To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
- sn pubs
- Apr 17, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 4, 2024

Have you ever had one of those days where you just ache for some clichéd teen chick flick? A typical romantic story that you’ve heard being told numerous times but still enthralls you? To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han definitely fits that criteria!
Lara-Jean Song has always been a bit of a hopeless romantic; even though she has never been in a proper relationship, she still keeps love letters in an old hatbox, addressed to all the boys she has been in love with. Of course, she would never send them so they are filled with her innermost feelings and a fair few cringey moments.
But the unthinkable happens when the letters somehow get sent to all the boys and Lara-Jean must now deal with the repercussions.
I for one was immediately hooked by this book. Lara-Jean was such a relatable introverted person. Her innocence was incredibly evident and every emotion that she experienced was projected back to me as I frantically read her story. For instance, when shown one of her letters that she had written when she was younger, it was so incredibly awkward and embarrassing that I could just feel the shame oozing from the character of Lara-Jean.
On the surface, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before seems like just another typical romance book. It has a typically unrealistic premise, and The Reluctant Protagonist Who Thought She Didn’t Need Love lead that proliferates the genre.
But I guess that’s exactly what makes this one different.
Lara Jean isn’t like the standard romance book lead. Lara Jean represents the large swath of people who feel disillusioned by love. And actually, what sets To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before apart is how it actively deconstructs the misrepresentations of romantic ideals peddled by most love stories.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is definitely a good book that outshines first impressions and I would wholeheartedly recommend it when you’re in the mood to sit back and enjoy a book.
Together, they are able to stare down the entire history of teen fiction they reference both implicitly and explicitly, and do it all justice and then some.
Jenevieve Tan
4 Truth
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