What do you think they're going to do with the show?! SPOILERS BELOW . . . . . I cant see her making J propose and having the shitshow of the third book be in the show so what on earth is going to go down!?
It’s all sooo stupid especially how they make Jeremiah the bad guy to make Conrad the obvious better choice. But then if Conrad doesn’t get his happy ending and has to watch the girl he loves marry his brother- i will throw hands.
i havent read the books but this cheating thing seems like its just the author not knowing how to solve the triangle and needed a reason for the character to chose the other one once and for all that happens so much in triangles and its the main reason why i dislike it
I’d understand keeping the cheating because imo it’s in character but the PROPOSAL …… can’t imagine that fitting w the show, even with how childish Jeremiah & Belly are
As a general rule, if you have to ruin one love interest's character just to make the other one seem like the better choice... They are probably not the better choice
@@reulivthe only time I’ve ever seen it work is acotar, because Tamlin was basically a bad love interest the entire time and their relationship sucked, which becomes even more apparent on the reread where you see she actually always had the Tamlin is meh breadcrumbs there all along. Maas has her flaws but that’s the only time I can think of this trope working because it seemed preplanned instead of thrown together after
@@alicetoyou448 I definitely agree with this. Tamlin's character was flawed throughout the entirety of book one. He had major communication issues and always tended to neglect Feyre's emotions in dire situations.
I remember there was a part where Belly saw a girl at Conrad’s college and literally thought “I’m prettier than her.” and that annoyed me sm bc that made her sound so narcissistic and egotistical 💀
i hate that authors have taken "team edward / team jacob" and made it a trope. like...twlight was it's own thing at the time. but now? it happened with "to all the boys i loved" too. you have the MC and her love interest get together, then break them up in the 2nd book, then put them back together again. it's so predictable and unnecessary. it reminds me of the "after" series when they two characters kept doing that and that's all the "plot" was. it just felt so pointless. like why put them together in the first book if you're just going to break them up by the second? and why break them up by the second just to get them back by the thid? it just feels like cheap, contrived drama.
@@akutyam it's not love triangles that are the issue; it's the cheap way they've been done since twilight. everyone knew bella would end up with edward just like everyone knows who belly will end up with in tsitp. and how the 'to all the boys' series would end. it's done in a cheap way that there's no build up or tension, the forumla is all the same: the guy and girl get together in the first, break up in the second, back together in the 3rd. all while the first guy is so heavily swooned over and presented to us that the audience just knows from the start how it'll go. that's the problem.
Totally agree with everything you said in this video! It’s absolutely wild the hype the book series gets when quite literally every character is SO unlikeable every step of the way. The show is such a vast improvement over what the books gave us.
This video saved me, I now don’t have to read the books or watch the show hahahah I am sorry it was such a frustrating journey, thank you for suffering on our behalf!😂❤
Sometimes when I see a book series that I’m curious about but I’m not sure I will like it I tell myself “ If I wait long enough maybe Cari will rant about it.” And look, the universe has grant my wish. This was great!!!!
I just wanna talk about how no one in this book really walks, especially Belly. (I noticed this in Book 2). Anytime she leaves a room, she runs out. She runs up the staircase, she runs to the guest room, she runs out of the funeral, she tells Conrad she doesn't hate him and then runs away. Belly should be on the track team with all the running she does. There's also a scene with Jeremiah where he breaks up with his girlfriend, and the whole scene is pretty calm (like they both saw it coming but are sad and accepting about it) but then this happens: "Then she kissed me on the cheek and ran out of the car and into her house." It just throws the whole mood of the moment off and it makes zero sense 😅😅😅
@@caricanreadsooo toxic! And the way somehow her being ‘confused about her feelings’ justifies her playing with people’s hearts. Like girl be so for real.
Belly is the absolute worst, especially in season 2 of the show, I literally could not finish that show 😂😂 they should all just move on from each other
Yeah, Im not fun of belly or of any character of this story. but this kinda of comments "this BOYS deserves better" BOYS?? and putting her like a villain, this is misogynistic as hell
honestly my biggest issue with them following book 3 in the show (beyond the fact that book 3 is... deeply stupid) (but anyway) is that jere is the only canonically bi character in the show. and we all know that problematic trope of 'bisexuals are attracted to more people so cheat'. given the show's attempts to diversify and update the books to fit the 2020s, making jere a cheat would be a huuuuge problem because of this
as a bi person, i don't really think it is a problem personnally. Bi people can cheat as well, I mean I know more than one bi person who cheated. I don't really understand your pov. For me, the problem really is that you can feel the author's intent behind Jere's cheating, so that Conrad is endgame. But for the 12 year old me, Jere's cheating really didn't make sense for his character
@@emilie_b5346 i feel it's an issue because he's the *only* bi character and the *only* one who cheats. also as a bi person, i'd have no issue with this if other people were shown to be cheating around the place - but only having one character cheat, and that character be the only bi character, given the prominence of this trope (and the damaging nature of it in these sorts of circumstances), i'd take issue with it in the show. i do agree though that cheating is completely out of character for jere anyway and did feel very much like jenny just doing a lazy route to belly-conrad endgame. in the show (again) this would be even weirder for jere to do given how much time and effort has been put into showing how much he cares about belly, how deep their connection is, and how important it is to him that belly knows all her options before choosing him. jere cheating was infuriating in the books, but it would be just straight up ridiculous in the show.
As terrified as I am of the third season, I have to watch it, because there are so many stakes. Will Jenny make the only canon bisexual character cheat on his committed partner? If not, what other creative ways will she come up with to paint Jer as the villain that only perfect wounded sadboy Conrad can save poor innocent Belly from? Will Cam Cameron be able to come back for S3 before a huge movie franchise realizes how talented his actor is and snatches him up? Genuinely, I'm riveted by the possibilities here. The drama. The intrigue.
If Jenny Han is smart, she will avoid the cheating-turned-pre-mature-marriage proposal plot because it's 2023, these characters are all educated young adults and JH can do so much better than this. I sincerely hope she doesn't butcher Jere's character in the process, and actually maybe have Jere & Belly have a 2-year-long relationship all about honest open communication and lots of sex (bc if Conrad can take Belly's vCard in the show, that means Jere has full access to Belly's entire Card catalogue).... and maybe a pregnancy-scare happens, and THAT's what gets Jere to propose marriage to Belly so abruptly. :D So it becomes more a story of Belly wondering "am I ready to be married, even to my best friend?" rather than "is Jere the right person for me?" And maybe a miscarriage happens (which is very common, and would be great to address in the show), and Jere and Belly hesitate about continuing with the wedding plans. Enter Conrad, swooping in the moment he finds out Belly isn't pregnant anymore, confesses his obsession for her... and begs her to not go on with this wedding. And in all her boldness and strength, Belly says to Conrad, "You're right. I'm not ready to be married. But I still love Jere. Thanks for reminding me of that. Now leave us alone."
@@sanjomaz They won't change the ending and I am pretty sure Belly and Jere won't sleep together, bc Belly will never be able to get Conrad out of her system completely. They will change the build up of the storyline though. But the patterns and reasons for Bellys and Jeres break up are alredy there if you watch closely, they don't have to use the "cheating-break-whatever" scenario. Jere and Belly going to college together, meeting new ppl, making new friends, developing new interests. Also the might explore Jeres sexuality in s3, as it wasn't really mentioned anymore in s2. Conrad and Belly will be endgame, that is pretty clear already. But I am pretty sure they will skip the hook up part and the proposal and almost wedding, as it doesn't fit anymore in 2023.
@@Mamma_Mia_Mia you never know! JH allegedly said she is open to having a different ending in the show than in the books, and here's why I think that is true. As someone whose worked in film/casting, I can tell you the onscreen friendship chemistry between Lola/Gavin is so sweet and effortless, and doesn't hold a candle to the all-consuming, Gone-w-the-Wind, all-or-nothing passion that is emulated between Lola/Chris (that comes across as stiff actors who must be directed in order to express how much their characters want to be together) and it misses the friendship dynamic that Lola/Gavin have. Even in the show, seeing Gavin act so upset and angry at Lola feels like the script is "telling us" that their characters are not getting along, all for the sake of conflict and plot. It's so dry and forced. As someone who's seen tons of YA adaptations, I can also tell that JH could see how Conrad's toxicity in the books would not translate will into screen, so she made Conrad more soft, "likeable" and "approachable" for Belly while at the same time keeping his broodiness, self-righteousness and lack of communication present. In the books as well as the show, the scenes between Conrad and Belly always occur "in the dark", in flirty-but-creepy conversation during her late-night swim, in secret kisses at the beach, in secret "friendly" phonecalls, in that showing--up-unannounced-and-sneaking-out-for-beachhouse-rendezvous fashion... and it becomes a relationship that is not meant to last "by morning" where the two see each others' imperfections and can handle social gatherings (just look at how they interacted at Beck's funeral, and how Belly tried to have her perfect Prom with Conrad and was consumed by the idea of "what that symbolized in her fairytale mind" but not really noticing that Conrad wasn't into it at all). I think Jenny Han is coming to terms that she wrote this book series when she was young and fresh-out-of-writing-school, penning that personal wish-fulfillment to have her awkward teen-girl self finally get the broody dark boy she once had a crush on.. but I think it would be more universally fulfilling for her teen readers/audience to see the healthier process of "letting that crush go" and move on with other crushes that are more in line with what Belly needs.
@@sanjomaz Unttil we get the very last scene of the very last episode we won't know 100% taht is true. I do have to disagree with you on your points though...I may not be someone working in film, but I have watched a lot of movies and series and books adapations over many years as well. I do pay close attention to details and try to dig deeper. So I feel safe to say, that Chris and Lolas onscreen is amazing and that they portray the deep love connection on an outstanding level. Every scene they have together, they show that pure torn and love torwards one another with gestures, glances. Even when their characters aren't "together" in the show, you can always see something happening btw them. You see it more with Gavin and Lola, but I see this connention with Chris and Lola. Also when it comes to "forced love interest", imo Jeres and Belly love is a very forced one. Gavin and Lola do portray the friend vibe very well, but if hadn't known the books before, I never would've guessed them ending up as a couple or a love interest. They do give me best friend vibes, but everything afterwards felt rushed, forced and more abt passion/lust rather than the deep love connection. My opinion! I do agree with you on Belly/Conrad scenes being in the dark, as in my opinion it is on purpose and should present the following... Conrads and Bellys first kiss was during sunlight or at least not in the dark. Taking the qquote from the books "For Belly Conrad is the sun, and when the sun comes out, the stars dissapear". Conrad used to be Bellys sun until he looses his light and happy persona. We haven't seen the real him yet, as the show starts off with him being already in this dark state of depression. So from their on, all of their scenes are in the dark to lead up to their break up in s2 just like in the books. He will have a big character development in s3 though, just like in the books. Ppl will finally be able to see the real him. Jenny also said s3 will reveal who the characters really are, they are not done growing yet. So some might grow for the better, and some might grow not for worse but into a different direction ppls think they will. Imo this is meant for Jeres character. In the series, he is bi and this part of him wasn't further mentioned so far in s2. So imo, this might be something they will explore in s3. Imo it would also sent a wrong message to ppl if they kept Jere and Bellys relationship. It was so rushed imo and happened in a very messed up way. Going after your brothers girl and vise versa starting something with the brother of your ex is a very tough message in general. Like this wouldn't happen in real life bc of how very fucked up that is. The show makes it seem ok to do so and teens are falling for it bc they think Jeres character is cute and sweet and overlooking his flaws and are just being ok with it. Very weird message as well. But hey, it's still fiction ;). They for sure will change a lot of things leading up to the ending from the books, as it ain't 2023 anymore. But I don't see Conrads and Bellys story as the "first love romance bullshit not holding up in real life". I do see their story as big love in general, butthem being way to young to understand the amount of that love or how to handle it especially with life turning their worlds upside down with the horrible things happening around them. Jenny wanted to portray how ppl grief in different ways. To me, their story is a chance to show how ppl can redeem themselves from dark places when thrown a lifeline in times of need and how they still are worthy of the happy life they wanted to have with the person they wanted to be with so badly. To me, it shows ppl can grow to be together again when meant to be, getting tat second chance. As for the foreshadowing, I'd advice you to read the books. Ppl always say the show and the books can't be compared and can't be taken into account. But actually, the books and the show do go hand in hand. So many scenes and lines used from the books so far, with adaptions of course. They changed certain parts to make it more presentable to 2023. But they keep the main and important things that are important to the fans. S3 will stay close to the books and according to Jenny and the cast hit the main points. JH also said in an interview, that she wants to finish the story as she wrote it. For sure she won't say the show ends like books, I mean where would be the fun in that ;). But the foreshadowing and hints we already got are there for a reason. Like I said, I'd advice you to read the books and also to listen closely to all if the songs played during Conrad/Belly and Jere/Belly scenes, espiecially in the last episode of s2. You'll get the idea where this is leading. All in all, it's fiction. Also, the show is adapted from a book/books with the creator being highly involved in the process. That is unusual, so the creator is very keen on adapting the books in a certain way. Sorry wasn't planning on going overboard with my comment, but yeah hard to explain otherwise ;). We can see things differently, but imo it's false hope to belive the ending is going to change. JH urges ppl to read the books to not get to suprised I guess.
@@Mamma_Mia_Mia As a person who's had to sit through the poor acting and looked at the lighting and camera work done in the show to make up for the lack of chemistry... I respectfully disagree. Even the color theory in the costume choices were sloppily done, if you think about when Conrad/Belly kiss on the beach. Couples who're onscreen tend to wear similar color palettes (think Mr.Darcy/Liz Bennet and their greys/browns, or Jack Dawson/Rose in their white cloth and blue jackets in the "flying scene" in Titanic) and in that kiss scene, Conrad wears a monochrome tux while Belly is wearing multicolored pastels (as if to say her character is actually in a very "indecisive" place)... so in dialogue, these characters are tellings us they can't get enough of each other... but visually, the story is telling us these characters are actually lightyears apart. As if to say that, if they're meant to be, it's going to take a LOT of work between them individually. And by the way Conrad treated Belly in season 2 of the show, he can say how much he loves her all he wants, but his behavior towards her is withdrawn, uncommunicative, possessive, manipulative and condescending, and it affects Belly's usually-joyful demeanor where she goes on to hurt other people in response to that internal hurt she gets from Conrad. It's a chain reaction where actions speak louder than words, and it's not romance that should be deemed healthy, even by JH. Say what you want about Conrad and Belly being soulmates or whatever, but Jere and Belly never treated each other in that "all or nothing" standard when they were friends. Jere was happy when Belly was happy, he supported her choices and encouraged her independence, and felt lucky just being her friend and took a huge risk telling her how he felt. And the way JH wrote Conrad and Belly secretly kissing in the show set up Jere as being this oblivious best friend who couldn't handle the fact that he didn't get the girl (which is just so sad and OOC, because Jere was not about "winning" like Conrad was) rather than showing how Jere was always looking out for Belly as a person and supporting her happiness, even if it wasn't with him. Also-- I did read the books, both in text and in audiobook format, and I am fairly aware that JH is really trying to push Conrad as the "better man" both in the books and in the show. There are many points in the books where you can tell Belly is trying to hang on to "the idea" of Conrad where he is clearly out of touch with his wants and needs and is not a good fit for her. Book 1, he is distant and grieving through fits of rage and anger, and when Belly confesses her feelings, Conrad says "well I don't feel the same way." and Belly is the one who says "I don't believe you." This is mistake number one, and its' the beginning of a long process of Belly trying to "protect" her heart because it is naturally devastating for a teen girl to realize that the guy she liked since she was 10 doesn't like her back. She can't get over it overnight, and so she refuses to let go because 1) her pride is asking her to not give up yet, and this goes along with what Belly says in the show, how she always "playing to win". and 2) the growing pains she is dealing with in the first book, realizing that Steven is college-hopping and Conrad will be in college next summer and things will not be the same (this coming even before the realization that Beck is sick again), brings the deeper message of a young adult not wanting to let go of those childhood memories, including that particular boy she kept pining for each summer... and so it's more about Belly refusing to close this idyllic narrative and wanting it to keep it going a little bit longer with her feelings for Conrad... even if the relationship is a lie. So-- sorry, but this is me being kind of a film theory and literature aficionado- but the bigger message that I think JH should've pushed about the series is about "letting go"-- that it's hard, it's a process, and that love is more complicated than ending up with the first boy who made you feel things. I know it's a work of fiction, and I know that in general the best-selling fiction nowadays has greatly shifted from the Judy-Blume-hard-lessons days to instead lean towards personal wish fulfillment fan fiction-type literature... but I really hope JH understands that young adults will emotionally benefit more (and save themselves from a ton of therapy bills later in life) if they read a story about acceptance that first-crush-does-not-equal-forever-love. I look at JH's first series of books, TSITP, and I see how it was a prototype for To all the Boys, where the protagonist (LJ) loved one oblivious guy (Josh) and clings to it for a long time while also building this amazing and unexpected chemistry with another old flame (Peter) who is more understanding and emotionally available, and becomes the person who really knows her. I see Lana Condor and Noah C's scenes in TATB, and I see Lola and Gavin almost as carbon copies by how comfortable and fun they are off script. And I have a feeling Jenny Han notices that too. In-script and in the books, Jere was written as the best friend who was intuitive with Belly and understood her wants and needs, and knew how to communicate in a way that didn't make her feel small or unwanted or unworthy of love. It took 2 full books of Conrad being distant, rude and emotionally unavailable for JH to see the writing on the wall for book 3, and she had to do a total character-backflip on Jere to make Conrad look like the more mature, considerate, selfless, put-together, "better man" for Belly right as she's about to get married. But in book 3, let's not forget Conrad is still possessive of Belly, saying "he'd rather shoot himself in the head with a nail-gun multiple times if he had to see his brother cuddle with Belly" (you know, the way emotionally put-together guys talk about their feelings) rather than wishing her the best and giving her that agency to choose happiness, even if didn't include him (the way Jere always was with her in two books). Even when Conrad is talking to old-man Ernie, Conrad gets the reassurance from this old-man that Belly is "his girl" and that real love means going for that girl no matter how she feels (and according to Ernie, real love means not falling in love again after that person has passed away... so that's always encouraging). Conrad even shows possessiveness in the letters he writes to Belly, because rather than showing his support for her meeting guys Spain and talking about how he has been growing as a person, he writes in a very "nice-guy" judgemental tendency, sending her things from their shared childhood, referring to the nice things he always did for her "back in the good old days"... as if to say Belly owes him a relationship. He's not writing to her like a wholesome, mature friend who has grown out of his childhood... Conrad is writing to Belly like a disgruntled ex-boyfriend stuck in that bubble of childhood memories and trying to cling on the joyful innocent time bc adulthood is so complex and hard... and he's the exboyfriend just waiting for Belly to come back her senses and return to him. Which she does, in the end, but it doesn't resolve their lack of communication or unwillingness to deal with each other's complexities or hard truths. It's not so much a partnership as it is a story about two people obsessed with the *idea* of each other, who get married only a year after they start reconnecting again (the day Belly graduates college). It's a relationship full of all-or-nothing, fiery passion, all wick and no wax... but it completely misses the substance of partnership, friendship and understanding. At least with how the books go, that's the story of Belly and Conrad.
I knew I wouldn't like this book, so thank you for reading it 😂 This is exactly what Jenny Han did to the To All The Boys books, a friend warned me this is a pattern in her writing: the perfect boy in the first book that the girl doesn't even care for, she ends up with him in the first book, and then he fucks up big time in the second book and she meets another cool guy AND STILL CHOOSES THE FIRST GUY. I was so mad when I finished the second book of To All Boys that just couldn't read the final book... the movies are great tho
Tbh I didn't even finish the 2nd book of To All the Boys 😅I saw she met one of the boys who lives away and I just stopped right there, haven't looked back since lol
I watched the first movie and I really enjoyed it so I thought about reading the books. I waited until the other 2 movies came out, though, and realized that I would actually hate the books so I didn't even bother. The love triangle made me so mad and I regret watching the last two movies. It's partly why I haven't bothered with the spin-off.
@@seraphina1724 the spin-off was ok, but I felt it was a little more preteen than teen, even tho the characters are all teenagers... also, very rushed, a lot happening all around, it was like 3 high school kdramas in 1 with way less narrative developing time
My favorite character in the show has to be Taylor like her and steven’s confession had me ❤️ forget the stupid love triangle I’m rooting for my girl Taylor the most 😌 (From what I’ve seen in all the other reading vlogs she’s apparently very different from the books? If so i love what they did with her character)
I really have a soft spot for Jeremiah (mostly cuz of the actor playing him) he also went through so much all by himself and no one was there for him. But whenever i see the way Conrad looks at belly i just want him to be happy 🥺🥲
I agree, plus I think that it was always expected that she'd end up with Conrad but here was always there and he really could be like the "unexpected" endgame, like they have the foundation. I don't understand the switch in season 3, like yeah, he was "immature" but losing a parent usually makes people grow up, I love that the show shows that (the scene where Suzanna is facetiming Lauren before prom and here comes to the room and brings her a drink --let's not forget that Conrad was at college so he was the one taking care of her and witnessing the worst moments-- and he's like "I don't want to be 'the funny guy' all the time because that's not how I feel).
i’ve read the books before the first season aired and when i saw that everyone loved it i knew that they must have rewritten the whole thing bc no way especially the fact that everyone loved conrad had me shocked watching the show it makes more sense but i’m still very much team jeremiah like the only way for bonrad to get endgame was a major character assassination by making him “cheat” but not really bc they were broken up when it happened and all that for a one page endgame with zero development i wanted to cry
TO ALL THE BOYS IVE LOVED BEFORE IS SO MUCH BETTER!! The characters are likeable! The boys are sweet and the sister relationships were my favorite part! I loved that series when I was younger and it still measures up! I hated the summer I turned pretty, you are a strong soldier for getting through all 3!! I barely made it through the first one alive!
It IS better but i feel like it does some of the same things. Like, clearly John Ambrose was the better choice but "I love peter because I love him" just like belly loves conrad because he's conrad.
I love TATBILB more than TSITP, I actually watched and read it first back in 2018/2019. Lara Jean really is more relatable to me than Belly because I’m quiet like her. The sisters relationship was one of my favorite parts as well because I have an older sister. Peter and John Ambrose were great love interests who had me actually rooting for them at different parts of the series. I think Jenny did a better job with TATBILB than TSITP, considering it came out later and the characters were established in a great way.
I love these kind of videos where you talk to us while you're slowly reading through a book or series and you're doing your everyday stuff. Something very comforting about it ❤ Ive watched the first season and thought it was cute but not interested in continue on watching the show.
All these weird books cari reads make me think that i should get a side hustle as an author, because my writing and plot ideas couldn't be much worse than these 😂
Indeed. The number of poorly written fanfics becoming movies nowadays is astounding, especially when there are so many amazing fanfics that never become anything
I read these books as they came out in 2009 and loved them but I was also 17/18. I was always Team Jeremiah for all the reasons you mentioned and remember reading book three and throwing it across the room when I read page 16 I was so mad. It felt like it was done because Jere was perfect and there needed to be something unforgivable that he does in order to end with the other 🙄 Other things to note... I do want to say, this was Jenny's first solo published book so we need to keep that in mind. She had cowritten a novel previous to this but this was basically her debut. The letters and Spain thing were added in later years. I didn't even know that existed until people started talking about it in Tiktok. My books don't include it at all.
I feel this so incredibly hard. Jeremiah is the kind of kid who would at first be bitter about not "getting the girl", but what people tend to forget was that Jere was always a friend for Belly. He was sweet, intuitive, kind, understanding... he was happy when Belly was happy (even if it had nothing to do with him). He even gave Belly his blessing about Conrad, as much as he hated it, because he knew Conrad would let her down and not have the emotional intelligence or strong communication or sense of consideration for a healthy relationship. Conrad wasn't even willing to be a friend to Belly when they weren't "together"-- it was very much an all-or-nothing kind of dynamic between him and Belly. That's what really bothered me about Conrad's attitude overall. In the book3 epilogue letters, Conrad is so passive aggressive and judgmental in his tone, telling Belly jokingly to "not write back" and sending Belly things from her childhood while she is clearly trying to ignore him and let go of those childhood memories. Conrad doesn't take that hint-- he assumes she's just playing "hard to get" and is persistent in his writing letters, asking Belly to remember the "good ole' days" and all the nice things he did for her when they were together, and to also not forget that he misses her, more than once. :( It's very toxic with the "nice-guy" tendencies, and Conrad just refuses to let go of Belly and give her the space she wants and needs. Conrad doesn't write to Belly like a true friend... asking her how she's doing and how she's been enjoying college and her time in Spain.... he writes to her like an entitled ex-boyfriend, waiting for the girl to finally come back to her senses. :( To me, Conrad and Belly never had that calm, common ground of friendship like Belly/Jere; it was a relationship filled with "ideas" of what romance is... passionate and fiery, all wick but no wax... where they'd proclaim themselves as soulmates but not really know how to face the real, hard conversations. They'd go into their marriage with passive-aggression, miscommunication, maybe a dramatic outburst here and there... and they'd live their lives in a relationship that's not as much of a partnership as it is an obsession over each other. :(
omg i JUST did the same thing because i didnt want to wait for season 3. i felt so weird because in the show i am 100% team conrad but was so surprised reading the books how little scenes they have to develop their relationship? so i was lowkey team jeremiah too which was deeply confusing for me LMAO .... i literally couldn't take the last book seriously i was just straight up giggling
SPOILERS AHEAD So, I haven't read the third book but I am aware of the whole Jeremiah cheating plot and the letters and Spain and all that stuff. I was team Conrad since I began watching the show and decided I wanted to read the source material. I liked the show more for many reasons but one of them was giving Conrad more depth as a character from the beginning. It's funny to me that people say "Only the girls that read the books are team Conrad" bcs in the books he's almost not present and you don't understand why Belly is soooo obsessed with him. I think the show was so much better at developing Conrad and Belly's relationship from the beginning. Watching this video and reading these comments is such an experience bcs I have what seems to be very unpopular opinions lol. I do think Jeremiah has much healthier communication skills and seems like the most realistic and comfortable choice, and Gavin does such a great character portraying Jeremiah. The dude is perfect. I'm very aware of how... toxic Conrad really is. But I have such a soft spot for him. I feel very empathetic about the way he deals with things. Him being the older brother makes his flaws make so much sense; the pressure of being perfect, wanting to protect everyone, avoiding talking about his feelings because he feels like he's being a burden. People on tiktok and reddit are very hard on him and I feel like besides being annoying at times he's not really this awful-evil person. Belly and him trying to be in a relationship while Susannah was dying was a huge mistake. I remember there's the moment when they have their first kiss where Conrad says that he does want to be with her but not right now, I think they should've really followed that idea lol. And the prom, I really saw it in a very different light. I think not wanting to go to a party because you don't like parties, you have an exam on monday and your mom's dying and you don't feel like pretending for one night is a very valid reason. And Belly being like "I get that he feels that way, but I have this fantasy about a perfect night and if he doesn't want to go I'll just get him to be jealous so he has to go" is so toxiiiiiic. Belly seems more childish in the books but she's so messy on the show. I don't like how the show is making her go from one brother to the other. The books are less messy in the beginning bcs she's not really interested in Jeremiah at first, whereas in the show she's like "I'm over conrad and jeremiah is fineeee *makes out with jer on the pool*", then Conrad is straightforward with his feelings for once and tho she resists at the beginning she ends up kissing him and rejecting Jer who, rightfully so, gets pissed at them. It's just messyyyyy, I don't like messy and Belly's last name is Messy for sure. Also, another thing that I saw in a very different perspective was when Jeremiah explained the moment he began having feelings for Belly. For me, it wasn't wholesome. I saw that whole thing as Jeremiah being like "I only started liking Belly because Conrad did, and he always gets away with things and I hate that everyone thinks he's so perfect.". Though I do think Jeremiah loves Belly I don't think his romantic feelings are genuine. Or maybe at the beginning they weren't and he just wanted to compete with his brother but then he actually wanted to be with Belly. But he said it himself, that the moment everything changed was when Conrad started looking at Belly differently. I think deep down he wanted to have Belly because his brother did. That's why the moment he's finally with her, their relationship isn't all that and Belly is constantly thinking about Conrad and then Jer just cheats on her. Sorry about my whole thesis, english isn't my first language and I couldn't give more reasons for why I'm Team Conrad but yeah. I want both of them to be happy, I don't like the idea of having Jer cheating on Belly. I hope Jenny can think of a better way to make Belly end up with Conrad. And as I said, tho Jer seems like the most comfortable option (and the one that if this were reality would be the better option) I want Conrad and Belly together. They're my angsty, teenage, friends-to-lovers couple and the thing with Belly is that she'll never be with someone that isn't Conrad and not think about him.
Girl are u a Wattpad author? You just poured an entire dissertation that expresses all my feelings about this series and then you just dropped "sorry English isn't my first language jiji" 😅😅 I'm a fan
felt this, i hope next season they get the year in spain a lot of time so we can see belly grow. Also always felt the love jere as for belly is kinda in a besties way and con is more of 'the one' type of love
I absolutely agree. And that's exactly why I'm team Conrad too. Being in my 30s now I can easily view Jer's behavior as toxic and competitive during certain moments which explains why he liked Belly in the first place. Book 3 is my least favorite for sure because of the way the development was handled.
I agree with majority except the "Jeremiah only wants to compete with Conrad" narrative. It's canon that Jeremiah doesn't like to compete with Conrad. There's a very sad scene in book 2 chapter 26 where Jeremiah explains how when he was 13 their dad made him and Conrad wrestle against one each other. Jeremiah ends up winning and all their dad did was critique Conrad. Jeremiah said "All of a sudden, I wanted to cry. I never wanted to beat Conrad ever again. It wasn't worth it." So Jeremiah isn't a competitive person and he even admits in the show(& the books) that Conrad is better than him at everything and he was never envious of that. His feelings for Belly don't have anything to do with Conrad at all. In that scene when Jeremiah explains the moment he started having feelings for Belly, he never said "everything changed when Conrad started looking at Belly differently", Jeremiah is acknowledging that he wasn't the only one to see Belly differently and develop feelings for her that summer. In fact, Jeremiah says his feelings for her changed and started to developed when he himself first saw her last summer not when Conrad started looking at her differently. Conrad on the other is a competitive person and Belly even says this in the show in season 2 episode 4 during the boardwalk scenes. In season 1 episode 6 Steven tells Conrad that Belly and Jeremiah might be hooking up and Conrad then proceeds to text Belly about him wanting to take her to the Deb ball himself not because his mom asked him to. He only did it after he found out she was potentially moving on and he does that quite a lot throughout the series.
unexpectedly, watching the summer i turned pretty has been a real exercise in empathy for me. i find myself wanting to throttle the characters half the time (especially belly), yet I have to remind myself that they're literally teenagers and being self-centered and making dumb decisions is kind of in the job description. though that doesn't mean that im not PISSED off by nearly everyone on the show 😂 like i was definitely not that inconsiderate and messy, even as a teenager *on an unrelated note: what do you do to help with restless legs? my legs are as restless as belly boy-hopping her way through cousins
This is so real. I watch the show like I’m watching sports commentating and talking at the screen because wow do these people not talk to eachother. I’m 18, I definitely can communicate better than majority of these characters 😅. My main complaint is just belly stop meddling! Support the brothers give and give advice but why meddle in their personal business, I get she’s trying to fix things but it does continue to frustrate me. Definitely a lesson in empathy! I love Steven and I think the funniest thing is whenever steven does anything even slightly iffy or barely wrong every character is immediately yelling at him as if generally minding your own business is against the law in the summer I turned pretty verse 😭. Then for one episode they invent a contrived reason for Steven to have conflict, ie the first seasons dumb gambling plot .
I had the audio books get me through these. The narrator is Lola Toung so it makes it a lot easier and more interesting to get through. Would’ve enjoyed this series a lot more if I was 14 but I read it two months ago and I am 22. If someone wrote a spin-off series about Taylor and Steven I would EAT. THAT. UP. This is the first series where I think the show was better…. 😬
lola tung does such an amazing job at making belly so charismatic. i initially read To All the Boys I Loved Before and the second book too. i was disappointed by the outcome of the second book that i read a summary of the third and thought “hm that was lame glad i didn’t read it”. so i moved onto TSITP and thought the first book was so slow but i came out as Team Conrad solely because i loved how mysterious he was. however i hated the brothers love triangle so i read the summary of the second and third books and once again, i felt grateful i hadn’t wasted my time bc the back and forth was infuriating. the same reason i don’t like The Vampire Diaries i absolutely loathe love triangles between siblings. it feels so inauthentic and traitorous. so when i saw the series was coming i thought it was going to get the TATBILB treatment where the adaptation would be much better bc tbh the books are skeletons where as the adaptations are the muscles and nerve system. the first season is so much more fleshed out and i got a sense that belly had a personality besides being pretty. the second season was meh more so how quickly belly moves from brother to brother and how the boys let her do this. like nobody in the goddamn show says “let’s wait a couple more years when we’re older to do this”. My preferred ending if changed is: Belly is much older and she’s writing a book just like her mother which would make sense why she narrates during the show. We see she is walking over to Taylor and Steven’s two daughters: Susannah and Laurel. She asks to read them the first chapter of her new book The Summer I Turned Pretty. We see no hint of the boys because hopefully they moved on from the girl they were fighting over.
yess, that scene in the show where belly explodes on her mom for being MIA when they needed her after sussanahs death was just brutal, but i really liked how lola showed her acting chops in that though
OMG THANK YOU! I had a huge rant on Goodreads way back when I read the third book in 2015. I hate it with all my being to this day, even though I love the first two books so much. Whenever someone mentions this book I still go into a huge rant after almost a decade. My hatred and frustration never lessened! It was such a dissappointment and it was handled so poorly that, when the show was announced I swore to myself that I wasn't going to watch past season 2. Since the show is changing things up, I am willing to at least glance at the season 3 to see if it's going down that path. If it does, I am noping out of it and will just rewatch season 1 forever.
You are a strong warrior to make it all the way through all 3 books I could barely make it through the first one! The show is a good time but I just couldn’t get through these books!!!
Yeah I felt the exact same way about the books. I'll be very upset if they ruin Jere like that in the show so they better do something else!!! And honestly the books being bad make the show so much better lol so I really enjoy it and will definitely be tuning in for season 3!
I’m so so glad you did this!!! :) I was underwhelmed by the two first episodes of season 1, so I never read the books. However, I remember liking To All The Boys by Jenny Han. I also usually enjoy YA romance. So thank you for doing this, my opinions generally align with yours so I think this video will help me decide if I’ll give this series another chance :))))
I was fortunate enough to be able to visit where season 2 was recorded at this summer and it was so beautiful ❤ I love this trilogy, it’s a cute and refreshing read I hope you enjoy!! 🫶🏻
as a Jeremiah girlie, the character assassination Jenny did on him will forever have me bitter. It is so out of character for him and just a cheap cop out to get Conrad and Belly together. I really hope they don't go that way in the show.
i know!! my bad i should've added that it's great to be focusing on your mental health and doing what is best for you and not force yourself to read or watch anything you know you would enjoy at a better time also this video has made me not want to pick up tsitp series after months of debating whether i should read it for the third season bc jeremiah cheating = absolutely no sense.
@@caricanread hi I actually don't remember if you've told us but I'm just curious have you read the books beforehand? (personally I find it better to read first and then watch but ofc like that might just be me)
Honestly, I read the books after watching the show and I was full team j but I ended the books feeling like a belly hater periodt hahahah like I feel like the books try to make you think that she is always right but I feel like she has many flaws that the book doesn't see as flaws and tries to make you think that when anything goes wrong it's because of other people when most of the time is bellys fault. Like she's so emotionaly immature and there's nothing wrong with that she's 19, but the fact that the book tries so hard to make you think that she is actually right and everyone else is wrong is what makes me sooo mad.
I’ve listened to the audiobook of book 1 only. Haven’t read book 2 & 3 and haven’t watched the show. My take is that it was written for a young audience and like you mentioned, it reads like a young teenage girls diary. I feel like that is the point. The parents are always a bit absent from YA/middle grade media and the idea was to get middle school and high school girls interested. Thanks for taking one for the team Cari! 😂
Lol I originally read this trilogy in middle school do they hold a nostalgia for me, but I agree the show is way better. Steven and Taylor are so cute while they were so shallow on the books. Also I was a Conrad girl when I was younger but now I’m like??? He gave us nothing 😂😩
The inherent issue I had with the series was the overall writing of the characters and how the overuse of romantic tropes were used as a substitute to actual thoughtful writing. I remember reading the trilogy when I was about 12-13, and understood from the summary that this was a character driven, standard YA contemporary romance novel. I didn’t look for a strong plot line, but instead looked for characters that I could emotionally connect with as I hoped Isabel’s thoughts and desires would be portrayed in a way that would show her own character depth and later on development. Instead, I had to forge through the bland character archetypes that were shoved down my throat, meaningless dialogue and lack of character depth, and events that were quite literally sequences that purely came from stereotypes of the genre without any proper context or buildup to fit within the story. I recall after reading the third book I was mortified at what the characters and writing devolved into, to the point where I still remember everything-even after 6 years. I understand if people do enjoy the series, and if you do that’s okay. It’s not my place to judge what people should or shouldn’t like or read, and no one should have to be judged for what they enjoy. But I am afraid to even touch the show, because of how much the books frustrated me when I was younger
"the overuse of romantic tropes were used as a substitute to actual thoughtful writing." THIS!! it's such a "fanfiction" thing too like back in my fanfic heyday it was always so fun when writers would sneak in glaring tropes or easter eggs. it was never meant to be taken too seriously and there were certain tropes that would get put in for the ironic factor. but in actual published books? and a series? it just doesn't work like that. it feels like you're writing for and to your fans only, when you do that, and not to anyone who might be a new reader.
I was doubting whether I should watch this cause maybe I wanted to read the books, but nahhh, I made the right choice. I wouldn’t have liked that either 😂
I find the way that Belly and Conrad's relationship is almost entirely off the page - we just get flashbacks and flashforwards - SOOO frustrating. Like the whole series is about Jeremiah and we see so much of him and Belly's relationship but Conrad is the end game?
I really enjoy experiencing books vicariously through you. I don't think I'd ever read this book or watch the show, but I watched a review of seasons 1 and 2, then your review of the books, and its been a fun ride.
The writing style in to all the boys I’ve loved before is similar to summer I turned pretty, but Lara Jean is a more developed character in general. Her and Belly both feel like real teenage girls in a way, but Lara Jean has interests and relationships with her sisters outside of Peter, whereas Belly’s entire life and thoughts revolve around the brothers, so it feels more regressive and less interesting imo
I couldn't wait to see your reaction to book 3! Haha i hated that book so much! Overall there is something very off putting with 2 brothers fighting over one girl.
oh my gosh this is exactly what I thought/felt too I'm so glad I'm not alone! I think part of it is, when you read the books prior to watching the show, the show is like a pleasant surprise that goes deeper into the plot and characters. Whereas, if you watch the show first and then read the books, its a downgrade because you are going from great to, honestly, shitty storytelling... Not only do we not dive into Conrad's character AT ALL, but do we ever actually even get a detailed description of what he even looks like?! He is the lead love interest and the whole time I was picturing him from the show because there were never physical descriptions that gave enough detail. I have been really disappointed and angry ever since finishing the series, literally yesterday, because everyone I know who has read these books LOVES them and one girl even said that these books were the series that got her into reading...like WHAT?! I'm sorry but did we read the same series??? my other problem with these books was that it felt like Jenny focused and gave details on the plot points that should have been summarized or excluded entirely and then summarized, brushed under the rug, or didn't even mention the plot points/moments that, I believe, most readers would want to read if that makes sense. Like the entire end of the book is so abrupt. Jenny could have given more details as to why Conrad wanted to go to Stanford but instead he just says he wanted to stay far away from Belly...BUT WHY STANFORD. At the end, Belly says she studies abroad in Spain, BUT WHY SHE HAS NEVER SHOWN ANY INTEREST IN SPAIN THE ENTIRE SERIES?! I think it also would have been more cute and meaningful if Belly and Conrad had, in the past, had a history with writing each other letters, notes, card, etc, so, the letters Conrad wrote belly while she was in Spain, would feel more meaningful. I personally think that she should have originally written the deb ball stuff into the first book, combined books 2 and 3, and then had the third book be about Belly studying abroad in Spain, her ACTUALLY maturing an d making friends OUTSIDE of her VERY tiny circle, her and Conrad reconnecting/falling in love, and her mending her and Jere's broken friendship post break-up. You can tell I have thought a lot about this in the aftermath of finishing this series. It's so frustrating when you can see the potential in the storyline for it to be great and then the author takes the mediocre route. Anyways, those are all my thoughts. Thank you for reading my ted talk, lol.
I was literally googling the ending for TSITP trilogy earlier this morning! Talk about a perfectly timed video. The show definitely improved upon the story but I don’t think I can continue on with it either if Belly ultimately ends up with Conrad. Jeremiah just treated her so well all the time but Conrad had major communication issues. And what is the lesson learned if she ends up with Conrad? That your first love is your true love? That’s not a realistic takeaway to have from a book.
I just had the strangest urge to read a story just like this except the second brother who is the clear Loser in the triangle has actually been in love with the MC’s brother the entire time and all his perceived attempts to get close to the MC were actually attempts to spend time with her brother and she was just too self-involved to recognize that his interest lied elsewhere
OMG! This is the perfect timing for your video. I have never read a YA contemporary Romance in my life and this week I found „to all the boys I loved before“ by the same author on audible and I melted! It was the sweetest thing! And everything you describe in your video is the reason I don’t read these kinds of books. But you have to give „to all the boys“ a try ❤ (I will not read book 2 and 3 because I am afraid it will go downhill and I don’t want that in my head)
This is exactly how I felt when I googled the plot to see if I should bother watching the show 😂😂 not even Taylor Swift's musical features could draw me in now
I've never read the books nor watched the show but I enjoyed experiencing it through you regardless 😅 Also that reference to the annoying li from the 3 Dark Crowns Series (I'm 99% sure that's who you were talking about) made me laugh because him being like "I love you so much but I accidentally slept with her 5 times" was pretty much his entire character 🤦♀️
20:50 To answer your question. Basically. Everyone knew that Beck's cancer was back except Belly - they all kept it a secret from her to protect her. 🙃
Omg I read this book as a young teen! I didn't know there was a tv show, I actually didn't know it was popular at all or even heard anyone else talk about it. I remember feeling very ambivalent about it in the end. It was very much a "well, that was a book" kind of feeling. I don't think I ever reread it, which was unusual for me at the time. Curious to see what you think about it!
Girl I 10000% agree with what you said about the first book I actually DNF’d the second book because of how annoying the characters were and I really liked Susannah and then she died so I COULD NOT read any more lollll BUT I did watch season 1 and 2 of the show and they were so good kinda also infuriating but in a better way LOL
Just to mention while I’m watching the video. Cari, there are page turners that you can use when you read with your kindle in the claw, so you don’t have to touch the screen every time you want to turn the page 😂 Now that I’ve finished the video, one of the few times you will say a tv show/movie is better than the book. I was thinking about reading the book too but thank god you did this blog (sorry for your suffering though).
I read the books years ago and really struggled to finish them lol. The show has been such a delight- I have loved the characters of the moms and their lives being explored, and I've been honestly shocked by how much I like the character of Conrad in the show bc he is SO poorly developed and honestly a terrible person in the books. I couldn't understand why Belly would like him and then watched season 1 of the show and was like aha, this is what Jenny was trying to get at! Watching the show, I'm definitely a bonrad shipper, but I'm worried for season 3 because I hated the third book. Crossing my fingers that Jenny figures out how to make it good like she did with season 1.
i haven’t actually watched the video yet, BUT this series was my absolute bread and butter in early HS so i’m so happy to see it getting hype like 8 years later
after hearing the plot rehashed all these years later i dont know HOW i sat through three books and reread them multiple times. I guess i was just the target audience at the time, but as an adult now these books sound horrible
Crocheting while listening to this and the whole time I was like I've read this, but not as a book. It was a manga that I read when I was in high school!! Same-ish plot but better character development lol
honestlyyyyyyyyy i wish more authors would allow the adaptations of their shows to go off the rails and change the plot lol. Sometimes, it doesn't work out but hey, i'm here for it lol. also i love your geranium (i think?). Every time I see it, it makes me want to go get myself one.
In the show i already felt like Conrad was such a terrible person to be around, never in a good mood, every scene hes in he just kinda ruins the fun(im not talking about the panic attacks). I can't imagine myself reading the book from the way you described it (even if it was fun to watch your suffering lol). My little ace heart just cant understand why would anyone want Belly to end up with Conrad
I started reading the first book so that I could compare it with the show, and was immediately bored. The very next day you dropped this vid and now I don't have to read it anymore! You always come through.
Honestly your experience of the first book is making me want to watch the show. I had a very similar experience with the first book, i didnt really feel attached to any of the characters and so i never continued in the series and didnt bother watching the show, but you having a similar opinion of the book and liking the show better makes me want to watch it
I read all the Jenny Han books when I was like 12 and they hit so hard, but after TSITP show came out I went back and reread it and I was just like what even is this plot. How did I ever like this, where is the character development? So I feel you Cari, I'm as confused as you are and I've read these books before hahah
Oh no, I felt so bad about myself when you said people spoiled you in DMs. I totally underestimated my comment when I saw your story, that you are reading the series. I just had finished the last book back then and WAS SO MAD 😢 my beach read was planned to be “I’m at cousins and having a good teenage time with this book” and I got “here is a reminder that insecure girls that have crushes on any guy, will also get cheated on, but it’s okay because we are insecure, young and naive” I think the show gets also carried by teenage-style popular (TikTok) music that gives good vibes. Worst read this year for me, for sure
I usually tend to like everything I read and watch, to a point where my friends stopped asking me my opinions about them. There are very few things I don’t like and I hated the last book. The first book was salvaged by Cam. The middle one was still fine but what was the last one? THERE IS NOTHING THERE. THERES NO PLOT. THERES NO CHARACTER PROGRESSION. EVERYBODY IS SO BLAND WITH ONLY ONE FEATURE THAT DEFINES THEM. CONRAD IS BROODING JEREMIAH IS FRIENDLY, OH AND COMPLETELY FLIPPED IN THE 3RD ONE BELLY IS CONFUSED NOBODY ELSE EXISTS I don’t enjoy reading love triangles ( it’s a concept that I’ve never been able to grasp) , but I chose to focus and like the good parts of the book, BUT GIVE ME SOMETHING JENNY HAN, something to hold on to😭 I’ve never hated anything so passionately. The show was better though and it’s weird because the book gets so much more time to make sense.
Thank goodness I never picked up the books just bcs YA romance has never been my genre but I was def intrigued due to the hype and the show but the writing in these seems so shallow even 15 yrs old me wouldn't read these!! I watched this vid for the tea but but couldn't watch you being soo frustrated lol i truly feel for u!!
Thank you for validating my initial thoughts after I read TSITP. I read it a decade+ ago, back when Jenny Han was sorta indie-famous among the chic book bloggers of the period (nothing but love to them) and people were excited for her debut novel. I wanted to like it more than I did. Your complaints about the first book match up with my own: the simplistic writing style which doesn't evoke anything special, the broadly drawn characters, the lack of personality. Plus I think the story bends over backwards to make Isabelle look sympathetic and sweet when she's neither. The Twilight of it all is so depressing. At least no one's stalking anyone here?
I read "The summer i turned pretty" a long time ago. Back then I just started reading in free time( which is still not a lot😢, uni student here). However after reading her first book of summer i turned pretty, what stayed with me for a long time was the summer vibes portrayed in the book. (Honestly i didn't care for the chatacters much😅, back then). Now that a series has been released,I thought about rereading (only the first one) for the vibes, but I couldn't finish even the first chapter😢.
Me not having ever read the books or watched the show but getting comfy to watch Cari talk about it... lol Edit: And now after finishing the video I will not ever read that book series but THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!
I very much enjoyed your review!! I've never read the books and will not based on your review haha. I have read To All The Boys and it is so much better. The characters are a lot more likeable and the writing is not as bad.
i'm also very much not a YA contemporary romance enjoyer but i picked up the show at random and really enjoyed it - especially the relationship between the 2 moms and that underlying conflict with her husband saying that there was always 3 people in the marriage. LOVEEE complex female relationships and was kind of shocked to find such a dynamic in the "oh no which brother will i choose 🥺" type of story. and so of course i picked up the book series to see what happens next and could not make it through the first book. i know the story was originally intended for a middle-grade/teen audience but the show didn't make me aware of that whereas the book absolutely did. also omggg yes the writing style is like borderline jumpscare in how it's so... distinct and no one warns you.
Spoilers for 42:00 and the third book: This man proposed to get out of trouble for cheating and she said YES?! While she’s in love with his brother?! And 18?! I’m horrified.
Thanks for this video! I've only read the first book and then watched the show. Belly choosing Jeremiah in season 2 did not make sense to me. I want her to end up with Conrad but hope it will be done differently/better in the show. The comments here are insane! People have really engaged with the content and have things to say 😂
So I read all the books more recently and am caught up on the show now. I felt the books got worse the more you read (especially book 3). I've been watching the series with my Mom and we both can't get over how many times Belly can't choose a man to save her life. Like I know I'm not a teen anymore but I wasn't this stupid as a teenager! I'm Team Anti-Belly honestly at this point.
Also I felt her other series (To All The Boys I've Loved Before) performed better in the books than in the movies. I was Team John Ambrose all the way and they didn't even give the guy air time in the 2nd movie!
Literally the reason I stream is because I can't take courses by myself and having the possibility of people watching me is accountability and also fun! Maybe read on stream?!? 🤔 Love your videos by the way! Been here since the creation of the channel (on my private account 😆)
I reread the series last year to get a refreasher for the TV series since I read the trilogy back in the day. I totally forgot how much slut shaming was in the books 😂 definitely doesn't fit in with how things are today. One series that I think stands up to this day is the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie. I still love love love that series 🤌
i totally agree that filming reading vlogs is a great way to try out making booktube content, especially for books that might be a challenge to get through... i wouldn't have been able to finish love on the brain if it weren't for the video i made about it 😅 the vlogging aspect added a lot of fun!
I went to read The Summer I Turned Pretty after reading the first To All the Boys book and liking it, only to be sorely disappointed 😭 Jenny’s writing has improved so much in TATB, and I love the dynamic with Lara Jean and her sisters so much more than anything in TSITP. (Peter is better in the movies tho, ngl)
Book 3 was just made to destroy Jeremiah so that it made sense for belly to end up with Conrad… Jere “cheating” was so random and made no sense. And although they made it a point for Jere to be a player or whatever in the show he was always single for all of it. I still feel it would be ooc for him to have a fling while they were broken up for 2 seconds when he didn’t get with anyone else the entire year leading up to season 2.
This a billion times. It didn't make any sense in the books, but the way they have presented the characters in the show it would make even less sense. In season one Steven cheated on Shayla with Taylor, Belly pursued Conrad and almost kissed him while she was dating Cam, Conrad pursued Belly and almost kissed her when he was with Nicole and Belly made out with Jeremiah when he confessed, asked him to the deb ball and they were involved for about a week and then she kissed Conrad. In season 2 Taylor emotionally cheated on Milo with Steven, who was pursuing Taylor fully knowing that she had a boyfriend. Jeremiah is literally the only main character who has not been involved in any sort of cheating situation so far, so it would be pretty absurd that he is the one who ends up cheating. So far, literally everyone else is far more of a potential cheater than Jeremiah.
i had a similar experience with tatbilb-loved the first movie so much, thought i’d read the book, absolutely hated it 😭 i’m of the opinion that jenny is just actually not a very skilled writer and the only reason the adaptations have been good is because other people have been involved to improve the story and characters. i get your frustration 100%!!
i feel your frustration. Like you ( any many others) i enjoyed the show first. and i HAD to know what happens in season 3, so i started reading the books. i'm on the third one, halfway through and I can't do it anymore. it's TERRIBLE. the characters aren't likeable, and the writing is so bad. everything is so so so shallow and not in a redeemable, charming way. and Belly is a terribly unlikeable mc. i'm so sick of unlikable MCs. i couldn't finish the last book. i had to just watch this instead and feel comradery. thanks Cari!
I agree with you that these books were a huge disappointment! I don’t like Jenny Hans’ writing style at all and I think the shows and movies improve upon her writing immensely. In relation to the house plot line, it would make sense to sell the house to cover Susannah’s medical bills and to pay for the boys’ college. But of course, it’s not mentioned because the told building is crap. For book three, I’m defense of Jeremiah, the book distinctly says that they were broken up for a week when Jeremiah slept with Lacy. Also, Taylor said in book two that Conrad cheated on Belly but WE NEVER LEARNED WHAT HAPPENED.
I watched the first season, and I liked it so much that I bought all three books. I read the first and was so bored and confused about where all the content was that I stopped reading them then deleted them from my kindle. You're right when you said it was written very choppy and read like a teenager's diary. Was not for me. Hearing you talk about the last two books just sounds like more of the same, and I'm so happy I deleted them from my Kindle. No regrets.
What do you think they're going to do with the show?! SPOILERS BELOW
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I cant see her making J propose and having the shitshow of the third book be in the show so what on earth is going to go down!?
It’s all sooo stupid especially how they make Jeremiah the bad guy to make Conrad the obvious better choice.
But then if Conrad doesn’t get his happy ending and has to watch the girl he loves marry his brother- i will throw hands.
agree idk whats gonna happen in the series. I just need s3 to be out so I can know whats gonna happen.
i havent read the books but this cheating thing seems like its just the author not knowing how to solve the triangle and needed a reason for the character to chose the other one once and for all that happens so much in triangles and its the main reason why i dislike it
I'm so glad u feel the same about the last one!!
I’d understand keeping the cheating because imo it’s in character but the PROPOSAL …… can’t imagine that fitting w the show, even with how childish Jeremiah & Belly are
As a general rule, if you have to ruin one love interest's character just to make the other one seem like the better choice... They are probably not the better choice
This reminds me of Twilight
@@reulivthe only time I’ve ever seen it work is acotar, because Tamlin was basically a bad love interest the entire time and their relationship sucked, which becomes even more apparent on the reread where you see she actually always had the Tamlin is meh breadcrumbs there all along. Maas has her flaws but that’s the only time I can think of this trope working because it seemed preplanned instead of thrown together after
@@alicetoyou448 I definitely agree with this. Tamlin's character was flawed throughout the entirety of book one. He had major communication issues and always tended to neglect Feyre's emotions in dire situations.
jeremiah's character was already ruined from the start he was never not a selfish jealous asshole.
the slut shaming and “im not like other girls” narrative in these books is craaaazy too
😮💨😮💨😮💨
Except she is just like other girls lmao
@@lukewarmcoffee5743if anything she’s worse then those other girls
@@agathamethyst45came here to say this - its cringy now reading it at 25 but that’s legit what we were like a decade ago😭
I remember there was a part where Belly saw a girl at Conrad’s college and literally thought “I’m prettier than her.” and that annoyed me sm bc that made her sound so narcissistic and egotistical 💀
Jenny Han destroyed Jeremiah so Belly could end up with Conrad in the end.
a true character assassination
YES!!!
Whenever I say this Conrad girlies attack me but I’m not pickin sides I’m just speaking the truth 😭
@@peachjelly4564 I can sooo frick'n relate!!
YES YES YES
i hate that authors have taken "team edward / team jacob" and made it a trope. like...twlight was it's own thing at the time. but now? it happened with "to all the boys i loved" too. you have the MC and her love interest get together, then break them up in the 2nd book, then put them back together again. it's so predictable and unnecessary. it reminds me of the "after" series when they two characters kept doing that and that's all the "plot" was. it just felt so pointless. like why put them together in the first book if you're just going to break them up by the second? and why break them up by the second just to get them back by the thid? it just feels like cheap, contrived drama.
These books are very early 2000s coded 😮💨
Well the book came out in 2009 so love triangles were really popular and they still are
@@akutyam it's not love triangles that are the issue; it's the cheap way they've been done since twilight. everyone knew bella would end up with edward just like everyone knows who belly will end up with in tsitp. and how the 'to all the boys' series would end. it's done in a cheap way that there's no build up or tension, the forumla is all the same: the guy and girl get together in the first, break up in the second, back together in the 3rd. all while the first guy is so heavily swooned over and presented to us that the audience just knows from the start how it'll go. that's the problem.
These books are a reimagining of the classic film Sabrina
@@SF-op5ixI love Sabrina!
Totally agree with everything you said in this video! It’s absolutely wild the hype the book series gets when quite literally every character is SO unlikeable every step of the way. The show is such a vast improvement over what the books gave us.
i really wonder how they're going to change the plot because unlike the book, it seems like the show characters sort of have brains ahhaha
This video saved me, I now don’t have to read the books or watch the show hahahah
I am sorry it was such a frustrating journey, thank you for suffering on our behalf!😂❤
to all the boys is this dumb as well, i have NO idea how jenny han became such a famous author when her books are such poor quality
Sometimes when I see a book series that I’m curious about but I’m not sure I will like it I tell myself “ If I wait long enough maybe Cari will rant about it.” And look, the universe has grant my wish. This was great!!!!
🧞♂️
I just wanna talk about how no one in this book really walks, especially Belly. (I noticed this in Book 2). Anytime she leaves a room, she runs out. She runs up the staircase, she runs to the guest room, she runs out of the funeral, she tells Conrad she doesn't hate him and then runs away. Belly should be on the track team with all the running she does.
There's also a scene with Jeremiah where he breaks up with his girlfriend, and the whole scene is pretty calm (like they both saw it coming but are sad and accepting about it) but then this happens: "Then she kissed me on the cheek and ran out of the car and into her house."
It just throws the whole mood of the moment off and it makes zero sense 😅😅😅
The summer we were all runners 😂
The summer we were fit
I just can’t help cackling whenever i see comments like “Both of the boys deserve better. Belly is the real villain in this story.” 😂
they ALL need to grow up and see other people, its toxic
@@caricanreadsooo toxic! And the way somehow her being ‘confused about her feelings’ justifies her playing with people’s hearts. Like girl be so for real.
Belly is the absolute worst, especially in season 2 of the show, I literally could not finish that show 😂😂 they should all just move on from each other
This exactly.
Yeah, Im not fun of belly or of any character of this story.
but this kinda of comments "this BOYS deserves better" BOYS??
and putting her like a villain, this is misogynistic as hell
honestly my biggest issue with them following book 3 in the show (beyond the fact that book 3 is... deeply stupid) (but anyway) is that jere is the only canonically bi character in the show. and we all know that problematic trope of 'bisexuals are attracted to more people so cheat'. given the show's attempts to diversify and update the books to fit the 2020s, making jere a cheat would be a huuuuge problem because of this
yeah they really need to change it for soooo many reasons wtf :''''(
as a bi person, i don't really think it is a problem personnally. Bi people can cheat as well, I mean I know more than one bi person who cheated. I don't really understand your pov. For me, the problem really is that you can feel the author's intent behind Jere's cheating, so that Conrad is endgame. But for the 12 year old me, Jere's cheating really didn't make sense for his character
@@emilie_b5346 i feel it's an issue because he's the *only* bi character and the *only* one who cheats. also as a bi person, i'd have no issue with this if other people were shown to be cheating around the place - but only having one character cheat, and that character be the only bi character, given the prominence of this trope (and the damaging nature of it in these sorts of circumstances), i'd take issue with it in the show.
i do agree though that cheating is completely out of character for jere anyway and did feel very much like jenny just doing a lazy route to belly-conrad endgame. in the show (again) this would be even weirder for jere to do given how much time and effort has been put into showing how much he cares about belly, how deep their connection is, and how important it is to him that belly knows all her options before choosing him. jere cheating was infuriating in the books, but it would be just straight up ridiculous in the show.
YES i haven't seen anyone else say this but i'm SO worried about it
Omg! I didn't even think about that!!
As terrified as I am of the third season, I have to watch it, because there are so many stakes. Will Jenny make the only canon bisexual character cheat on his committed partner? If not, what other creative ways will she come up with to paint Jer as the villain that only perfect wounded sadboy Conrad can save poor innocent Belly from? Will Cam Cameron be able to come back for S3 before a huge movie franchise realizes how talented his actor is and snatches him up? Genuinely, I'm riveted by the possibilities here. The drama. The intrigue.
If Jenny Han is smart, she will avoid the cheating-turned-pre-mature-marriage proposal plot because it's 2023, these characters are all educated young adults and JH can do so much better than this. I sincerely hope she doesn't butcher Jere's character in the process, and actually maybe have Jere & Belly have a 2-year-long relationship all about honest open communication and lots of sex (bc if Conrad can take Belly's vCard in the show, that means Jere has full access to Belly's entire Card catalogue).... and maybe a pregnancy-scare happens, and THAT's what gets Jere to propose marriage to Belly so abruptly. :D So it becomes more a story of Belly wondering "am I ready to be married, even to my best friend?" rather than "is Jere the right person for me?" And maybe a miscarriage happens (which is very common, and would be great to address in the show), and Jere and Belly hesitate about continuing with the wedding plans. Enter Conrad, swooping in the moment he finds out Belly isn't pregnant anymore, confesses his obsession for her... and begs her to not go on with this wedding.
And in all her boldness and strength, Belly says to Conrad, "You're right. I'm not ready to be married. But I still love Jere. Thanks for reminding me of that. Now leave us alone."
@@sanjomaz They won't change the ending and I am pretty sure Belly and Jere won't sleep together, bc Belly will never be able to get Conrad out of her system completely. They will change the build up of the storyline though. But the patterns and reasons for Bellys and Jeres break up are alredy there if you watch closely, they don't have to use the "cheating-break-whatever" scenario. Jere and Belly going to college together, meeting new ppl, making new friends, developing new interests. Also the might explore Jeres sexuality in s3, as it wasn't really mentioned anymore in s2.
Conrad and Belly will be endgame, that is pretty clear already. But I am pretty sure they will skip the hook up part and the proposal and almost wedding, as it doesn't fit anymore in 2023.
@@Mamma_Mia_Mia you never know! JH allegedly said she is open to having a different ending in the show than in the books, and here's why I think that is true. As someone whose worked in film/casting, I can tell you the onscreen friendship chemistry between Lola/Gavin is so sweet and effortless, and doesn't hold a candle to the all-consuming, Gone-w-the-Wind, all-or-nothing passion that is emulated between Lola/Chris (that comes across as stiff actors who must be directed in order to express how much their characters want to be together) and it misses the friendship dynamic that Lola/Gavin have. Even in the show, seeing Gavin act so upset and angry at Lola feels like the script is "telling us" that their characters are not getting along, all for the sake of conflict and plot. It's so dry and forced. As someone who's seen tons of YA adaptations, I can also tell that JH could see how Conrad's toxicity in the books would not translate will into screen, so she made Conrad more soft, "likeable" and "approachable" for Belly while at the same time keeping his broodiness, self-righteousness and lack of communication present. In the books as well as the show, the scenes between Conrad and Belly always occur "in the dark", in flirty-but-creepy conversation during her late-night swim, in secret kisses at the beach, in secret "friendly" phonecalls, in that showing--up-unannounced-and-sneaking-out-for-beachhouse-rendezvous fashion... and it becomes a relationship that is not meant to last "by morning" where the two see each others' imperfections and can handle social gatherings (just look at how they interacted at Beck's funeral, and how Belly tried to have her perfect Prom with Conrad and was consumed by the idea of "what that symbolized in her fairytale mind" but not really noticing that Conrad wasn't into it at all). I think Jenny Han is coming to terms that she wrote this book series when she was young and fresh-out-of-writing-school, penning that personal wish-fulfillment to have her awkward teen-girl self finally get the broody dark boy she once had a crush on.. but I think it would be more universally fulfilling for her teen readers/audience to see the healthier process of "letting that crush go" and move on with other crushes that are more in line with what Belly needs.
@@sanjomaz Unttil we get the very last scene of the very last episode we won't know 100% taht is true.
I do have to disagree with you on your points though...I may not be someone working in film, but I have watched a lot of movies and series and books adapations over many years as well. I do pay close attention to details and try to dig deeper. So I feel safe to say, that Chris and Lolas onscreen is amazing and that they portray the deep love connection on an outstanding level. Every scene they have together, they show that pure torn and love torwards one another with gestures, glances. Even when their characters aren't "together" in the show, you can always see something happening btw them. You see it more with Gavin and Lola, but I see this connention with Chris and Lola. Also when it comes to "forced love interest", imo Jeres and Belly love is a very forced one. Gavin and Lola do portray the friend vibe very well, but if hadn't known the books before, I never would've guessed them ending up as a couple or a love interest. They do give me best friend vibes, but everything afterwards felt rushed, forced and more abt passion/lust rather than the deep love connection. My opinion! I do agree with you on Belly/Conrad scenes being in the dark, as in my opinion it is on purpose and should present the following...
Conrads and Bellys first kiss was during sunlight or at least not in the dark. Taking the qquote from the books "For Belly Conrad is the sun, and when the sun comes out, the stars dissapear". Conrad used to be Bellys sun until he looses his light and happy persona. We haven't seen the real him yet, as the show starts off with him being already in this dark state of depression. So from their on, all of their scenes are in the dark to lead up to their break up in s2 just like in the books. He will have a big character development in s3 though, just like in the books. Ppl will finally be able to see the real him. Jenny also said s3 will reveal who the characters really are, they are not done growing yet. So some might grow for the better, and some might grow not for worse but into a different direction ppls think they will. Imo this is meant for Jeres character. In the series, he is bi and this part of him wasn't further mentioned so far in s2. So imo, this might be something they will explore in s3. Imo it would also sent a wrong message to ppl if they kept Jere and Bellys relationship. It was so rushed imo and happened in a very messed up way. Going after your brothers girl and vise versa starting something with the brother of your ex is a very tough message in general. Like this wouldn't happen in real life bc of how very fucked up that is. The show makes it seem ok to do so and teens are falling for it bc they think Jeres character is cute and sweet and overlooking his flaws and are just being ok with it. Very weird message as well. But hey, it's still fiction ;).
They for sure will change a lot of things leading up to the ending from the books, as it ain't 2023 anymore. But I don't see Conrads and Bellys story as the "first love romance bullshit not holding up in real life". I do see their story as big love in general, butthem being way to young to understand the amount of that love or how to handle it especially with life turning their worlds upside down with the horrible things happening around them. Jenny wanted to portray how ppl grief in different ways. To me, their story is a chance to show how ppl can redeem themselves from dark places when thrown a lifeline in times of need and how they still are worthy of the happy life they wanted to have with the person they wanted to be with so badly. To me, it shows ppl can grow to be together again when meant to be, getting tat second chance. As for the foreshadowing, I'd advice you to read the books. Ppl always say the show and the books can't be compared and can't be taken into account. But actually, the books and the show do go hand in hand. So many scenes and lines used from the books so far, with adaptions of course. They changed certain parts to make it more presentable to 2023. But they keep the main and important things that are important to the fans. S3 will stay close to the books and according to Jenny and the cast hit the main points. JH also said in an interview, that she wants to finish the story as she wrote it. For sure she won't say the show ends like books, I mean where would be the fun in that ;). But the foreshadowing and hints we already got are there for a reason. Like I said, I'd advice you to read the books and also to listen closely to all if the songs played during Conrad/Belly and Jere/Belly scenes, espiecially in the last episode of s2. You'll get the idea where this is leading.
All in all, it's fiction. Also, the show is adapted from a book/books with the creator being highly involved in the process. That is unusual, so the creator is very keen on adapting the books in a certain way.
Sorry wasn't planning on going overboard with my comment, but yeah hard to explain otherwise ;). We can see things differently, but imo it's false hope to belive the ending is going to change. JH urges ppl to read the books to not get to suprised I guess.
@@Mamma_Mia_Mia As a person who's had to sit through the poor acting and looked at the lighting and camera work done in the show to make up for the lack of chemistry... I respectfully disagree. Even the color theory in the costume choices were sloppily done, if you think about when Conrad/Belly kiss on the beach. Couples who're onscreen tend to wear similar color palettes (think Mr.Darcy/Liz Bennet and their greys/browns, or Jack Dawson/Rose in their white cloth and blue jackets in the "flying scene" in Titanic) and in that kiss scene, Conrad wears a monochrome tux while Belly is wearing multicolored pastels (as if to say her character is actually in a very "indecisive" place)... so in dialogue, these characters are tellings us they can't get enough of each other... but visually, the story is telling us these characters are actually lightyears apart. As if to say that, if they're meant to be, it's going to take a LOT of work between them individually. And by the way Conrad treated Belly in season 2 of the show, he can say how much he loves her all he wants, but his behavior towards her is withdrawn, uncommunicative, possessive, manipulative and condescending, and it affects Belly's usually-joyful demeanor where she goes on to hurt other people in response to that internal hurt she gets from Conrad. It's a chain reaction where actions speak louder than words, and it's not romance that should be deemed healthy, even by JH. Say what you want about Conrad and Belly being soulmates or whatever, but Jere and Belly never treated each other in that "all or nothing" standard when they were friends. Jere was happy when Belly was happy, he supported her choices and encouraged her independence, and felt lucky just being her friend and took a huge risk telling her how he felt. And the way JH wrote Conrad and Belly secretly kissing in the show set up Jere as being this oblivious best friend who couldn't handle the fact that he didn't get the girl (which is just so sad and OOC, because Jere was not about "winning" like Conrad was) rather than showing how Jere was always looking out for Belly as a person and supporting her happiness, even if it wasn't with him.
Also-- I did read the books, both in text and in audiobook format, and I am fairly aware that JH is really trying to push Conrad as the "better man" both in the books and in the show. There are many points in the books where you can tell Belly is trying to hang on to "the idea" of Conrad where he is clearly out of touch with his wants and needs and is not a good fit for her. Book 1, he is distant and grieving through fits of rage and anger, and when Belly confesses her feelings, Conrad says "well I don't feel the same way." and Belly is the one who says "I don't believe you." This is mistake number one, and its' the beginning of a long process of Belly trying to "protect" her heart because it is naturally devastating for a teen girl to realize that the guy she liked since she was 10 doesn't like her back. She can't get over it overnight, and so she refuses to let go because 1) her pride is asking her to not give up yet, and this goes along with what Belly says in the show, how she always "playing to win". and 2) the growing pains she is dealing with in the first book, realizing that Steven is college-hopping and Conrad will be in college next summer and things will not be the same (this coming even before the realization that Beck is sick again), brings the deeper message of a young adult not wanting to let go of those childhood memories, including that particular boy she kept pining for each summer... and so it's more about Belly refusing to close this idyllic narrative and wanting it to keep it going a little bit longer with her feelings for Conrad... even if the relationship is a lie. So-- sorry, but this is me being kind of a film theory and literature aficionado- but the bigger message that I think JH should've pushed about the series is about "letting go"-- that it's hard, it's a process, and that love is more complicated than ending up with the first boy who made you feel things. I know it's a work of fiction, and I know that in general the best-selling fiction nowadays has greatly shifted from the Judy-Blume-hard-lessons days to instead lean towards personal wish fulfillment fan fiction-type literature... but I really hope JH understands that young adults will emotionally benefit more (and save themselves from a ton of therapy bills later in life) if they read a story about acceptance that first-crush-does-not-equal-forever-love.
I look at JH's first series of books, TSITP, and I see how it was a prototype for To all the Boys, where the protagonist (LJ) loved one oblivious guy (Josh) and clings to it for a long time while also building this amazing and unexpected chemistry with another old flame (Peter) who is more understanding and emotionally available, and becomes the person who really knows her. I see Lana Condor and Noah C's scenes in TATB, and I see Lola and Gavin almost as carbon copies by how comfortable and fun they are off script. And I have a feeling Jenny Han notices that too. In-script and in the books, Jere was written as the best friend who was intuitive with Belly and understood her wants and needs, and knew how to communicate in a way that didn't make her feel small or unwanted or unworthy of love. It took 2 full books of Conrad being distant, rude and emotionally unavailable for JH to see the writing on the wall for book 3, and she had to do a total character-backflip on Jere to make Conrad look like the more mature, considerate, selfless, put-together, "better man" for Belly right as she's about to get married. But in book 3, let's not forget Conrad is still possessive of Belly, saying "he'd rather shoot himself in the head with a nail-gun multiple times if he had to see his brother cuddle with Belly" (you know, the way emotionally put-together guys talk about their feelings) rather than wishing her the best and giving her that agency to choose happiness, even if didn't include him (the way Jere always was with her in two books). Even when Conrad is talking to old-man Ernie, Conrad gets the reassurance from this old-man that Belly is "his girl" and that real love means going for that girl no matter how she feels (and according to Ernie, real love means not falling in love again after that person has passed away... so that's always encouraging). Conrad even shows possessiveness in the letters he writes to Belly, because rather than showing his support for her meeting guys Spain and talking about how he has been growing as a person, he writes in a very "nice-guy" judgemental tendency, sending her things from their shared childhood, referring to the nice things he always did for her "back in the good old days"... as if to say Belly owes him a relationship. He's not writing to her like a wholesome, mature friend who has grown out of his childhood... Conrad is writing to Belly like a disgruntled ex-boyfriend stuck in that bubble of childhood memories and trying to cling on the joyful innocent time bc adulthood is so complex and hard... and he's the exboyfriend just waiting for Belly to come back her senses and return to him. Which she does, in the end, but it doesn't resolve their lack of communication or unwillingness to deal with each other's complexities or hard truths. It's not so much a partnership as it is a story about two people obsessed with the *idea* of each other, who get married only a year after they start reconnecting again (the day Belly graduates college). It's a relationship full of all-or-nothing, fiery passion, all wick and no wax... but it completely misses the substance of partnership, friendship and understanding. At least with how the books go, that's the story of Belly and Conrad.
I knew I wouldn't like this book, so thank you for reading it 😂 This is exactly what Jenny Han did to the To All The Boys books, a friend warned me this is a pattern in her writing: the perfect boy in the first book that the girl doesn't even care for, she ends up with him in the first book, and then he fucks up big time in the second book and she meets another cool guy AND STILL CHOOSES THE FIRST GUY. I was so mad when I finished the second book of To All Boys that just couldn't read the final book... the movies are great tho
Tbh I didn't even finish the 2nd book of To All the Boys 😅I saw she met one of the boys who lives away and I just stopped right there, haven't looked back since lol
I watched the first movie and I really enjoyed it so I thought about reading the books. I waited until the other 2 movies came out, though, and realized that I would actually hate the books so I didn't even bother. The love triangle made me so mad and I regret watching the last two movies. It's partly why I haven't bothered with the spin-off.
@@seraphina1724 the spin-off was ok, but I felt it was a little more preteen than teen, even tho the characters are all teenagers... also, very rushed, a lot happening all around, it was like 3 high school kdramas in 1 with way less narrative developing time
What are the odds someone's shitty debut novel would be turned into a award winning tv series, Jenny really won!
My favorite character in the show has to be Taylor like her and steven’s confession had me ❤️ forget the stupid love triangle I’m rooting for my girl Taylor the most 😌
(From what I’ve seen in all the other reading vlogs she’s apparently very different from the books? If so i love what they did with her character)
exactly! im only watching the show for them hhahaha
I really have a soft spot for Jeremiah (mostly cuz of the actor playing him) he also went through so much all by himself and no one was there for him. But whenever i see the way Conrad looks at belly i just want him to be happy 🥺🥲
🥲🥲🥲
I would love if the endgame is different to the books, adaptations that actually take a leap from the source are so fun!
when i heard that, thats when i got more interested hahah
I agree, plus I think that it was always expected that she'd end up with Conrad but here was always there and he really could be like the "unexpected" endgame, like they have the foundation. I don't understand the switch in season 3, like yeah, he was "immature" but losing a parent usually makes people grow up, I love that the show shows that (the scene where Suzanna is facetiming Lauren before prom and here comes to the room and brings her a drink --let's not forget that Conrad was at college so he was the one taking care of her and witnessing the worst moments-- and he's like "I don't want to be 'the funny guy' all the time because that's not how I feel).
The Summer I Turned Pretty 4:16
It's Not Summer Without You 22:28
We'll Always Have Summer 38:38
I had these timestamps in the description!
i’ve read the books before the first season aired and when i saw that everyone loved it i knew that they must have rewritten the whole thing bc no way especially the fact that everyone loved conrad had me shocked watching the show it makes more sense but i’m still very much team jeremiah like the only way for bonrad to get endgame was a major character assassination by making him “cheat” but not really bc they were broken up when it happened and all that for a one page endgame with zero development i wanted to cry
TO ALL THE BOYS IVE LOVED BEFORE IS SO MUCH BETTER!! The characters are likeable! The boys are sweet and the sister relationships were my favorite part! I loved that series when I was younger and it still measures up! I hated the summer I turned pretty, you are a strong soldier for getting through all 3!! I barely made it through the first one alive!
yes, To all the boys is so much better 🫶 I love how relatable and normal Lara Jean is compared to belly I couldn't relate at all
It IS better but i feel like it does some of the same things. Like, clearly John Ambrose was the better choice but "I love peter because I love him" just like belly loves conrad because he's conrad.
to all the boys is one of my favorite series of all time
I love TATBILB more than TSITP, I actually watched and read it first back in 2018/2019. Lara Jean really is more relatable to me than Belly because I’m quiet like her. The sisters relationship was one of my favorite parts as well because I have an older sister. Peter and John Ambrose were great love interests who had me actually rooting for them at different parts of the series. I think Jenny did a better job with TATBILB than TSITP, considering it came out later and the characters were established in a great way.
I love these kind of videos where you talk to us while you're slowly reading through a book or series and you're doing your everyday stuff. Something very comforting about it ❤ Ive watched the first season and thought it was cute but not interested in continue on watching the show.
Hahah thank you!!
All these weird books cari reads make me think that i should get a side hustle as an author, because my writing and plot ideas couldn't be much worse than these 😂
I know, right?
Indeed. The number of poorly written fanfics becoming movies nowadays is astounding, especially when there are so many amazing fanfics that never become anything
@@GH-fb9dhDo you have any recs?
I read these books as they came out in 2009 and loved them but I was also 17/18. I was always Team Jeremiah for all the reasons you mentioned and remember reading book three and throwing it across the room when I read page 16 I was so mad. It felt like it was done because Jere was perfect and there needed to be something unforgivable that he does in order to end with the other 🙄
Other things to note...
I do want to say, this was Jenny's first solo published book so we need to keep that in mind. She had cowritten a novel previous to this but this was basically her debut.
The letters and Spain thing were added in later years. I didn't even know that existed until people started talking about it in Tiktok. My books don't include it at all.
I feel this so incredibly hard. Jeremiah is the kind of kid who would at first be bitter about not "getting the girl", but what people tend to forget was that Jere was always a friend for Belly. He was sweet, intuitive, kind, understanding... he was happy when Belly was happy (even if it had nothing to do with him). He even gave Belly his blessing about Conrad, as much as he hated it, because he knew Conrad would let her down and not have the emotional intelligence or strong communication or sense of consideration for a healthy relationship. Conrad wasn't even willing to be a friend to Belly when they weren't "together"-- it was very much an all-or-nothing kind of dynamic between him and Belly. That's what really bothered me about Conrad's attitude overall.
In the book3 epilogue letters, Conrad is so passive aggressive and judgmental in his tone, telling Belly jokingly to "not write back" and sending Belly things from her childhood while she is clearly trying to ignore him and let go of those childhood memories. Conrad doesn't take that hint-- he assumes she's just playing "hard to get" and is persistent in his writing letters, asking Belly to remember the "good ole' days" and all the nice things he did for her when they were together, and to also not forget that he misses her, more than once. :( It's very toxic with the "nice-guy" tendencies, and Conrad just refuses to let go of Belly and give her the space she wants and needs. Conrad doesn't write to Belly like a true friend... asking her how she's doing and how she's been enjoying college and her time in Spain.... he writes to her like an entitled ex-boyfriend, waiting for the girl to finally come back to her senses. :(
To me, Conrad and Belly never had that calm, common ground of friendship like Belly/Jere; it was a relationship filled with "ideas" of what romance is... passionate and fiery, all wick but no wax... where they'd proclaim themselves as soulmates but not really know how to face the real, hard conversations. They'd go into their marriage with passive-aggression, miscommunication, maybe a dramatic outburst here and there... and they'd live their lives in a relationship that's not as much of a partnership as it is an obsession over each other. :(
I have never heard "all wick and no wax" and I am definitely keeping that one
Was just refreshing RUclips to find something to watch with my meal and like magicccc, this video appeared
LOL thank you!
omg i JUST did the same thing because i didnt want to wait for season 3. i felt so weird because in the show i am 100% team conrad but was so surprised reading the books how little scenes they have to develop their relationship? so i was lowkey team jeremiah too which was deeply confusing for me LMAO .... i literally couldn't take the last book seriously i was just straight up giggling
SPOILERS AHEAD
So, I haven't read the third book but I am aware of the whole Jeremiah cheating plot and the letters and Spain and all that stuff.
I was team Conrad since I began watching the show and decided I wanted to read the source material. I liked the show more for many reasons but one of them was giving Conrad more depth as a character from the beginning. It's funny to me that people say "Only the girls that read the books are team Conrad" bcs in the books he's almost not present and you don't understand why Belly is soooo obsessed with him. I think the show was so much better at developing Conrad and Belly's relationship from the beginning.
Watching this video and reading these comments is such an experience bcs I have what seems to be very unpopular opinions lol. I do think Jeremiah has much healthier communication skills and seems like the most realistic and comfortable choice, and Gavin does such a great character portraying Jeremiah. The dude is perfect.
I'm very aware of how... toxic Conrad really is. But I have such a soft spot for him. I feel very empathetic about the way he deals with things. Him being the older brother makes his flaws make so much sense; the pressure of being perfect, wanting to protect everyone, avoiding talking about his feelings because he feels like he's being a burden.
People on tiktok and reddit are very hard on him and I feel like besides being annoying at times he's not really this awful-evil person. Belly and him trying to be in a relationship while Susannah was dying was a huge mistake. I remember there's the moment when they have their first kiss where Conrad says that he does want to be with her but not right now, I think they should've really followed that idea lol. And the prom, I really saw it in a very different light. I think not wanting to go to a party because you don't like parties, you have an exam on monday and your mom's dying and you don't feel like pretending for one night is a very valid reason. And Belly being like "I get that he feels that way, but I have this fantasy about a perfect night and if he doesn't want to go I'll just get him to be jealous so he has to go" is so toxiiiiiic. Belly seems more childish in the books but she's so messy on the show. I don't like how the show is making her go from one brother to the other. The books are less messy in the beginning bcs she's not really interested in Jeremiah at first, whereas in the show she's like "I'm over conrad and jeremiah is fineeee *makes out with jer on the pool*", then Conrad is straightforward with his feelings for once and tho she resists at the beginning she ends up kissing him and rejecting Jer who, rightfully so, gets pissed at them. It's just messyyyyy, I don't like messy and Belly's last name is Messy for sure.
Also, another thing that I saw in a very different perspective was when Jeremiah explained the moment he began having feelings for Belly. For me, it wasn't wholesome. I saw that whole thing as Jeremiah being like "I only started liking Belly because Conrad did, and he always gets away with things and I hate that everyone thinks he's so perfect.". Though I do think Jeremiah loves Belly I don't think his romantic feelings are genuine. Or maybe at the beginning they weren't and he just wanted to compete with his brother but then he actually wanted to be with Belly. But he said it himself, that the moment everything changed was when Conrad started looking at Belly differently. I think deep down he wanted to have Belly because his brother did. That's why the moment he's finally with her, their relationship isn't all that and Belly is constantly thinking about Conrad and then Jer just cheats on her.
Sorry about my whole thesis, english isn't my first language and I couldn't give more reasons for why I'm Team Conrad but yeah. I want both of them to be happy, I don't like the idea of having Jer cheating on Belly. I hope Jenny can think of a better way to make Belly end up with Conrad. And as I said, tho Jer seems like the most comfortable option (and the one that if this were reality would be the better option) I want Conrad and Belly together. They're my angsty, teenage, friends-to-lovers couple and the thing with Belly is that she'll never be with someone that isn't Conrad and not think about him.
Girl are u a Wattpad author? You just poured an entire dissertation that expresses all my feelings about this series and then you just dropped "sorry English isn't my first language jiji" 😅😅 I'm a fan
felt this, i hope next season they get the year in spain a lot of time so we can see belly grow.
Also always felt the love jere as for belly is kinda in a besties way and con is more of 'the one' type of love
I absolutely agree. And that's exactly why I'm team Conrad too.
Being in my 30s now I can easily view Jer's behavior as toxic and competitive during certain moments which explains why he liked Belly in the first place.
Book 3 is my least favorite for sure because of the way the development was handled.
YES! All of this!
I agree with majority except the "Jeremiah only wants to compete with Conrad" narrative. It's canon that Jeremiah doesn't like to compete with Conrad. There's a very sad scene in book 2 chapter 26 where Jeremiah explains how when he was 13 their dad made him and Conrad wrestle against one each other. Jeremiah ends up winning and all their dad did was critique Conrad. Jeremiah said "All of a sudden, I wanted to cry. I never wanted to beat Conrad ever again. It wasn't worth it." So Jeremiah isn't a competitive person and he even admits in the show(& the books) that Conrad is better than him at everything and he was never envious of that. His feelings for Belly don't have anything to do with Conrad at all. In that scene when Jeremiah explains the moment he started having feelings for Belly, he never said "everything changed when Conrad started looking at Belly differently", Jeremiah is acknowledging that he wasn't the only one to see Belly differently and develop feelings for her that summer. In fact, Jeremiah says his feelings for her changed and started to developed when he himself first saw her last summer not when Conrad started looking at her differently. Conrad on the other is a competitive person and Belly even says this in the show in season 2 episode 4 during the boardwalk scenes. In season 1 episode 6 Steven tells Conrad that Belly and Jeremiah might be hooking up and Conrad then proceeds to text Belly about him wanting to take her to the Deb ball himself not because his mom asked him to. He only did it after he found out she was potentially moving on and he does that quite a lot throughout the series.
unexpectedly, watching the summer i turned pretty has been a real exercise in empathy for me. i find myself wanting to throttle the characters half the time (especially belly), yet I have to remind myself that they're literally teenagers and being self-centered and making dumb decisions is kind of in the job description. though that doesn't mean that im not PISSED off by nearly everyone on the show 😂 like i was definitely not that inconsiderate and messy, even as a teenager
*on an unrelated note: what do you do to help with restless legs? my legs are as restless as belly boy-hopping her way through cousins
This is so real. I watch the show like I’m watching sports commentating and talking at the screen because wow do these people not talk to eachother. I’m 18, I definitely can communicate better than majority of these characters 😅. My main complaint is just belly stop meddling! Support the brothers give and give advice but why meddle in their personal business, I get she’s trying to fix things but it does continue to frustrate me. Definitely a lesson in empathy!
I love Steven and I think the funniest thing is whenever steven does anything even slightly iffy or barely wrong every character is immediately yelling at him as if generally minding your own business is against the law in the summer I turned pretty verse 😭. Then for one episode they invent a contrived reason for Steven to have conflict, ie the first seasons dumb gambling plot .
I had the audio books get me through these. The narrator is Lola Toung so it makes it a lot easier and more interesting to get through. Would’ve enjoyed this series a lot more if I was 14 but I read it two months ago and I am 22. If someone wrote a spin-off series about Taylor and Steven I would EAT. THAT. UP. This is the first series where I think the show was better…. 😬
lola tung does such an amazing job at making belly so charismatic. i initially read To All the Boys I Loved Before and the second book too. i was disappointed by the outcome of the second book that i read a summary of the third and thought “hm that was lame glad i didn’t read it”. so i moved onto TSITP and thought the first book was so slow but i came out as Team Conrad solely because i loved how mysterious he was. however i hated the brothers love triangle so i read the summary of the second and third books and once again, i felt grateful i hadn’t wasted my time bc the back and forth was infuriating. the same reason i don’t like The Vampire Diaries i absolutely loathe love triangles between siblings. it feels so inauthentic and traitorous. so when i saw the series was coming i thought it was going to get the TATBILB treatment where the adaptation would be much better bc tbh the books are skeletons where as the adaptations are the muscles and nerve system. the first season is so much more fleshed out and i got a sense that belly had a personality besides being pretty. the second season was meh more so how quickly belly moves from brother to brother and how the boys let her do this. like nobody in the goddamn show says “let’s wait a couple more years when we’re older to do this”.
My preferred ending if changed is: Belly is much older and she’s writing a book just like her mother which would make sense why she narrates during the show. We see she is walking over to Taylor and Steven’s two daughters: Susannah and Laurel. She asks to read them the first chapter of her new book The Summer I Turned Pretty. We see no hint of the boys because hopefully they moved on from the girl they were fighting over.
elena stayed with her option tho & the brother’s relationship grew but i get that
yess, that scene in the show where belly explodes on her mom for being MIA when they needed her after sussanahs death was just brutal, but i really liked how lola showed her acting chops in that though
OMG THANK YOU! I had a huge rant on Goodreads way back when I read the third book in 2015. I hate it with all my being to this day, even though I love the first two books so much. Whenever someone mentions this book I still go into a huge rant after almost a decade. My hatred and frustration never lessened! It was such a dissappointment and it was handled so poorly that, when the show was announced I swore to myself that I wasn't going to watch past season 2. Since the show is changing things up, I am willing to at least glance at the season 3 to see if it's going down that path. If it does, I am noping out of it and will just rewatch season 1 forever.
You are a strong warrior to make it all the way through all 3 books I could barely make it through the first one! The show is a good time but I just couldn’t get through these books!!!
Yeah I felt the exact same way about the books. I'll be very upset if they ruin Jere like that in the show so they better do something else!!! And honestly the books being bad make the show so much better lol so I really enjoy it and will definitely be tuning in for season 3!
absolutely loved this vlog, it felt so real with you doing chores while talking about the book. new fav channel for sure!
I’m so so glad you did this!!! :) I was underwhelmed by the two first episodes of season 1, so I never read the books. However, I remember liking To All The Boys by Jenny Han. I also usually enjoy YA romance. So thank you for doing this, my opinions generally align with yours so I think this video will help me decide if I’ll give this series another chance :))))
hope it helps hahahha
I was fortunate enough to be able to visit where season 2 was recorded at this summer and it was so beautiful ❤ I love this trilogy, it’s a cute and refreshing read I hope you enjoy!! 🫶🏻
oh no hahahha
as a Jeremiah girlie, the character assassination Jenny did on him will forever have me bitter. It is so out of character for him and just a cheap cop out to get Conrad and Belly together. I really hope they don't go that way in the show.
my heart broke a little when you said you have been fast forwarding on heartstopper in the beginning bc it's such a comfort show for me
But i said it’s because my attention span is messed up right now. Not the show, just my mental health 🙃
i know!! my bad i should've added that it's great to be focusing on your mental health and doing what is best for you and not force yourself to read or watch anything you know you would enjoy at a better time
also this video has made me not want to pick up tsitp series after months of debating whether i should read it for the third season bc jeremiah cheating = absolutely no sense.
@@caricanread hi I actually don't remember if you've told us but I'm just curious have you read the books beforehand? (personally I find it better to read first and then watch but ofc like that might just be me)
Honestly, I read the books after watching the show and I was full team j but I ended the books feeling like a belly hater periodt hahahah like I feel like the books try to make you think that she is always right but I feel like she has many flaws that the book doesn't see as flaws and tries to make you think that when anything goes wrong it's because of other people when most of the time is bellys fault. Like she's so emotionaly immature and there's nothing wrong with that she's 19, but the fact that the book tries so hard to make you think that she is actually right and everyone else is wrong is what makes me sooo mad.
THIS 💯
Woke up in the middle of the night, so this is perfect to help me fall back asleep
goodnight!
Oh my god!! No way 😂 this is the last thing I expected you to read for some reason 😭 but I’m so here for all the tea
people on bookstagram made me start the show and now i need to know how it ends hahaha
@@caricanreadI started watching it because of that too! And I binged it in one go
I’ve listened to the audiobook of book 1 only. Haven’t read book 2 & 3 and haven’t watched the show. My take is that it was written for a young audience and like you mentioned, it reads like a young teenage girls diary. I feel like that is the point. The parents are always a bit absent from YA/middle grade media and the idea was to get middle school and high school girls interested. Thanks for taking one for the team Cari! 😂
Lol I originally read this trilogy in middle school do they hold a nostalgia for me, but I agree the show is way better. Steven and Taylor are so cute while they were so shallow on the books. Also I was a Conrad girl when I was younger but now I’m like??? He gave us nothing 😂😩
The inherent issue I had with the series was the overall writing of the characters and how the overuse of romantic tropes were used as a substitute to actual thoughtful writing. I remember reading the trilogy when I was about 12-13, and understood from the summary that this was a character driven, standard YA contemporary romance novel. I didn’t look for a strong plot line, but instead looked for characters that I could emotionally connect with as I hoped Isabel’s thoughts and desires would be portrayed in a way that would show her own character depth and later on development. Instead, I had to forge through the bland character archetypes that were shoved down my throat, meaningless dialogue and lack of character depth, and events that were quite literally sequences that purely came from stereotypes of the genre without any proper context or buildup to fit within the story. I recall after reading the third book I was mortified at what the characters and writing devolved into, to the point where I still remember everything-even after 6 years. I understand if people do enjoy the series, and if you do that’s okay. It’s not my place to judge what people should or shouldn’t like or read, and no one should have to be judged for what they enjoy. But I am afraid to even touch the show, because of how much the books frustrated me when I was younger
"the overuse of romantic tropes were used as a substitute to actual thoughtful writing." THIS!! it's such a "fanfiction" thing too like back in my fanfic heyday it was always so fun when writers would sneak in glaring tropes or easter eggs. it was never meant to be taken too seriously and there were certain tropes that would get put in for the ironic factor. but in actual published books? and a series? it just doesn't work like that. it feels like you're writing for and to your fans only, when you do that, and not to anyone who might be a new reader.
I read the trilogy a few weeks ago as a last summer read and I strongly agree. The last book is painfully stupid like omg
I was doubting whether I should watch this cause maybe I wanted to read the books, but nahhh, I made the right choice. I wouldn’t have liked that either 😂
yeah its a mess :')
I find the way that Belly and Conrad's relationship is almost entirely off the page - we just get flashbacks and flashforwards - SOOO frustrating. Like the whole series is about Jeremiah and we see so much of him and Belly's relationship but Conrad is the end game?
I really enjoy experiencing books vicariously through you. I don't think I'd ever read this book or watch the show, but I watched a review of seasons 1 and 2, then your review of the books, and its been a fun ride.
The writing style in to all the boys I’ve loved before is similar to summer I turned pretty, but Lara Jean is a more developed character in general. Her and Belly both feel like real teenage girls in a way, but Lara Jean has interests and relationships with her sisters outside of Peter, whereas Belly’s entire life and thoughts revolve around the brothers, so it feels more regressive and less interesting imo
I couldn't wait to see your reaction to book 3! Haha i hated that book so much! Overall there is something very off putting with 2 brothers fighting over one girl.
oh my gosh this is exactly what I thought/felt too I'm so glad I'm not alone! I think part of it is, when you read the books prior to watching the show, the show is like a pleasant surprise that goes deeper into the plot and characters. Whereas, if you watch the show first and then read the books, its a downgrade because you are going from great to, honestly, shitty storytelling... Not only do we not dive into Conrad's character AT ALL, but do we ever actually even get a detailed description of what he even looks like?! He is the lead love interest and the whole time I was picturing him from the show because there were never physical descriptions that gave enough detail.
I have been really disappointed and angry ever since finishing the series, literally yesterday, because everyone I know who has read these books LOVES them and one girl even said that these books were the series that got her into reading...like WHAT?! I'm sorry but did we read the same series???
my other problem with these books was that it felt like Jenny focused and gave details on the plot points that should have been summarized or excluded entirely and then summarized, brushed under the rug, or didn't even mention the plot points/moments that, I believe, most readers would want to read if that makes sense. Like the entire end of the book is so abrupt.
Jenny could have given more details as to why Conrad wanted to go to Stanford but instead he just says he wanted to stay far away from Belly...BUT WHY STANFORD. At the end, Belly says she studies abroad in Spain, BUT WHY SHE HAS NEVER SHOWN ANY INTEREST IN SPAIN THE ENTIRE SERIES?!
I think it also would have been more cute and meaningful if Belly and Conrad had, in the past, had a history with writing each other letters, notes, card, etc, so, the letters Conrad wrote belly while she was in Spain, would feel more meaningful.
I personally think that she should have originally written the deb ball stuff into the first book, combined books 2 and 3, and then had the third book be about Belly studying abroad in Spain, her ACTUALLY maturing an d making friends OUTSIDE of her VERY tiny circle, her and Conrad reconnecting/falling in love, and her mending her and Jere's broken friendship post break-up.
You can tell I have thought a lot about this in the aftermath of finishing this series. It's so frustrating when you can see the potential in the storyline for it to be great and then the author takes the mediocre route.
Anyways, those are all my thoughts. Thank you for reading my ted talk, lol.
I was literally googling the ending for TSITP trilogy earlier this morning! Talk about a perfectly timed video. The show definitely improved upon the story but I don’t think I can continue on with it either if Belly ultimately ends up with Conrad. Jeremiah just treated her so well all the time but Conrad had major communication issues. And what is the lesson learned if she ends up with Conrad? That your first love is your true love? That’s not a realistic takeaway to have from a book.
I just had the strangest urge to read a story just like this except the second brother who is the clear Loser in the triangle has actually been in love with the MC’s brother the entire time and all his perceived attempts to get close to the MC were actually attempts to spend time with her brother and she was just too self-involved to recognize that his interest lied elsewhere
Cari, can you please do more autumn/atmospheric reading vlogs please 😌🍂🍂
OMG! This is the perfect timing for your video. I have never read a YA contemporary Romance in my life and this week I found „to all the boys I loved before“ by the same author on audible and I melted! It was the sweetest thing!
And everything you describe in your video is the reason I don’t read these kinds of books. But you have to give „to all the boys“ a try ❤ (I will not read book 2 and 3 because I am afraid it will go downhill and I don’t want that in my head)
This is exactly how I felt when I googled the plot to see if I should bother watching the show 😂😂 not even Taylor Swift's musical features could draw me in now
no cause the show ruined the books for me it's literally awful
I've never read the books nor watched the show but I enjoyed experiencing it through you regardless 😅
Also that reference to the annoying li from the 3 Dark Crowns Series (I'm 99% sure that's who you were talking about) made me laugh because him being like "I love you so much but I accidentally slept with her 5 times" was pretty much his entire character 🤦♀️
Yes omg i couldn’t believe what i was reading??? And we’re still meant to love that boy???
@@caricanread I kept hoping he would be killed off lol
20:50
To answer your question. Basically. Everyone knew that Beck's cancer was back except Belly - they all kept it a secret from her to protect her. 🙃
Omg I read this book as a young teen! I didn't know there was a tv show, I actually didn't know it was popular at all or even heard anyone else talk about it.
I remember feeling very ambivalent about it in the end. It was very much a "well, that was a book" kind of feeling. I don't think I ever reread it, which was unusual for me at the time. Curious to see what you think about it!
Girl I 10000% agree with what you said about the first book I actually DNF’d the second book because of how annoying the characters were and I really liked Susannah and then she died so I COULD NOT read any more lollll BUT I did watch season 1 and 2 of the show and they were so good kinda also infuriating but in a better way LOL
Just to mention while I’m watching the video. Cari, there are page turners that you can use when you read with your kindle in the claw, so you don’t have to touch the screen every time you want to turn the page 😂
Now that I’ve finished the video, one of the few times you will say a tv show/movie is better than the book. I was thinking about reading the book too but thank god you did this blog (sorry for your suffering though).
i love watching your videos about books ill never read (or shows ill never watch) ❤ thanks for all the entertainment you provide 🤗🤗🤗🥰🥰🥰
I read the books years ago and really struggled to finish them lol. The show has been such a delight- I have loved the characters of the moms and their lives being explored, and I've been honestly shocked by how much I like the character of Conrad in the show bc he is SO poorly developed and honestly a terrible person in the books. I couldn't understand why Belly would like him and then watched season 1 of the show and was like aha, this is what Jenny was trying to get at! Watching the show, I'm definitely a bonrad shipper, but I'm worried for season 3 because I hated the third book. Crossing my fingers that Jenny figures out how to make it good like she did with season 1.
I've not read the books and only watched a few episodes from season 1, but I love the way you talk about the books in relation to the show.
I AM SO HAPPY U MADE THIS VIDEO
i haven’t actually watched the video yet, BUT this series was my absolute bread and butter in early HS so i’m so happy to see it getting hype like 8 years later
after hearing the plot rehashed all these years later i dont know HOW i sat through three books and reread them multiple times. I guess i was just the target audience at the time, but as an adult now these books sound horrible
Crocheting while listening to this and the whole time I was like I've read this, but not as a book. It was a manga that I read when I was in high school!! Same-ish plot but better character development lol
honestlyyyyyyyyy i wish more authors would allow the adaptations of their shows to go off the rails and change the plot lol. Sometimes, it doesn't work out but hey, i'm here for it lol.
also i love your geranium (i think?). Every time I see it, it makes me want to go get myself one.
A RANT VIDEO YASSSS LETS GOOO CARI I love your rant videos also I highly recommend the heartstopper series it made me cry in a good way 😂
In the show i already felt like Conrad was such a terrible person to be around, never in a good mood, every scene hes in he just kinda ruins the fun(im not talking about the panic attacks). I can't imagine myself reading the book from the way you described it (even if it was fun to watch your suffering lol). My little ace heart just cant understand why would anyone want Belly to end up with Conrad
I started reading the first book so that I could compare it with the show, and was immediately bored. The very next day you dropped this vid and now I don't have to read it anymore! You always come through.
Honestly your experience of the first book is making me want to watch the show. I had a very similar experience with the first book, i didnt really feel attached to any of the characters and so i never continued in the series and didnt bother watching the show, but you having a similar opinion of the book and liking the show better makes me want to watch it
I read all the Jenny Han books when I was like 12 and they hit so hard, but after TSITP show came out I went back and reread it and I was just like what even is this plot. How did I ever like this, where is the character development? So I feel you Cari, I'm as confused as you are and I've read these books before hahah
Oh no, I felt so bad about myself when you said people spoiled you in DMs. I totally underestimated my comment when I saw your story, that you are reading the series. I just had finished the last book back then and WAS SO MAD 😢
my beach read was planned to be “I’m at cousins and having a good teenage time with this book” and I got “here is a reminder that insecure girls that have crushes on any guy, will also get cheated on, but it’s okay because we are insecure, young and naive”
I think the show gets also carried by teenage-style popular (TikTok) music that gives good vibes. Worst read this year for me, for sure
I usually tend to like everything I read and watch, to a point where my friends stopped asking me my opinions about them. There are very few things I don’t like and I hated the last book. The first book was salvaged by Cam. The middle one was still fine but what was the last one? THERE IS NOTHING THERE. THERES NO PLOT. THERES NO CHARACTER PROGRESSION. EVERYBODY IS SO BLAND WITH ONLY ONE FEATURE THAT DEFINES THEM.
CONRAD IS BROODING
JEREMIAH IS FRIENDLY, OH AND COMPLETELY FLIPPED IN THE 3RD ONE
BELLY IS CONFUSED
NOBODY ELSE EXISTS
I don’t enjoy reading love triangles ( it’s a concept that I’ve never been able to grasp) , but I chose to focus and like the good parts of the book, BUT GIVE ME SOMETHING JENNY HAN, something to hold on to😭 I’ve never hated anything so passionately. The show was better though and it’s weird because the book gets so much more time to make sense.
I had the exact same feelings for To All The Boys. It was the most stilted writing i've ever read.
Thank goodness I never picked up the books just bcs YA romance has never been my genre but I was def intrigued due to the hype and the show but the writing in these seems so shallow even 15 yrs old me wouldn't read these!!
I watched this vid for the tea but but couldn't watch you being soo frustrated lol i truly feel for u!!
Thank you for validating my initial thoughts after I read TSITP. I read it a decade+ ago, back when Jenny Han was sorta indie-famous among the chic book bloggers of the period (nothing but love to them) and people were excited for her debut novel. I wanted to like it more than I did. Your complaints about the first book match up with my own: the simplistic writing style which doesn't evoke anything special, the broadly drawn characters, the lack of personality. Plus I think the story bends over backwards to make Isabelle look sympathetic and sweet when she's neither. The Twilight of it all is so depressing. At least no one's stalking anyone here?
Writing a book where I AM CHOOSING the blonde hair golden retriever boy over the mentally ill dark haired boy, is wild
You just described Heartstopper haha! One reason I love that show so much 😆
I read "The summer i turned pretty" a long time ago. Back then I just started reading in free time( which is still not a lot😢, uni student here). However after reading her first book of summer i turned pretty, what stayed with me for a long time was the summer vibes portrayed in the book. (Honestly i didn't care for the chatacters much😅, back then).
Now that a series has been released,I thought about rereading (only the first one) for the vibes, but I couldn't finish even the first chapter😢.
Me not having ever read the books or watched the show but getting comfy to watch Cari talk about it... lol
Edit: And now after finishing the video I will not ever read that book series but THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!
I very much enjoyed your review!! I've never read the books and will not based on your review haha. I have read To All The Boys and it is so much better. The characters are a lot more likeable and the writing is not as bad.
i'm also very much not a YA contemporary romance enjoyer but i picked up the show at random and really enjoyed it - especially the relationship between the 2 moms and that underlying conflict with her husband saying that there was always 3 people in the marriage. LOVEEE complex female relationships and was kind of shocked to find such a dynamic in the "oh no which brother will i choose 🥺" type of story.
and so of course i picked up the book series to see what happens next and could not make it through the first book. i know the story was originally intended for a middle-grade/teen audience but the show didn't make me aware of that whereas the book absolutely did.
also omggg yes the writing style is like borderline jumpscare in how it's so... distinct and no one warns you.
Spoilers for 42:00 and the third book:
This man proposed to get out of trouble for cheating and she said YES?! While she’s in love with his brother?! And 18?! I’m horrified.
Yes,yes and yes!
Thanks for this video! I've only read the first book and then watched the show. Belly choosing Jeremiah in season 2 did not make sense to me. I want her to end up with Conrad but hope it will be done differently/better in the show. The comments here are insane! People have really engaged with the content and have things to say 😂
@41:27 is the exact moment why I can’t read on a frisbee shaped item. The way I would have flung that thing.
😂😂😂😂😂
So I read all the books more recently and am caught up on the show now. I felt the books got worse the more you read (especially book 3). I've been watching the series with my Mom and we both can't get over how many times Belly can't choose a man to save her life. Like I know I'm not a teen anymore but I wasn't this stupid as a teenager! I'm Team Anti-Belly honestly at this point.
Also I felt her other series (To All The Boys I've Loved Before) performed better in the books than in the movies. I was Team John Ambrose all the way and they didn't even give the guy air time in the 2nd movie!
absolutely love this video! wasn't planning on reading the books, but DEFINITELY not going to now that i've watched your take lol
Wow really lovely t-shirt Cari! And it suits you so well❤
Literally the reason I stream is because I can't take courses by myself and having the possibility of people watching me is accountability and also fun!
Maybe read on stream?!? 🤔
Love your videos by the way! Been here since the creation of the channel (on my private account 😆)
I reread the series last year to get a refreasher for the TV series since I read the trilogy back in the day. I totally forgot how much slut shaming was in the books 😂 definitely doesn't fit in with how things are today. One series that I think stands up to this day is the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie. I still love love love that series 🤌
i totally agree that filming reading vlogs is a great way to try out making booktube content, especially for books that might be a challenge to get through... i wouldn't have been able to finish love on the brain if it weren't for the video i made about it 😅 the vlogging aspect added a lot of fun!
I went to read The Summer I Turned Pretty after reading the first To All the Boys book and liking it, only to be sorely disappointed 😭 Jenny’s writing has improved so much in TATB, and I love the dynamic with Lara Jean and her sisters so much more than anything in TSITP. (Peter is better in the movies tho, ngl)
I NEVER thought you would read this series!!😳
not the "guys im so tired" at 46 minutes, oh cari
Book 3 was just made to destroy Jeremiah so that it made sense for belly to end up with Conrad… Jere “cheating” was so random and made no sense. And although they made it a point for Jere to be a player or whatever in the show he was always single for all of it. I still feel it would be ooc for him to have a fling while they were broken up for 2 seconds when he didn’t get with anyone else the entire year leading up to season 2.
This a billion times. It didn't make any sense in the books, but the way they have presented the characters in the show it would make even less sense.
In season one Steven cheated on Shayla with Taylor, Belly pursued Conrad and almost kissed him while she was dating Cam, Conrad pursued Belly and almost kissed her when he was with Nicole and Belly made out with Jeremiah when he confessed, asked him to the deb ball and they were involved for about a week and then she kissed Conrad.
In season 2 Taylor emotionally cheated on Milo with Steven, who was pursuing Taylor fully knowing that she had a boyfriend.
Jeremiah is literally the only main character who has not been involved in any sort of cheating situation so far, so it would be pretty absurd that he is the one who ends up cheating. So far, literally everyone else is far more of a potential cheater than Jeremiah.
i had a similar experience with tatbilb-loved the first movie so much, thought i’d read the book, absolutely hated it 😭 i’m of the opinion that jenny is just actually
not a very skilled writer and the only reason the adaptations have been good is because other people have been involved to improve the story and characters. i get your frustration 100%!!
I Feel like jenny would change the end game partner into like a self love maybe like “ I need to focus on myself” ish…..
i feel your frustration. Like you ( any many others) i enjoyed the show first. and i HAD to know what happens in season 3, so i started reading the books. i'm on the third one, halfway through and I can't do it anymore. it's TERRIBLE. the characters aren't likeable, and the writing is so bad. everything is so so so shallow and not in a redeemable, charming way. and Belly is a terribly unlikeable mc. i'm so sick of unlikable MCs. i couldn't finish the last book. i had to just watch this instead and feel comradery. thanks Cari!
I agree with you that these books were a huge disappointment! I don’t like Jenny Hans’ writing style at all and I think the shows and movies improve upon her writing immensely.
In relation to the house plot line, it would make sense to sell the house to cover Susannah’s medical bills and to pay for the boys’ college. But of course, it’s not mentioned because the told building is crap.
For book three, I’m defense of Jeremiah, the book distinctly says that they were broken up for a week when Jeremiah slept with Lacy. Also, Taylor said in book two that Conrad cheated on Belly but WE NEVER LEARNED WHAT HAPPENED.
Jeri is the definition of the "Treat you better" song.
I watched the first season, and I liked it so much that I bought all three books. I read the first and was so bored and confused about where all the content was that I stopped reading them then deleted them from my kindle. You're right when you said it was written very choppy and read like a teenager's diary. Was not for me. Hearing you talk about the last two books just sounds like more of the same, and I'm so happy I deleted them from my Kindle. No regrets.