Lara Jean is the main character and narrator of To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. She is enjoying her laid-back junior year in high school. But things take a toll when her "love" letters get sent out by her little sister, and every boy who gets a love letter either talks to her in person or writes back. But the two most important letters are boys named Josh and Peter Kavinksy, Kavinsky for short. When Josh confronts Lara Jean about the letter, Lara Jean freaks out and tells Josh that Peter Kavinsky is her boyfriend. When Josh is skeptical Lara Jean runs into Peters's arms and kisses him. “...I kissed Peter Kavinsky. In the hallway, in front of everybody. In front of Josh.” (88). After some thinking, Peter and Lara Jean decide that it’s best for them to start fake dating. “Let's let people think we’re a couple….It’s driving Gen[Peter Kavinsky's Ex-girlfriend] crazy not knowing what's up with you and me.” (110).
“Firsts are best because they are beginnings.” (62).
The first quote is very special to the book because Lara Jean is a goody-two-shoes girl. And in the first book, she has many firsts. First real boyfriend, first real heartbreak, first real kiss. The firsts lead to beginnings, like the first kiss between Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean. This kiss will lead to something real.
2. “I want to say yes, but I don’t want to be with a boy whose heart belongs to somebody else. Just once, I want to be some one else’s first choice.” (311).
Lara Jean is also worried about the firsts that are happening. She isn’t used to having a boyfriend or “belonging to someone.” She is very unsure if she is doing the right thing. Peter’s and Gen, Peters exgirlfriend, still have a very close relationship. This bugs Lara Jean and she is worried that if Peter had to choose between her and Gen, he’d choose Gen. Peter insists that nothing is going on between them and that they are over. But Lara Jean doesn’t want to keep having these feelings of doubt.
3. “Margot would say she belongs to herself. Kitty would say she belongs to no one. And I guess I would say I belong to my sisters and my dad, but that won’t always be true. To belong to someone - I didn’t know it, but now that I think about it, it seems like that’s all I’ve ever wanted. To really be somebody’s, and to have them be mine.”(190).
Lara Jean and Peter have a special relationship, it started with a random kiss in the hallway to actually falling in love. She had never imagined herself with Peter, but when she really thinks about, it’s all shes ever wanted. To be more that just belonging to her family. She realizes that she wants to have Peter all to herself, to belong to him was all she needed.
I think it's interesting how Lara grows as the story progresses. She starts with loving the firsts of everything because it's the start of something, and then she starts questioning that beginning; wondering and wanting to "belong" to Peter or someone. Then, with the final quote, she's changed and doesn't want to be with someone just to be with them. She no longer goes after the firsts for the start of beginnings, because she realized that not all journeys are worth it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the concept of this book and the way you chose to describe it! The thought of a love story starting out abruptly and out of nowhere and eventually turning into something genuine is really intriguing to read (if done right). I also like how you took three quotes from the book and described their importance to the characters but also toward their storyline.
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