Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family, Responsibility, and Growing Up
Love and Fear
Social Structure, Reputation, and High School
Lies vs. Honesty
Summary
Analysis
Peter and Lara Jean study at Starbucks the next afternoon. On the way home, Peter asks Lara Jean if she signed up for the school ski trip. She hasn’t, so Peter begs her to come—it’ll be fun, and even if she’s not a good skier she can sit in the lodge, drink cocoa, and read. Lara Jean agrees to go.
Deciding to go on the ski trip, despite not liking skiing, is a mark of how much Lara Jean likes Peter. This also represents her stepping outside of her comfort zone, something that would no doubt please Daddy.
Themes
Once Peter has dropped Lara Jean off, she realizes she left her bag with her house keys in his car. Daddy and Kitty aren’t home, and the spare key is inside. Josh has a spare key, so Lara Jean tosses rocks at his window and asks for the keys. Rather than just throwing them down, Josh comes outside—and tells Lara Jean that Peter isn’t trustworthy or good enough. He says Lara Jean is like a little sister to him, and he’s worried. Lara Jean is enraged. Just then, though, Peter comes around the corner to give Lara Jean her bag. He asks if Josh is still outside and then kisses Lara Jean on the mouth. She’s stunned—and she likes it.
Josh’s behavior seems especially odd given how, at the café a few days ago, he seemed fully committed to doing his best to support Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship. This sharp turnabout begs the question of what, if anything, has changed for him. Then, it’s significant that Lara Jean enjoys Peter’s kiss so much. Kissing was one thing they agreed not to do, and the fact that she likes it shows how real this relationship has become for her.
Themes
At her locker the next morning, Peter tells Lara Jean that he’s not going to kiss her again; she doesn’t have to worry. Lara Jean is disappointed, but she tries to keep a neutral expression. Peter laughs and says he can tell Lara Jean was worried. He assures her it was just to pester Josh and then takes her hand to lead her to class. Lara Jean wonders how she’s supposed to tell what’s real and not. It seems like she’s the only person who can’t tell.
Peter doesn’t seem fully aware of why, exactly, Lara Jean looks worried. In reality, she’s worried because she’d like Peter to kiss her again. But because she’s not honest with him about her feelings, Lara Jean starts to doubt herself and their whole relationship. To her, given Peter’s behavior, it seems unlikely that he’s falling for her in return.
Themes
