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.
February 15, 2014
An ultimately compelling exploration of teenage growth and young love. With her idolized sister Margot leaving for college, Lara Jean doesn't feel ready for the coming changes: becoming more responsible for their younger sister, Kitty, helping their widowed father, or seeing Margot break up with Josh, the boy next door--whom Lara Jean secretly liked first. But there's even greater upheaval to come, when Lara Jean's five secret letters to the boys she's loved are mailed to them by accident. Lara Jean runs when sweet, dependable Josh tries to talk to her about her letter. And when Peter Kavinsky gets his letter, it brings him back into Lara Jean's life, all handsome, charming, layered and complicated. They start a fake relationship to help Lara Jean deal with Josh and Peter to get over his ex. But maybe Lara Jean and Peter will discover there's something more between them as they learn about themselves and each other. It's difficult to see this book as a love triangle--Josh is bland as oatmeal, and Peter is utterly charismatic. Meanwhile, readers may find that Lara Jean sometimes seems too naive and rather young for 16--though in many ways, this makes her feel more realistic than many of the world-weary teens that populate the shelves. Regardless, readers will likely be so swept up in the romance they can read past any flaws. (Fiction. 14-18)
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Starred review from April 1, 2014
Gr 7-10-In this lovely, lighthearted romance, high school junior Lara Jean writes never-to-be-mailed letters to every boy she's ever liked. The teen falls for Josh, the boy next door. The catch: he's her older sister's very recent ex-boyfriend. But when her letters are accidentally sent out, the protagonist is desperate to convince Josh that she's over her crush. Peter, a popular boy at school, also received one of Lara Jean's love letters, and-hoping to make his ex-girlfriend jealous-agrees to be her "pretend" beau. Once older sister Margot leaves for college in Scotland, Lara Jean's interactions with Josh are more complicated. Lara Jean also must take care of her younger sister, Kitty, since their mother died six years ago. Unlike typical teen romances, this is as much the story of a family as it is about falling in love. Family traditions are skillfully woven into the first-person narrative, including some from the mother's Korean heritage. Though the three sisters are very close, they also have conflicts to resolve, and Lara Jean's perspective as a middle child suddenly left in charge is compelling. Readers will be intrigued by the narrator and Peter's complicated relationship. Does she really love Josh, or is Peter the one for her? Most teens will guess the outcome but enjoy the many twists and turns along the way in this lyrical novel. Readers will remember the Song sisters and the boys in their lives long after the final page turn.-Miranda Doyle, Lake Oswego School District, OR
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 Lara Jean writes plenty of love letters, but she never sends them. It's just her way of moving on from a crush. When her secret box of letters goes missing and she discovers they've been mailedincluding one to her sister's ex-boyfriendLara Jean has to come face-to-face with her past and in the process learn more about her future. While the core of the novel focuses on Lara Jean learning to branch out and take risks, other issues of family, sisterly bonds, and coping without a mother run through the narrative. Though some of the side characters could be better developed, Lara Jean is a quirky, low-key protagonist who is off the relatability charts: she loves vintage clothes and prefers to stay at home, knit, and work on her scrapbooking. Short chapters and a convincing romance keep the story sailing as Lara Jean learns, at long last, to take charge. A wonderful choice for fans of Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)