Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Review:

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. 

 

For starts, the main character Lara Jean is incredibly immature for a sixteen year old girl. The thing that irritated me more than anything, was the fact that she still refers to her parents as "Mommy and Daddy". What sixteen year old does this?! Also, her BFF is supposed to be the bad girl of the school who has already lost the big V, drinks and parties and stays out all night, yet uses the word "beotch". What sixteen year old would not use the proper word? Bitch. Sorry for sterotyping, but I do not believe a girl with the reputation that the BFF has, would use the word "beotch". For fuck's sake! Even the 18 year old sister who's off to college in Scotland still calls the parents Mommy and Daddy. Urg. There were more than a few times when the bratty nine year old sister appeared to be the most mature character in the whole book!

 

Rant over, I did wind up actually really enjoying this, in spite of the things that annoyed me. I found Lara-Jean's love letters to be quite a unique way of dealing with the feels for boys she's had crushes on but doesn't get anywhere with. Until...shock horror! (sarcasm from me) the letters are sent out and the boys get them!

 

Including the boy she still really likes, in spite of writing him a letter to be over him. Which brings in the fake boyfriend. Is the fake boyfriend the new in thing for YA contemporary? I seem to have been seeing this a lot lately.

 

Peter, the boy who becomes Lara Jean's fake boyfriend was actually pretty fun. Maybe not the smartest boy in the world and he is more than a bit full of himself. But as the novel progressed, the relationship does develop and the characters become more likable. It was silly and rather unbelievable in a teen feel good movie way. Plenty of eye rolling and "oh come on!" moments.  There's a bit of drama towards the end.   

 

The family dynamic was cute between Lara Jean and her sisters and their Dad. Though it does have one of the biggest YA cliches - a deceased mother. The oldest sister is a bit of a bitch. The youngest is a brat. But they do seem to get along well. 

 

Over all, in spite of the very annoying things about this novel, it was a lot of fun. Didn't require much thought, and was a fairly quick read. And I am very pleased there is a sequel (which I have purchased a copy of) otherwise it was like...all that and then WHAT THE FUCK??? with that ending!!

 

Cute, fluffy fun. 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1174689/review-to-all-the-boys-i-ve-loved-before