Spoiler Alert: character names, themes, and plot discussed.
Summary
Always and Forever, Lara Jean is the third and final book in the To All the Boys trilogy by Jenny Han. To get more acquainted with the characters in this series or for a memory refresh of the other two books: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You
In this book, we walk with Lara Jean through her senior year in high school. Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky are going strong and have a solid plan on staying together when they both go off to college at the University of Virginia (“UVA”).
Peter has already been accepted on a lacrosse scholarship and Lara Jean is still waiting on her acceptance letter.
However, their solid plans begin to waver when Lara Jean gets the devastating news that she did not get into UVA.
The big question now is will they decide to stay together and endure a long distance relationship when they go off to college or will they decide to end it like her older sister did with her then boyfriend before they go off to college.
About the Author
Jenny Han is a New York Times best selling author for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before; Always and Forever, Lara Jean (On Netflix); and the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy (On Amazon Prime Video).
She has also written Shug and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream; and co-wrote the Burn for Burn trilogy along with Siobhan Vivian.
Review
“It snuck up on me—growing up, I mean.”
― Jenny Han, Always and Forever, Lara Jean
How did we get here? Lara Jean’s final year in high school. While high school marks the end of one era, the future holds the beginning of a new era.
1 theme of Always and Forever, Lara Jean:
New Beginnings
New Beginnings for Lara Jean
The excitement of senior year…senior trip, prom, graduation. All experiences that hold permanent residence in our memories. We get to see Lara Jean go through all of these exciting things.
On their senior trip to New York, Peter promposes to Lara Jean. At prom, Lara Jean wears the perfect pink dress and Peter wins homecoming king. Graduation finally comes and Lara Jean finds out that she’s going to Korea with her sisters and grandmother over the summer.
However, with every senior year activity being checked off the list the closer the future comes. And Lara Jean and Peter’s decision to continue with their plan to stay together in college seems more and more unattainable.
Lara Jean decides to go farther away for college than expected when her original plans to attend UVA didn’t come to pass. How can they withstand the separation? How can the future Lara Jean and Peter make it work?
I like how simple yet realistic this plot is, and relatable. If you’ve made it this far in the series, you are as invested as I was in finding out the outcome of Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship.
But we all probably know a Lara Jean and Peter in our own lives that decided to stay together after high school and it didn’t work out. We may also know some that did. Relationships are always a risk, it’s never a guarantee.
New Beginnings for Lara Jean’s dad
“Families shrink and expand. All you can really do is be glad for it, glad for each other, for as long as you have each other.”
― Jenny Han, Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Lara Jean’s dad, after getting the family’s blessing, decides to marry Trina Rothchild.
Kitty is ecstatic. Lara Jean is excited. Margot is not so thrilled. Even though Margot gave her father her blessing, she hasn’t warmed up to Trina.
Lara Jean volunteers to help plan the wedding events and the bachelorette party. Partly, because she wants to and partly because she needs something to take her mind off of not getting into UVA.
I like how all the Song girls support their dad in this decision. Even Margot who has her reservation sees that Trina is good for him.
Why read?
I mean if you’ve made it this far, then you have to finish. But here are some other reasons to
read Always and Forever, Lara Jean.
Reasons to read Always and Forever, Lara Jean
- Grand conclusion- You have to stick it through to find out what happens to Lara Jean and Peter.
- Senior Year Nostalgia- Nostalgia is everything nowadays. If you want to relive senior year in high school you should definitely read.
- Family Ties- Still love the closeness of the Covey family.
- Excellent Character Building- again each character in this book plays a part in Lara Jean’s story.
“I don’t know what lies around the bend,
but I’m going to believe that the best does.”
-L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables”
― Jenny Han, Always and Forever, Lara Jean