To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Let me start by saying I watched (and loved) the Netflix adaptation of this book before I even knew it was a book. The only reason I decided to read this was because I loved the movie, and as such I didn't really know what to expect and just had high hopes that it'd be equally as good or perhaps even better. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, the only reason I'm not rating this five stars is a combination of Lara Jean occasionally coming across as much younger than her real age and the cliffhanger ending. (Come on, book, that was such a ridiculous way to end! Had the movie ended that way, I would have probably never watched it again instead of putting it on every time I'm not sure what else to watch.)

Well, also because the typsetting of the ebook is painful to read - especially on a high resolution phone screen. This wouldn't normally be an issue, except that fancy fonts are used for the contents of letters and text messages and enabling accessibility options to change the font (in the Libby app, where I borrowed this from the library) stripped away not just the fonts but literally everything which indicates difference between them.

So instead of this, which is a clear segue into a letter, even if difficult to read:



I got this, which had absolutely nothing to set it apart from the regular text:



And instead of this, which clearly indicates what's a text message and what isn't:



I got this, which was kind of a hot mess:



(Screenshots taken from my laptop, where I still found the font difficult to read but not as much so as on my phone.)

Anyway, moving along with the review! Weirdly, I have an easier time reviewing books I didn't like than I do books I love, because it's so much easier to tear apart flaws than it is to champion strengths. I can say how much I love the realistic way family is portrayed, but I can't think of examples because all of it feels that way. Even when they're fighting, the “Song Sisters” are so believable as really being related. The way they get along with their dad and their friends is also very realistic. It's not overly saccharine and it's not overly distant; it just feels right, like I'm reading about real people instead of characters. I love that in a book!

I also love how well the writing flows, though at times there are some... interesting wording choices. Take, for example, Swiftly Kitty braids my braid. From the lack of a comma to the repetition of a word, it feels very juvenile and jarring. There are a handful more instances of writing like this, but they're easily overpowered by how well everything else flows. There's also one point where the repetition is played for laughs, and I absolutely loved it:

He's Peter Kavinsky, for Pete's sake. Kavinsky of Gen and Kavinsky. It doesn't matter that they're broken up. They're an institution at this institution.

cute

cute

real

know

good parents for the protagonist

relationship thing

very realistic

Why can't she just say, Good job, Lara Jean? That's it. If she could just acknowledge that I've been doing my part to keep the family going since she's been gone. But no.

Ugh.

she's the one who abandoned them

Turns out they'd had sex and she was weirdly upset about it and what the future would be for them. So she threw him away.

And then she led him on a bit by calling him and making plans with him, only to turn around and once again insist he shouldn't be coming around much anymore.

Gross.

At one point, when he fully believes she's dating Peter and has no clue or indication that she's faking the relationship, he decides to kiss Lara Jean.

His face darkens. He glares at me and I glare back. "Fine!" he yells. "I'm jealous! Are you happy now?"

And then he jerks his head toward mine, and he kisses me. On the lips. His eyes are closed, mine are wide open. And then mine close too, and for a second, just for a second, I kiss him back. Then I break away. I push him off.

She overheard Peter yelling at Josh for trying to kiss Lara Jean and threatening to hurt him if he tried again. That was the wording used, despite reality being that Josh did kiss her, as shown above. And what does Margot do? Decide her sister is a horrible traitor who betrayed her and refuse to hear Lara Jean's side of the tale. For all she knew, Josh may have molested her sister, considering all she knew was he "tried to kiss her" and it made her boyfriend mad!

so many emotions

“I just let people believe what they please. I don't feel like it's my responsibility to quanitfy myself for them. I mean, you get what I'm talking about. As a biracial person, I'm sure people are always asking you what race you are, right?”

I haven't thought of it that way before, but yes yes yes! Lucas just gets it. “Exactly. It's like, why do you need to know?”

fall for Lara Jean

He doesn't mistreat Lara Jean, doesn't intentionally hurt her. When he does misstep, it's because they're not on the same pages when it comes to their fake relationship.