Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

“Is this how it goes? You fall in love, and nothing seems truly scary anymore, and life is one big possibility?”

Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

Book Links: Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads | Publisher | NBS

Personal Thoughts:

Always and Forever, Lara Jean is bittersweet, heartwarming, and swoony read that will surely leave followers of this series more than satisfied.

When I first read To All the Boys I’ve Love Before, it surprised me in all the best ways. It brings memories and feelings I never thought I’ll trace again. Lara Jean’s story becomes my own as she reminds me of how it was to be young and in love. Then when the second installment came out, I fell harder with the characters. I cheer and root for them like fully realized people. I want for Covey and Peter’s story to work. I thought that was the last time I will heard about them, since this series is originally a duology. But when Jenny Han announced on twitter that there will be one last book for Lara Jean’s story, I can’t help but get excited. Who am I kidding? More Peter Kavinsky is always a good news.

So, I finished reading Always and Forever, Lara Jean few nights ago. After that I reread the first two books and reread and reread this one final installment. I can’t just let go yet. In fact, I’m still doing a reread as of this moment. Multi-tasking while writing my thoughts.

“Never say no when you really want to say yes.”

Always and Forever, Lara Jean takes on Lara Jean and Peter’s high-school senior year. With the prom, graduation, college applications, and family issues — these two are both having a tough year. Add the fact that they might go separate ways in college and that it feels like they don’t have enough time to do things together. Long distance relationship isn’t exactly easy and they are both aware of it. They have responsibilities not only as a couple but also as individual for themselves and for their families. Senior year proves that entering adulthood is not easy.

“I guess that’s part of growing up, too–saying goodbye to the things you used to love.”

Lara Jean’s character development from book one to here is just remarkable. I thought the video scandal she had from P.S. I Still Love You is a tough one. But in here, I feel like she badly needs a break. The girl needs a breather with all the worries and issues around her. But then she also need all these things to grow. Adjustments and changes are part of life, and she and Peter cannot skip those parts.

“You can’t protect him from being hurt, babe, no matter what you do. Being vulnerable, letting people in, getting hurt… it’s all part of being in love.”

Peter Kavinsky’s character just become more swoon worthy. We’ve finally view his vulnerable side, making him more realistic. I love him for being the cool and optimistic guy from the first two installments, but seeing him unsure, scared or just loosing control in this final book just makes me love him more. The sweet moments between him and Lara Jean are just adorable. Every little thing he does for Lara Jean makes my heart giddy. He is the kind of guy who remember little things, and he surely makes an effort for Lara Jean. Like when he try to learn how to do French braid, or when he color spray his hair during ‘characters day’ because he know how Lara Jean take seriously of costuming. He even make sure that people will get who Lara Jean’s character is. There’s so much more, but you have to read the book to find out. Otherwise I will spoil you and maybe ruined the excitement.

I also love it when Peter takes care of Kitty. Even when he and Lara Jean are not in good terms, he always love the kid. He is like a real brother to her. Plus the dynamics between him and Kitty is so much fun. Hilarious even.

As for Kitty, well she continue to be amazing. I’m sure every reader of this series love the kid. She is witty, funny and feisty. I didn’t realized how much I miss her and her snarky dialogues until I get back to reading this series. She really put the big difference. Add the family dynamics of the whole Song household, and the latest addition to the family, this novel is fun and sweet. Jenny Han effortlessly emphasize the importance of family in this series and for that alone, makes the whole series worth reading.

All in all, Always and Forever, Lara Jean is a perfect ending to Lara Jean’s story. I really cannot ask for a better conclusion from Jenny Han. This whole series is heartwarming, nostalgic, and just pure love. Something to get back into if you feel like experiencing teen love over and over again, or just want to swoon for days. Because sometimes lighthearted and fun read is all we need.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

“Things feel like they’ll be forever, but they aren’t. Love can go away, or people can, without even meaning to. Nothing is guaranteed.”

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?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

Personal Thoughts:

With how the first installment To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before ended, P.S. I Still Love You is one of the most waited sequel in my reading list this year. I just have to find out what happen next to Lara Jean and Peter. That “Dear Peter” ending from the first installment is such a tease and I must say, a very effective one. I mean, a year of waiting is not unusual for me, or even pre-ordering copy but rushing to book store despite of busy schedule just to pick-up my copy – that say something, add the fact that I read the book from start to end without a pause or break and didn’t get sleep even with an early call at work. So yeah, I badly need to know Lara Jean’s end of story.

P.S. I Still Love You is a relationship story. It’s Lara Jean’s relationships with all the people around her. From her family, friends, partner and other people who are part of her life.

What I really like about this duo-logy is how I can easily relate to its main character, Lara Jean. Reading her story makes me feel everything she is feeling without even really experiencing them on my own. Even I don’t actually tear up, I still get all immersed into all the drama of Lara Jean’s love life as well as the moments of her family life. It’s a heartfelt journey for me reading Lara Jean’s story.

“So much of love is chance. There’s something scary and wonderful about that.”

From the blurb I already expected a love triangle in P.S. I Still Love You. And even I’m not a fan of that kind of set-up I embraced what this novel can offer. Though my vote is clearly for Peter Kavinsky, I still welcome John Ambrose McClaren presence in this final installment. Because how can I not like McClaren if all he did is love Lara Jean. He can be the right guy for Lara Jean.

Peter can also be the right guy for Lara Jean, in fact he is already that guy, he just need to own it. He isn’t exactly the good guy in here which is kinda expected but he is not the bud guy either. Even if I didn’t agree with all his decisions and actions I still like him better for Lara Jean. There is something in them than just chemistry. It’s like they are meant to be together. And I just want more of Peter Kavinsky. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before offer more of him than P.S. I Still Love You. I really wish there’s more of him in here.

“People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they’re not. There’s no telling how long you will have them near.”

I feel sorry for Genevieve and the friendship she lost. It’s so sad how things ended between her and Lara Jean. But like in real life bad things happen. People change, friends leave, things go wrong, and sometimes we have no way to fixed them. Those are all part of growing up. Sometimes we just have to accept things as they are and continue to live our life. Staying in the past is more hurtful than accepting the present. We all need to move on at a certain time in our life.

And just like in any relationships, there is always bumps in the road. No relationship is smooth or easy-going otherwise the relationship isn’t real. Nothing is perfect and Lara Jean and Peter realize that. Complications are part of any relationships or life in general. We just have to deal with all the complications. They will be our source of triumphs someday because they will help us grow and learn something from them.

Jenny Han continue to show the family dynamics of the Song family. Though Lara Jean’s older sister Margot is not always visible in the story, the other Song’s family members Lara Jean’s Dad, and Kitty with her new puppy are enough to show another layer of Lara Jean. Her regular banter with Kitty alone are adorable and funny. Love that kid, so feisty, funny and smart. She really makes this novel light in spite of all the issues that Lara Jean is dealing.

P.S. I Still Love You reminds me that sometimes we don’t need a complicated or intricate plot to be engrossed or gripped by a story. Real and raw emotions are sometimes enough to trigger something inside us. I didn’t exactly cry reading this one, but all the emotions I feel are more than enough for me to relate, remember, and realize things – and for me these things matters in reading.

A very heartfelt and satisfying conclusion of Lara Jean’s story. I’ll definitely do a reread soon.

Jenny Han in Manila

New York Times bestselling YA author Jenny Han visited the country for book signing tours in Manila & Cebu last June 21st & 22nd, 2014. The events are organized by National Book Store for the Filipino fans of the Korean-American writer.

For those who are not familiar yet with Jenny Han, she is the author of children book (Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream), middle grade book (Shug) and YA books (Summer series : The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, We’ll Always Have Summer; Burn for Burn series: Burn for Burn, Fire with Fire, Ashes to Ashes). Her recently released novel, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before which is the first part of a duology is a YA contemporary hit.

I’ve read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before few weeks before Jenny Han’s visit and I can honestly say that the book is good. Which makes me more excited to see in person and talk to the genius behind Lara Jean’s story. Check my review for the book here.

Since I was invited to the bloggers forum (Thanks so much NBS), I got the chance to spend more time with Jenny Han during the Q&A event together with other blogger friends. We asked Jenny Han questions and talk to her some more about her books, writing process, experiences, and even her crushes. It’s a light and fun event. Here are some of the things I’ve learned from her during the forum.

Jenny Han and her co-author Vivian Siobhan met in graduate school in New York at David Levithan’s class. David is Siobhan’s mentor in writing. When writing __ series with Siobhan they don’t have a specific characters assigned for them unlike the usual tandem writing. They have to learn and know all characters very well in their books well and they just exchanges pages and help each other in every way possible. When it comes to division, Jenny think that she is more in charge with the dialogue and conversations since she feels she is good at that while Siobhan is in charge with the plotting and storytelling since she has a screen writing background and went to a film school. For her writing with Siobhan is really fun because they are best friend.

Like Lara Jean, her main character in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Jenny Han also got the her own hatbox where she put her personal letter when she was younger. Her letters never got sent out and they are for her eyes only. For her writing letters is a personal experience. Letters for her thus not only reflects the writer’s true and deep feelings but also reveals the writers personality. It can be also a way of coping up by letting all our feelings flow through ink and paper.

As for the usual present of sister relationships in her novels, it is actually from her own experience. She also got sisters of her own whom she love so much. Kitty from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is inspired by her own sister Susan.

Jenny pictures Peter Kavinsky (Lara Jean’s love interest in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) as very handsome in a nice old-fashioned way, like a young James Marsden. And if she will be Lara Jean her top celebrity crushes are Alexander Skarsgard of True Blood, Norman Reedus of Walking Dead. The cop from The Killing (a Swedish model), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones, Jo In Sung and Seo In Guk.

Thank you so much Jenny Han for gracing us with your presence and for sharing us your time, and experiences. A big thanks too to National Book Store for inviting me to the forum. Thank you too to Jenny Han’s publisher, Simon & Schuster for the  for the advance copy of Ashes to Ashes.

Find out more about Jenny Han in her website  and follow her on Twitter for instant updates. You may also check Jenny Han’s tumbler where she post photos of her nail arts.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

“Relationships are incredibly amorphous. They could get back together. They could stay friends. Who’s to say what will happen in the future?”

Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them… all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Personal Thoughts:

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is surprisingly accessible and ultimately compelling read. I wasn’t expecting to get swept by a simple romantic story but I am swept by this book, adding one more sleepless night to my calendar since I wasn’t able to stop reading till the end page.

The story follows Lara Jean a half-Korean half-American girl who have never been in a relationship. She’s been in loved before though and she has this extraordinary habit of writing a love letters to the guys she loved as her way of closure. Letters that are supposed to stay in her personal box inside her closet. When the popular Peter, one of her old crushes approached her with one of her letter, Lara Jean is mortified to find out that Peter have read her letter. Then later on she realized that all her letters were sent and one of the recipient is her longtime family friend, Josh who also happened to be her sister’s ex-boyfriend. What she gonna do?

“If love is like a possession, maybe my letters are like my exorcism.”

Lara Jean is a character that is not for everyone to like, but I love her because I can relate to her so much it hurts. Sometimes it feels like I know her more than I’m supposed to. I love how smart and oblivious she is at the same time, how she acts all tough and strong even deep inside all she wants to do is crawl her way out. Her quick-witted attitude adds more fun to the dialogues. All the “I’m the big sister now” scenes are also adorable. It is so much fun seeing her try to act and be responsible after her older sister, Margot moved out and went to college.

The sibling’s relationships are well weaved. It gives more arcs to the plot, focusing not only to the romantic relationship but also to the family relationship. The interactions between the Song girls and their Dad easily paint a family that is not perfect but full of love and care for each other. It’s endearing seeing them do their part as a family, from the regular daily chores to the adjustments of suddenly losing Margot for college.

As for the romance, the story started with Josh Sanderson as Lara Jean’s love interest. I totally understand how Lara Jean easily fall for a guy like him. I mean, her whole family loves the guy, which not only so much convenient but also sweet. But I have my reservations when it comes to Josh. Being Margot ex-boyfriend makes him off-limit. For me, all the fantasies and hopes to have Lara Jean and him in a romantic relationship is gone right from the start. It’s not cheating but still a no no! It’s like an unspoken deal between sisters or even friends.

But I don’t hate Josh. In fact, I like him and his closeness to the Song family. It feels real and authentic. When Josh is asking for permission to Lara Jean to still continue being their friends after he and Margot breakup, I paused reading because the lines he said echo someone in my real life. I totally can relate because I’ve been in that situation before. I’ve lost a lot of wonderful people because of a relationship that didn’t work. It is so easy to say that it will work, that even the romantic relationship end you can still be friends or family with those people who becomes the common denominator of your partner’s world and yours, but in reality it is not that easy.

“Can I still hang out with you guys?” Josh asks me. “Me and Kitty?” “Your dad, too.” “We’re not going anywhere,” I assure him. Josh looks relived. “Good. I’d hate to lose you, too.”

Enter Peter the fake boyfriend. At first I don’t like him because I thought he is just some overconfident guy who will use Lara Jean to get back with his ex-girlfriend. But reading more of his interactions with Lara Jean, I find myself warming and rooting for him. There’s so much potential in him that I wish the author delved more into. But since I just found out there is a second book coming out next year, I am not losing hope.

“I wonder what it’s like to have that much power over a boy. I don’t think I’d want it; it’s a lot of responsibility to hold a person’s heart in your hands.”

The story end in an open-ending note which means there’s more to look forward to for the characters but at the same time it still ends with a note of resolution. I just wish the second/final book is out already so I can find out what will happen to Lara Jean and her love.

Overall, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a delightful contemporary read that will remind us of the crazy things we can do when we were young and in love. It is fun, sweet, and nostalgic. I smile, laugh, sigh, relate, and hope while reading. Will definitely read the next book to find out more about Lara Jean and the boys she loved before, well actually just one boy who I’m particularly rooting for.

Jenny Han Book Signing Tour in PH Soon

 

National Book Store will bring another bestselling author here in the Philippines next month as they invited Jenny Han for book signing tours in Manila and Cebu. Jenny Han is the author of Shug, Summer series (The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer), and Burn for Burn series (Burn for Burn, Fire with Fire, & Ashes to Ashes). She is also the author of the chapter book Clara Lee and The Apple Pie Dream. Her latest novel, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is consistently getting high rating in goodreads lately. Check the deets below for more info about the book signings.

See you all next month at Jenny Han’s book signing!

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where are the book signings?
June 21, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, Glorietta 1
June 22, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, SM Cebu

When will the registration be?
Registration opens at 10:00 am on June 21 at National Book Store, Glorietta 1 and 10:00 am on June 22 at National Book Store, SM Cebu (in the store, NOT the events area). Each guest will be asked to fill out the registration form upon arrival. Separate registrations for each event is required should you wish to attend both events. First come, first served.

Is there a registration fee?
No. There is no registration fee.

How many books can I have signed? Is there a limit as to how many people can have their books signed?
You may have any number of books signed as long as they were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers or Powerbooks, and we do not have any preset limit as to the number of people.
However, although we will take every effort to get as many books signed as possible, depending on the number of attendees, we reserve the right to limit the number of copies per person or limit the number of people in line. First come, first served.

Can I bring old books or other editions of the books?
Yes, as long as the books were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks.

Do I need to buy on-site?
No. You can buy books before or during the event.

Can I have other items signed?
No. Only books will be allowed to be signed by the authors.

Can we have our photo taken with the author?
Yes, you can have your photo with the author when she signs your book. However, we strictly allow one photo per person only.

How much are the books?
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (Trade Paperback – P395)
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Trade Paperback – P349)
It’s Not Summer Without You (Trade Paperback – P349)
We’ll Always Have Summer (Trade Paperback – P349)
The Complete Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy Boxed Set (Trade Paperback – P1,079)
Burn for Burn (Trade Paperback – P385)
Fire With Fire (Trade Paperback – P385)