To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Other Semi-Related Things

Hey everyone! The latest and one of the greatest things in the young adult community is definitely the movie adaptation of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. I’m a little late to the hype train, but if you haven’t watched this movie, you definitely need to join the bandwagon. It’s entertaining and beautifully done, and I think so many aspects of it are just fantastic. I definitely need to do a reread of the series (it’s been a while since my first time through), but I really hope that Netflix decides to continue with the series and adapt the sequel(s). In any case, since I know that many of you have probably already seen (or plan to see) the masterpiece that is TATBILB, I thought it would be fun to share some recommendations based on my favorite tropes and aspects of the movie.

Fake Relationships:

One of the things that (of course) makes To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before so fabulous and hilarious is the fake relationship. I am personally trash for this trope (I love reading/watching it play out) and The Proposal is no exception to this rule. In The Proposal, they actually fake an entire wedding (well, the wedding is real, but the relationship not so much), and all of the interaction between the two main characters and their family is absolutely hilarious. I enjoyed this movie far too much. If you ever wanted to see Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in a relationship (or even if you didn’t), this is probably your dream movie! I highly recommend it.

Awesome Representation:

If you somehow also managed to miss all the hype around Crazy Rich Asians, you are definitely living under a rock. Although it’s an adaptation from a novel, I’ve only seen the movie, so I can’t technically recommend the book (although I imagine it’s fabulous as well). The Asian representation in both TATBILB and CRA is fantastic and much appreciated. Also, can I mention how beautiful everything is in this movie?? Money may not be able to buy happiness, but Crazy Rich Asians is proof that it can buy a LOT of pretty things. Just saying. (Bonus: The Hate U Give movie comes out in about 3 weeks and I cannot WAIT. The rep in that book is awesome and the story is so important. I really hope it’s just as good on-screen.)

Beautiful aesthetics:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is just such a gorgeous movie. Maybe I’m crazy, but I find everything in it to be so pretty and aesthetically pleasing. The scenery is gorgeous, the people are perfect, and even Lara Jean’s clutter is aesthetic. It’s unrealistic and totally awesome. Other than Crazy Rich Asians, a movie with a similar aesthetic would be Love, Simon. The movie is super unrealistically aesthetic and beautiful and I absolutely adore it. The book is more realistic (and my favorite of the two), but the movie is super enjoyable regardless and I highly recommend checking it out and supporting this adaptation!

Letters:

Obviously, the huge trope of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the letters. I know a couple of stories that feature letters, although none in the same way as TATBILB. In Everything All at Once, Lottie’s aunt has passed away and left her letters of things to do after her death. (This is also comparable to P.S. I Love You which is an amazing movie that made me cry and you should watch because it’s on Netflix- it’s also a book and I really need to read that) The letters are definitely a main feature in both of these books and I love how they play into both stories and their plot twists.

Sisters:

If you’ve seen or read any part of TATBILB, you know that a huge part of it revolves around the sisters in the story. Lara Jean has to learn how to maintain her relationships with both of them and love them even though she is realizing that they are not perfect and won’t always be as physically close as they are when the movie first starts. A great comparison to this is Fangirl, as Cath has to learn how to be apart from her sister without sacrificing their relationship. Honorable mentions for this category would definitely include both Far From the Tree by Robin Benway and I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. Those are both more about repairing distant or broken sibling relationships, but they carry many of the same themes and are equally amazing and entirely worth the read.

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And those are my recommendations based on To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before! I know this is a little different from the typical recommendations you see, and it’s not quite like anything I’ve ever posted before, but I quite enjoyed writing it and I hope you all enjoyed it as well! Definitely let me know how you feel about this style of recommendation (I would really appreciate your feedback). Other than that, have you read any of these books or seen the movies? Plan to? Have I changed your mind? What are some of your favorite recommendations under these topics? Talk to me in the comments below – I’ll see you there!

Love, Amy Lou ❤

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