ΠΡΟΣ ΟΛΑ ΤΑ ΑΓΟΡΙΑ Υ.Γ. Σ΄ ΑΓΑΠΩ ΑΚΟΜΑ

To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2

by Jenny Han

H Λάρα Τζιν δεν περίμενε ποτέ ότι θα ερωτευόταν στ' αλήθεια τον Πίτερ.
Να όμως που, ξαφνικά, οι δυο τους είναι μαζί - και η κατάσταση αποδεικνύεται πολύ πιο περίπλοκη από τότε που απλά παρίσταναν το ζευγάρι! Και αυτό είναι μονάχα η αρχή. Γιατί, όταν ένα αγόρι από το παρελθόν της Λάρα Τζιν μπαίνει ξανά στη ζωή της, επιστρέφουν μαζί και τα αισθήματα που είχε κάποτε για εκείνον. Άραγε γίνεται ένα κορίτσι να είναι ερωτευμένο με δύο αγόρια ταυτόχρονα;
Η αγάπη δεν είναι ποτέ μια εύκολη υπόθεση, όμως αυτό ακριβώς είναι που την κάνει τόσο υπέροχη.

H Λάρα Τζιν και η ερωτική της αλληλογραφία επιστρέφουν σε αυτό το αφάνταστα γοητευτικό βιβλίο, που αποτελεί συνέχεια του "Προς όλα τα αγόρια που αγάπησα". (Από την έκδοση)

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Young Adult Contemporary, Chick Lit

388 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2015

Reviews

[Nikka | adventuresofnikka · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers... and profanities.

First of all, giving this book 2 stars is a very generous act on my part.
Alrighty, one star then.

My initial reaction upon finishing this book was to roll my eyes. To the moon and back.

BEHOLD, THE SUMMARY IN BULLET FORM!
featuring Bonus Content: slight commentaries

PART 1
• Lara Jean Song Covey is a fragile innocent princess
• Peter Kavinsky is the complete opposite
• they're dating
• they signed a contract—be honest all the time, not break each other's hearts, etc
• they're only 16
• BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
• sorry
• Peter still hangs out with his ex-girlfriend Gen (also Lara Jean's ex-bestie)
• this drives Lara Jean insane
• whenever Lara Jean asks Peter about Gen, he shrugs it off
• Peter gave Lara Jean a poem he claimed he wrote
• it was Edgar Allan Poe's
• poor princess

PART 2
• John, one of the boys Lara Jean "has loved before," wrote her back
• DUN DUN DUN DUN
• the beginning of something... terrible? and exciting, sure!
• Peter has never missed a lacrosse game before, but for once, he did
• and it was for Gen
• OOOOOH
• Peter is shit
• full of it
• Lara Jean and Peter broke up
• the reader (me) is ecstatic

PART 3
• Peter thinks he's the king of the world
• he still treats Lara Jean like garbage
• John and Lara Jean started hanging out
• John is an absolute DARLING
• they kiss
• “I think I could be a person who is in love with more than one person at a time,” said Lara Jean
• %!^#?*!%*#?$^*#!?^* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• OKAY, LARA JEAN.
• Lara Jean is also full of shit
• Peter professed his love
• Lara Jean fell for it
• poor Johnny left behind
• Peter and Lara Jean ended up together


What the f—. Alexa, play Toxic by Britney Spears.

I don't know why I did that. I just made myself even more irritated than I already am.

This book was so FREAKING unrealistic, and I was annoyed 99% of the time I was reading it. The other 1% was spent being in denial because, again, what the f—.

Every single one of the characters is plain and one-dimensional. And they all have what I'd call a “super” trait, it’s impossible to be two things at once—you’re either super nice or super smart or super arrogant or super nasty.

Also, if you’re looking for the epitome of a bad love triangle, just pick up a Jenny Han book! Ugh.

*Best Friends (Lara Jean & Genevieve; Peter & John)
*Sisters (Margot & Lara Jean)
(and one from the Summer trilogy)
*Brothers (Jeremy & Conrad)

Am I missing something here?! God, please.

Anyway, my point, basically:
1. Do not let your partner treat you like garbage.
2. Once you find THE bae, never let them go.
3. If you do otherwise, don't come crying to your Mama.
4. Never settle for less.
5. Everyone deserves to be someone else's numero uno.
_________________________________________

P.S. I Still Love You: Alternate Ending
Lara Jean and Peter didn’t work out. They had a good run, and the feelings were genuine, but Peter still had lingering feelings for Gen.
He apologized to Lara Jean. And although Lara Jean is broken, she realized she’s learned so much from this experience and thought she's missing out on other things. She gets on with her life and focused on more important matters like college and being Kitty's big sister.
But someday, she's willing to open up her heart again.
John waits from the distance. Waiting, waiting...

* * *
I hope this book made teenagers realize how little they know about love and not the other way around.

I speak like a Granny. I'm only 18.

Oh my god. Let me live.

[fyt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I am done reading and I don't know what to feel...



**POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW**


Seeing my Lara Jean and Peter K together after all this time...



Lara Jean being the 16 year old that she is
caring way too much about her being labeled 'Slut' by everyone...


Lara Jean coming to a conclusion on her thoughts on love...


Kitty being all sorts of amazing...


Peter and Gen constantly being seen together...


Lara Jean and JOHN what's-his-name-the-third...



The stupid arguments... the love square... the unnecessary drama...



And when your ship decides to be a "roller coaster couple"...


That being said, all these twisted plots did not make me love the book any less. (Thank god) The realistic aspect of this book clutched me by the heart. I am just really glad that there are no family drama for once. Or I would have screamed bloody murder.

Well, that is all I can gif out of me.


Dear Jenny Han, remember what you did to 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' trilogy? Remember that almost enough epilogue? With all due respect, I think we deserve the same for this series, no?



"People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they're not." - Lara Jean


**My review on the third book - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...**



-----------------------------------------------

THE DAY HAS COME 26/5/15




-----------------------------------------------

You're kidding right? 2015?! How do you expect me to wait that long for my Lara Jean & Peter K action?! I can't even...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urg!!! I don't know what to feel! I'm happy and I liked it but at the same time I'm not happy. And damn you John Ambrose McClaren for getting under my skin!

I was so mad the way Peter kept putting Gene first. Lara Jean had every right to break up with him. Staying friends with Gene is one thing but hanging out with her like 24/7 is ridic. Then darn John comes in all charming and wonderful and then I start to want her with him. Then Peter finally at the very end decides to fight for her and she forgives him and says it was her fault all along that she needed to get over her Gene insecurities. I wanted her with Peter but Peter never really apologized and why did he let her break up with him and then finally when he was jealous of John he started fighting for her??!!??!?!?! It was all very maddening!!!!!!!!







OMG! Thank goodness there is a sequel because Dear Peter... was definitely not an ending! Except the author said there will be more about that other Model UN guy, John, and we will see his letter so thus probably another love triangle! No! Just Peter! No John!!!! Go away John!

Please finally have Lara Jean and Peter end up together. And Josh can just be friends with everyone. I don't think he should get back with Margot after kissing her sister. I absolutely loved when Josh and Peter were arguing about who would get their cookies and Peter said that if Lara Jean made Josh's white chocolate cranberry ones and not his fruitcake ones then it was over. lol

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this one is my least favorite in the series, it's still a solid contemporary that I flew through. It's not as lighthearted or optimistic as the first installment, but it focuses on heartbreak and incompatible relationships. It shows the aftermath of a whirlwind romance - the "happily ever after" - which many contemporaries don't.
I was about to rate this just a 3/5, but then I remembered this one has my boy John Ambrose McClaren and the USO party HECK YES.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Let’s go all in. No more contract. No more safety net. You can break my heart. Do whatever you want with it."

Lara Jean fell (unexpectedly) in love.

Well, she always expected to fall in love...just not like this.

It started with Lara Jean's younger sister (Kitty) mailing out a series of secret love letters (well they were more like I'm-not-in-love-with-you-anymore) letters.

Then Lara Jean realized that her sister's boyfriend opened his letter (written before her sister felt started dating him).

In a panic, Lara Jean convinces Peter (hottest guy in school) to date her... and it started off as pretend but now...it's become something more.by And Lara Jean only realizes it when it's too late.

When you lose someone and it still hurts, that's when you know the love was real.

But then, the one letter Lara Jean wasn't able to get back returned...in the hands of John Ambrose McLaren.

And while she is fully committed to Peter, Lara Jean cannot deny the wistful feelings she has towards the life she would have with John Ambrose McLaren.

So much of love is chance. There's something scary and wonderful about that.

But when one scandal absolutely rocks her world, she will be left with a very tough decision - one that could change everything.

People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they’re not. There’s no telling how long you will have them near.

This was perfect - SO perfect.

I absolutely love Lara Jean - she is unabashedly kiddish
Anybody else notice how so many YA heroines are clumsy, whip smart, beautiful but they don't know it, brave and unabashedly brazen?

And then there's Lara Jean - she adores crafting, plans parties at a retirement home and bakes until perfection and so much more. She's a homebody, a gentle soul and completely and utterly adorable.

I love how she's grown since the last book and yet still maintains her inner personality and fire.

I know now that I don’t want to love or be loved in half measures. I want it all, and to have it all, you have to risk it all.

There were so many moments that made me want to hug her.

Also, as a side note - so many books seem to fall apart after the Big Kiss happens and yet this one kept it going. There was so much happening that I was wholly committed to each and every page.

Loved it and cannot wait for the third!

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 4 out of 5]

ANTES DE LEER:

Leo la sinopsis y lloro. A nadie le interesa otro hombre, ¡queremos a Peter! Quiero ahorcar a Lara Jean.

DESPUÉS DE LEER (29/05/2015):

Son realmente 4.5 estrellitas :).

Dado que mi review inicial fue en español, continuaré en español (?). Igual no tengo mucho que decir, solamente que amé el libro. Extrañaba mucho a estos personajes y volver a leerlos fue hermoso. Todo el tiempo estuve sonriendo como boba enamorada (ES CULPA DE PETER KAVINSKY) y también me reí a carcajadas en otras escenas. Creo que mis personajes favoritos de este segundo libro fueron Peter, Kitty, Lara Jean y hasta John. Eso sí, ¡siempre fui Team Peter! Pero debo admitir que John es bastante encantador y logró conquistarme un poquito. Sólo un poquito. Peter me tenía como loca enamorada.

Hubo algunas cosas que no me gustaron de la actitud de Lara Jean, y también Peter tuvo algunos momentos en los que quise golpearlo, peeero todo bien, hahaha.

En serio amo la forma tan sencilla y atrapante de escribir de Jenny Han, no podía soltar el libro y la mayor parte del tiempo estuve fangirleando en alto mientras leía. Y gritaba, y pataleaba, y me reía, y lloraba y ahhhh, ¡disfruté demasiado de esta lectura :D!

Si no le puse las 5 estrellas perfectas es porque me hubiera gustado MÁS. No fue suficiente, sentí que acabó algo abrupto y rápido y fue como: NOOOOOO. Me quedé pensando que le faltó "algo" al libro, pero de igual forma lo amé demasiado, una muy buena secuela.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

SO CUTE OMG OMG! I felt the resolution came a little too quickly hence the 4.5 but I loved every second.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6/5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they’re not. There’s no telling how long you will have them near.”

And now my love for this series starts to disintegrate. To die out, to wither. *hello darkness my old friend*. ANYWAY. This book starts off strong with a very interesting plot that was also used in the movie. The sex tape pool thing. It was brushed off lightly in the movie, but it showed many repercussions in the book. And I don't think it was handled well. The book pretends to be a feminist book but then Lara Jean is scared of being called "a slut" by her school. And also, we leave the whole situation to the boy A.K.A. Peter to handle it. Because he's the boy and he can do anything to protect his girl. Ugh. Anyway, let's get to the plot.

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?

I feel like this trilogy could easily be a duology. Combine the second and the third book, and here you go a new book which plot DOESN'T DRAG. This book's pace was slow, unlike its predecessor. It was too cozy and domestic and relationshippy without anything important happening for many pages. We also got the Josh factor erased from this book, so it was all Peter and Lara Jean. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow, but come on, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'LL WEAR FOR HALLOWEEN. GIVE ME SOME GOOD OL' DRAMA.

The Belleview scenes killed me. Not the good killing. The bad one. I honestly wanted to rip my eyes out. Or skip the pages. But I'm too much of a perfectionist to do that. Fuck my life. I know, it showed Lara Jean growing as a person and taking initiative, but it was too DAMN BORING. And the she leaves Belleview and we get some more family times and FUCKING FOOD. Ugh. Just spare me the details.

The Genevieve drama was more apparent in this book. Thank God. Her little schemes saved the book. And also WTF PETER? Peter pissed me off so much in this book. I honestly wanted to scream. We got an explanation at the end of what Gen was going through but come on man? Explain to your girlfriend the dits! Everything could be resolved if they just talked to each other, but no no. Everything almost got to shit for nothing.

And then we get John. I LOVED JOHN AND HIS ENTIRE POSH NAME AND PERSONALITY. His scenes with Lara Jean were adorable. I almost shipped it. I was honestly like "Come on Lara Jean really? How many more boys am I supposed to ship with you? You're confusing my mind". We get him as a valuable option for her, but then the same happened as with Josh. He disappears. I was so surprised she got with Peter in the end. It's like she kisses John and she feels things and then 10 pages later she's with Peter again and she's in love with him again. Like??? The ending of this book was too quick for me.

I savored the tag thingy game in this book. It was fun. And Lara Jean won at the end. With a bad way, but she did. I love it when people who lose at games, and life basically, win at the end. It's so rewarding.

To sum it all up, this review is short for my standards. I don't have much to say. This book didn't have much of a plot to go into. And as I have said before, I read all these books before writing the reviews. My head is so confused right now. I don't remember what happened and in which book it happened in. I'll say again, these books are so easy to read. But they are for 15 year old Maria. 21 year old Maria will judge them without wanting to. And I took an oath to myself to not judge these kinds of books. If I judged this book as I would want to, I would surpass the Goodreads limit of 20000 characters. So, yeah. And till the next one... K BYE!

[Emily (Books with Emily Fox on Youtube) · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a pointless book.

Ok I'm being extra harsh here but this, folks, is what happens when an author stretches a story for no reason. This should have been a standalone. Who knows what I would think after reading the last book. I'm not sure I will.

[Emma Giordano · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars! Unfortunately, I struggle a bit with this sequel (this is typical of me) but overall, I enjoyed my time re-entering this story.

For a large part of this book, I was afraid I had fallen out of touch with this story. I read book one when I was 18 and finally decided to continue 3 years later. Many of the tropes I no longer enjoy and critiques I used to skip over due to lack of reading experience unfortunately dragged down the story and I essentially felt as if I had gotten "too old" to enjoy this story in the same way. Luckily, the majority of my issues were resolved by the ending and I was able to end this book feeling more connected to the story.

My favorite thing about this story is the family dynamic. A close-knit family of sisters and dedicated, loving father is not always common in young adult stories that are often full of absent families. I LOVE the interactions between the Song sisters. They are supportive, caring, dependable, love each other deeply. They do bicker like normal sisters, but their relationship is so inspiring and desirable. Their father is also kind, open-minded, and extremely supportive. The Song-Covey family is absolutely one of my favorite sibling-parent relationships in all of literature.

Unfortunately, my biggest issue with the novel was the attitude of the main love interest. The only way to describe my feelings throughout this book is "uncomfortable" - I was very uncomfortable with Peter's choices and reactions to issues within this sequel. I understand that a lot of the jealousy, deception by omission, and prioritizing the "wrong" people are things that do happen in real life, especially for teens in relationships, but I can't possibly write this review without expressing how much I disagreed with it. I'm pleased that attempts at resolutions are made in the end, but I do feel some points were skipped over and not fully addressed for the sake of completing the novel more quickly.

Another issue I had with this book was the introduction of a second love triangle. I know book one was basically built upon this trope (hence, why I feared I had grown out of my capacity to enjoy book two) but it felt so unnecessary. The conflict between Lara Jean and Peter was individually complex enough to exist without developing another potential love interest. It felt as if Peter was being villainized due to the introduction of this character, and this character was glorified to force readers to prefer them over Peter. I really dislike feeling as if the author is forcing me to feel a certain way or "pick a certain ship" so this aspect really rubbed me the wrong way. Again, I do feel it was resolved in the end, better than my first critique, so I'm not bothered any further.

Despite my critiques, I still really enjoyed re-entering this story. A lot of times, the final judge of my enjoyment of a book is how motivated I am to find out what happens in the end and my desire to keep reading. For the first time ever, I actually had to stop listening to the audiobook because I needed to know what happened (albeit, mostly out of frustration). I switched to the physical book and stayed up well past my bed time to complete the story. When I reflect on P.S. I Still Love You, I will definitely remember the issues I had. But I will also remember how this book affected me emotionally, more than many books have in the last year, so it still left a positive, lasting impression. I'm continuing with the series as I write this review and I'm enjoying the conclusion more than book two, so I would still recommend this series as a unique, lovable contemporary romance.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There's a Korean word my grandma taught me. It's called jung. It's the connection between two people that can't be severed, even when love turns to hate. You still have those old feelings for them; you can't ever completely shake them loose of you; you will always have tenderness in your heart for them."

This book does many explosive things to my heart.

Every time I read a new novel by Han, I am always assaulted by these strong emotions. In a way it reminds me of our quintessential home where I grew up.  It simply hits me at the right spots. It makes me reminisce certain childhood memories. That is pure talent. I get nostalgic and pensive. It sounds sad, but it’s absolutely astonishing, very few books could incite those feelings from me.

P.S. I Still Love You opens right after where the first book left it off. Lara Jean on at the verge of making it up to Peter. And she’s slowing navigating her life. A reader could expect, kissing, scandal, intense jealousy, family love, and more kissing.

Like with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, I also annihilate this book. It is fast paced and very easy to get into the flow of the plot. Though at times, I find myself frustrated, but obviously I got over that nasty feeling.

What I adored about this series is the fundamental role of Lara Jean’s dad and sisters to the story. I’ve seen some readers begging to read more books that include parents in the plot. And hey! this is the book for you. They are integral part of the story just as much as the protagonist.

We have a Korean American main character(s). Lara Jean and the Song sisters heritage are essential to the story. Han explores some of the common Korean culture. I’m certain micro aggression was also briefly covered in the first book. It’s amazing, even if it doesn’t take a reign over the plot.

The romance is cute just as I was expecting. And like I said there would also be jealousy which is one of my favorite tropes as long as the guy isn’t an Alpha asshole about it.

Highlight of the book: There are plenty of “you don’t need a man to fulfill you and all the beautiful, independent feminism talk.”

I will always boast about Young Adult books that doesn’t steer clear from “sex”. I love books that stays very true. There are some teenagers who genuinely doesn’t care about this subject, but how about those people who does? I’m very pleased P.S. I Still Love You didn’t skip that part.

P. S. I Still Love You is a satisfying conclusion. Fans of Jenny Han won’t be disappointed.

You can listen to my To P.S. I Still Loved You playlist in 8tracks. See the tracklist in tumblr. Full review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood.

[shady boots]

ANOTHER boy?! Are you kidding me, Lara Jean?!

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read 8/23/18: Okay 2017 chelsea clearly has it all wrong. John Ambrose is where it’s at and I refuse to be told otherwise

Re-read 5/5/17: I loved this even more the second time. Peter K is so dreamy!

Original read 6/28/15: This book was an absolute DELIGHT. Jenny Han does contemporaries like no other.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay. Admittedly it wasn't as good as the first, but I've said it before but I'll say it again: Jenny Han knows how to make us fall in love with the characters in her books... first in Shug, then The Summer I Turned Pretty (one of my FAVORITE books of all time) and now To All the Boys I've Loved Before. She knows how to expose their flaws along with their positive sides. Peter K isn't perfect, but his charm just won me over. Gen, I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of, but in P.S. I Still Love You, I got a glimpse of what made her the way she is and then I didn't hate her as much. I loved John McClaran as well. I'm Team Peter K all the way, though :)

The Peter/Lara Jean relationship isn't perfect, either, but I guess that's one of the aspects that makes this duology (hopefully trilogy?) special in the current realm of YA romance. There are bumps, and there are high points; it's not the unrealistic, lovey-dovey kind of relationship that's perfect all the time, but that is precisely what made me like this book so much.

__________________________________________________________________
4/26/2014

Dear Jenny Han,

You CANNOT (I repeat: CANNOT.) Torture your readers in this way!!! 2015! What is this madness?! I finished your book yesterday in just one sitting and I can't I can't I can't wait a whole year to find out what happens between Peter and Lara Jean and Josh and every other character in that blessedly beloved book that I have fallen in love with.

*bawls*

Your frustrated, angst-ridden reader,
Ali

[chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd read: May 2019
4.5 stars. Audiobook
I enjoyed this re-read SO much & I'm now officially team John Ambrose McClaren <3

1st read: February 2018
4.5 stars. Physical
I didn't love this one as much as the first, mostly because of fricken STORMY A.K.A. THE WORST CHARACTER EVER?! I honestly cannot stand Stormy. Everything that came out of her mouth made me roll my eyes.

BUT apart from that I just LOVE how much I can relate to Lara Jean, the sister relationships and being half Korean. It warms my heart so so much. I also just love the baking and her fashion sense, it's so much fun. So excited to read Always and Forever, Lara Jean!

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

there is no better time than soon after the release of the To All the Boys I've Loved Before movie to remember that movies can be be better than the books they adapt. my review of this whole series is now up at https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...!!!

plz don't revoke my bookworm card.
--------------------------------

Guys, it turns out I have more than one form of righteous anger.

I thought I only got instantaneously filled with rage when books are offensive or bigoted or what have you, but it turns out that’s incorrect!

I also get really f*cking mad when my ship doesn’t sail.



Okay, no, that’s not true. I’m a little more mature than that. (I’m no Lara Jean! Buh dum ch. Get it? Because the main character of this book is in a state of arrested development that rivals all four seasons plus the one currently being filmed of the show Arrested Development?) (It’s three a.m. and if I am forming coherent English sentences somehow, I’m entirely unaware of it.)

A n y w a y.

Let’s talk synopsis before we talk about my various stages of emotional paralysis, shall we?

This is the sequel to runaway YA hit To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, a book I also reread and ranted about. Spoilers for the last book: Lil Lara Jean, our insanely-named protagonist, got herself into a little kerfuffle involving a series of letters addressed-n-stamped to old crushes, a fake relationship plot, a love triangle with her sister, and a certain lacrosse-playing douchenozzle the likes of which haunts public high school halls from here to Timbuktu.



So here we are. Book two. How could we possibly make that nonstop thrill ride even more exciting??? The answer may surprise you!!!!

The answer is: Make it so much worse.

Peter was boring in the last book. He was unremarkable. He was immature. But he had swishy hair and good eyebrows and a loud personality we can mistake for charm if we close one eye and try hard so can’t we all just look past it omg??? He’s just misunderstood?? I heard that he’s actually going through a lot. This one time he asked to borrow my pen because we had a French quiz and he didn’t have one and I swear, like...oh my god I know it sounds stupid but when he looked at me he really SAW me, you know?

He is the floppy-haired popular boy we all tried to forcibly make deep in high school.

That is probably the fundamental difference between 2015-first-time-reading-this-me and 2018-bitter-tired-reading-again me. I am not in high school anymore. SO PROJECTING MYSELF ONTO THE FEMALE CHARACTER GETTING YOU’RE NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS’D BY A COOL JOCK ISN’T ENOUGH TO MAKE A BOOK GOOD.



All of that screaming was just about how bad it was last time. It’s even worse in this one, remember? Because Peter (that’s Jock with Nice Hair #1, in case I didn’t mention that) is actually a TOTAL D*CK on top of it!

He throws tantrums when Lara Jean can’t come to one of his dumb jockfests (I believe you may call it a “sporting event”) or doesn’t bake him cookies (this is a CHILD) or isn’t into PDA. He doesn’t care about things she cares about (her penpal, her job at the retirement community - he doesn’t even REMEMBER her cool elderly bestie!! And the woman’s name is Stormy!!! Pretty memorable if you ask me!).

He also spends most of this book gallivanting about with his ex-girlfriend. The same ex-girlfriend who posted a video of Lara Jean and Peter getting hot and heavy on the Internet, which became a meme that almost ruined Lara Jean’s life. Cool!



That’s also a plotline I hate generally, the dangers-of-the-Internet type deal. So I was almost happy when this one faded into oblivion without any real conclusion. Even though that’s just BAD WRITING.

Let’s talk about the good things so then we can talk about more bad things.

There are two characters in this book who I actually, full-on love. The first one’s name is Kitty, and she is the ruler of my entire existence. Kitty is Lara Jean’s ten-year-old sister, who had more spunk and charm and humor (read: personality) in her little finger than every single other character in this rollercoaster through hell put together.

Excluding one. And that one’s name is John Ambrose McClaren.

He is a side of a love triangle. And Jenny Han, if you wanted to grant me the hellishness of actually rooting for a side in a love triangle, rather than just grinning and bearing my way through it, on top of the other emotional turmoil you caused me through this book:



John Ambrose McClaren is no Kitty. He’s not a great character on his own. In fact, he has about as much flavor and excitement as what is known as a “saltine cracker.” But I like saltine crackers. (I do not like this simile.)

What John Ambrose McClaren is: not Peter. He is nice. He is kind to Lara Jean. He cares about what she cares about!!! What a shock!!!! Who can even believe it!!!! They even share having really annoyingly long cutesy unrealistic names in common so I can hate talking about them both equally just due to how long they take to type!!! I type weirdly!!! It hurts my wrists!!!!

But he doesn’t end up with Lara Jean because nothing matters and everything is bad and even when I think I see a glimmer of light in the reread from Satan himself that glimmer is instantly put out with the darkness of a thousand desert nights (are desert nights especially dark?).

So Lara Jean just ends up with the fan fave from the last book after 20 pages of pretending there’s another option. You know. Breakin’ hearts for ~narrative spice~.

NOT FOR ME.



Bullet points of other good stuff:

- i’m still partial to the Song sisters at large
- Lara Jean bakes a lot and I like baking and also food descriptions
- there were moments when I almost got into this...and then was immediately brought back out
- diversity!!!



Bullet points of the neverending amounts of bad stuff:
- Lara Jean calls her parents “Mommy” and “Daddy” (call me picky and weird, but...bleh)
- insta-friendships!!! I hate it!!
- this book is so sweet you might as well just pour powdered sugar on your teeth. Then you can have a physical cavity to match the mental one you’re about to get
- should be a quick read but is actually grating and therefore not
- Peter and Lara Jean are both so emotionally stunted it’s insane
- I would honestly much rather read about Margot, the eldest Song sister, romping about in Scotland if not for the fact that Kitty wouldn’t be there
- I could’ve lived without the whole retirement community plotline
- and the online-almost-sex-video cyberbullying plotline
- and the Peter versus John plotline
- ...I guess I could’ve lived without this book altogether



In conclusion:



And yes I will be forcing myself through the next one of course.

Bottom line: Hopefully this book is so clearly annoying that even my incoherent 3 a.m. (now 4 a.m.) ramblings can convince you of that fact.


------------
PRE-REVIEW

when you realize the only good parts of a book you loved 2 years ago are the ten year old little sister and the side of the love triangle that doesn't sail >>>>>

READ MY ORIGINAL FIVE STAR REVIEW BELOW BECAUSE NOTHING MATTERS AND LIFE IS AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF CONSTANT SUFFERING

------------
ORIGINAL REVIEW

ONCE AGAIN, AS I DID WITH TO ALL THE BOYS IVE LOVED BEFORE, I READ THIS IN A FEW HOURS INTO THE EARLY MORNING.

even if i went to bed right now i'd get less than 6 hours of sleep.

BUT I REGRET NOTHING!

this book was so good, and even though i kind of ended up liking john ambrose mcclaren more than peter. peter wasn't nice in this book! john was so, so nice and peter was manipulative and just a crappy boyfriend. i didn't feel like he deserved lara jean, WHO (whom?) I ADORE.

I LOVE THE SONG SISTERS. i wish me and my two sisters were like them. maybe we will be when i go off to college.

my heart is aching for the end of these characters! i'll miss them so! JENNY HAN, you love contemporary trilogies—please make this one!

[Sophia Sardothien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me: WHAT just happened?
P.s I still love you: *screams* NOTHING!
Me: Where's my character development?
P.s I still love you: what did you just say?
Me: *glares*
P.s I still love you: *innocent eyes* OHHH you mean character retrogression?



cOnGrAts book you got me having a conversation with you.

HONESTLY I'M SO ANNOYED WITH THIS BOOK Why can't you just end the first one without a cliffhanger so you won't have to write a sequel that nothing happens.


I WAS EXPECTING MY CUTSY LOVEY ROMANCE, where is it? Did Jenny Han really wrote this?



1) Lara Jean continues to be stupid, annoying, brainless. She's sixteen, seventeen or eighteen? I'm fourteen, and she acts like my sister (not that I have one but if I do, I bet Ms-I-have-no-idea-how-old-she-is would be even more foolish than her)

2) Peter is not here half of the time (I loved him in the first one, what happened in this?)

3) YEAH BOOK YOU KEPT ME AWAY FROM HIM and you introduced Lara Jean to another guy (well sort of) But excuse me, you see I don't care if she falls in love with him but DON'T GIVE ME A CRAPPY LOVE/LUST-STUPID-LOVE-SQUARE. If it's going to be crappy either way, give me a love decagon, hecatontagon or worst a myriagon.

3) Hmm the plot.... What is it even about?

4) Oh I remember it's about putting a bunch of cheese to a the classical cliché sandwich, INTRODUCING YOU TO THE 3Cs ONLY AVAILABLE IN P.S I LOVE YOU



I'm so disappointed in this.

To all the people who loved this book,
P.s I did not mean to offend you.

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG. how did i not know this trailer existed?! time for a reread!!

P.S. sorry john ambrose, but i still love peter.

_________________________

ugghhh. this is the teenage realism that makes me so nostalgic for a high school experience i never had. lol. even though i think i preferred the first book, this is such a great follow up!!

p.s. i still love you peter.

↠ 3.5 stars

[Andreea Pop · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't so much as a review, but sort of like a semi-rant -- I'm so many shades of disappointed you don't even realize. In truth, this book deserves 2 stars, but I'm too chicken-shit to give it that because I'd seriously be one of the very very very few that would rate this novel so lowly.

The first one was much better and although it wasn't stellar, I still had my expectations. Oh well, it obliterated them. Crumpled them completely. Straight to the ground. IN A FREAKING BAD WAY. It managed to make me wonder why I even bothered to pick it up.

Other things this book managed:

1. It made my eyes hurt due to the ever constant eye-rolling because teen drama yada yada blah blah drama drama.



2. It brought me close to tears of boredom for the sole reason that THERE'S NO PLOT.



3. It ripped to shreds the ounce of character development that happened to Peter in the first book and it turned him into a jealous little prick, with a side of douchebag stupidity. I'll grant that he had his moments (that moment at the presentation was awesome) but mostly he was such a frustrating macho wannabe. He was basically an asshole when he asked her for the necklace back. And don't even get me started on THE BIG SECRET that wasn't his to tell that had him crawling back to his vixen ex every. Goddamn. Time. And it wasn't even such a big deal. Argh.



4. It made me seriously want to gouge out my eyes thanks to the love-triangle I was sure we lost back in the prequel. With another guy on top of that, but more on that in a minute.



5. It infuriated me with the relationship between Margot and Josh since it was the same drama from the prequel, just reversed. It was honestly exhausting and plain sad.



6. It disappointed me to the hell and back thanks to the ending. Firstly, wrong choice of boy, Lara Jean. Secondly, how could you be so damn blind and not revel in the perfection that is John Ambrose McClaren? How??



John Ambrose McClaren was probably definitely the best thing about this book. I loved him to bits. He's smart, funny, charming and hella cute. I just wished we got to spend more time with him because with him even Lara Jean seemed to grow in my eyes.

I also liked Kitty and Chris because they're downright awesome. And Margot grew on me. And the light tone of the book was still there, so there's that.

Too bad P.S. I Still Love You failed to be heartwarming and cute for me too. But maybe I'll try Jenny Han's other works as a thank you for the creation of John Ambrose McClaren. Big fans of the first book -- go ahead and read it, I'm sure you'll be pleased. If you fall in the category of not-so-big-of-a-fan then I'd suggest picking other contemporaries.

ENJOY! <3

P.S. You know what? Screw this shit. 2 stars for you -- I still don't love you.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attention: This may be spoilerish for the first book!

Second read:
“People come in and out of your life.
For a time they are your world;
they are everything.
And then one day they’re not.
There’s no telling how long you will have them near.”

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The first time I read this book, I hated it.
I hated Lara Jean, the way Peter treated her and I hated John Ambrose McClaren.
I hated it so much, I DNFd it.
But then I watched the movie and I saw John Ambrose gorgeous face and I was like:
Mhm, maybe I should try it again.
Maybe it’s not that bad.
And what can I say? It wasn’t that bad.
It was not as good as the first one, but still entertaining and nice.
There’s trouble in the love paradise of Lara Jean and Peter. And the trouble has a name - the history with Genevieve.
She’s manipulating him, ruining their relationship as good as she can.
And she succeeds in some way.
When all is lost and Lara Jean feels like the world is going down, there’s an angel waiting for her. And his name is John Ambrose McClaren and he writes her letters and smiles at her and dresses up for her.
He’s the perfect boy, the boy of her dreams.
But will Lara Jean ever stop loving Peter?

Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So, I can sum up the characters in this book in just a few letters:
Lara Jean is super confused and likes two boys at once?
Peter is sweet but also a big asshole.
John Ambrose is a wonderful cinnamon roll.
And Kitty and her dad are the freakin best.
Margot and Josh are pushed in the background, but that’s okay. We saw enough of them in the first book.

Relationships ⭐️⭐️⭐️
You know I’m always Team Peter Kavinsky. Because I never saw a different option then my handsome baby.
But then John Ambrose McClaren appeared out of nowhere.
And first I was suspicious:
a Love triangle? Ugh.
But Jenny Han loves to torture us, so she makes him so handsome, wonderful and caring that you fall in love with him.
He’s really a dreamboy (at least with his personality), but do we like a boy that makes our dreams come true or a boy that give you real feelings with complications, confusion and insecurity?
Hell Yeah, of course the feelings if it involves Peter Kavinsky.
So all in all I wasn’t 100 % into the love triangle, but I liked that Lara Jean had options.
No one should ever think that there is only one person for them in their lifetime.

Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jenny Han is really a good writer.
Her stories are fluffy, sweet but sometimes also sad, confusing and heartbreaking.
I had a lot of fun reading this book and I’m happy I tried reading it a second time.

First read:
Interviewer: Welcome, Jessi. So, the new year started good for you. A lot of four and fives and now a DNF. How do you feel about that?

Me: Well, I was really sad about that, because I loved the first book. It was so sweet and fluffy. Just really really cute.

Interviewer: Why did you DNF it, though?

Me: When I first started to read it I thought: Maybe I’ll love this as much as the first one. But then I felt like nothing really happened.

Interviewer: But I heard there was a lot of drama in the beginning...

Me: Yeah, a lot of teeny reputation drama.

Interviewer: But that sounds exciting. Hm... What about the love in this book?

Me: Oh man, don’t get me started with this one... First of all I didn’t feel the connection between Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky anymore. They felt really really weird and kind of forced.

Interviewer: But I thought you loved Peter Kavinsky?

Me: Oh, I do! Don’t get me wrong, but I heard that he’ll be an a**hole as the story continues and I wasn’t here for this sh*t to happen. 😒

Interviewer: But people sometimes become jerks. That’s normal.

Me: There was also another guy...

Interviewer: *looks shocked* What?
Is it... Is this what I think it is?

Me: *nods seriously* Yes.. it’s a... oh god I can’t even say it. *gulps dramatically*

Interviewer: I’ll do it. *takes long breath* There was going to be a love triangle, am I right?

Me: Yes.

Interviewer: Oh god. That sounds horrible. The first book had one and you ignored it, right? Because you liked the atmosphere and the cuteness of the story. But now...

Me: I just can’t finish this book and ruin the whole series for me. I’m so sorry!

Interviewer: No one is mad at you, honey. No one likes a love triangle only to make the series three books long instead of one standalone.

Me: I’m so glad you don’t hate me! I really wanted to love this whole series, but...

Interviewer: I know, I know. Shh... Don’t be sad about it! Everyone has his own opinion about a book and you just didn’t like this one..

Me being sad, because I didn't like the book:

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crying because this book is so perfect.
I didn't really love the first book - it was very hit and miss for me but mostly hit, which is why I gave it 4 stars. But THIS BOOK. THIS ONE WAS SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. Lara Jean has grown up a lot from the first book - which I think is what helped this book out a lot. I loved seeing her come more into her own - and her relationship with Peter blossoming...all of it was JUST SO GOOD! And I think it felt like more of a real relationship than many I've read in contemporary books.
brb thinking about this book forever.

[Patrí · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well...


02/02/15 Well...in my country that is.

And here is the cover!!



First revealed here.
Isn't it so pretty!? Oh my gosh...


~





OH MY GOD! I was so happy when I found out there's going to be a sequel! But I'm not sure...if it's a happy ending immediately. I'm sure John Ambrose McClaren will show up in this book. He was mentioned in the first and he recognized Lara Jean. Maybe they're going to meet first before Lara Jean and Peter get together. I really love Peter but he really should sort out his feelings. Lara Jean already did, and she chose him. You can't just say I LIKE YOU...BUT WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. Or shit like that. Lara Jean didn't even make him chose between her or Gen. Whatever. Still love Lara Jean and Peter together :) Oh and the recent letter Lara Jean wrote about Josh. She wrote that he still love him. The letter says P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU! I'm sure someone will see the letter which she tucked in her diary because she said she feels it isn't finished with Josh, yet.

[Kai Spellmeier]

"One day soon you'll be in the world and you'll have so many options, you won't know what to do with them. Everyone will fall in love with you, because you're so beautiful and so charming, and you'll look back on high school as such a tiny blip."


This novel was really cute and quirky, just like book one. Slightly better even.

Now, it's official that I'm not a fan of love triangles, but I have to admit that it hardly bothered me here. I mean, there are so many boys in Lara Jean's life that and they're all handsome and hot, she should just pick one for real. As long as it's not her sister's ex, that is. But I think Josh is out of the race for good.

Now I still have my issues with this series.
First, I still can't get over the fact how LJ always says "Daddy".
Second, Kitty still makes for a completely unrealistic 9-year-old.
Third, it's predictable.
Fourth, it's cute but it really doesn't mean anything to me. Don't get me wrong, I like the books, but they just lack something. It's a YA contemporary love story, but that doesn't mean it needs to be so plain. I love a fair share of humour and sarcasm, of unpredictability and excitement. Maybe even an air of mystery. There was a point in this book where I thought that this was actually going somewhere. That's when LJ and her group of friends started their "game" and it suddenly got interesting. But even that came to an end.

Thumbs up for talking sexism and feminism. I always appreciate it.

Find more of my books on Instagram

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaaah! Now I’m torn. The first time I read this, I was completely Team John Ambrose. It’s not so hard to fall in love with this perfect guy without so much extra baggage. His moments with Lara Jean are too sweet and too adorable. Things between them are so easy and so uncomplicated. Just *sighs*.

But getting to know Peter again and understanding better his character and his past, I realize I couldn’t let him go either and I’m not even Lara Jean. Lol. That last scene at the tree house just melted my heart to puddle especially those last lines by Peter that goes something like “My heart is yours to break.” *double sighs*

Some of the highlights of the story for me are:

• How Peter treats Kitty especially on her birthday
• Kitty in general. How she braids hair like a pro, how she acts so wise, mature and confident
• The tagging game
• John Ambrose and Lara Jean dressing up
• Lara Jean’s letter to Kitty

I’ll never get tired of Jenny Han’s books. I can’t wait to read the finale. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _
ORIGINAL REVIEW written on MAY 30, 2015

Read this at the same time with two of my lovely friends. You can check out their awesome reviews too. Kathe and Scarlett

"So much of love is chance. There's something scary and wonderful about that."

This is a jell-o kind of read. It doesn't particularly taste special, but it's fun and nice to eat. Kind of a bit addictive too. Exactly like this book. It's light. It's cute. It's silly, definitely silly, but I enjoyed it.^^

Lara Jean, a 16 year old, Korean American "goody two shoes" hopes to win back the guy she still loves which she learns is not as simple as she thought would be especially when another guy from her past comes back to her life. Two guys who as Lucas (Lara's friend) described are Betty and Veronica's counterparts. Definitely a very tough choice. Nice one, Lucas!



If it were me, I'd go for Betty's counterpart without a second thought. Nobody's asking me though. Lol.

What I liked about the main character is her composure and the way she held her head high despite a very humiliating experience and being the butt of the joke of everyone. She won't let herself wallow in self-pity and definitely knows when to move on. She also knows her limitations and has impressive self-control.

If I were in her place, I'd probably wreak havoc upon the deserving people or cover my head with a paper bag when at school or ditch it altogether and live a life of exile. Lol.



The plot is kind of a mess but in that appealing, realistic way. The relationship among Lara, her sisters and her father warmed my heart.

I'm just not very satisfied with the conclusion even though it's a really cute HEA since so many things have been left unresolved and I doubt there's still a third book.

But if you're looking for a light, mindless read, then definitely go for this.

Also, Kitty, the ten year old she-devil can be another reason you might want to read this.^^

[Shailly]

I just can't wait !!!
*Dear Peter...
oh god how can I wait for it till 2015 !!!

[Caz (littlebookowl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won't say anything, because any reaction will be spoilery. I'm just going to say:

I'M TEAM KITTY

Review to come

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This series is so sweet and enjoyable, it definitely makes me smile. Such a nice change of pace to read a book like this every now and again!

"'Lara Jean, I think you half-fall in love with every person you meet. It's part of your charm. You're in love with love.'"

Lara Jean and Peter were just pretending to have a relationship. Somewhere along the way, she got a little forgetful about what was real and what was make-believe. But Peter was just going along with it, right? He couldn't possibly like her the way that she likes him, could he?

When they decide to start dating, Lara Jean is excited and nervous, at the same time. She loves the way being with Peter makes her feel, but she's afraid he'll hurt her or expect too much from her, so they make a contract which includes a promise not to break each other's heart. Of course, she's still not happy about his relationship with Genevieve, his ex-girlfriend and Lara Jean's former best friend, but she's trying not to dwell on it too much. She should trust Peter when he says there's nothing going on beyond helping a friend through tough times, even if she feels like sometimes he'd drop everything for Gen, but not for her.

When a video of Lara Jean and Peter is made public, she is horrified by the things people assume about her. She is touched by how much Peter is bothered by it, but he insists Gen had nothing to do with it, even though Lara Jean knows it was her. Even more than the embarrassment factor, Lara Jean is irritated by the double standard that exists between girls and boys.

"Boys will be boys, but girls are supposed to be careful: of our bodies, of our futures, of all the ways people judge us."

Unexpectedly, another boy from Lara Jean's past reappears, awakening feelings from when they were younger, and confusing her. Is it possible to be in love with more than one person at the same time, even if you're not acting on those feelings? How do you know whether the way you feel about a person is based on nostalgia or real life?

Two guys vying for her attention, worrying that her widowed dad needs to start dating, dealing with betrayal and uncertainty in her relationship with Peter—it's a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone someone with as much sensitivity and heart as Lara Jean. But she's determined to make the most of her life, even if not everyone will be happy with the decisions she makes.

I really enjoyed To All the Boys I've Loved Before , the first book in the series (see my review), and I felt the same way about this second book. It was great to return to Lara Jean's world and all of the characters I enjoyed in the first book, and that same charm and heart was here as well.

I haven't watched the television series based on these books, but I've heard it's good, too. Jenny Han created such a great cast of characters, characters I root for (and against, depending on the person). P.S. I Still Love You , like its predecessor, hooked me from the very first page. Of course, I want to dive right into the third and final book, but I'm going to wait a bit, because then I'll have nothing to look forward to in regard to this series! (Such a hardship, reading is.)

Is it predictable? Sure. Does it matter? Not in the slightest. For a fun, sweet, enjoyable, romantic diversion, dive in to this series.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same ridiculous semi-plot, same disastrous situations, same lack of character development. I was bored to tears😩
I find Lara Jean whiney, petty, snobbish, incredibly selfish, basically the epitome of annoyance, and she doesn't look like she's got any intention to change anytime soon. The worst thing is that she doesn't acknowledge these sides of her *cough sarcasm cough* lovely personality but she's always ready to point her judgy finger at other people, blaming them for the same flaws. C'mon, LJ, a little humility never killed nobody.
She's potentially the character with less appeal in the history of hateful lead females.
The romance is surreal and childish. Peter K and LJ have the chemistry of a bedpost and a goldfish, and their interactions not to mention their lovey dovey moments are just too awkward. I swear I've heard kindergarten sweethearts have much more meaningful conversations than these two.
For a good three quarters of the book I kept hoping Peter and John would pull a Spanish telenovela plot twist, tell LJ to shove her judgemental attitude up her nose, and run away together.
Even if I don't mind Peter (and even if I think he and LJ should come to terms with the fact that they're too different and, in the real world, they'd would never work out without fighting and being passive-aggressive toward each other every second), I liked John's character and his role as a love interest, too. Maybe I liked it even better, but I cared too little for the love triangle to actually bother and concern me.
I said it and I repeat it one more time: I haven't read the third book and I've certainly don't plan to. My adventure with Miss Too-Good-For-You and her band of merry flat characters ends here. I think I've had my spare, already. Put myself through all the frustration and unnecessary drama only to end up with a fistful of nothing and predictableness, for what? If I enjoyed pain so much, I'd visit my orthodontist or get a Brazilian wax.
Again, the cover is what brought this book an extra star.

I am almost sorry, really. Not only for all the boys Lara Jean's loved before, but especially for all the boys she's going to love in the future. Poor things have no idea what they're going to have to deal with.

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER FREE REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jksUo...

4.5*
Really enjoyed this!