Book Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han
Genre: YA, Romance
Type: Fiction

This is the first book of a trilogy and I liked the lighthearted read. I chose this book for Popsugar prompt 29 - A book with 'love' in the title.

The story revolves around a 16 year old Lara Jean. In order to let go of her crushes and move on, she has a habit of writing letters to her crushes expressing all her thoughts. But these letters are for her eyes only and are not intended to be posted ever. One of her crush is her sister’s ex-boyfriend Josh who is also a childhood friend and neighbour. Lara Jean’s world turned upside down when her elder sister leaves for college and Lara has to be the mother of the house. To make things matter worse, all of her letters get mysteriously posted. How does Lara Jean confronts the mayhem after that is the crux of the story.

Lara Jean is a shy girl and shares most of her private time with her family only. She has a deep relationship with her elder sister Margot who seems to be the most efficient and responsible person of the family. And it makes sense why Lara Jean looks upto Margot for approval. It is also nice to have an understanding dad like Dr. Covey. I am simply amused by Kitty’s character. She is a kid but as the story goes, I feel she is sensible enough to be Lara Jean’s elder.

The drama between Lara Jean and Peter is cute and as the story moves along we get the sense of where this goes.

The writing and the plot is simple and quick to read. Both the book and movie are equally good. I hope the other two books are as engaging as this one.

Verdict: This is a sweet, lighthearted, contemporary fluff but adorable nonetheless. Recommended for YA romance fans.

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Author: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Genre: Historical Fiction
Type: Fiction

It has been so long that I have read books that made me feel so grateful for the life we have.I am always hesitant to pick historical fiction as most of them deal with the war and its consequences. It had raving reviews and was highly recommended in a book forum. I was happy to read this book for the Popsugar prompt 21–A book by two female authors.

Set in the post-war period of WW II, this is an epistolary historical novel. Juliet Ashton, a writer comes to know about a queer little book society called the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Guernsey. Yes, the name is a mouthful. She is dating Mark who covets her for her hand in marriage. After learning how this society came into being during the German occupation, Juliet falls in love with the land and the people. She discovers more about them and understands how little she knew about the Channel Islands. She goes to Guernsey to collect material for her next book based on this society. How Juliet brings change in the life of the people of Guernsey and vice versa forms the remaining story.

It took me time to know who is who in the book. But once I was set, there was no stopping. With every letter curiosity keeps building up. Not many books probe into the minds of book lovers and their obsessions. I am not a person who picks on the quotes I liked. But with this book I was marking down quotes that resonated with me. It is always nice to read about people’s experiences about how books have touched their lives and turned it around.

The book recollects the gruesome and depressive period of the war but the author has managed to lace it with humour. I found it was easy this way to comprehend the incidents of the war.

The book is divided into 2 sections: Part 1 was fast-moving. I felt part 2 was a bit stagnant at places. I loved the array of characters, their back stories and peculiar connections to books. I loved Juliet and Elizabeth the best.

I also watched the movie but I liked the book better. What else can you expect from a book worm? The modifications on the story-line and the characters did not sit well with me.

Verdict: I am quite happy with myself that I decided to read this book and this definitely goes into my list of forever favourites. I think most fiction book lovers would love this historical fiction.

Book Review: A Cry in the Night

Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Type:  Fiction

I find Mary Higgins Clark’s works quite engaging and I need not say this is a suspense thriller and set in the 1980’s.

The plot starts with Jenny, a divorcee and a mother of 2 kids, who works in an art gallery. Her ex-husband Kevin is a struggling actor and often leeches off on Jenny for money. She meets Erich the painting artist during his art exhibition and he sweeps her off her feet with his charm and warmth. Within a month they get married and she moves from New York to his mansion in Minnesota. He is rich and has people working for him to cater to his every whim. Jenny slowly realizes that Erich is a perfectionist and very possessive. Slowly her life turns into a nightmare when weird incidents begins happening. At one point, Jenny feels she is entrapped in the mansion. Does she escape her nightmare and the answers to why strange events keep happening.

The author takes her time to set the premise before the creepy events unfold. At one point the book feels like a horror story. The pace is quick and there are so many unsolved questions which are answered at the end. There are several other characters attributing to suspicious circumstances and make us shift our doubts to every other person. The final reveal is a good one.

The primary point by which Erich is besotted by Jenny is that she is almost a replica of his dead mother Caroline. Jenny realizes that she and Caroline have more than physical similarities. But one question that bothers me is how does any woman, let alone a mother of two, decide to marry a person she knows only for a month and knows basically nothing of his life. I even thought that Jenny has some psychological issues. Also, she invariably tolerates Erich’s annoying acts and felt maybe she should not be this naïve.

Verdict: Overall the book an engaging easy read and is a mix of romance, thriller and horror. It keeps you hooked till the end.