Broken Base: The fact that all three of the Covey girls still refer to their parents as "Mommy" and "Daddy" (particularly high school junior/senior Lara Jean and college-bound Margot). An endearing trait showing how close the family is? Or a clear case of arrested development and a sign that family therapy was needed after their mom died?
Lara Jean. While plenty find her to be a sweet, endearing character, others find her to be an overprivileged brat with less emotional maturity than her much younger sister. Some find her to be intellectually smug and a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing with the way she's gobsmacked when Peter confesses to cheating on a test in middle school, then actually asks him if he can even read. Despite Lara Jean having him write her personal notes daily and her intelligence being more of an Informed Attribute (such as needing Chris to tell her that the poem Peter gave her was just Annabel Lee) The fact that she still calls her parents "Mommy" and "Daddy" and naively believing Margot (who's college-aged) would have never had sex with Josh during their long-term relationship based on a promise they made as children (and once again being gobsmacked when learning Margot is indeed sexually active and becomes upset she broke said promise) has lead many readers to declare her have the mindset of a twelve-year-old as opposed to sixteen. Also she has two first names.
Of the three boys featured as Lara Jean's romantic interest, Josh is probably the least liked. Many view him as more of an accessory than an actual character compared to Peter or John. There's also the Twitter scandal involving the actor who portrayed him in the movie.
Captain Obvious Reveal: Kitty was the one who sent Lara Jean's letters. Anyone with a sibling, older or younger, would be able to guess it. The fact that the first letter showed up just days after Lara Jean really angered Kitty should have tipped her off.
Fan-Preferred Couple: Many prefer Lara Jean with John with whom she developed a strong relationship in P.S. I Still Love You. Especially when it was revealed that Peter was never actually waiting for Lara Jean in the hot tub, but for Genevieve. This moment served to kill a lot of fans who were originally rooting for him.
Lara Jean being downright scandalized when she learns that Peter cheated on a test in seventh grade and is further stunned that he doesn't feel guilty about it (and actually judges him for it). And then genuinely asking him if he can read (despite him writing her personal notes, which he points out to her).
I gave him a look like, 'Wow, so homophobic'. You'll be forgiven if you're reminded of a certain memetic line from My Immortal.
The entire conversation Lara Jean and Peter have about Lucas' sexuality can come across as this. With Lara Jean trying to make herself come across as "woke" by insisting Lucas isn't gay, just cultured, and making Peter out to be homophobic for thinking otherwise. Only, yes, Lucas actually is gay and (somewhat) out at school.
Lara Jean's confession to Margot that she "liked Josh first" comes across as silly and a tad conceded because Lara Jean has no way of truly knowing that.
Kitty is Easily Forgiven after Lara Jean nearly chases her down for sending the box of Lara's love letters out of simple spite. Yes, she admits to feeling instant regret about sending them out once her heat-of-the-moment anger had passed. But she still gets off fairly easily. Then she has the gall to get angry at Lara Jean for breaking up with Peter, despite the fact that Lara Jean never meant for those letters to be sent in the first place as they were basically her diary. They were private for a reason.
Genevieve is a Karma Houdini for essentially doing revenge-porn of Lara Jean, for the crime of Lara Jean showing interest in Peter (who Genevieve herself dumped) and taking out her frustration of her dad having an affair out on Lara Jean, who had nothing to do with it. If Lara Jean or Peter had told the teachers about who had recorded the video, that girl would be suspended if not outright expelled. Lara Jean calls out Peter for defending her, rightfully so but she goes Easily Forgiven once Lara Jean sees the evidence of her dad's affair and feeling bad for her. The only consolation of book three is that Genevieve is Demoted to Extra.
The film:
Friendly Fandoms: With Crazy Rich Asians for being two romcom film adaptations, both featuring Asian female leads, and also released on the same weekend. Anyone supporting one film naturally supports the other.
