4.5/5

Yes it's a 4.5 but more towards a 5 than towards a 4 because oh my God I LOVED THIS!!!

I see so much of myself in Lara Jean. So, so much. And that's been true ever since I read the first book in the series and connected with her being a homebody and preferring to be alone with her books, with her being a little bit scared of the world. That's something I still feel every single day. I didn't have LJ's experience, in that I didn't have people who helped me come out of my shell, but she made me long for it, and I'm glad she had it. I really loved her character, her development, her relationship with her sisters and her family, her and Peter, everything, and even though I might be WAY older than her right now, I still want all of that for myself, and seeing it happen from her eyes made me believe that it might happen someday for me, too.

I think this last book was the very perfect goodbye. It was hard, knowing that when I finish it there'll be nothing left, but Jenny captured that spirit so well. LJ's also afraid of the goodbyes she'll have to say in this book, and this feeling is what made me love it even more. I went through the experience of moving away from home and having to adjust to not seeing my parents (and my dog) every single day, and I felt everything she was feeling so, so deeply. We're both the kind of people who thrive within the familiar, so to go into the great unknown, with no guarantees that you're going to be okay, that's SCARY!!! I'm really glad that LJ looks at everything with a sense of hope, though, and with knowing that even though change is inevitable, it's a good thing, and her life is only just beginning. It helped me look at my life the same way, too (even though I've already graduated college and I DEFINITELY still don't know what I'm doing with my life... yeah I'm still glad that she's helping me have this view, because I'm pretty sure my life isn't done changing quite yet!!)

Lara Jean has officially become part of me - and I'm kicking myself for not picking up the trilogy sooner, because I feel like I could've used it back when. I'm still very grateful for it now, still grateful for knowing that you can be exactly who you are and you'll still have great stories to tell, no matter what. I'm still thankful that I know the Song sisters, and their wonderful father, still grateful that I have a new relationship ideal to aspire to thanks to Peter, still happy that I got to see Lara Jean grow up and grow into herself more and more. Allow me to reference "Anne with an E" (since Jenny had a lot of "Anne of Green Gables" references which I absolutely LIVED FOR): I am so sad to see you go, and yet so happy that I know you.

P.S.: Can we please also talk about all the Hamilton references????? Thank you ever so much miss Jenny Han we adore you