If you're a sucker for romantic comedies like I am, chances are you have seen Netflix's new movie "To All the Boys I've Loved Before." If you're as single and bored as I am, then chances are you are crushing on Peter Kavinsky, the lion-hearted lacrosse player who every girl wants in the movie. Peter is the total package – the freckles, the athletic build, the selfless grocery store runs and cute antics – and typically, a boy of that caliber really is only seen on the page or onscreen. However, this one love interest is not just made of smoke and mirrors. He is genuine, sweet, and – the best part – realistic.
Disclaimer: This is my own personal opinion. I have never read the book, so the points I make will be based on the movie's portrayal of Peter Kavinsky.
Most male love interests in YA fiction fall into two categories: the sweet, naive boy next door or the rebellious bad boy. These archetypes seem too good to be true and rarely translate into real life. I mean, how many boys have you seen dive head first into ice water to retrieve their girlfriend's diary (Rudy from "The Book Thief)? How many boys have taught their girlfriends a forbidden trade to overthrow the core of their government (Ky from "Matched")? Very few. A lot of times, YA boys are put up on pedestals. They are seen as what the ideal boyfriend should look like.
The problem is that those boys are fake. They are dreamed up and satisfy unrealistic expectations because, in reality, no one can measure up to fictional characters. However, Peter Kavinsky comes pretty close.
What makes Peter so realistic is that he is multidimensional. There are so many facets of his personality that we get to explore throughout the movie. He's a star player, popular, and also very kind. He treats his teammates, his girlfriend, and the waitresses with the same respect. He doesn't fall into a typical guy category in YA fiction. He is not sweet and naive. He is not the boy next door. He is also not a motorcycle-riding rebel. He has no pleasure in breaking the law or being mean to others.
He's better than all that.
You can be a good person, gentle and nice, but still have a backbone. Peter has morals, but he doesn't become a doormat. When his and Lara Jean's hot tub video come out, he uses his influence among the student body to defend her and set the record straight.
That being said, Peter is by no means perfect. But that's also what makes him realistic. He makes mistakes, and he and Lara Jean fight. He also doesn't share her affinity for most of her hobbies, which is different from most love interests. Furthermore, he did go to Gen's room on the ski trip, but only told Lara Jean after she found out from Gen. He should have told her from the start that he was only going there to break up with Gen, but he waited, and that caused a giant fight. (He could have been more honest with his feelings, but he was still figuring those out, so I'll give him a pass for that.)
Like every couple, they had their highs and lows. And like every person, Peter made mistakes. The difference is that he said sorry for them and meant it and changed, which is different from what I have read in a lot of books.
No traits of the perfect, fictitious boyfriend are seen in real life because fictional boyfriends don't exist. Real boys do. Real people can be kind and good, and they can also mess up.
No one is perfect.
But Peter Kavinsky comes pretty dang close.
