P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Title: P.S. I Like You
Author: Kasie West
Series: N/A
Pages: 304
Publisher: Point
Release Date: July 26th 2016 

      “While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue!
      Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out…“

“I didn’t have that sad of a social life. I had a fun and perfectly normal relationship with an anonymous pen pal. Okay, so an anonymous pen pal didn’t exactly sound normal, but I would ignore that fact.“

I recently read Julie Buxbaum’s Tell Me Three Things which has a similar premise to Kasie West’s newest release P.S. I Like You. The premise behind both isn’t the most complicated, two characters end up exchanging notes of some kind in an anonymous fashion and soon begin to develop feelings for each other. The plot of these stories is often predictable, the reveal easy to call after the first few chapters, and yet I keep coming back to them. It would be really easy to get hung up on the logistics of these stories, but to do so would completely miss the point. These novels are meant to entertain, to make you smile and squeal silently when you know what’s coming but the characters themselves remain clueless. This is exactly what I did while reading P.S. I Like You, because sometimes a feel good book is just what you’re looking for.

Lily Abbott has an undeniable charm. Unable to hold back her own thoughts, she’s known for saying odd things at the most inopportune moments. She’s sassy and cynical, prone to sarcastic replies and awkward social exchanges. The most important things in her life are her family and her music. Her house is always full, loud, and chaotic. I loved how much Lily’s family meant to her, especially her siblings. Though I admit I have a soft spot for the young Jonah. Lily has always sought refuge in her songwriting where she has a chance to form the words needed to express herself, something that isn’t always easy for her with other people. But Lily is also very self-conscious. It’s difficult for her to share this side of herself because she fears rejection. This self-consciousness is a constant hurdle for her throughout the novel.

The exchanges Lily has with her secret pen pal are a delight to read. They go from funny and light to tackling personal struggles in both the characters’ lives. Lily has always felt that she could express herself better on paper and these letters are the perfect way for her to really find her voice. I’ve complained in the past about not getting to know the love-interests enough in Kasie West’s books, but this plot really allows readers insight into Lily’s counterpart. My only complaint is that I wish the novel had been longer. I would have liked to have seen more interactions between Lily and her pen pal after the big reveal, but that may be because I could not get enough of them together.

Rating: 4/5

★★★★