Rating: 
Summary: A Poignant Book for Teens
Review: I first read P.S. I Love You by Barbara Conklin 11 or 12 years ago when I happened to come across it at a second-hand book sale. Even as an eleven-year-old, I thought the title was corny. Nevertheless, I was drawn to purchasing the book because of the cover photo - a beautiful girl with the straightest brown hair ever and sad soulful eyes.At the time, I had had no experience of ever falling in love. The most I'd experienced was a few shy crushes, but once I started reading the book, I absolutely fell in love with it. Barbara Conklin did an amazing job of writing from the perspective of a sixteen-year-old, and it is no wonder that this book was a sure hit with its target audience: teenagers. Teenagers will be able to identify with all that Mariah (the main character) feels. You can relate to the bliss of falling in love, and even though I myself was inexperienced in love, it described first love in the way I imagined it to be - and also turned out to be. Also, when you read about Mariah's insecurities and what Paul Strobe (the heartthrob) will think of her if he finds out she's never had a boyfriend, it will remind you of your own experiences. Perhaps now as an adult, these matters seem trivial, but as a teen, you could totally understand why she panicked and felt the need to "impress" Paul... I must have read P.S. I Love You more than a dozen times that first summer I had the fortune of finding it. Each time, I never failed to have tears in my eyes. In fact, it doesn't matter how many times you've read it because the ending will always bring you to tears. But don't misunderstand me: this isn't a book filled with misery and by no means is it a tragedy. The realistic side of portraying what it is like to lose love is surely an important life lesson for all teens, and the humorous parts will also bring you much laughter. After each reading, I always wish that Barbara Conklin could have written a happier ending. After all, we all have a part of us that wishes for the fairy-tale ending of Mariah and Paul living happily ever after! Admittedly, there is a small part in all of us that wishes first love could last forever... But Barbara Conklin has ended the book as she has for a good reason: she shows us how it is possible to go on even when love has been lost. You will admire Mariah's strength and courage in overcoming her loss and also the poignancy in how she keeps Paul alive in her memories. P.S. I Love You was the first teen romance I read, and the one that paved the path to reading more. More than a decade after reading teen romances, P.S. I Love You remains the only story I remember. I recommend this book to all teens who are interested in teen romances. One word of advice: don't throw this book away! I did and regretted it terribly! I've just purchased a used copy online again and am infinitely happy to possess it again. When I read the story now as an adult, it seems a little too simple and innocent, but it is definitely a book I would like to pass on to my own daughter in the future, when she herself becomes a teenager.
Rating: 
Summary: Want to hear what a man thinks about this book?
Review: I first read this book in 1984. I don't know what prompted me to purchase this treasure from the "Weekly Reader" catalog we received in 7th grade literature class. I was not then, nor am I now, in the habit of reading romance novels. Still, something drew me to this book. The story is of Mariah, an aspiring novelist who journeys to Palm Springs with her mother and younger sister to house-sit for a summer. There, Mariah meets and falls in love with Paul Strobe. As the summer continues, she learns that Paul has a serious illness ... and you can guess the rest. Althought the plot is very predictable (a mainstay, apparently, of just about every romance novel ever written) what I liked about this novel was how well the author iluminates Mariah's world, as seen through her teenage point of view. Mariah is falling in love, for the first time, with a young man named Paul. We learn about Paul primarily through Mariah's observations and feelings. We see, through her eyes, what first love looks like. Her perceptions of Paul are truly intriquing, and yet somewhat simple, as they would be from a teenage girl's perspective. She seems to view him as being somewhat larger than life, and yet when she learns of his illness, he becomes frail and human. Mariah's emotional journey is what truly drives this novel, from the inception of her first love through to its aftermath. We experience what a young girl feels in her heart, and we walk with her as she copes with circumstances beyond her control. She is a three-dimensional, living, breathing character, someone we'd want for a friend. The other characters in the book, including Paul, are not quite so 3-D, but that somehow works in this novel. Paul is intriquing not so much in his own right, but because of the way Mariah sees him. Mariah is in love with Paul, and her innocent, feminine perceptions are actually more interesting than Paul himself. Mariah's mother and sister are somewhat 2-D, but that is tolerable, since they function mostly as setting and background characters. The real story is what is happening in Mariah's heart. I will never truly know what moved me to read this book, particularly as a thirteen-year-old boy interested in bikes, guns, "Star Wars", and George Orwell's "1984". Along with Orwell's dark utopias, a movie tie-in, like "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome", represented truly inspiring literature. Still, something (I'll never know what!) made me read this, and I am glad I did, for as I look back, I think I have at least a small glimpse into the heart of a teenage girl. I have a daughter now, and as she comes of age, I am sure I will return to this short novel to better my understanding of my daughter's inner world. Perhaps I'll give her this novel, along with its sequel, as a gift. When I do, she might be inclined to give me a bit more insight into the heart of a girl in the flower of her youth.
Rating:
Summary: Want to hear what a man thinks about this book?
Review: I first read this book in 1984. I don't know what prompted me to purchase this treasure from the "Weekly Reader" catalog we received in 7th grade literature class. I was not then, nor am I now, in the habit of reading romance novels. Still, something drew me to this book. The story is of Mariah, an aspiring novelist who journeys to Palm Springs with her mother and younger sister to house-sit for a summer. There, Mariah meets and falls in love with Paul Strobe. As the summer continues, she learns that Paul has a serious illness ... and you can guess the rest. Althought the plot is very predictable (a mainstay, apparently, of just about every romance novel ever written) what I liked about this novel was how well the author iluminates Mariah's world, as seen through her teenage point of view. Mariah is falling in love, for the first time, with a young man named Paul. We learn about Paul primarily through Mariah's observations and feelings. We see, through her eyes, what first love looks like. Her perceptions of Paul are truly intriquing, and yet somewhat simple, as they would be from a teenage girl's perspective. She seems to view him as being somewhat larger than life, and yet when she learns of his illness, he becomes frail and human. Mariah's emotional journey is what truly drives this novel, from the inception of her first love through to its aftermath. We experience what a young girl feels in her heart, and we walk with her as she copes with circumstances beyond her control. She is a three-dimensional, living, breathing character, someone we'd want for a friend. The other characters in the book, including Paul, are not quite so 3-D, but that somehow works in this novel. Paul is intriquing not so much in his own right, but because of the way Mariah sees him. Mariah is in love with Paul, and her innocent, feminine perceptions are actually more interesting than Paul himself. Mariah's mother and sister are somewhat 2-D, but that is tolerable, since they function mostly as setting and background characters. The real story is what is happening in Mariah's heart. I will never truly know what moved me to read this book, particularly as a thirteen-year-old boy interested in bikes, guns, "Star Wars", and George Orwell's "1984". Along with Orwell's dark utopias, a movie tie-in, like "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome", represented truly inspiring literature. Still, something (I'll never know what!) made me read this, and I am glad I did, for as I look back, I think I have at least a small glimpse into the heart of a teenage girl. I have a daughter now, and as she comes of age, I am sure I will return to this short novel to better my understanding of my daughter's inner world. Perhaps I'll give her this novel, along with its sequel, as a gift. When I do, she might be inclined to give me a bit more insight into the heart of a girl in the flower of her youth.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT & VERY TOUCHING!!!
Review: I first read this book when i was in high school & I just fell in love with it. I am now 25 years old, and I still find myself reading it whenever I see it on my bookshelf, and still cry at the end everytime I read it. Call it corney, but I think no matter how hard we try to be tough, we all have a "Mariah" somehow, somewhere deep within ourselves... well to everyone who hasn't read this book, well try to find a copy coz you'll fall in love the way "Mariah" & I did.... Enjoy reading!!!
Rating:
Summary: Should Be In Any Young-Adult Novel Collection
Review: I love this book. It's the first book in the now-defunct Sweet Dreams series and is about Mariah. She always wanted to write a romance novel and the summer when she turned sixteen seemed to be the best time to do so. Unfortunately, her family ended up going to Palm Springs and house-sit for the summer so that her mother can make ends meet. There she met Paul Strobe. You just have to read the story to really appreciate how bittersweet it is. There is also a sequel to this book, entitled "Falling in Love Again." But "P.S. I Love You" definitely set the par for succeeding Sweet Dreams and other young-adult books. It's a teenage romance story that stayed with me through the years.
Rating:
Summary: MY VERY FIRST ROMANCE NOVEL!
Review: I LOVED THIS BOOK. I READ IT WHEN I WAS 15 AND GOT HOOKED IN READING ROMANCE NOVELS. I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR IT SINCE I HAD BORROWED IT. AND FINALY I FOUND MY COPY. IT MEANS ALOT TO ME SINCE MY BOYFRIED HAD DIED OF CANCER WHEN HE WAS ONLY 17, MISSING YOU DEARLY...
Rating:
Summary: The best book I have read in my life
Review: I read the book when I was 12. I didn't like reading and my 6th grade teacher asked me to read a book, I found P.S. I love You. I fell in love with the book and it brought me into the world of reading. After that book I kept reading book after book but none of those books have staid with me like P.S. I love You has. I am 32 years old and many times through my lifetime I have thought about the book. I have looked everywhere for a copy of the book now that I have a 12 year old. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read for a teen...a young one.
Review: I read this book a long long time ago. I must have been 12 or 13 when I read it. I'm 29 now. Every once in a while it pops into my head. I have alway been an avid reader and would like to reread some of the books I read as kid. This was a cute story. A sort of coming of age novel. I don't remember really being able to relate to the girl in the book, other than thinking it was cool because she had a boyfriend and I hadn't had one yet. It's a romance novel more than anything and not a very good one. Sort of like a Harlequin novel for teenagers. If you don't know what those are yet, girls, they are cheesy romance novels that do not require much thought and don't teach you much, but are fun to read. You can go through them in a day. However, no one will think you are very smart if they are all that you read. They are ok sometimes, but you shouldn't just read them and nothing else. If Any of you young ladies out there want to read a really really good book, try reading ARE You There GOd, It's Me Margaret, or I Know Why The CAged Bird Sings. The Color Purple is a beautiful novel as well (ask your parents about the last two first. You may need their premission). The Princess Diaries might be a good one too. Just make sure you spread your reading choices around a bit. You'll be glad you did someday. Honest. ;)
Rating:
Summary: Great book for teens
Review: I read this book way back when I was a teenager. I can't remember how old I was, but I'm now 36 and it still has left an impression on my memory. The first time I read it, it made me cry, and that was the first time a book had caused any kind of emotional reaction from me. I am buying this book so that my 15 year old and my 12 year old can read something from my childhood.
Rating:
Summary: I'll never forget this novel...
Review: I read this book when I was 10 and at 23 I still have the tattered book in my home library. The story is unforgettable and just lovely. I've read it a few times and cry everytime. The story is touching and honest! Find it, buy it, read it and love it. I highly recommend P.S. I Love You! This book is about highschool love and what happens when your first love gets sick with a deadly cancer. Keep the kleenex nearby.
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