I saw this over at PaperFury’s blog (make sure you check it out!), and I thought it would be a fun thing to do – especially since I have not been doing my monthly wrap-ups this year. And what a year it has been! Let’s be honest – this year is a mess with everything happening in the world. To be honest, my reading has not been going well, but here is the wrap-up of my first six months of 2020!

1. How much have you read?

So far I have read 31 books, and I set my goal on Goodreads this year for 50 books (but I’m secretly hoping to get to 75 books).

2. What have you been reading?

I think I’ve mostly been reading fantasy, especially Young Adult since it’s my favourite genre. I’ve also read a few contemporaries, and a couple of non-fiction books.

3. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020?

So far my favourite read was the Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh. It’s absolutely amazing, and I can’t believe I haven’t read it sooner! Also, it was quite different from my usual reads, but I really loved – I read it in one sitting, and I immediately ordered the sequel.

4. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020

Well, the best sequel I’ve read was the sequel to my best book so it was The Rose & the Dagger Renée Ahdieh. There were a few things I’d have changed, but overall I really enjoyed, which is surprising since I don’t usually like sequels in duologies.

5. New release you haven’t read yet but want to

I’m really excited to read Aurora Burning, which is a sequel to Aurora Rising. I liked Aurora Rising, even though it’s science fiction which is not a genre I usually enjoy. The other one I want to read is Seasons of the Storm by Elle Cosimano, which is a Jack Frost retelling.

6. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

I’m waiting for Majesty, which is the sequel to the American Royals written by Katharine McGee. I didn’t love the first book – some characters annoyed me, and some relationships seemed rather simple. However, I’m really curious to see what happens next! I’m also really excited to read Blood & Honey which is a sequel to Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I loved the story of Lou and Reid, and I loved how their relationship developed throughout the book. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up within the sequel.

7. Biggest disappointment

I think the biggest disappointment for me this year was The Beholder by Anna Bright. It was the first book I’ve read this year so I don’t remember much. I didn’t like the main character who was such a pushover, and then she randomly had a character development without any development? Also, she had too many love affairs – I know it was the point of the book, but she fell in love so quickly.

8. Biggest surprise

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold really surprised me – I was expecting a typical retelling with a girl falling in love with a guy who is a wolf. But it was not the case with this book – it talked about consent, rape and women power, and at the same time it was kind of easy to read. The way of writing (the “you” form) took some time to get used to it, but the book was really surprising and I wasn’t expecting to love it so much.

9. New favourite author (debut or new to you)

I have to go with Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin which was a freaking amazing debut. I absolutely loved the dynamic between Lou and Reid, and I really enjoyed the background characters, Ansel and Coco! Everyone is talking about this book, and it deserves all the praise it gets!

10. Underrated gems you’ve discovered recently

I will go with The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams – I don’t think I have seen a lot of people talk about this book, and it was such an adorable read! And it had a lot of interesting twists, and I really enjoyed this book!

11. Rereads this year

So I have reread the entire Grisha trilogy series and Six of Crows duology, both written by Leigh Bardugo. Leigh Bardugo is my absolute favourite author, and I adore all of the characters in her books, so it was really exciting to go back to Grishaverse.

12. A book that made you cry

I might have cried during my reread of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo for obvious reasons. Basically, my whole reread of Grishaverse was a marathon of crying – it’s just one of my favourite series, and I get emotional OKAY.

13. A book that made you happy

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary was such a fluffy read, and the whole idea of flat-sharing made me happy. I think I was smiling the whole time I was reading this book because Tiffy and Leon are so damn adorable together. Basically, this book is so damn adorable.

14. The most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

I have to go with Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas – it just has the most stunning, shiny cover really. The second place goes to House of Dragons by Jessica Clues.

15. Goals for the rest of the year

I want to read the books that have been on my To Be Read shelf forever. I want to finish the Witcher series, and I want to finally read Throne of Glass series.

review

I had such great expectations reaching for ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ mostly because of everyone’s great reviews, and I was really disappointed. It was a really twisted retelling of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ – definitely one involving more blood. The only thing resembling the Disney fairy-tale was the presence of a prince, a monster and a curse. There weren’t any talking clocks or candlesticks, there wasn’t a smart or kind princess and there were too many people – the whole point of the Beast was his loneliness and his isolation from the world. The entire love story was really non-existent, and the curse-breaking was so accidental I almost have no idea how it happened. Additionally, the last character was such a plot twist – it was really unlikely and forced. It’s obvious that the author had a second book in mind, but in my opinion, she should’ve stuck to one. Additionally, the world-building was a little bit unclear to me. What was positive about ‘The Curse So Dark and Lonely’ was the writing – despite its faults, the book was easy to read. I managed to read it in two sittings, even though the characters and the plot annoyed me.

I swear, all the main characters are written strictly to annoy the hell out of me. Harper is such an annoying, non-decision and reckless character, and I couldn’t stand her throughout the book. The continuity of her getting everyone in trouble just because she had to have it her way made me want to properly shake her (or slap her). Grey was a great character, always staying in his role as a Commander, but I couldn’t help but think that he was too stiff? After all that time with Rhen, he was still the same strict soldier – that’s a bit hard to believe. Rhen is a typical, spoilt prince, but it’s clear he is overwhelmed with the choices he made before. While reading the story from Rhen’s point of view, I also felt like his regret was forced – there were too many thoughts regarding his past to make it believable. Despite his dissimilarity to the original Beast, he was probably the best part of this book – the most intriguing one, always calculating and thinking ahead. I feel like I should talk about the enchantress, Lilith, who was a villain in this story. But she was evil to the bone, without any backstory, but as we all know the best villains should have a good backstory. The characters in ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ were meant to be complexed and unorthodox, but they ended up being annoying and every single of their traits appeared to be enforced and unnatural.

The book was either boring or really rushed, and the plot repeated the same schemes all the time – Harper runs, Rhen and Grey follow her, save her and help the people of Emberfall. Rhen fell in love with Harper really quickly – too quickly, considering that the only thing that fascinated him about Harper was her constant rebellion and resistance. I wouldn’t recommend ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ unless you really like twisted fairytales and the main characters don’t bother you.

synopsis

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin. (via goodreads.com)

Infinity Son (Infinity Cycle #1) by Adam Silvera – January 14^th 2020

This year I’ve read “They Both Die At The End” by Adam Silvera, which left me wanting more of his writing. And this one has magic in it, and two brothers getting caught up in a war, which sounds like a recipe for a heart-breaking disaster.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34510711-infinity-son

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light – February 18^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45891343-the-upside-of-falling

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller – February 25^th 2020

THIS LOOKS LIKE MY KIND OF ROMANCE. Magic, shadows and seduction – what can a girl want more than a disaster mission to make a king of shadow fell in love with a protagonist. Also, Tricia Levenseller is such a great author (so far I’ve only read Daughter of the Pirate King duology, but I’m excited by her other books).

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35702241-the-shadows-between-us

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold – February 25^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43721070-red-hood

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas – March 3^rd 2020

With my love for A Court of Thorns and Roses series, it is not a big surprise that I cannot wait for Maas’ newest book series. I’m really curious to read about demons and angels from her point of view. After all, I really enjoyed her take on faeries (and her talent for creating swoon-worthy characters).

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44778083-house-of-earth-and-blood

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu – March 3^rd 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34213299-the-kingdom-of-back

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane – March 24^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46650016-if-i-never-met-you

Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy #2) by Emily A. Duncan – April 7^th 2020

The first book in the series, Wicked Saints, has left me absolutely shattered and was one of my favourite reads of 2019. I got a serious Leigh Bardugo vibe (and Bardugo is my favourite author ever), which I really loved. The ending of the first book has left me wanting more, so I really cannot wait for this premiere.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40126121-ruthless-gods

Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle #2) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman – May 5^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40516960-aurora-burning

House of Dragons (House of Dragons #1) by Jessica Cluess – May 12^th 2020

Dragons and a group of disaster characters? Count me right in. This is probably one of my most anticipated releases of 2020, even though I haven’t read any of the author’s books before. But, hey, it has dragons inside so it has to be good, right?

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44603554-house-of-dragons

The Kinder Poison (The Kinder Poison #1) by Natalie Mae – June 16^th 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42893340-the-kinder-poison

Seasons of the Storm (Seasons of the Storm #1) by Elle Cosimano – June 23^rd 2020

Okay, so I got Jack Frost vibes from the synopsis. And Winter and Spring falling in love? That sounds amazing and totally different, so I’m really excited to read that.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48245147-seasons-of-the-storm

Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross – June 23^rd 2020

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48245040-sisters-of-sword-and-song

Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire #1) by Jay Kristoff – September 3^rd 2020

In 2019 is the year I finally read Jay Kristoff, and it was amazing. I have no doubts that he is going to write an amazing book about vampires (I mean, vampires are making a comeback, right?)

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43728380-empire-of-the-vampire

Set Fire to the Gods (Set Fire to the Gods #1) by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons – August 4^th 2020

Gladiators? Gladiators.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41954467-set-fire-to-the-gods

The Winds of Winter (A Song of Ice and Fire #6) by George R.R. Martin – no date

I know, I know – there isn’t an official date just yet, but one can hope, right? Though after watching season 8 of the show, I’m a bit wary about reading this final book in the series.

synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12111823-the-winds-of-winter

My favourite 10 books of 2019

1. The Heart of a Changeling by Caitlyn E. Lloyd
2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (reread)
3. The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson
4. Becoming by Michelle Obama
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
6. Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
7. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
8. Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
9. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
10. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Series’ I’ve finished in 2019

1. All For The Game series by Nora Sakavic
2. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han
3. The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black
4. The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan (reread)
5. A Discovery of the Witches by Deborah Harkness

I loved all the series I’ve read this year, but my absolute favourite read of this year has to be “All For The Game” series by Nora Sakavic. I made the mistake of reading it at the beginning of the year, which kind of determined the standard for the whole year. But I absolutely loved that series, and I 100% recommend it to everyone.

review

That book is a real masterpiece. I don’t ever say that about a book, but I really think that about ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’. Everything about this book surprised me, including the form – it had a form of memoirs of everyone included in the band. At first, I thought the form of writing would annoy me, but I quickly got into it. It was such an easy read, but also a very emotional and heart-breaking one. For the entire time reading it, I felt as if the story was real – I keep wanting to Google the songs just so I can hear Daisy and Billy’s voices. Taylor Jenkins Reid created a real masterpiece, a book that’s going to stay with me for a very long time. I’m really in love with that book, with characters and with the story itself. That’s a real talent – to create something fictional and make a reader believe it’s real.

‘I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse.
I am not a muse.
I am the somebody.
End of fucking story.’

Daisy Jones was a mess, basically from the first page of their book, yet I couldn’t help but root for her. I really wanted her to be happy, despite all the trouble she kept creating. I kept wishing with each chapter that maybe it’s the one where she gets it together. Billy was a different story though. I’m not sure if I was rooting for him at all – he really had a complicated character, in a different way than Daisy had. Daisy was energetic, while I imagined Billy as a more brooding type. Together, Daisy and Billy had a chemistry that you could feel every time they had a scene together – it was evident every single moment. I love it when authors can create great chemistry between two characters, where you can feel all the emotions, despite the characters never doing anything romantic. I just fell in love with them, and with their story and with their ‘what if’.

I was never a big fan of the 70s – I’m way too young to even remember these times, but ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ made me feel as if I understood them as if they were just next to me in my room while I was reading this book. Taylor Jenkins Reid showed us a different world of music from what we know today – a world where nothing is tabu, where everything focuses on creating art and good music. The author showed us a true world of rock n’ roll and made us believe we are a part of it.

synopsis

‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ is a story of a band formed in the 1970s, living the rock n roll life. They used to be famous until they split at the absolute height of their popularity until now. Daisy is a young girl in L.A., sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.
Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend. (synopsis via www.goodreads.com)

https://www.paperandword.com/

‘Sky in the Deep’ Adrienne Young
★★★★

I actually gave it 4,5 stars, because it was really damn good. We don’t have many books about tribes in Young-Adult, which is a shame. I liked the characters, who were from different tribes, but realise that they are the same despite fighting for centuries – I think it sends a strong message, and additionally, it’s a really good read. I can’t wait for Adrienne’s new book!

‘Onyx and Ivory’ Mindee Arnett
★★★

The beginning was really good – it pulled me right in, the middle of the book was a little boring, but I guess every book has a boring part? The ending was an absolute mess – I honestly have no idea what happened there, and I couldn’t decipher which characters were on the good side? I’m going to read the second book in the series, just to find out what happens next.

‘A Little Book of Hygge’ Meik Wiking
★★★

For those of you who don’t know, hygge is a Danish lifestyle involving a lot of happiness and cosiness. I fell in love with the idea when we discussed it during English class, and I bought this book because I wanted to find out more – sadly, the book was very general. The author wrote about general things, like the fact that hygge involves candles. I expected more details and more information.

‘Wicked Saints’ Emily A. Duncan
★★★★

This book was so damn good. Everything was great – the characters, who were complex and interesting; the plot that was surprising; and I didn’t even mind the dual narration – one was from Nadya point of view, and one was from Malachiasz’s. The only thing that annoyed me throughout the whole book was the similarity to Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo – I could foresee the ending because I’ve read Grishaverse before.

‘Anna and the French Kiss’ Stephanie Perkins
★★★★★

If you like contemporaries, you need to read this book – it stole the first place for my favourite contemporary after the first chapter. Every part of the book was amazing – the main character, Anna, was adorable and relatable; the second character, St. Clair, was a perfect bookish boyfriend; the plot was full of twists which could have been avoided by honesty, but I guess that’s similar to real life.

‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ Brigid Kemmerer
★★★

I had such high expectations for this book, but I was really disappointed. The main character annoyed me, the whole story had nothing to do with ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and the plot was really boring and predictive. I just expected more from this book.

‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ Kerri Maniscalco
★★★★

I definitely liked ‘Stalking Jack the Ripper’ more. The beginning of this book was so boring, but the second part was really interesting. What saved my rating of this book, was the characters – the amazing Audrey Rose and the charming Thomas. I just can’t help but love them.

‘Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies’ J.K. Rowling
★★★★★

To be honest with you, I would love anything connected to the magical world of ‘Harry Potter’. It doesn’t matter that this book only had 73 pages – for a couple of minutes I took an amazing trip back to my childhood and back to the magic of Hogwarts. I know, I know – I sound like a such a dork, but I can’t help it!

‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ Taylor Jenkins Reid
★★★★★

An absolute masterpiece. I loved everything about this book – the characters, the storyline and the rock n’ roll. I can’t even articulate how much I loved this book. Taylor Jenkins Reid managed to convince me that the band really exist, and I just wanted to listen to their songs so much.

‘If You’d Just Let Me Finish’ Jeremy Clarkson
★★★

I always like to read about Clarkson’s witty and sarcastic approach to life, which for me is also an inside look into life in England (which fascinates me). This one was much better than the previous book of Clarkson’s I read – he has definitely grown up a bit and managed to make me laugh out loud a few times.

I also read a book in Polish by a Polish author, but it’s not available in English so I didn’t include it in my wrap-up. For any Polish readers, I may have, it’s ‘O pisaniu. Na chłodno.’ Remigiusz Mróz.

‘Romanov’ Nadine Brandes
★★★

I usually love retellings, but I have to admit that I didn’t like this one as much. It was very different from what I have already known about Anastasia. I liked the main character – she was everything a main female character should be, and I liked the tsar’s whole family. The love interest really annoyed me, and the plot was boring throughout the whole book, only to have everything culminate at the end of the book.

‘P.S. I love you’ Jenny Han (‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ series)
★★★★

The beginning of the book was really disappointing – every single scene was really awkward, even for a book about teenagers. As the book progressed, it got more interesting. There aren’t a lot of things to say about this book, other than it’s an easy read. It’s perfect for relaxing, and it can easily be read in one sitting.

‘Always and Forever, Lara Jean’ Jenny Han (‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ series)
★★★★

It’s a really good conclusion to a series. Usually, the last book in the series is the worse, but I have to admit that ‘Always and Forever, Lara Jean’ kept the level of the previous books. It was predictable but still great to read. We got to see the characters with love grow up and get ready to go to college. Also, I liked seeing Lara Jean’s more crazy side.

‘Becoming’ Michelle Obama
★★★★★

It was no doubt my favourite read of the month. An autobiography of the former First Lady of the United States instantly caught my eyes in a bookstore, and it didn’t disappoint me. It was a great insight into both childhood and the adulthood of Michelle Obama, who is definitely one of the most influential people in the world.

synopsis

Darrow is a Red, which is the lowest caste in colour-coded society. He works all day along with his people, making sure that Mars is habitable for the next generations. He does everything willingly, hoping that his children will have a better life than he has. However, soon he discovers that his caste had been lied to for years and that humanity had been living on Mars for generations. Darrow, angered by the lies and driven by his wife’s lost love, agrees to infiltrate the Institute, a ground whether all the Golds can prove themselves. He will have to become somebody else in order to defeat his enemies and bring justice to the world. Even if has to become one of the people he hates.

review

I’m not a big fan of science fiction, usually, I’m more of a fantasy kind of girl. But I really liked ‘Red Rising’, though the world and the rules that govern its society were so confusing for me. At first, I had no idea what kind of world it was all happening in. Or in what time action was taking place (though I guess that’s one of the genre traits). I had no idea how society is divided, all I understood was that the Golds are the highest class and the Reds are the lowest.

At the beginning of the reading, I thought that ‘Red Rising’ was going to be another dull, and overrated book. But around page 150 it surprised me. It baffled me – I was not expecting it to suddenly become so exciting and full of action. I couldn’t put it down so I stayed up reading until 3 am. And even then I couldn’t sleep thinking about the plot. There are a lot of plot twists, and my favourite one involves a certain Mustang and Darrow. My favourite scene of ‘Red Rising’ is the one where Darrow has to learn how to speak and act like a Gold, because his responses are pure gold (see what I did here?)

My favourite thing about ‘Red Rising’ was the characters, especially the main one. Darrow was everything a protagonist should be – he has a great backstory, he is strong, both book smart and street smart, and has a flair for tactics. He is not whiny, he is fast-thinking, and can be ruthless, but also know when to show mercy. I have a lot more to say about Darrow, but that would involve spoilers, and I’m trying to be a better person and not spoil books for anyone. When it comes to other characters, I like how complex they all were. I could never tell what kind of person a character is, because every single one of them surprised me, whether it was with their kindness or brutality. I liked Cassius, yet he baffled me. I thought Mustang was going to be an ambitious smartass, yet she surprised me. I didn’t expect to like Sevro one bit – I thought he was going to be a total weirdo, but he ended up being one of my favourite individuals in that book. So I guess the characters are as surprising as the book itself.

This book is not soft, definitely not. I don’t know what I mean by that, I just know it’s full of brutal scenes, death and ruthlessness. And I loved it. The only flaw of this book, in my opinion, is the complicatedness of the world in which it’s held. But I guess that’s because it’s a science fiction book and not fantasy. I’m still not sure whether I’m going to read the second book, but if I do it would be only to get more Darrow in my life.

‘Vicious’ V.E. Schwab
★★★★

I’m not sure how I feel about this book just yet – the beginning was too dull for me. It took three months to finish it, but when I finally decided to read it, I did it in one day. I definitely did not like the beginning, but the rest was so capturing and intriguing. I couldn’t stop thinking about what was Victor planning. Schwab’s writing was incredible, and her idea for this book was uncanny so I can’t wait to read her other works.

‘The Last Namsara’ Kristen Ciccarelli
★★★

Dragons! Any book about dragons automatically has my attention, and ‘The Last Namsara’ was no different. My favourite part of the book (apart from dragons) was Asha. She was fierce and quite frankly terrible, but she was honest, and she wasn’t idealized. And the plot twists – so many times I thought I knew what was going to happen, but every time I was surprised. Also, did I mention all of the dragons?

‘One Dark Throne’ Kendare Blake
★★

I was really amazed by the first book, ‘Three Dark Crowns’, but it was enough for me to reach for the second part, which really disappointed me. There was barely any action in this book, even fewer plot twists and intrigues – everything was cumulated at the end of the book. I really struggled to finish it – it took me almost three months. I definitely won’t read the third part. A lot of people say that this series gets better and better with each book, but for me, it got worse.

‘On The Come Up’ Angie Thomas
★★

I’m so disappointed with that book. It wasn’t half as good as ‘The Hate U Give’ was, and I didn’t like the main character. And, to be honest, I’m not a big fan of rap so it was difficult for me to get into the book, into the plot, and into Bri’s motives. I really don’t have anything more to say about ‘On the Come Up’ since it was really bland. While reading this book, I felt nothing, which really surprised me since Angie Thomas’ first book was so emotional.

‘The Foxhole Court’ Nora Sakavic
★★★★★

I don’t think I will ever get bored of rereading that book. I mean, my baby boy Neil finally getting a family, and doing what he loves? Count me in! Also, this time I had more appreciation for Andrew, and now I love him even more than before. Basically, I love all of the Foxes, and I just want to protect them. I think it says a lot about this book if I reread it twice in the span of two months. ‘All For the Game’ series is going to steal your heart, break your heart, and then it’s going to patch you up with bandages, so go and read it right now. You are definitely not going to regret that.

‘They Both Die At The End’ Adam Silvera
★★★★

I mean, the title really says it all. But I still was hoping for some twist – I didn’t really expect the author to kill his characters as he said? Anyway, I was prepared for death, and yet I still cried. Mateo and Rufus were so adorable, and mostly I just wanted to give them a hug (or for them to give each other a hug). If you haven’t read this, you definitely need to but get ready for lots of crying.

synopsis

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all. (synopsis via goodreads.com)

This review may contain spoilers.

review

‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ is a nice book to read in one sitting, perfect for a Saturday night in. It’s an easy read that keeps you glued to the story of Lara Jean, her high school dramas, but also her thoughts and feelings. I decided to read the book only after I have watched and loved the movie. Now I think I should have read the book first, because now I’m a bit disappointed in the book (especially it’s ending), even though it was still great. The book quickly caught my full attention, and I spent a pleasant afternoon reading about Lara Jean’s life, and her dramatic relationship with Peter. The book kept me on my toes, despite the fact that I knew the ending – and in some situations, it definitely surprised me.

I liked Lara Jean’s character – she was one of the characters I could identify with, which is rare in the YA world full of brave, kick-ass heroines. She was shy and anxious, but she could also be unpleasant. As much as I like badass characters, sometimes I love to read a book with a normal teenager, who has everyday struggles, just like I do. I could identify with her imagined boyfriends, her fears (especially the one about driving), and I could understand why she acted one way or another.  I didn’t like Margot in the book – she was rude, and distanced from her family. She left for Scotland and instantly stopped contacting Lara Jean, and they were so close before she left. Obviously, I love Peter Kavinsky – and I think it might be problematic because he is so adorable I just couldn’t help smiling when I read about him. Sure, he can be a complete asshole (excuse my language), but he really cared about Lara Jean, and he did so many cute things – it was clear he cared for Lara Jean from almost the beginning. I did feel sorry for him when he couldn’t get over Gen, who by the way is a total jerk. While I liked Josh in the movie, book Josh struck me as indecisive and simply jealous of Peter, even though he claimed he was in love with Margot.

I really liked the small details in the book – for example, the fact that Peter’s friends actually liked Lara Jean, or the trip to the antique sale (it was a really nice touch, which showed how much Peter and Lara Jean enjoyed each other’s company). Also, reading the book from Lara Jean’s perspective made me understand her, and her motives better. I also like how the book gives Lara Jean and Peter time to get to know each other again – nothing felt forced or rushed. The relationship between three sisters was a little bit weird for me – how they can just stop talking to each other, especially how close they were before.

I cannot decide whether I liked the book or the movie more. I like how different the details were – for example in the movie Josh didn’t kiss Lara Jean (which, by the way, forced me to put down the book for a while). After seeing the movie, I felt a bit disappointed by the book’s ending – I was expecting a grand kiss at the end. I really wish got to see Peter and Lara Jean sort out their argument in the book. But it definitely made more excited for ‘P.S. I love you’. Despite the disappointing ending, I think that both the book and the movie are great, and I can’t wait to both read and watch the second part.