it has a significant amount of depth. But there was a disappointing lack of depth in the novel.

Pros last

- cutesy one-liners and quotes

- lots of talk about food ;)

- yeah....that's about it......

But don't let me ruin it for you, here's the summary of the novel. Read it, you just might like it ;) Btw, please read Jenny Hann's The Summer I Turned Pretty Series. Those books are absolutely fantastic and I adore them. If you're gonna read any Jenny H. books, read those first. SOOO good ;)

Synopsis:

Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

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

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. 

From Barnes & Noble

When she doesn't want to be in love anymore, Lara Jean Covey writes a romantic farewell letter to the current object of her affection. She doesn't send it; the letters are merely tools for catharsis. Unfortunately, all these therapeutic missives somehow do get mailed and poor Lara Jean is infinitely humiliated that all her formerly secret crushes now know. In this pleasurably addictive series launch, she wrestles with a love triangle with her own younger sister. (P.S. This novel by the author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series is headed for the pinnacles of bestseller lists.)