Book Review – P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Boys, bullies and b!itches, and how be cool, calm and  fabulous amongst it all (sort of).

Genre: Y/A, Contemporary, Romance

No. of pages: 337

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?

Now this is how you write a sequel! It was better than the first novel in every area, and has cemented Jenny Han as one of my favourite authors.

There are still parts where I was rolling my eyes at the cheesiness (but it was expected after the precedent of ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’), but what surprised me was how much I laughed. Not only from Laura Jean’s wit, but also from moments of physical comedy… I was tickled pink.

There is all the high school drama we can expect from a contemporary and a plethora of eye-candy.

I felt it was a little smarmy how so many good looking boys fell at Lara Jeans’ feet after she was so unsure of herself (with boys) in the first novel. I would have liked a little more conflict or tension in those relationships – like with Peter. Because of that, the book had an overall feeling of it being just an everyday high school experience story, which knocked it down a mark for me.

The ensemble of characters really shone. Lara Jeans little sister (Kitty) was much more likeable and I felt their relationship more realistic. As with the first novel in this series, the family dynamic is stronger – and ever more present here. I appreciated Han’s description of sister relationships. The strong bond these girls have grown up with and how they support each other. You get a tangible sense that these girls are growing up – Jenny Han doesn’t let any of these characters back slide from the progress they’ve made in ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.’

‘P.S. I Still Love You’ is a bit of a light and fluffy contemporary, a gentle afternoon read with a strong sense of self – and of family. With a pleasant, easy-flowing writing style and great pacing, it can be a fast read. Recommended for a lazy afternoon with a mug of hot chocolate.

Overall feeling: You go girl!

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