I am usually very good with realizing that a book that I may not like might be adored by someone else. I understand that people have different tastes in books and reading. This is the ONLY book I've ever read where I literally cannot comprehend how anybody can love this book as much as most people do. My loathing for this book is palpable, and I could write a 37 page essay on everything I hate about it. But I feel like I'm the only one... there are literally like 3 other reviews on Goodreads who rate it less than 3 stars..... HOW?!?!?!?!
There is not a single character worth liking. Lara-Jean (pretentious name for a pretentious girl) is what, 16? She sounds like a love-struck eighth grader. She had the most child-like, too-innocent-for-this-world voice, she has no personality, all she does is make googly eyes at her sister and bake cookies. Worst main character in any book I've read in the past few years. Both boys aren't appealing whatsoever... one is a rude, full of himself, inconsiderate player. The other is a boring, pretentious, everyone-loves-for-literally-no-reason-whatsoever boy next door. By the way, I find it disgusting to even think about being with somebody one of my siblings had sex with, so I don't see how more don't people find it gross that LJ obsessively wants her sister's sloppy seconds. LJ's 9 year old sister is annoying, rude, and childish even for a child. Not to mention it is RIDICULOUSLY OBVIOUS THAT SHE WAS THE ONE WHO SENT THE LETTERS (oops, spoiler). IF YOU WERE SHOCKED BY THAT "PLOT TWIST", YOU'RE A COMPLETE IDIOT. But seriously, it was completely apparent who sent the letters by the second chapter. Speaking of the letters, they were supposed to be the entire basis of the novel, but they were barely relevant throughout the entire story. It was almost as if the author wrote a boring old love story, thought it needed a little extra umph, and then went back to edit a few paragraphs about secret love letters throughout the beginning of the novel. The synopsis makes it seem like they're going to be the gigantic thing that LJ will have to deal with and how it's going to mess up her entire life so much, but in reality, it literally went like this. Lj writes letters. Lj pisses off little sister. Little sister finds letters and sends them as revenge (for something so incredibly petty, too). Boys get letters. 2 out of the 5 boys confront her about it for 10 seconds. Girl and boy make up scheme to make their 2 love interests fall in love with them. Letters are never mentioned again for the 95% of the novel remaining. Dumbest. Thing. Ever. Margo, Lj's secret incestual love interest (or so it seems because of how obsessed Lj is with her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) is a complete bitch. Sorry, but she is. End of story. Now, I completely agree that having different cultures represented in literature is extremely important, but there's a proper way to do it, and Jenny Han did NOT succeed. I appreciate that she tried, I do. But it felt like the Korean heritage had no relevance to anything in the book. It would be a random part of the book, and all of sudden LJ would be like "My KOREAN grandma went to the KOREAN grocery store to cook us a traditional KOREAN dinner because we're so KOREAN. KOREAN. KOREAN. KOREAN!" and then it would go back to a completely non-Korean situation. Jenny Han NEVER lets you forget that LJ is Korean, and it got exhausting. We get it. The Song's are a half-Korean, half-American, perfect upper-middle class suburban family. Stop reminding us.
To sum up my overly long rant of pure HATRED, do any of you loath this book as well? Or am I all alone with my feelings?
Personally I really enjoyed this book, although it has been a while since I've read it. When I read it I was in a big romance mood, being really into the contemporary genre.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There is not a single character worth liking. Lara-Jean (pretentious name for a pretentious girl) is what, 16? She sounds like a love-struck eighth grader. She had the most child-like, too-innocent-for-this-world voice, she has no personality, all she does is make googly eyes at her sister and bake cookies. Worst main character in any book I've read in the past few years.
Both boys aren't appealing whatsoever... one is a rude, full of himself, inconsiderate player. The other is a boring, pretentious, everyone-loves-for-literally-no-reason-whatsoever boy next door. By the way, I find it disgusting to even think about being with somebody one of my siblings had sex with, so I don't see how more don't people find it gross that LJ obsessively wants her sister's sloppy seconds.
LJ's 9 year old sister is annoying, rude, and childish even for a child. Not to mention it is RIDICULOUSLY OBVIOUS THAT SHE WAS THE ONE WHO SENT THE LETTERS (oops, spoiler). IF YOU WERE SHOCKED BY THAT "PLOT TWIST", YOU'RE A COMPLETE IDIOT. But seriously, it was completely apparent who sent the letters by the second chapter. Speaking of the letters, they were supposed to be the entire basis of the novel, but they were barely relevant throughout the entire story. It was almost as if the author wrote a boring old love story, thought it needed a little extra umph, and then went back to edit a few paragraphs about secret love letters throughout the beginning of the novel. The synopsis makes it seem like they're going to be the gigantic thing that LJ will have to deal with and how it's going to mess up her entire life so much, but in reality, it literally went like this.
Lj writes letters. Lj pisses off little sister. Little sister finds letters and sends them as revenge (for something so incredibly petty, too). Boys get letters. 2 out of the 5 boys confront her about it for 10 seconds. Girl and boy make up scheme to make their 2 love interests fall in love with them. Letters are never mentioned again for the 95% of the novel remaining.
Dumbest. Thing. Ever.
Margo, Lj's secret incestual love interest (or so it seems because of how obsessed Lj is with her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) is a complete bitch. Sorry, but she is. End of story.
Now, I completely agree that having different cultures represented in literature is extremely important, but there's a proper way to do it, and Jenny Han did NOT succeed. I appreciate that she tried, I do. But it felt like the Korean heritage had no relevance to anything in the book. It would be a random part of the book, and all of sudden LJ would be like "My KOREAN grandma went to the KOREAN grocery store to cook us a traditional KOREAN dinner because we're so KOREAN. KOREAN. KOREAN. KOREAN!" and then it would go back to a completely non-Korean situation. Jenny Han NEVER lets you forget that LJ is Korean, and it got exhausting. We get it. The Song's are a half-Korean, half-American, perfect upper-middle class suburban family. Stop reminding us.
To sum up my overly long rant of pure HATRED, do any of you loath this book as well? Or am I all alone with my feelings?