Author: Jenny Han
Published: May 26th, 2015
Hardcover, 337 pages
4 Gold Stars
(summary from Goodreads)
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 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 amazing.
Lara Jean is your typical teenager. She loves her fashion, loves throwing parties and loves boys. When we first met her in To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we met a young naive girl who hadn't really kissed a boy and who was experiencing her first real love. Now a little older, a little wiser and somewhat in love, Lara Jean will discover what it's like to be in her firs real relationship and how maybe it's not as easy as it looks from the outside.
Lara Jean and Peter are officially official. I loved seeing Lara Jean in a relationship. The cute romantic moments that they share are great and it was nice to see this new part of Lara Jean's life. She is very different around Peter, somewhat nervous about where the relationship is going and happy to be finally be his girlfriend. I certainly remember being in my first relationship and being nervous about how far it might go and whether I was ready for it. I'm glad Jenny Han had a focus on this and how LJ was feeling about sex. I'm also happy with how she handled everything thrown her way and never let Peter pressure her into anything. But the more LJ said no, the more distant Peter became. It's unfortunate that relationships can be difficult over things like that as a teen, but it's certainly realistic. And when John comes back into LJ's life (one of the boys she'd sent a letter to), things get a little more complicated. John is sweet and has a lot in common with LJ and he wants to make her happy. The more time they spend together, the more LJ isn't sure if her relationship with Peter is what she wants. Not many of us had to choose between two boys in high school, let alone other parts of life, and normally I hate a love triangle, but Jenny Han does them right. In her Summer series, I was always torn between the brothers, but in this one I gravitated right to John. He's my kind of guy and I was really rooting for him and LJ.
My favourite part had to be the party that LJ threw at the old folks home. I love a party, especially a themed party, and the 1940s USO party sounded like such a fun theme! The whole scene was adorable and wonderful and just made me want my own John to dance with me. He just seemed like a much better choice for Lara Jean, and I wish we had more of him in the book. What I loved most what how much Lara Jean grew as a character in this one. She was less naive and handled what came her way with dignity. She wasn't as annoying as I found her to be in the first book and she has taken over the older sister role now that Margo is in Ireland. Kittie is still a scene stealer, the cutest little sister ever. I'd love for a book about her as a teen, once she's grown into her craziness and will start breaking hearts.
This was a really cute two parter. I love how much the characters evolved and how the relationships were tested and fixed. I may not be a hundred per cent happy with how everything ended, but the tree house was the perfect place for it all to come together. This was a nice, light read that should be on everyone's YA shelf.
"People come in and out of your life. For a time they are in your world; they are everything. And then one day they're not. There's no telling how long you will have them near."
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