Anna and the French Kiss
Stephanie Perkins
Like Han's novel, it centres on a teen narrator whose feelings for a boy grow gradually, with a witty voice and a setting that feels like a treat.
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Find Similar BooksTo All the Boys I've Loved Before
by Jenny Han
Children's Books
★★★★★5.0 (2)
A warm, funny YA romance where a shy girl's private love letters get mailed out, launching a fake relationship and a story about sisters, family, and growing up.
What It's About
Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song Covey has never told a boy she liked him. Instead, she writes each crush a heartfelt letter she never intends to send and hides it in a hatbox. Then the letters are mailed, all of them. One reaches Josh, her older sister's boyfriend and the family's longtime neighbor. Another reaches Peter Kavinsky, a popular boy she liked years ago. To save face, Lara Jean agrees to a pretend relationship with Peter, and the arrangement gets complicated quickly.
The romance hooks you, but the book's heart is the Covey household. Lara Jean, her capable older sister Margot, and her sharp-tongued younger sister Kitty are being raised by their devoted father after their mother's death. Their bond, with its loyalty, jealousy, and inside jokes, gets as much attention as any boy. Lara Jean's half-Korean heritage, her baking, and her love of vintage clothes and cozy routines give the story texture.
Han writes in a light, first-person voice that captures Lara Jean's sweetness, anxiety, and occasional self-absorption without mocking her. Chapters are short and easy, and the tone is gentle: there is heartache and embarrassment, but nothing graphic or bleak. It reads quickly and feels like a comfort read, ideal for teens and for adults who enjoy tender coming-of-age stories. It is the first book in a trilogy, and it leaves threads open for the sequels.
Read this if you…
- enjoy sweet, low-angst romance with a fake-dating setup
- love stories centered on sisters and close family bonds
- want a quick, comforting coming-of-age read for a teen or yourself
Skip it if you…
- want high stakes, dark themes, or a plot driven by big events
- find teenage crushes and high school drama tiresome to read about
Key Ideas
- 1
Fake dating that turns emotionally real
The pretend-relationship setup is a classic romance trope, and Han uses it well. The rules Lara Jean and Peter invent give the story structure and humor, while the gap between what they perform in public and what they feel in private drives the tension. Readers who love slow-building chemistry will find plenty here.
- 2
Sisterhood as the real love story
Margot, Lara Jean, and Kitty are distinct, believable siblings. The book explores how a family reorganizes after losing a mother, how older sisters carry responsibility, and how loyalty can clash with personal desire. Many readers remember the Covey sisters' dynamic as fondly as the romance itself.
- 3
Fear of growing up and taking risks
Lara Jean prefers imagining love to experiencing it, because fantasy is safe. Losing control of her letters forces her into real relationships with real consequences. The novel gently examines how a timid, homebody teenager learns that vulnerability is part of growing up, even when it hurts.
- 4
A cozy, specific everyday world
Baking, scrapbooks, vintage outfits, family dinners, and small-town school life fill the pages. Lara Jean's mixed Korean-American background is woven naturally into her family life rather than treated as an issue. This attention to small pleasures gives the book its distinctive comforting mood.
Limitations
Some readers find Lara Jean young for her age and occasionally frustrating, especially in how she handles the Josh situation. The plot is low-stakes and relies heavily on familiar romance tropes, so readers seeking surprise may be underwhelmed. The book ends with unresolved threads meant to carry into the sequel, which can feel abrupt if you expect a standalone. Its portrayal of high school and social media is gentle rather than gritty, and while it was published in 2014, its themes have aged well.
Questions Readers Ask
- What age is To All the Boys I've Loved Before appropriate for?
- It is generally recommended for readers around 12 and up. The romance is mostly kissing and emotional tension, with some references to rumors about sex and teen parties, but nothing explicit. It is a mild young adult novel, often read by middle teens as well as adults who enjoy YA.
- Is the book different from the Netflix movie?
- Yes, in several ways. The book spends more time on the sisters and family life, includes subplots and characters the film simplifies or cuts, and handles some relationship beats differently. Fans of the movie usually enjoy the book's extra depth and Lara Jean's inner voice.
- Do I need to read the sequels?
- The book has a satisfying arc of its own but leaves important questions open. If you grow attached to the characters, you will likely want to continue with P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean, which complete the trilogy.
What Creators Say About To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Reviews from readers on YouTube. Their opinions are their own.
- Published
- 2014
- ISBN
- 9781442426702
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Category
- Children's Books
Book details and cover from Google Books.
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