Experience Young Love with Jenny Han’s Books
Last year, it didn’t seem to matter where you looked or how old you were—the TV show, The Summer I Turned Pretty, was everywhere! But did you know that it was based on a book series? Or that there are plenty more Jenny Han books out there? Get the inside scoop on her best-sellers.
Who is Jenny Han?
Jenny Han is a Korean American young adult author from Richmond, Virginia. Though she got her start in children’s books, her most popular series is of the YA romance genre. Known for centering Asian-American protagonists and pushing for diversity in storytelling, Han has continued on to make quite the name for herself in Hollywood as a screenwriter and showrunner for movie and TV adaptations of her most beloved series.
Jenny Han’s 3 Main Trilogies:
- The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Trilogy
- Burn for Burn Trilogy
Are Jenny Han’s Books Spicy?
Since Jenny Han’s books are mainly geared towards young adult audiences and often feature teenage characters, they rank low on the spice scale. Tackling tropes about first loves and coming-of-age moments, there are no open-door or explicit scenes in her series. We recommend Jenny Han books for readers ages 12 and up!
A Breakdown of Jenny Han’s Most Popular Books
The next time you’re looking for a sweet romance novel, consider Jenny Han’s books. With fake dating, love triangles, summer romances, and so much more, there’s bound to be something you love in her iconic novels.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (#1)
For her whole life, every time she loved a boy (five, to be exact), Lara Jean Song wrote them a handwritten love letter and stored it away in a hatbox from her mother, never to be sent. That is, until one day, when all of her secret letters are mailed out by her little sister, Kitty. Suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life is everybody’s business.
To avoid the awkwardness with her older sister’s ex-boyfriend, she enters a fake relationship with one of the most popular boys in school, Peter Kavinsky. But as rumors spread and tensions rise, imaginary feelings may just become a little too real. Find out what happens in the first of the trilogy, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
P.S. I Still Love You (#2)
Lara Jean never expected to actually fall for Peter Kavinsky—after all, she and he were just pretending. But suddenly, in the sequel, P.S. I Still Love You, she’s in a real relationship, navigating firsts and learning how to love. But when another boy from her past, John Ambrose McClaren, comes back into her life, and feelings emerge, she’ll have to answer a very important question: can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
Always and Forever, Lara Jean (#3)
In Always and Forever, Lara Jean, it’s senior year—and it’s all a girl could ever hope for! Head over heels and stronger than ever with her boyfriend Peter, her dad remarrying the lovely woman next door, and her older sister coming home for the wedding, nothing could burst Lara Jean’s bubble. Except, of course, the looming decision of which college to go to and what it could mean for her relationship. Does chasing your future have to mean leaving your past behind?
My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories
If you can’t get enough of the writing in Jenny Han’s books, grab a copy of My True Love Gave to Me. Twelve bestselling young adult authors each contributed a romantic holiday story, and whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the Solstice, or Kwanzaa, there’s something in it for everyone. Cozy up in your reading nook and dive in!
The Summer I Turned Pretty (#1)
In The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly Conklin’s life is measured in summers. To her, everything magical seems to happen between June and August, when she, her mom, her brother, her mom’s best Susannah, and Susannah’s two boys meet at their beach house in Cousins. She’s grown up with Jeremiah and Conrad, and they’ve meant everything to her, from brother figures to crushes and beyond. But one summer, when health issues arise, first kisses occur, and teenage tensions blossom, everything begins to change—for the worse and the better.
It’s Not Summer Without You (#2)
After Susannah got sick again and a messy breakup, the family Belly has come to love has fractured seemingly beyond repair. For once in her life, she isn’t looking forward to summer. But when Jeremiah calls to tell her Conrad has disappeared from college, the two put aside their issues and embark on a journey to find him together, uncovering his father’s plans to sell the summer home out from under them.
Amidst the chaos, Belly realizes that Jeremiah is there for her in a way Conrad can’t be—and her feelings start to grow. Will she be on Team Jeremiah? Find out in It’s Not Summer Without You.
We’ll Always Have Summer (#3)
(Spoilers!) After being with Jeremiah for two years, Belly is almost certain that he’s her soulmate—key word, almost. As the two decide to commit to one another forever and get engaged, Conrad begins to realize it’s now or never. Either tell Belly he loves her or lose her forever. In the third and final installment of the series, We’ll Always Have Summer, Belly must confront her lifelong feelings for both the Fisher brothers and do the unthinkable—break one of their hearts.
What Series Did Jenny Han Co-Write?
The Burn for Burn series was written by two female powerhouses in the industry: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. It focuses on three teenage girls, Kat, Lillia, and Mary, living on picture-perfect Jar Island, as they form an unlikely alliance to get revenge on everyone who’s wronged them. With a hint of the supernatural, themes of heartbreak, and complex small-town dynamics, this is the perfect Jenny Han book series to read if you want a romp of a time.
The Burn for Burn Series Order:
- Burn for Burn (#1)
- Fire with Fire (#2)
- Ashes to Ashes (#3)
Kids’ Books by Jenny Han
Not all Jenny Han books focus on teenybopper romance. If you have any avid young readers in your life, consider grabbing them one of Han’s children’s books.
Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream
In Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream, Clara Lee likes her best friends, grandpa, little sister (when she’s not annoying), candy necklaces, her favorite Korean dress, and, most importantly, the Apple Blossom Festival. She doesn’t like her mom’s yucky fish soup or the scary dreams her grandfather swears mean good luck in their culture. After one day filled with good luck, everything goes downhill. Will her luck turn around in time to win the Little Miss Apple Pie contest?
Shug
Too tall, too freckled, and too flat-chested, Annemarie Wilcox, known by her family as Shug, is sure there’s nothing worse than being twelve years old. With junior high looming and the people she used to call her friends no longer acting like it, life is getting too overwhelming. All Shug wants is for things to be back like they used to be. How are you meant to handle tomorrow when there’s no way to figure out today?
The next time you’re near Novel, our indie bookstore in Rochester, MI, stop in to get a look at our selection of Jenny Han books. We can’t wait to help you find the perfect title, whether it’s a physical copy or through our favorite Audible alternatives. See you soon!