To All the Boys I've Loved Before Book Summary
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han is a heartfelt, comedic romance about teenage love that has been made into a film franchise due to its popularity. The book centers around Lara Jean Covey, her sisters and father, and her temporary “fake” boyfriend, Peter Kavinsky. It explores Lara Jean’s first experience with love, and how she handles her junior year of highschool without her older sister, and her late mother.
Despite being so mesmerized by it, Lara Jean has never experienced love. She’s read about it, watched it on films, and seen her sister in love, but has never personally felt it. However, she has experienced crushes. For each crush Lara Jean has had, she’s written them an unsent love letter. “Love letters. Of all the things I save, I guess you could say my love letters are my most prized possession…There’s one for every boy I’ve ever loved–five in all” (Han n.p). Josh Anderson, Peter Kevinsky, John Ambrose McClaren, Lucas Krapf, and Kenny Donati are all the boys she’s written one to. Out of all those boys, Josh is most important to her. The issue with that–he’s her sister Margot’s boyfriend.
The turning point of the novel is when Kitty–Lara Jean’s younger sister, mails all of the love letters, in hopes that Lara Jean will get a boyfriend after Josh and Margot’s sudden breakup. This triggers the start of Lara Jean’s hectic, but wholesome love life with Peter, but also starts issues between her and Josh, her childhood best friend for years. At school, Lara Jean believes she’s invisible. However, throughout the story, she realizes she’s not as invisible as she thought she was. Gen, her middle school best friend, and her current best friend's cousin, helps her realize this. Gen is Peter’s ex-girlfriend, and the reason why Peter and Lara Jean start "going out"– to make her jealous. Even though she and Peter aren’t actually together, Lara Jean always compares herself to Gen. These thoughts make her want to back out of their deal, but it’s also the rising feelings she starts to really have for Peter.
Peter Kanvinsky is portrayed as a stereotypical jock, before Lara Jean is really able to get to know him. Despite always being in a relationship with Gen, he’s had a soft spot for Lara Jean since they were a part of the same friend group in middle school. Him and Lara Jean weren’t ever that close, and stopped talking, until he got the letter from her. To her surprise, Peter wants to “pursue” their relationship, and act like they’re dating.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is in general, an aesthetically pleasing book, and I’ve been obsessed with the movies since I was younger. It’s less of a cheesy romance, and way more realistic than a lot of other books. Furthermore, the trope of a fake relationship is satisfying to see transitioning into a real one.
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