P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

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In this second novel of the trilogy "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" we dive right into the drama that we were left with at the end of the first novel. With Peter and Lara Jean having left things in the open, it's now time to figure out if they actually want to be together as a real couple - not a fake one this time. Trouble arises as a video of Lara Jean and Peter making out in a hot tub is published for everyone to see. Meanwhile, Peter and his ex, Genevieve, are still close which is quite disturbing to Lara Jean - for obvious reasons - although Lara Jean tries not to act like a jealous girlfriend. Then another boy from Lara Jean's past appears and even more drama enters the life of young Lara Jean. 

This is quite a sweet story about first loves and the heartbreak, confusion and drama that comes with all that. Lara Jean is still new to the whole dating world. She is inexperienced, but she has loved 5 boys in total. This amazes me as she is only 16 years old. At the same time, I really feel like I can relate to Lara Jean and her perception of love. When LJ loves someone, she does it wholeheartedly. At the end of the novel, Margot, LJ's older sister, tells Lara Jean that she is "in love with love". Moreover, she tells her this: "Lara Jean, I think you half-fall in love with every person you meet." I love this about Lara Jean. It's both sweet and beautiful and I relate to this in so many ways.

In this novel, we also dive more into a new side of Lara Jean. The jealous girlfriend. I believe that anyone can relate to Lara Jean feeling jealous and her insecurities regarding Peter and Genevieve who had a much more "advanced" relationship than Lara Jean and Peter have. LJ and P are freshly in love and while P is a lot more experienced than LJ, he still respects her boundaries and the fact that she does not feel ready to explore certain things. I love that about Peter. He is so sweet and gentle with LJ. At the same time, I really sensed how much he cares for Lara Jean and that he is genuinely in love with her.

I must admit that this novel had me teary-eyed a few times. Jenny Han has a way of getting to me and my heart. Every time Lara Jean got hurt or whenever she was sad, I felt it directly within my own heart. It hurt so much and that is when I know that a novel is great. Every time LJ thought about her mom and how much she needed her in that specific moment, it hurt again. And each time her dad was there and acknowledged that the presence of their mother would have been a great help, but he still made an effort, it broke me down. I also love how LJ is with her younger sister, Kitty. She is both an older sister and a mother to her. It's sweet how she plans out her whole birthday party down to the last detail and truly cares about the fact that Kitty isn't missing out on anything. I absolutely adored the two of them when they were bickering and fighting. It was hilarious and so authentic.

This is not the best of Jenny Han. I gotta admit that I loved "The Summer I Turned Pretty" trilogy much more, but this one also has my heart. My teenage heart is in love with the whole story about Lara Jean Song Covey. It is so sweet and gentle and appropriate for young teenage girls. This next part is going to sound so cheesy, but it's true; if you want to really feel your heart again, read this novel.

Jenny Han, 337 pages, Scholastic Children's Books, 2015

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