To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Starred review from February 3, 2014
Lara Jean Covey writes romantic goodbye letters to boys “when I don’t want to be in love anymore,” never intending for them to see the light of day. She understandably panics when the five letters are somehow mailed out, especially because she wrote one to Josh, her older sister Margot’s nice, nerdy ex. To convince Josh that she’s over him, Lara Jean pretends to date popular Peter, who agrees to the charade to make his former girlfriend jealous. But when Peter holds her hand or jokes around with her younger sister, Kitty, Lara Jean begins to wonder “what’s real and what’s not.” As in Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, there’s a love triangle at work, but Lara Jean’s personality—goofy, awkward, prone to strong emotions, and entirely naïve when it comes to boys—give this touching story an individuality and charm all its own. Han creates a realistically flawed cast, especially half-Korean Lara Jean and her sisters, who work hard to be good to one another after their mother’s death (even when they’re at one another’s throats). Ages 12–up. Agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Literary Management.

November 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Lara Jean Song and her two sisters, Margot and Kitty, are all but inseparable. Since their mother's tragic death, their lives mostly revolve around their father and Margot's boyfriend, Josh. But now Margot is leaving for college in Scotland and things at home seem strange without her. As Lara Jean starts her junior year of high school, she tries to regain a sense of normalcy, but instead, the unimaginable happens. Five secret letters that she had written to her former crushes are accidentally mailed. Josh receives one, and so does Peter, the most popular boy in school. In an attempt to repair her friendship with Josh, Lara Jean starts a fake relationship with Peter who plays along, hoping to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. But the more she gets to know Peter, the more she wonders if there may be something real between them after all. With lightness and humor, Han (Ashes to Ashes) offers listeners an honest look at first love and the bond among sisters. Elements of family unity and the Song girls' Korean heritage add to the charm. Laura Knight Keating's bright, nuanced voice perfectly portrays the characters in all their complexities. A good listen for anyone who enjoys stories of young love and sisterhood.-Amanda Spino, Ocean County Library, NJ

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