Jenny Han (2014)
Genre
Young Adult / Romance
Reading Time
240 min
Key Themes
See below
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Lara Jean's hidden love letters are mailed, making her face old crushes, including her sister's ex, and find real love.
Lara Jean Song Covey lives a quiet life, often overshadowed by her older sister, Margot, and caring for her younger sister, Kitty, and their widowed father. Margot, the responsible sister, is about to leave for college in Scotland, a decision that affects Lara Jean, who fears the change in their family. Before Margot leaves, she breaks up with her long-term boyfriend, Josh Sanderson, who is also Lara Jean's childhood friend and secret crush. After Margot departs, Lara Jean's world changes when she finds that the box with her five secret love letters, written to boys she's loved and never meant to send, is gone from under her bed. She then learns the letters have been mailed.
The first letter recipient to talk to Lara Jean is Peter Kavinsky, a popular lacrosse player and one of her middle school crushes. He approaches her at school with the letter, and a embarrassed Lara Jean faints. Later, at the school bonfire, Lara Jean is confronted by Josh Sanderson, Margot's ex-boyfriend and another letter recipient. To avoid an awkward talk with Josh and to make Peter's girlfriend, Gen, jealous, Lara Jean impulsively kisses Peter. This act leads to a suggestion: Peter proposes they fake a relationship. Peter wants to make Gen jealous and get her back, while Lara Jean wants to convince Josh and everyone else that she is over him, diverting attention from her true feelings for Josh and preventing further embarrassment from the letters.
Lara Jean and Peter make their fake relationship official with a contract, outlining rules. They agree to go on dates, act like a couple in public, and keep up the illusion until Peter can win Gen back and Lara Jean can convince Josh she's moved on. They start spending time together, going to school events, and sharing car rides. At first, Lara Jean finds Peter's energetic personality and popularity overwhelming, but she slowly starts to see past his outer image. Their interactions, though planned, begin to feel natural. They talk about their families and past relationships, blurring the lines between their agreement and real friendship. Lara Jean also struggles to keep the secret from her family, especially Kitty, who likes her sister's 'new' boyfriend.
While keeping up the fake relationship with Peter, Lara Jean continues her role as the family's 'mom,' caring for Kitty and their father, Dr. Covey. She bakes, cooks, and handles household chores, a role she took on after her mother's death. Her father, a gynecologist, starts dating Trina Rothschild, a family friend and neighbor, a change Lara Jean finds both unsettling and interesting. Peter's presence in Lara Jean's life also extends to her family. He sometimes picks her up from home, and Kitty quickly likes him. Their bond grows through shared experiences, like the school carnival, where Peter wins Lara Jean a large stuffed animal, and a class trip, where they share moments that make Lara Jean question their feelings.
The school ski trip becomes an important moment for Lara Jean and Peter. They share a hotel room with friends, and the closeness makes their interactions more intense. Peter shows real care for Lara Jean, comforting her when she feels overwhelmed and defending her from Gen's subtle digs. During a truth-or-dare game, Peter shares details about his past with Gen, and Lara Jean shares personal things. Their connection becomes clear. One evening, alone in their room, they share a real kiss, completely blurring the lines of their fake agreement. Lara Jean is confused and excited, unsure if this means Peter's feelings for her are real or still part of the act.
During the ski trip, Lara Jean and Peter, with friends, go to the hot tub. While there, someone secretly records them kissing and playing. This video is later posted online, causing widespread talk and embarrassment for Lara Jean. The incident causes much distress, as she feels exposed. She confronts Peter, who is also upset but doesn't fully understand how humiliated she feels. The trust between them is broken, and Lara Jean questions Peter's intentions and whether he respects her. The video, though it seems innocent to some, shows Lara Jean's deep worries about public opinion and her private life being exposed.
After the hot tub video, Lara Jean pulls away, feeling hurt and betrayed. The video becomes a topic of gossip at school, making her uncomfortable. She distances herself from Peter, struggling to balance her feelings for him with her anger and humiliation. Peter, seeing how much pain she is in, tries to apologize and explain. He tries to assure her that the video was not his doing and that his feelings for her were becoming real. He defends her against the rumors, showing a more protective side. Despite his efforts, Lara Jean remains cautious, unsure if she can trust him or if their relationship, fake or real, can recover from such a public event.
Amidst the drama with Peter, Lara Jean also deals with Josh. His receiving of her love letter has created tension, especially with Margot away. He expresses confusion and concern for Lara Jean, but their relationship is changed. Lara Jean realizes that Kitty, trying to help her sister find love and perhaps get over Josh, mailed the letters. While initially angry, Lara Jean understands Kitty's innocent intentions. She also gets a visit from John Ambrose McClaren, another letter recipient, which brings back old memories and adds more complexity to her love life. This meeting reminds her of other boys she's loved and the path her life has taken.
After much thought, Lara Jean realizes her feelings for Peter are no longer part of a fake agreement. She genuinely cares for him and wants a real relationship. She talks to Peter one last time, expressing her hurt over the video but also admitting her true feelings. Peter, in turn, says his feelings for her grew during their fake relationship. Inspired by her original way of expressing love, Lara Jean writes a new, heartfelt letter, this time to Peter Kavinsky, not as a secret crush, but as someone she truly loves. She gives him the letter, showing she wants to move forward with an honest relationship, leaving the 'fake' behind.
The Protagonist
Lara Jean evolves from a sheltered girl hiding her emotions to a young woman who embraces vulnerability and pursues genuine love.
The Love Interest
Peter transforms from a superficial high school jock focused on winning back his ex to someone who genuinely falls for Lara Jean and values a real connection.
The Supporting
Josh struggles with the aftermath of his breakup with Margot and the revelation of Lara Jean's feelings, leading him to re-evaluate his relationships with both sisters.
The Supporting
Margot's arc is less central, but her departure signifies her transition into adulthood and forces her sisters to grow independently.
The Supporting
Kitty learns about the unintended consequences of her actions, but ultimately her desire for her sister's happiness helps push Lara Jean towards genuine love.
The Supporting
Dr. Covey navigates single parenthood and tentatively re-enters the dating world, showing his daughters that it's okay to move on and find new love.
The Supporting
Gen's arc is static in this book, primarily serving as an obstacle and source of conflict for Lara Jean and Peter's developing relationship.
The Mentioned
John Ambrose's brief appearance sets up a potential future narrative, but he doesn't have a developed arc in this book.
Lara Jean's story is about finding herself outside her sisters' influence and her comfort zone. The mailed letters make her face her past feelings and take on a public role she never wanted. Through her fake relationship with Peter, she learns to be more confident, vulnerable, and to trust her own emotions, rather than hiding. She discovers her own desires and strength, changing from a girl who writes secret letters to one who expresses her true feelings openly.
“I don't want to be the girl who writes love letters and never sends them. I want to be the girl who sends them.”
The book explores different kinds of love: sisterly love, family love, first crushes, unrequited love, and real love that grows from a fake situation. Lara Jean's first idea of love is idealistic and based on fantasy, as seen in her letters. Her 'fake' relationship with Peter challenges these ideas, showing that love can be messy and grow unexpectedly. It looks at the difference between loving the idea of someone (Josh) and truly falling for someone through shared experiences and vulnerability (Peter). It also touches on moving on from past relationships, both romantic and friendly.
“Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That's the part of the risk. I don't want to be scared anymore.”
The bond between the Song sisters – Margot, Lara Jean, and Kitty – is a main part of the story. Their family, shaped by their mother's death, is a source of both comfort and conflict. Margot's departure leaves a void Lara Jean struggles to fill, showing her strong reliance on her older sister. Kitty's well-meaning act of mailing the letters shows how connected the sisters are and their sometimes-awkward ways of caring for each other. The family's traditions and shared history are important to Lara Jean's sense of belonging and identity, affecting her decisions and emotions throughout the story.
“I guess that's the thing about sisters. They know all your secrets. And they're the ones who will love you anyway.”
Lara Jean's main struggle is her fear of being vulnerable. She writes letters to avoid facing her feelings directly and prefers a controlled world. The accidental mailing of these letters forces her to be vulnerable in a very public way, leading to embarrassment but also growth. Her courage is seen in her willingness to be in the fake relationship, to stand up to Gen, and to admit her true feelings to Peter. The story suggests that real connection and love require letting go of emotional defenses and accepting the chance of being hurt.
“What if you gave someone all of your love, and they didn't want it? What if they didn't love you back?”
A collection of five unsent letters that act as the primary catalyst for the plot.
The five secret love letters are the central plot device. Written by Lara Jean to boys she's loved in the past, they represent her hidden desires and her fear of confrontation. When they are accidentally mailed by Kitty, they force Lara Jean out of her comfort zone, initiating all the major conflicts and relationships in the story. Each letter brings a different past crush into her present, forcing her to deal with unresolved feelings and leading to the fake relationship with Peter Kavinsky. They symbolize Lara Jean's inner world being exposed to the outside, driving her journey of self-discovery and vulnerability.
Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky pretend to be a couple for mutual benefit, leading to genuine feelings.
The 'fake relationship' is a classic romantic comedy trope expertly utilized here. Lara Jean and Peter agree to a contract to mutually benefit: Peter wants to make his ex-girlfriend jealous, and Lara Jean wants to convince Josh and others that she's over him. This device allows the characters to spend extensive time together in a low-stakes environment, where they can gradually get to know each other without the immediate pressure of a real romance. It provides opportunities for intimate conversations, shared experiences, and character development, ultimately leading to the blurring of lines and the development of genuine romantic feelings between them, demonstrating that sometimes the best relationships start unexpectedly.
The story is told entirely from Lara Jean's perspective, offering intimate access to her thoughts and feelings.
The novel is narrated in the first person by Lara Jean. This narrative choice provides deep insight into her anxieties, hopes, and internal monologues. Readers experience her shyness, her detailed observations, and her romantic fantasies directly. This perspective allows for a strong connection with her emotional journey as she navigates the chaos of her mailed letters and the fake relationship. It also creates dramatic irony, as the reader is privy to Lara Jean's true feelings, even as she tries to hide them from other characters, making her eventual vulnerability more impactful.
A secretly recorded video of Lara Jean and Peter that causes public humiliation and a rift.
The hot tub video serves as a critical plot device that escalates the conflict and tests the boundaries of Lara Jean and Peter's relationship. It represents the public exposure of Lara Jean's private life, a fear she's harbored throughout the story. The video's circulation causes her immense humiliation and betrayal, leading to a significant breakdown in trust between her and Peter. It forces Lara Jean to confront her insecurities about public perception and ultimately pushes her to demand honesty and respect in her relationships, moving beyond the 'fake' and seeking something real.
“I like to save things. Not important things like whales or people or the environment. Silly things. Like this wrapper from the first time he bought me a candy bar. Or the card he gave me for my thirteenth birthday.”
— Lara Jean reflects on her sentimental nature and her feelings for Josh.
“It's not like in the movies. It's better, because it's real.”
— Lara Jean compares her real-life romance with Peter to movie depictions.
“I write a letter when I have a crush so intense I don't know what else to do.”
— Lara Jean explains her habit of writing letters to her crushes.
“You have to fall in love to be in love, but you don't have to be in love to fall in love.”
— Lara Jean muses on the nature of love and relationships.
“Maybe it's better to have gotten it right and been happy for a short time than to have never gotten it right at all.”
— Lara Jean reflects on her past relationships and the value of happiness.
“I'm not scared of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship.”
— Lara Jean quotes Louisa May Alcott, showing her growth and resilience.
“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.”
— Lara Jean describes missing her mother and the passage of time.
“It's funny how you can be surrounded by people and still feel alone.”
— Lara Jean feels isolated despite being in a crowd or with family.
“I want to be the kind of person who says yes to things.”
— Lara Jean expresses a desire to be more adventurous and open.
“Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That's the part of the risk. I don't want to be scared anymore.”
— Lara Jean confronts her fears about love and vulnerability.
“Sometimes I think you have to stop thinking so much and just go where your heart takes you.”
— Lara Jean advises herself or others to follow their instincts.
“The more people you let into your life, the more that can just walk right out.”
— Lara Jean reflects on the risks of opening up to others.
“I guess that's part of growing up, too—saying goodbye to the things you used to love.”
— Lara Jean acknowledges the bittersweet nature of maturing.
“You can't just pick and choose which parts of her to love.”
— Lara Jean discusses loving someone wholly, including their flaws.
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Jenny Han is an American author of young adult fiction and children's fiction. She is best known for writing the To All the Boys series and The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, which were adapted into a film series and TV series, respectively.
