To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

by

Jenny Han

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Genevieve Character Analysis

The antagonist of the novel, Genevieve is the most beautiful and popular girl in Lara Jean’s grade and, until the start of the novel, Peter’s girlfriend. She’s also Chris’s cousin, though the two are nothing alike. Many kids at school are terrified of her, as Genevieve is known for getting exactly what she wants and, if other people get in her way, making their lives miserable—a year ago, when Peter dated a girl named Jamila, Genevie spread such nasty, racist rumors about Jamila that Jamila’s parents put her in private school. She’s been dating Peter for several years and it’s common knowledge amongst their classmates that the two are sexually active. But, right before school starts, rumors start to fly: Genevieve and Peter broke up, and Genevieve has a new, college-age boyfriend with whom she’s been cheating on Peter. For much of the novel, Genevieve is an ominous peripheral presence. Peter continues to see Genevieve, and Lara Jean consistently compares herself to Genevieve. Because of this, Lara Jean feels like Genevieve is a part of her relationship with Peter. Lara Jean fears that Genevieve is going to do or say something nasty to hurt her for dating Peter. Ultimately, Genevieve spreads the rumor that Lara Jean and Peter had sex in the hot tub on the ski trip. But despite this, the novel also offers clues that Genevieve isn’t as one-dimensional and nasty as Lara Jean thinks she is. Peter suggests that she’s a different person when you get to know her, and Peter’s little brother, Owen, insists that Lara Jean wears more makeup than Genevieve (suggesting that Genevieve might not be so put-together in private). Further, Genevieve admits that when she and Lara Jean were friends in elementary and early middle school, Genevieve was jealous of Lara Jean and her close-knit family—an indicator that Genevieve’s home life isn’t happy or supportive.

Genevieve Quotes in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

The To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before quotes below are all either spoken by Genevieve or refer to Genevieve. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family, Responsibility, and Growing Up Theme Icon
).
Chapter 16 Quotes

You kissed me for no reason. Even though I knew you liked Gen, and you knew you liked Gen, and Gen knew you liked Gen. But you still did it. Just because you could. I really want to know: Why would you do that to me? My first kiss was supposed to be something special. I’ve read about it, what it’s supposed to feel like—fireworks and lightning bolts and the sound of waves crashing in your ears. I didn’t have any of that. Thanks to you it was as unspecial as a kiss could be.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve
Page Number: 69-70
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

I never knew it before, but I think maybe all this time I’ve been invisible. Just someone who was there. Now that people think I’m Peter Kavinsky’s girlfriend, they’re wondering about me. Like, why? What about me made Peter like me? What do I have? What makes me so special? I would be wondering too.

I am now a Mysterious Girl. Before I was just a Quiet Girl. But becoming Peter’s girlfriend has elevated me to Mysterious Girl.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Josh, Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve
Page Number: 138
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 41 Quotes

Around ten he sends a text that says, Sorry something came up. I can’t come over tonight. He doesn’t say where he is or what he’s doing, but I already know. He’s with Genevieve. At lunch he was distracted; he kept texting on his phone. And then, later in the day, I saw them outside the girls’ locker room. They didn’t see me, but I saw them. They were just talking, but with Genevieve it’s never just anything. She put her hand on his arm; he brushed her hair out of her eyes. I may only be a fake girlfriend, but that’s not nothing.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 43 Quotes

Halfway through class he sends me a note. He’s drawn spiderwebs around the edges. It says, I’ll be on time tomorrow. I smile as I read it. Then I put it in my backpack, in my French textbook so the page won’t crease or crumble. I want to keep it so when this is over, I can have something to look at and remember what it was like to be Peter Kavinsky’s girlfriend. Even if it was all just pretend.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve
Page Number: 232
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 62 Quotes

But…is he right about me? Do I only like boys I can never have? I’ve always known Peter was out of my reach. I’ve always known he didn’t belong to me. But tonight he said he liked me. The thing I’ve been hoping for, he said it. So why didn’t I just tell him I liked him back when I had the chance? Because I do. I like him back. Of course I do.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Margot Song Covey, Josh, Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve, Lucas Krapf, Kenny Donati
Page Number: 312
Explanation and Analysis:
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Genevieve Quotes in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

The To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before quotes below are all either spoken by Genevieve or refer to Genevieve. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family, Responsibility, and Growing Up Theme Icon
).
Chapter 16 Quotes

You kissed me for no reason. Even though I knew you liked Gen, and you knew you liked Gen, and Gen knew you liked Gen. But you still did it. Just because you could. I really want to know: Why would you do that to me? My first kiss was supposed to be something special. I’ve read about it, what it’s supposed to feel like—fireworks and lightning bolts and the sound of waves crashing in your ears. I didn’t have any of that. Thanks to you it was as unspecial as a kiss could be.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve
Page Number: 69-70
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

I never knew it before, but I think maybe all this time I’ve been invisible. Just someone who was there. Now that people think I’m Peter Kavinsky’s girlfriend, they’re wondering about me. Like, why? What about me made Peter like me? What do I have? What makes me so special? I would be wondering too.

I am now a Mysterious Girl. Before I was just a Quiet Girl. But becoming Peter’s girlfriend has elevated me to Mysterious Girl.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Josh, Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve
Page Number: 138
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 41 Quotes

Around ten he sends a text that says, Sorry something came up. I can’t come over tonight. He doesn’t say where he is or what he’s doing, but I already know. He’s with Genevieve. At lunch he was distracted; he kept texting on his phone. And then, later in the day, I saw them outside the girls’ locker room. They didn’t see me, but I saw them. They were just talking, but with Genevieve it’s never just anything. She put her hand on his arm; he brushed her hair out of her eyes. I may only be a fake girlfriend, but that’s not nothing.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 43 Quotes

Halfway through class he sends me a note. He’s drawn spiderwebs around the edges. It says, I’ll be on time tomorrow. I smile as I read it. Then I put it in my backpack, in my French textbook so the page won’t crease or crumble. I want to keep it so when this is over, I can have something to look at and remember what it was like to be Peter Kavinsky’s girlfriend. Even if it was all just pretend.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve
Page Number: 232
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 62 Quotes

But…is he right about me? Do I only like boys I can never have? I’ve always known Peter was out of my reach. I’ve always known he didn’t belong to me. But tonight he said he liked me. The thing I’ve been hoping for, he said it. So why didn’t I just tell him I liked him back when I had the chance? Because I do. I like him back. Of course I do.

Related Characters: Lara Jean Song Covey (speaker), Margot Song Covey, Josh, Peter Kavinsky, Genevieve, Lucas Krapf, Kenny Donati
Page Number: 312
Explanation and Analysis: