To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: More Than Just a Teen-Romance

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han is a teen romance novel about a young Asian American girl who struggles with her identity in the face of love and dealing with the pressures of being a teenager. Lara Jean Covey is a high school daydreamer who writes love letters to all the boys she has crushes on. The letters are never meant to be read, they are just a way for her to release her feelings and move on from her crush. Amidst having her oldest sister move across the world for college and complicated friendships, all 5 of Lara Jean’s letters are mysteriously mailed out to each of the boys. Lara Jean is then forced to cope with the fallout of her love letters as her love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

What I appreciate most about this novel is Jenny Han’s decision to write about a protagonist who identified as being Asian-American. Throughout high school, I rarely found novels that included characters that looked like me or represented my east-Asian culture. In the novel, Lara Jean embraces her Korean heritage through cultural clothing and special dishes that her mother has passed on to her. While reading this book in high school, I remembered feeling empowered by Lara Jean as she navigated her way through similar challenges that I was also experiencing. I would highly recommend this book to all who enjoy a coming-of-age clique love story, but especially to those east-Asian high schooler girls who do not see themselves in mainstream media.

-Justina Y., JI 132

3 thoughts on “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: More Than Just a Teen-Romance

  1. This books seems very entertaining! I haven’t read the book but watched the show. Do you find them similar? I like that it does have an Asian-American lead as well. It represents inclusivity and allows others to be able to relate to the story line more. I can’t wait to read it!

  2. Thanks for this great review of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. I loved the movie and enjoyed how Lara Jean was portrayed as her character really captured the characteristics of a relatable teen girl with her stories about her crushes. I never read the book, but your interpretation makes me want to read it! I love how you mentioned how culturally inclusive the book is, especially with the special dishes passed down to Lara Jean from her mother reminded me of the history of my own family recipes.

  3. I enjoyed reading your review as I agree with a lot of your points! It was very inspirational seeing other cultures being represented in literature, specifically Korean culture when connecting it to the character of Lara Jean. It was also great that the movie also stayed true to its themes. It really helped to pave the way for different cultures to make its way to mainstream media. Thanks for the amazing book blog!

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