PS I Love You (Sweet Dreams Series #1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Barbara P. Conklin (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Books (July 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553244604
• ISBN-13: 978-0553244601
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #391,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Poignant Book for Teens, March 18, 2004

By 

Scarlet (Hong Kong SAR, China) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PS I Love You (Sweet Dreams Series #1) (Paperback)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book got to me!, December 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: PS I Love You (Sweet Dreams Series #1) (Paperback)

When I was 12 years old, the librarian from my school recomended that I read P.S. I Love You. I cried as I read it, for I was truly involved with the plot and with Mariah's feelings. Now I'm 23 years old, and ever since i returned the book to the library i've been wanting to get it back and read it again, or at least have it within my personal collection. Since I was so young when I read it, I didn't remember the author's name, and it isn't until now, after visiting so many libraries and websites, that I find it, and you can't imagine how thrilled I am, for it has truly been a dead end search until now.
All I can say is that now I'm buying the book, and I'm not letting it go again. I'll make sure my daughters (if I have any) read it and I truly recomend it to any preteen girl.
It may not be the most surprising plot, and as a young adult I may not find it as wonderful as I did then, but I'm sure that what I felt had a lot to do with my age. I think that the most importatn thing that I learned at such a young age when I read it, is that falling in love isn't all about knights and princesses on towers. In a way it gives young girls a glimpse of reality, without hurting them emotionally. On the contrary, it may be the first real emotions they might feel regarding love. I'm so glad I finally found it!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'll never forget this novel..., March 30, 2003

By 

Beatrice "Bea Bea" (Hollywood, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PS I Love You (Sweet Dreams Series #1) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.