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BOOK REVIEW: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (#2)

Book Review

Author: Jenny Han
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary Romance
Series: Duology (Complete)

P.S. I Still Love You: ★★★★★/5

Summary: Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

Finished this duology in less than one day because it was ridiculously addicting. I love the love story. The main thing I love about this, is that some part of this book happened to anyone who’s ever been in love. First and foremost, this duology will ring to a lot of girls who’ve dated. (It sure did for me.) The pacing was realistic and the events were all believable and I couldn’t help but be drawn in. It was the type of romance that makes your heart flutter just how a “first love” romance should make it.

I’m kind of bummed though that Josh didn’t really come out in this book so much. He just kind of fell off the face of the earth. There were a few appearances, but nothing of substance, which was lame because he played such a huge role in the first one. I wanted to read more about him. But then again, maybe that’s what Han was going for with Margot and Josh’s relationship, another example of how a love can end or continue. I just didn’t feel as though it was properly resolved.

I appreciate the fact that Han didn’t make love all physical. There are many references to sex in regards to a relationship, and God only knows the high schoolers these days are way more scandalous than a decade ago. So it’s a nice change of pace having of novel about high school love about more than just physical attraction, because there is so much more, more than most people ever really know. Love is an innocent thing, something that deserves to be cherished and protected but doesn’t always turn out the way you expected it to, and that’s what I feel like Han was trying to convey.

LARA JEAN: I was proud of Lara Jean. She stepped out of her comfort zone and really put herself out there. As the main character, she really came out of her shell as her own and took hold of the story through her growth. In the beginning of the series, she started out as a shy, withdrawn young girl who didn’t want to experience real life into a somewhat adventurous girl willing to dive into the crazy parts of it, or at least swim through it as best she could. Throughout her development, Lara Jean stayed true to her own beliefs and desires. The heart wants what the heart wants, even though I don’t think I would have minded so much if it ended the other way. (I’m sure there’s a lot of debate on this).

PETER K.: Peter K. really started to piss me off. Yes, he’s just a nice guy that was misunderstood, but what he did would piss off any girl and if the roles had been switched, he would have acted the exact same way. It could have been resolved had he just been upfront with Lara Jean. In my opinion, he brought it upon himself. But, the little things he did do were sweet and you couldn’t really stay mad at him for long (kind of…)

JOHN AMBROSE MCLAREN: I love John Ambrose McLaren. He’s one of the boys Lara Jean wrote a letter to, and he’s adorable. I feel like it was so meant to be, like FATE! Just hearing the history between the John and Lara Jean from middle school it as if the stars aligned but didn’t quite match up, which really killed me. John is sweet, a gentleman, and was always second place to Peter when they were younger. He’s the guy that would never hurt the girl he loves, and would treat her like her happiness is the one that makes the world turnaround. Even though there were only reference about his timid personality when he was younger, I’m glad he was introduced as a confident and strong guy. But really, I love this kid, maybe even more than Peter K., and I don’t even really know why.

MARGOT/KITTY: Margot doesn’t make much of an appearance in this installment as much. Lara Jean goes to her for support more than for advice compared to the first novel. Kitty is growing up and you can see her character really maturing through her dialogue and thought process. I can definitely see a continuation of this story through Kitty’s POV coming sometime soon. Especially with the letter that Lara Jean writes to her at the end of the book. She’d make a very interesting main character with her all her sass.

Overall, I loved these two contemporary romance novels by Jenny Han. I was in quite a reading slump before I started it and I wasn’t really thinking it was going to bring me out of it. I may be a believer in contemporary romance novels now, it has definitely opened my eyes to an even larger genre than young adult fantasy (still my favorite though). I would definitely recommend this duology to all readers of all ages. It is a story about first love of a high schooler, but whether you’re in high school or you’ve graduated long since, it’ll bring a sense of sweet nostalgia to your first love, and if you haven’t experienced one yet, it’ll give you a taste of what may be soon to come.

Jenny Han, you have changed my view of young adult contemporary romance novels!

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BOOK REVIEW: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (#1)

Book Review

Author: Jenny Han
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary Romance
Series: Duology (Complete)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: ★★★★★/5

SUMMARY: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

First off, let me tell you something about me as a reader before you read my review. I typically dislike fiction contemporary romance books. I’m a complete addict when it comes to a good fantasy book though, but I usually don’t read contemporary romance books. It’s hard for me to get into a fiction book because I love everything fantastical. That being said, I absolutely LOVED this book! (I may be subjective, and you’ll see why in a moment).

I’m not only a Korean-American, but I’m also the middle child of three sisters! HAH Hi, my name is Lara Jean. Jk. Lara Jean’s and my personality are actually really different, but I still enjoyed reading her POV. However, writing letters to past loves is SO something I would do. Of course, if someone sent said letters out, I would beat the culprit up, unlike Lara Jean. Moving on to my actual review now!

I love romance stories, so typically I look for a good romance in every book I read. The thing that made this book enjoyable was that I felt the romance was very believable. I watch a lot of Korean dramas and this book is somewhere along those lines. (I’m sure Jenny Han binge watches a lot of K-Dramas on her spare time~) I’m glad the “letter sending” scandal started pretty early on. For some reason, I thought it was going to happen at the end, but now that I think about that assumption now, it doesn’t make sense. Han wove each letter into the story perfectly; every time I felt I needed something more, I got it. I couldn’t stop reading and that’s why I ended up having to force myself to sleep at 4AM, only after I finished this book and moved on to the finish a quarter of the next, P.S. I Still Love You.

I’m going to spend most of my review on character analysis. So here goes it!

LARA JEAN: She’s a somewhat timid girl trying to fill the big shoes (literally, HAH) left by her older sister, Margot, who left for college in Scotland. At first, she’s a train wreck, but as the story progresses she begins to step up and become the older sister to Kitty she wants to be. I was glad that Lara Jean wasn’t annoying. I hate when a female protagonist is hopeless and weak, but Lara Jean owned it well. You see glimpses of her “quirky” personality and it’s something you grow to love. She reacts like any normal teenager would in the situations she’s thrown in, and handles it pretty well. She looks up to Margot as her example and has complete loyalty to her family, which is quite endearing.

KATHERINE aka KITTY: Kitty is the sassy youngest sibling. She watches HBO shows and has some lip to her. Nothing gets past Kitty’s eyes; she’s a bit snoopy but also very observant in her respect. Even if she does something bad, you can’t really dislike her because her character is so cute. I love how friendly she is with the boys and seems older than she actually is. I think Han did a great job of making her the little sister who grows up just a bit quicker because she has two older sisters, but still possesses a youthful heart and mind.

MARGOT: Margot is the reliable eldest sibling. She is on top of everything, the responsible big sister you know you can go to when you’re in trouble. She’s strict and at times judgmental, but it’s all from love and not from spite, which is portrayed through the way she says things and comforts her sisters. I do like how you find something out that makes her “not-so-perfect.” She’s the idol to her younger sisters and it was healthy to see how the sisters react once they find out something they never imagined Margot would be capable of. It shows the true essence of sisterhood, and the bond that can never be broken.

PETER K.: KAVINSKY! He’s the hot, everyone-wants-to-date, athlete, high school boy, and one of Lara Jean’s past crushes, her first to be exact. I think I fell in love with Peter the same time Lara Jean did. His character is one that just grows on you the more you read about him. He comes out as an ass in the beginning, but then you realize that’s his charm. I loved the fact he noticed more than Lara Jean gave him credit for. It’s always nice to know when boys see the small things, it shows they actually care about a person. I’m excited to see what the next book has in store for him. I hope he steps up because I have big hopes for him.

JOSH: The boy next door, literally. He’s one of Lara Jean’s past crushes as well as Margot’s first boyfriend and ex-boyfriend. I loved Josh’s character. He’s got that older brother vibe because he cares for the Song sisters and wants what is best for them. He’s not the macho boy at school, and not your typical crush. He’s the nothing-physically-special nerd at school. But then you see his true qualities that draw you in to ride the Josh Train. His character pokes in here and there, and every time it did, I loved what I discovered about him. I’m rooting for him and hope things look up in the latter part of the series.

The plot was great. There wasn’t quite a plot twist, but I feel that’s a bit more difficult to do in a contemporary romance because it has to be believable. I already had my suspicions of who sent Lara Jean’s love letters, so it wasn’t a surprise. I’m not sure if other readers were surprised by it. (If you were, let me know!) Each character had a unique personality that brought them to life on the pages and the writing was simple, yet engaging. Not sure what the expect from P.S. I Still Love You, but I’m glad I gave this book a shot, because even though it’s out of my comfort zone, I loved it.

If I had been left with just this first book and waiting for the second, I think I might have lost my mind a little. The way the first book ends, you literally HAVE to reach for the second one. So make sure you have both books before starting!!

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BOOK REVIEW: The Good Sister by Jamie Kain

Book Review

The Good Sister by Jamie Kain

Author: Jamie Kain
Genre: Young Adult/Fiction
Series: No

The Good Sister: ★★★★/5

Wow. I really loved this book and I can’t really pinpoint why I do. Well, maybe I can and a few of the reasons are subjective and circumstantial, BUT a lot of the reasons are not.

First and foremost, if you are born into a family with three children (especially three girls), read it. I just so happen to be the middle child of three sisters. A lot of people say that the middle child syndrome is a stereotype, but really people…a stereotype only emerges because there are so many damn people who fit it! (I totally fit the middle child stereotype BTW, and I embrace it!) I’ll go more into, Rachel, the middle child later in my brief character analysis section.

One thing I really did enjoy that the author did on a literary level was the way she tied loose ends and resolved all the conflicts (even the small minor ones that you thought she might forget). I’m a stickler for this, because I hate to read a book and at the end of it be like…”Hey, what happened to so-and-so…” or “Why did this happen then?” You get the point. It was really heartfelt and will definitely resonate with readers with siblings with a bit of rivalry and sibling hatred (all siblings have/are experiencing this, and if don’t think so…then you’re in denial).

The book is separated by chapters told in the three different viewpoints of each of the sisters. Sarah is the oldest sister who died, so she’s given the least amount of pages, but just enough for a dead girl. Rachel is the middle sister, and she gets just that, a medium amount of the book. Asha is the youngest sister, and like all youngest children, they get everything (jk…that was a really melodramatic middle child comment to say haha). I really liked this aspect of the book; the different views allowed me to step into each of their lives and really understand the spectrum of their feelings surrounding a single event. The perspectives were well written and decipherable, even if the chapters weren’t titled the name of the sister it was told in.

The book was a tad bit slow for me in the beginning, but it became increasingly interesting as I read on. The first few chapters of Asha and Rachel sometimes too similar for me, but as they developed as characters I noticed their own personal quirks and personalities that made them unique. Actually, every character in this book was believable, which is pretty rare for me to say.

SARAH: Sarah is the oldest sister. She was diagnosed with cancer, survived, then re-diagnosed with it again, but that’s not what killed her (because that would be too obvious, duh). I won’t say how she died because there’s a lot of shrouded mystery around it and I don’t want to spoil it for you. Anyways, she’s genuinely kind and even though she wasn’t given as many pages, I still read enough to like her.

RACHEL: Rachel is the middle sister. Anyways, she’s basically a flirtatious bitch that doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the world or the people in it; she knows it, she owns it, and she revels in it. Though, she does have, albeit a small one, guiding compass at times and isn’t completely coldhearted; she has glimpses of compassion that many people wouldn’t notice. She’s the misunderstood one who acts the way she does not particularly because she wants to, but because it’s a defense mechanism. Anyways, she’s kind of the antagonist that readers will find they like in the end.

ASHA: Asha is the youngest sister. Most of the book is led by her and her struggle to find reasons or meaning from Sarah’s death. She takes it the hardest as life becomes pointless to her. Asha’s character makes me think of vanilla ice cream–she goes with every situation, but makes her presence known in the process. (PS. I love Sin, her best friend).

There wasn’t one physical evil villain, except maybe their mom, Lena (ugh, hate that woman). The villain was death–why it happens, how it happens, what happens after, how fates are connected, and a few enlightened ideas of the afterlife (one of them, I found super intriguing!). Overall the plot was written with a natural and believable flow. It felt as if I was watching life as it happened (through Sarah’s passed eyes) and I think that’s what made the book so special, that it didn’t really feel like a book at all, but a real life, and in the end that’s what an author wants a reader to feel.

4/5 for this wonderful book. One of the few contemporary fiction books that I’ve read, but definitely one that I would recommend you to read! Loved it and I hope anyone who reads it does too!

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