btwnprintedpgs's Reviews (1.3k)

First off, thank you Simon and Schuster and GoodReads First Reads for the ARC !

Second, this is my first time reading anything by Jenny Han, even though I own all her books, even the ones that are half hers (the pile continues its growth). While I've heard good things, I've never been quite sure of her books (my sister enjoyed them, but also said that there's something missing from her novels). Honestly, though, I wasn't disappointed by her books - if anything surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.

The concept of this novel was great. I really liked the whole idea of these love letters, getting sent out into the world, seen by the eyes of those who were never meant to see them. I also was pleased to see that it wasn't just romance focused, but also family focused. There was a lot about sisterly relationships, parental relationships, and romantic relationships and I think that Han did a great job of integrating them with each other.

That being said, I didn't love Lara Jean's voice in the novel. Everyone else was, for the most part, believable, but Lara Jean's thoughts streamed through like that of a hyperactive 13 year old. I understand that she was supposed to be the floofy, head in the clouds kind of character, but my goodness. By the time I found out that she was a junior in high school (i.e. was in grade 11), I had checked back multiple times, wondering if her age had been mentioned previously because she wasn't as old as I thought she was supposed to be. Turns out she was. As a character who lost her mother at a young age, and was given the joint role of taking care of her little sister, she really didn't grow up faster. She also had an unhealthy obsession with her older sister. Margot this, Margot that, I was quite tired of Margot by the end of this book and she was only there for maybe an eighth of the novel. Margot was also a condescending, control-freak type sister who I really didn't enjoy reading about, though at least she acted her age...

Also, while I'm all for books that star characters that are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. (I mean, I'm a Chinese-Canadian obsessed with J-Pop, K-Pop, and J/K/M/C/T-dramas, I am down with diversity), Han pushed it a lot in this novel. I got it, her family is half-Korean, half-American. But I'm reminded of that fact every few chapters. I love the diversity, but I wish that it was less forced, less... just less.

Aside from the juvenile narrative, I did enjoy the scatterbrained-ness of Lara Jean. The narrative seemed like real thoughts, as she kept jumping back and forth: this happened and then, oh! remember that time when, -back to the present-. It was realistic, in that sense, as we really don't pay that much attention to detail in real life, unless we make a conscious effort. That was definitely something I loved about the narrative. Also, with regards to Lara Jean's character, I did like that she, for the most part, faced the whole letter issue head on.

Moving past the MC, I really liked all the other characters. Peter's character development throughout the story was nice, sweet, and relatively subtle. Josh was very... up and down with his decisions and feelings, but all in all, I have to say that Kitty was my favourite character. For a 9-10 year old, she was basically the voice of reason within this novel. I liked her relationship with everyone, how she was a fluid character who went with the flow, but still had a great personality and voice in the novel. I also love Lucas, he made me happy, even though he was rarely seen in the books, he made for a great friend.

The plot began with Lara Jean's life. Readers get to understand who Lara Jean is, what her family dynamics are like, who her friends are, and where all her relationships stand, in the first few chapters, before the letters get sent out. I really liked that, as it gave me the opportunity to be eased into her life and become comfortable with it before the drama began. Something that I really liked though was that she didn't get with the person I thought she would be with at the beginning of the story. The plot evolved and the characters evolved as the book progressed and it was nice to be pleasantly surprised.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. Was I blown away? No. I agree that something is missing like a satisfying, we-all-lived-happily-ever-after end, but I can't figure out what it is. Overall, Han's writing is great, though her MC needs to mature a few years, I really liked the way the story was told and the thoughts conveyed. While I feel like this book doesn't need a sequel, I'm interested to see what Han does in P.S. I Still Love You. Also, I'd just like to mention that I quite like this cover, especially with the detailing in the title, with the whole permanent marker look. It really caught my eye when I first saw it.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.18/5

ARC obtained via Simon and Schuster Canada via GoodReads First Reads.

-review by Between Printed Pages

I love Colleen Hoover’s books because they’re all so real. She manages to nail every emotion, action, and moment so perfectly that her books hit you right in the feels every single time.

This book moves back and forth between the “Now” and “Then”. “Now” tells us the story of Quinn and Graham in present day and the struggles they’re experiencing in their marriage. “Then” brings us back into time to about 10 years prior and walks us through the couple’s relationship at the beginning.

All Your Perfects opens up dialogue around societal expectations, and how even the most mundane and traditional questions can hurt people. I was watching Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, and one of the characters was pretending to be in a wheelchair during thanksgiving. As they went around the table, everyone was saying they were thankful for their family, their friends, yams, and this girl suddenly snapped and asked why people weren’t thankful for their legs and their ability to walk. All Your Perfects raises a similar question. Why are the struggles we face only up for conversation behind closed doors? Why is it taboo to be open about the obstacles we face? What do we take for granted on a daily basis?

I don’t even know if Colleen Hoover thinks about the rest of the world when she writes her books, but this novels hits on everyday, human struggles, and how much work and effort is needed to sustain a relationship with another human being for the the rest of your life. It’s so easy to say you’ll make a commitment to another person, but executing that commitment in both the good and bad times is so hard because as much as we try to be, we are not always perfect.

I read this book three months ago, and just thinking about it again has me in tears, and I just can’t. When I get my physical copy in the next few days, I’m doing a reread, because it was just that good. If you’re picking up this book, get ready for some good laughs, a lot of tears, and a love story that will change the way you see and express love.

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: ALL THE STARS.
GoodReads Rating: 4.46/5

Book Depository Buy Link

eARC obtained via Simon and Schuster Canada and Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

-review by Between Printed Pages

DNF @10%

Not only is this book absolutely bananas, it's also poorly written...

DNF @ 30%

I was about 25% through and was like, "How was that not the full book already?" Then I skimmed through the rest of the book and just could not force myself to care about the MC, her love interest, or any of their problems...