the bonds of sisterhood & to all the boys i've loved before
Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before is a tale of love, heartbreak and the chaotic nature of being a teenager. As Lara Jean Covey, our shy and socially awkward daydreamer, enters her junior year of high school, she combats the chaos that her life becomes when the love letters that she never intended to send reach their recipients. Combining the tropes of fake dating with the law of opposites attract, the relationship Jenny Han weaves between Lara Jean and Peter is astoundingly and unexpectedly adorable. Peter Kavinsky is a sporty, popular boy who is a genuinely kind-hearted person and Lara Jean is a bookish introvert who bakes and lives in a daydream... yet, they work. Mostly because who wouldn't want to be written notes every day by your adorable fake boyfriend and chased down the corridor (in Harry Potter and Marvel costumes obviously) on Halloween? Not only is this book a perfectly adorable romance, but it's a discussion of grief and the detrimental impact that loss can have upon a family. The relationship between the three Covey sisters - Lara Jean, Margot and Kitty respectively - is at the heart of the book and adds to the coming-of-age feel that flows through the pages. Alongside all of her romantic drama, Lara Jean is concerned with trying to set a good example for her younger sister Kitty in the absence of Margot being at university and their mother having passed away. Through the Covey sisters, Jenny Han highlights the importance of family and the ways in which we impact upon those we love dearly even with the smallest, heartfelt things we do. To all of you out there who dream of the perfect romance; of love letters; and fit into the band of socially awkward introverts - this book is for you.