Hi everybody, welcome back to my blog! Today I will talk about my first English novel, that is To All Boys That I've Loved Before. I think the novel version is better than the Netflix even I watch Netflix first then read the novel. Why??
When I was scrolling my Netflix account, I found 'To All Boys That I've Loved Before' and I really want to watch this movie because the title sounds cute for me and the description of this movie is cute too. After watched the movie, I decided to read the novel and I prefer the story that provides by the novel rather than the movie.
The novel is talking about a girl named Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, she keeps her love letters in a hatbox that her mother gave her. They don't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved - five in all. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
I like Jenny Han writing style because she explains it very well and details about everything and this is the reason why movie version can be so perfect and some scene can be no feelings because of the detailed in the novel. Her writing style is using Lara Jean's point of view, so I can imagine her feelings when things happen to her.
When I was read this novel, I cannot get over it and finished it within one week for one book because I found that this book is really addictive for me, even when I think this book is too cringe HAHAHA. By reading this novel, I learn that I with my two sisters, we have to keep our relationship as close as possible to each other. We should be our sisters' first supporter of what they have done and try to cheer them up. When we want to take revenge for them, please don't do stupid things.
Not only that, but I also learn that baking is fun through this book. Trying to be a 'real' girl is fun. Be the first child is hard, and I am the first child, but I will try my best to be as responsible as Margot (Lara Jean's big sister and the first daughter). Since I careless about everything and my sister usually help me or tell me what should I do, and sometimes I think I don't deserve as the first daughter, even I know we cannot change fate.
Inside this book also include some of Lara Jean's baking recipe, I want to try it when I have an oven inside my room or when I go back to my home. This book has 355 pages with four recipes and 14 pages of a sneak peek of "P.S I Still Love You".
Here are my favorites quotes from this novel, and most of them really hook my heart. The majority of the quotes are related to love.
When someone's been gone a long time, at first you save up all the things you want to tell them. You try to keep track of everything in your head. But it's like trying to hold on to a fistful of sand: all the little bits slip out of your hands, and then you're just clutching air and grit. That's why you can't save it all up like that. Because by the time you finally see each other, you're catching up only on the big things, because it's too much bother to tell about the little things. But the little things are what make up life.
When you finally meet someone who you want to meet for a long time, things that you can tell them only the big story and we cannot tell them every detail about our life. Sometimes it sucks, because I just want to let my family also know about what happened to me, what I eat just now, what I love and hate from this school, etc. I just want to create a good memory with them, if it possible I want them to be inside my life every day.
Do you know what it’s like to like someone so much you can’t stand it and know that they’ll never feel the same way?
UNREQUITED LOVE! I do feel this long time ago. I like someone who different class with me and every day I just pray that he could be happy with whomever he destined with.
You only like guys you don't have a chance with, because you're scared.
When you like someone and what you can do only look from a distance because if you look closer you afraid that maybe you can get a heart attack. I do feel that you are not alone!
I delete the picture of him from my phone; I delete his number. I think that if I just delete him enough, it will be like none of it ever happened and my heart won't hurt so badly
Yeah, this is the first step of moving on. Even when you already delete everything, it doesn't mean that you already delete your feelings to them. This feeling is overwhelming.
If you were mine, I would never have broken up with you, not in a million years.
I really am. I don't know what should I said about this quote, because it just me.
Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That's part of the risk.
So, after knowing this risk, would you want to fall in love?
It’s fun to think of the what-if. Scary, but fun. It’s like, I thought this door was closed before, but here it is open just the tiniest crack. What if?
When I know I cannot change anything, I play a what-if scenario in my head. When I get bored, I ask what-if to my friends. Yeah, I believe that what-if really can open things that already closed, even just the tiniest crack.
But what now? What am I supposed to do with all these feelings?
When you already know that you have a crush on someone and you don't know what should you do with this feeling. Whether they forget them right away or tried to make them know about your feelings.
But then I saw the way he blushed, the way he looked off into space, and I knew it wasn't for me.
This is very hurt when you like someone and they like other people. When they laughed or blushed is meant to others and not us; or when we already tried but it fails TT.
It's scary when it's real. When it's not just thinking about a person, but, like, having a real live person in front of you, with, like, expectations. And wants. Even when I liked a boy so much, loved him even, I would always rather be with my sisters, because that's where I belong.
Sometimes, I think that having a relationship with someone is really hard and consuming me with everything that I need to do to make the relationship better or to make it works. So sometimes, I just like Lara Jean who try to forget about my feelings to them and go back to my safe place, which is my family and friends.
And here my favorite scene from this novel, and I literally can imagine this so well.
“Buttering a roll, my dad says, “I like Peter.” “You do?” I say. Daddy nods. “He’s a good kid. He’s really taken with you, Lara Jean.” “Taken with me?” I repeat. To me Kitty says, “You sound like a parrot.” To Daddy she says, “What does that mean? Taken by her?” “It means he’s charmed by her,” Daddy explains. “He’s smitten.” “Well, what’s smitten?” He chuckles and stuffs the roll in Kitty’s open, perplexed mouth. “It means he likes her.” “He definitely likes her,” Kitty agrees, her mouth full. “He . . . he looks at you a lot, Lara Jean. When you’re not paying attention. He looks at you, to see if you’re having a good time.” “He does?” My chest feels warm and glowy, and I can feel myself start to smile.”
When I have a crush on someone and they like me back, I will definitely smile every day and tell the world that I am really happy. This scene really suits me well and I believe this suits everybody too.
So that is my review about this book and hope you enjoy my review. Let's meet next week for next review! Thank you. If you have any question regarding skin care and books, just hit me on email or Instagram @brigittasayss. Thank you!