[Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han]

"P.S. I Still Love You"
Author: Jenny Han
Series: To All The Boys I've Loved Before #2
Pages: 337
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Date Published: May 26th, 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format Read: Hardcover from the library

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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. 

-Goodreads
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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To P.S. I Still Love You,

You really get what young love is like, don't you? I love that you're not afraid to show a lot of different sides to the whole "first love" thing. Lara Jean has to deal with things that we all had to deal with in high school (or that we are dealing with) and I adore her. You're love story is darling, and I also love your use of Assassin, because it's one of the best games out there. Book, you rock!

-The White Unicorn

I absolutely adored Han's To All The Boys I Loved Before, so of course I knew I needed to see what new shenanigans Lara Jean was going to get into in this novel. I'm so glad that I made time for it. The book picks up right where the first one left off, which means we get to read Lara Jean's letter to Peter right off the bat. Let me just tell you, it's adorable, and gave me all of the feels even before the real story started. 

Han has a wonderful grasp on what it like to be in love in high school. In fact, I find that I still find myself relating to thoughts and things that Lara Jean is dealing with in the novel. She's a one of those main characters that is easy to relate to. I don't think that you have to be in high school to understand her, and that is really awesome. I think it is safe to say that Laura Jean is one of my favorite contemporary characters that I have read. 

The book, on top of being flat out cute, also deals with some really important issues. Han chooses to write about bullying in a way that also includes the leaking of a video of a scandalous variety. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that she makes some really good points about how males and females are treated when sexual things are brought to light. Han handles it all really well, and I was glad that she decided to make the video leak a part of the story. She says things in a way that girls need to hear, and I'm glad that it's out there in this format. 

Lara Jean has two love interests in the book, but I never felt like it was a love triangle. Maybe because there were never confessions of undying love from any of them. I like that Han writes characters that are figuring out how to have relationships. They like each other, but there isn't this "we are going to be together forever and we are in high school and I can't wait to die in a hundred years together because this is so realistic" type thing. Peter and John both have wonderful characteristics, and they both bring something out in Lara Jean. I can't help but adore both boys. 

Let's just say that I am really hoping that we get to see more of Lara Jean and the rest of the characters that I have come to enjoy so much in these books. Han, please write more!

Rating:

 

     5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!

[Review: To All The Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han]

"To All the Boys I've Loved Before"
Author: Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Pages: 355
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Date Published: April 15th, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Format Read: Purchased eBook

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Summary:

Lara Jean 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 can pour out her heart and soul and say 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.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To To All The Boys I've Loved Before,

Your the cutest! I loved how you reminded me what it was like to be a teenager again. I have to admit that I wrote a letter or two to fellows that I had a crush on back in the day and you reminded me of all of those silly, yet amazing, antics. Basically, I already said it, but I stand by my thoughts that you're one of the cutest Contemporaries I read this year.

-The White Unicorn

This is the first book that I've ever read by Jenny Han and I have to say that I have a feeling that I'll be reading many more. I was instantly impressed with the grasp that Han has on what it's like to be a teenager. Lara Jean isn't your typical, boy crazy, female and yet she still has all of these feelings that she writes down on paper. Oddly enough, I have a feeling that she and I would have been great friends in high school.

I thought that the book would end up being more about the letters, but in the long run, it was more about the things that the letters ended up throwing in Lara Jean's life and the ways that she handled them. See, she likes Josh, but he's been dating her sister Margot for two years. When the letters go out, after he and Margot break up, Lara Jean freaks and starts a fake relationship with Peter, another guy who got a letter. And then the games begin. 

Sure the book is full of swoons and mishaps and cute happenings, but I loved that at it's core, it's about a lot of different kinds of relationships. Lara Jean is navigating her changing family dynamic, which includes a single father and two sisters. As a girl who never had a sister, it's fun to see what that's like and I feel that Han gives a pretty honest look into that. It's also interesting to see Lara Jean determine what the difference between platonic feelings and romantic feelings are. I felt like that part of the story was done really well, as that can be confusing for any teen.

The two main men of the story are Josh and Peter. In all honesty, I couldn't really stand Josh. I thought he was really selfish and had this habit of only thinking about himself. He and Lara Jean's friendship felt like it was all about him, and like it was a little fake. On the other hand Lara Jean and Peter are in a fake relationship that feels real. They have issues, but I liked that Han didn't make their story super easy either. It created all the right kinds of tension. 

As soon as I got to the end of the book, I wanted the next one. I didn't know that it was possible to leave a reader in suspense with the ending of a cute, contemporary, series book, but clearly, you can. Jenny Han, what did you do to me?

If you're looking for a book full of family, relationships and good, old fashioned, letter writing, this is the book for you! Plus, it takes place around Christmas, so it's the perfect Holiday read!

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!