The Grown-Up in the Room
Am I doing it again? Having the “unpopular opinion” about a beloved series that everyone else is ready to die for? Probably.
Look, I get it. Jenny Han is a master of that specific, coming-of-age ache. She writes with a warmth that makes the pages fly like popcorn, and I totally see why this story “knows” so many readers. If you’re hunting for those dizzy highs and devastating lows of a first kiss, she delivers it in spades. But if I’m being honest? I’m mostly here for the moms.
While the rest of the world is busy picking teams for Conrad or Jeremiah, I was over here highlighting every single scene between Laurel and Susannah. I found myself deeply invested in their history, their health, and the raw, grounded reality of their friendship—so much so that the central love triangle actually felt like the “side plot” to me.
I’m giving this a lower rating not because the writing isn’t “tender and human,” but because the stakes I cared about weren’t the ones I was supposed to be focused on. I might keep going if it fits a specific readathon prompt later this year, but for now, I’m okay with being the lone voice on the shore while everyone else sets sail on the SS Love Triangle.
Sometimes the most “magical, formative” part of summer isn’t the romance—it’s the people who’ve been there through it all.
