To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was one of my favourite books in middle school, and I was so excited that I was able to get my hands on the ARC of the graphic novel.

First off, I loved the art style; the novel did a good job of adapting Lara Jean’s whimsical aesthetic through the art style and the pastel colour palette. Some of the panels have much more detail than others, but overall this novel was very visually appealing and felt true to the books..

Now for my gripes. This adaptation did not work for me. I felt like it cut out too much of the original story, especially the elements that make you sympathise with and care about the characters, to the point where I found myself getting annoyed. I understand that it’s a graphic novel adaptation, but it felt like anything that wasn’t essential to the central plot was removed, leaving us with caricatures of the main cast and relationships that are harder to root for.

We see Lara Jean and her sisters’ relationship, but it’s mostly focused on conflict. The same goes for Lara Jean and Peter; they spend most of the story arguing, and then suddenly we’re supposed to believe in their feelings for each other.

I will read the next one because I do want to see a visual portrayal of book John Ambrose McClaren, but this one just didn't do it for me.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.