Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Title: P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2)
Author: Jenny Han
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: Hardcover, 337
Publication: May 26, 2015
Wow. Where do I even begin with this book? I absolutely ADORED To All the Boys I've Loved Before. It was my favorite book of 2014. So, I guess you could say I had very high expectations for the sequel. While it wasn't as good as the first one, it was still pretty amazing.


P.S. I Still Love You picks up very close to the end of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. In fact, it seems like Lara Jean hasn't had much time away from Peter. However, that doesn't keep her from missing him immensely. When Lara Jean and Peter got back together, it was so satisfying that my two of my all time characters were in an actual relationship. 

Things couldn't get any better, right? Well, they could definitely get worse.


Remember when Lara Jean and Peter had that steamy make-out session in the hot tub? Well, someone recorded it. Sounds bad? Someone put it online. Even more terrible, right? After the video is released, LJ's and Peter's relationship goes from light and fun to something incredibly complicated. Not only does Lara Jean freak out about the video, it also makes her extremely suspicious of basically everything about her relationship. Throughout this whole book Peter seems to be getting closer and closer to Genevieve, LJ's kind of sort of sworn enemy. Lara Jean seems to think that Peter still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend, and she completely flips out. She breaks up with him in a way that is completely immature. It really made me mad how LJ did this. However, it goes to show that this book is even more of a coming-of-age story than I realized because we, as readers, see LJ as so put together and adult. However, when it comes to matters of her heart, she is very immature.

*steps onto soap box*

This plot device helps sends a message to any person reading this book. A message that I whole-heartedly support. The best part of this book for me was the message that it supported. When Lara Jean finds out about the video, the first thought she has is, "Oh my god everybody is going to think I'm a slut." A reaction that most girls around her age would have to something like this happening to them. Enter Margot: the feminist, awesome character of this story. She points out the ridiculous, patriarchal system that the world has. There is such a double standard when it comes to sex. For males, having sex is seen as an awesome thing. For females, it's somehow degrading and whoreish-- that having sex somehow makes a female less than a person. Additionally, Han even discusses the topic of slut shaming, something that is so prevalent in our society. I appreciate this so much. She sends such an amazing message to any person reading her book, male or female.

*steps off soap box*

Another thing I loved about this book was its emphasis on family. Everything with her dad, Margot's official end of her relationship with Josh, and Kitty solidified the message that family is the only thing that's constant in life. No matter what Lara Jean was dealing with, her family was always there for her.

Another amazing thing about this book was John Ambrose McClaren. I love this kid. He's so incredibly awesome. When Han introduced John, I thought she would also be introducing a love triangle, which I don't think I would've been okay with. And briefly, she did. However, it wasn't for the reason most authors have a love triangle in their books. Most introduce one for the sake of drama and adding interest. However, Han does it for a much different reason. She adds John Ambrose McClaren into the mix in order to prove a point. She makes it very obvious, by Lara Jean choosing Peter in the end, that she is moving past her childhood and moving into adulthood. 

P.S. I Still Love You isn't just a messy love story. It's a coming-of-age story. It's a story about a girl choosing to grow up and consciously putting her childhood behind her. It adds so much depth to an already good story.

This book is hilarious, honest, and heartfelt. I would totally recommend this to anyone looking for a light, fun read.





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