Always and Forever, Lara Jean Review

I will love this book always and forever.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean concludes Jenny Han’s contemporary series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. In the final installment, Lara Jean’s senior year is coming to a close. Lara Jean has everything planned out from her prom dress to her college plans. However, an unexpected event takes place that threatens all of Lara Jean’s plans.

When it comes to the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, I’ve had mixed thoughts. I really loved the first book, but wasn’t crazy about a lot of the second book. I’m happy to say that I really loved Always and Forever, Lara Jean and it may be my favorite book in the series!

One of my favorite parts of this book is the main character, Lara Jean. To me, Lara Jean really stands out among many other young adult main characters. Right now, it’s very “in” to have a gritty female protagonist with characteristics considered typically masculine. Even though I love those main characters and recognize their importance, it’s refreshing to see a more traditionally feminine character who is equally a strong role model. I love how Lara Jean is apologetically herself, even if other characters see her as a grandma. Especially in this book, Lara Jean makes tough decisions that are similar to readers in this book’s target audience. I think Lara Jean serves as a great role model to readers and I really appreciate the depth that Jenny Han gave her.

Another reason I loved this book was how it realistically dealt with problems that every senior year in high school faces. I know if I read this book my senior year of high school, I would have related to most of the struggles that Lara Jean faced. I also appreciated that the solution to every one of Lara Jean’s problems never came easy and every decision forced her character to grow throughout the novel. Additionally, all the relationships between the characters grew and changed. As a result, this novel was very character-driven.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean also wraps up the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series nicely. My biggest problem with the second book in this series was I felt that two many new story lines were thrown in at the end of the novel, which made the reolution seemed rushed. This was not the case in this book. I loved seeing Lara Jean’s father marry Ms. Rothschild, Kitty grow up, and the various directions that Lara Jean’s high school friends headed. Even the side characters, like John Ambrose McClaren, are given resolutions which neatly wraps up all of the plots throughout the series.

Overall, Always and Forever, Lara Jean is an outstanding conclusion to the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. For its realistic problems, character growth, and solid resolutions, I give this book five out of five stars.

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