Book Review: “Always and Forever, Lara Jean” (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han
Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #3)
Genre: YA, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Page Length: 325 pages (hardcover edition)
Synopsis:
Lara Jean is having the best senior year. And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends.
Life couldn’t be more perfect!
At least, that’s what Lara Jean thinks…until she gets some unexpected news.
Now the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans—but when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to? (description from Goodreads)
Review:
When I first found out about this book I was so excited that there would be a third/final book to wrap up Lara jean’s story. She and her sisters have grown so much over the books and I was curious to see where their stories would go. In Always and Forever, Lara Jean is at a very pivotal moment in her life. It’s senior year and so many life decisions lay in front of her:
- deciding what college to go to
- her relationship with Peter after high school
- her dad’s remarriage
As we all know life can throw us obstacles and things don’t always go our way. In this book Lara’s plans suddenly change due to unforeseen circumstances and she has to learn to deal with the change plus reevaluate her life goals. Reflecting on this book reminded me of my own high school to college experience. Graduation is such a huge time in one’s life and it’s also very difficult. You leave friends and everything you know behind in order to move towards the future. What’s most important that Lara continues to grow in this book. She has to cherish her high school memories, but also keep moving forward.
It’s been a great experience to watch Lara grow over the course of the books. She still has some of her naivete, but has overall grown into a more confident young woman. In the first book Lara has a romanticized idea of love. Being in a relationship has shown her the ins and outs of what it truly means to be in love and how a relationship works. I felt like out of all the books Lara and Peter’s relationship is tested the most to see if they’ll stick together through thick and thin. She has evolved, but is still relatable.
I was super satisfied with the ending of this series. Though the books may be predictable in some sorts, what makes these books so charming is the characters. The Song family is far from perfect but, has such a strong bond. These books has been one of the most cherished YA series I’ve ever read. It’s relatable to many and reading it makes me think there’s a little bit of Lara Jean in all of us.
Final Verdict:
