Reviews and buzz are strong, and more importantly, its got a stamp of approval from Han herself.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Youve been getting published for a while now.
Whats the feeling, to finally see your work hit the screen?JENNY HAN:Its pretty surreal.
Credit: Masha Weisberg/Netflix. Inset: Desiree Navarro/WireImage
So it was pretty thrilling when it actually did happen.
What was your first reaction to seeing the movie?I was really nervous.
[Laughs] And then I was so happy.
Simon & Schuster
I thought that the movie did a good job of capturing the spirit of the book.
How do you see this moment, and being a part of it?I think its really exciting.
Hopefully were at a tipping point.
We want to see them thrive; we dont want to see them feeling left out.
So many of us do school visits around the country, and we still how diverse America really is.
It spurs us to create art that makes more and more kids feel seen.
But Ive always been drawn to stories about young people.
That experience is so singular, and its one that you will remember for the rest of your life.
Firsts are very potent.
The books you read as a young person are books that stay with you forever.
I think that is the biggest privilege of writing for young people.
You feel like you’ve got the option to help shape somebody.
I feel like with this book particularly, its resonated on such a wide level.
Has it seemed that way to you over the years?Yeah.
Ive felt so humbled by it.
Right there with you.
[Laughs] That was my challenge!
How do you write someone who doesnt want to leave the house?
Thats an exciting character.
I dont know anybody who was like, I really relate to Beth!
I see me in Beth.
Beth was the boring one.
I thought, Let me take on that challenge a little bit.
How do you dive into that persons inner-life?
I think this character has a rich inner life that I was excited to explore.
Youre giving it over to someone elses vision.
Thats how it goes.
I was able to get feedback.
It wasnt always taken, but at least I was able to.
Right, its a great scene.It actually made me tear up when I saw it.
That to me was special.
One scene I was excited about seeing, and also nervous about, was the hot tub scene.
I was texting Lana, Just remember: Youre nervous, this is a new experience for you.
I really wanted it to still feel as innocent as the character is.
And romantic and sweet!
But I thought they did a really nice job.
