P.S. I Still Love You | Book Review

Title: P.S. I Still Love You
Author: Jenny Han

Series: To All The Boys I've Loved Before #2

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Chick-Lit

Pages: 337 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.3/5

My Rating: 3/5

From Goodreads: 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 really loved To All The Boys I've Loved Before (review here), so P.S. I Still Love You was underwhelming and a disappointment. What I loved in the first book was missing. There was less humor and the romance wasn't very interesting. In the first book I really enjoyed reading about the sisters' bond but this time the story focused more on the love triangle and the romance.

Lara Jean was very childish throughout out the novel. I kept waiting for her to grow up and go through some character development but she never did. She stayed her childish, petty self. On the topic of characters, I didn't like Peter either. He was a really fun, cute character in the last book while in this book he was the stereotypical "popular jock". There was nothing unique about him.

I never understood the connection between Lara Jean and Peter. Even in TAtBILB I didn't think they had any chemistry but I still though they were cute. In PSISLY their relationship didn't make sense. They didn't communicate and weren't a good couple. The addition of the love triangle was pointless. It didn't add anything but unnecessary drama to the story. The way Lara Jean handled the love triangle was irritating as well.

While I did have quite a few problems with the novel, I did enjoy it. I like the tone of the books and how they're not stereotypical, cliche chick-lit. The books have a personality which I really enjoy. This novel also continuously discussed sexism and double standards which was a great addition.

I love this series, however, if you haven't read any of the books yet I'd recommend just reading the first book.

Burn for Burn | Book Review

Title: Burn for Burn

Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Series: Burn for Burn #1

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Pages: 358 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.89/5

My Rating: 3/5

After a series of unfortunate events, Lillia, Mary, and Kat team up to get revenge on people who wronged them.

This book was a dissapointment. I've heard a lot of good things but I hated the plot and the characters. Still, I thought it was a decent book. The writing is fine, nothing special but not bad. It was a pretty quick read and I was somewhat entertained.

However, Burn for Burn had a lot of flaws. The characters really annoyed me. They stuck almost completely to their stereotypes. There was nothing unique about these characters whatsoever. They just made bad decision after bad decision. I also did not enjoy the plot. The whole story is about getting revenge on people who wronged them. Yes, getting revenge instead of communicating and talking it out when there's only one year left of seeing these people while also risking not getting into college is definitely a good idea. I just don't understand why people don't COMMUNICATE. Sure words don't always get through to people. But the characters are never going to see the people they hate after the school year ends! The reasons for revenge were also mostly unjustified. Lillia and Kat bully and hurt their enemies horribly. Yes, they're not the nicest people but you shouldn't stoop down to their level! Mary was the only one whose revenge was justified but what she did was still wrong.

I felt the characters went through no character development or growth. They just got more and more irritating and immature as the book went on. The length of the book was unnecessary as well. It's a fairly large book and felt dragged on. I think the series should just be one 500 page book rather than 3 books.

The paranormal aspect of the book also really through me off. I don't think it fits with the story and feel of the book.

I got incredibly frustrated and annoyed throughout the entirety of the book. That being said, I do plan on reading the next in the series. Life is too short to read mediocre books, but after reading the plot summary of what happens in the next two books, I'm very intrigued and confused so I'll just try to read them as quickly as possible.

Sorry that this became more of a rant rather than a review. ^^

Until Next Time,

Hana

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The Summer I Turned Pretty Book Review

Belly has spent every summer at Cousins with her mom and her brother, and with her mom's best friend and her two sons, Jeremiah and Conrad. Belly has been in love with Conrad since she was ten, but this summer things change. The boys finally start to notice her, but she becomes conflicted on who she loves and what she wants.

This was such a fun and quick read! I really enjoyed how this book was organized. It shows Belly's past summers and her present one. I felt I got to know Belly so much better through those glimpses of the past. I was expecting this to be a stereotypical, fluffly contemporary, but it was so much more. While there is the typical angst and miscommunication in the novel, there are also some deeper undertones that lead toward a bigger picture. The characters were also wonderful. They were flawed and made so human. Belly was very relatable. She was kind, smart, immature and just plain silly sometimes. Jenny Han captured what a teenager is like perfectly. Reading, I thought I knew the characters but towards the end I realized how complex they all really are. I cannot wait to read the next one!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before Mini Review

"Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letter that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved--five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control."

This was such a cute book! It was so sweet and fluffly and fun and a great read in general. I loved the family dynamic. In YA literature the family tends to be there only when it's needed but in this story, Lara Jean's family is a big part of her life. The cultural diversity was great. Not only is Lara Jean, half Korean, but her traditions and culture also play a big part in her life. The romance was cute but I felt it was superficial. I wanted to learn more about the relationships between all the characters (Josh and Margo, Peter and Gen). It was also really predictible and Lara Jean's decisions annoyed me sometime. Overall, however, this was so much fun to read and I cannot wait for the next one! 

Until Next Time,
Hana