Han novel highlights teen romance

Image courtesy of goodreads.com

Image courtesy of goodreads.com

In the novel “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” by Jenny Han, wistful seventeen-year-old Lara Jean Song has loved several boys in her life. Song loved them until her heart caved in on itself and she couldn’t bear to hold her feelings in anymore, so she wrote each boy a letter.

The letters were bittersweet and filled with longing as she waded through her teenage emotions. The saddest part was that none of them knew of her feelings until her letters were mailed.  

Mortified, Song must face every boy she’s ever loved and convince them that she no longer does; however, that’s not entirely true. Caught in the midst of fantasy, Song struggles to discover her true feelings and her true self.

The whimsical novel speaks what’s on almost every high school girls mind. It tells the truth with bittersweet undertones that leaves the reader laughing one minute and crying the next.

Obviously the novel has romance, but it’s the kind of romance that has the reader squealing in delight and groaning in anguish, as they live vicariously through Song. From page one, the reader has fallen in love with her and finds that they can’t help but rejoice in the fantastical scenes of the novel.

The novel has three-dimensional characters and eccentric dialogue that makes the reader feel as if they are having a conversation with them rather than just reading their words on the page.

A tale of melancholy and humorous quirks, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is perfect for any girl who is looking to have their heart stolen by extremely well-written romantic leads.

The novel can be found at the Fullerton Public Library and the FUHS library.