A heartwarming, swoonworthy adaptation that’s certain to delight new and returning fans alike.
In this graphic novel adaptation of Han’s 2014 classic, which was made into a popular TV series, a teen panics when the five secret love letters she wrote—and never intended to send—are mysteriously mailed out.
Lara Jean Covey is grappling with the fact that her older sister, Margot, is leaving for college in Scotland. Given the distance from Virginia to St. Andrews, Margot breaks up with longtime boyfriend Josh, a neighbor beloved by both Lara Jean and youngest sister Kitty. Lara Jean once harbored feelings for Josh, but when Margot started dating him, she processed her unrequited love in her usual way: through a letter. After her secret letters accidentally get sent to her crushes, Lara Jean must face the consequences. In a panic, she spontaneously kisses one recipient, Peter, whose own long-term relationship recently ended, in front of Josh. She and Peter fake date, keeping up the ruse to hide Lara Jean’s true feelings for Josh and make Peter’s ex jealous. But their pretend romance soon sparks a genuine attraction. The bright illustrations bring the endearing relationship fumbles and slow-burn romance to life. Lara Jean, whose father is white and late mother was Korean American, is a fully realized character—smart, funny, endearingly awkward, and deeply devoted to her family. Josh and Peter appear white, and there’s racial diversity in the supporting cast.
A heartwarming, swoonworthy adaptation that’s certain to delight new and returning fans alike. (character sketches) (Graphic romance. 12-18)Pub Date: yesterday
ISBN: 9781665983112
Page Count: 168
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
PROFILES
PERSPECTIVES
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance.
A Connecticut girl and her best friend devise a series of plans in order to achieve their goals: following a dream and winning back an ex.
Eighteen-year-old Audrey Barbour has a Master Plan: attend Blue Ridge Glass School in North Carolina and someday turn her Etsy shop, Golightly Glass, into a thriving business. But her uber-wealthy parents insist that she instead follow in their footsteps and go to business school. So Audrey decides to go find the tuition money she needs with help from her best friend, Henry Chen. Henry needs a favor, too: He hopes that fake dating Audrey will help him win back his ex-girlfriend, and he points out to a reluctant Audrey that this could make her crush, Griffin, notice her. While Audrey’s parents vacation in France for three weeks, the pair rent out the Barbour mansion on the Long Island Sound. Soon romantic chemistry grows alongside their business partnership. Despite the pair’s great preparation and an abundance of secondary characters with connections and talents to help pull off their increasingly ambitious ideas, plans go awry, leaving Audrey and Henry scrambling and second-guessing their choices. The pacing is even, but the characters often take a back seat to the whirlwind of activity that drives the plot, with the emphasis falling on each person’s practical skills and their role in keeping the action moving over their emotional bonds. Audrey is white, and Henry’s surname cues him as Chinese American.
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9780593904794
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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