Book Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Hi, everyone. I’m Liliya and today I want to share with you the book trilogy The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.

The trilogy The Summer I Turned Pretty belongs to the genres of young adult literature, romance, and drama.

The main character is Isabelle, whom everyone calls Belly, it is through her feelings, experiences, and personal growth that the whole story unfolds. An important role in her life is played by the brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher: Conrad is more reserved, serious, and complex, while Jeremiah is open, kind, and cheerful. Other significant characters include Stephen, Belly’s brother, who adds to the family dynamics, as well as their mothers, Laurel and Susannah, whose friendship and influence largely shape the events and atmosphere of the trilogy.

The first book, The Summer I Turned Pretty, tells the story of sixteen-year-old Belly, who comes to a beach house with her family every summer. There, she spends time with Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher, childhood friends she has known all her life.

This particular summer becomes special because Belly changes; she grows up, becomes more confident, and the boys begin to see her differently. Her feelings for Conrad, whom she has loved since childhood, remain especially complex. At the same time, Jeremiah also shows interest in her, creating a love triangle.

During the summer, the characters experience many emotional moments: first dates, jealousy, misunderstandings, and family difficulties. Belly tries to understand her feelings and figure out who she really is. This summer becomes a turning point for her, as she is no longer a child and her relationships with others change forever.

In the second book, It’s Not Summer Without You, the events become much more dramatic and serious. After the first book, Belly goes through a breakup with Conrad, and their relationship becomes strained due to misunderstandings and emotional pain.

A great tragedy occurs: Susannah, Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother, dies from an illness. This deeply affects all the characters, especially Conrad, who withdraws into himself, and Jeremiah, who tries to stay strong for others. Belly also struggles with the loss, as Susannah was very close to her.

Later, Conrad suddenly disappears, and no one can contact him. Belly, still worried about him, decides to help Jeremiah find his brother. Together, they go on a journey during which they talk a lot, share their feelings, and gradually grow closer.

In this part, Belly’s feelings begin to change. She sees how attentive, caring, and open Jeremiah is, and a new level of trust develops between them. At the same time, her feelings for Conrad do not disappear, creating an internal conflict.

In the end, Conrad is found, but it becomes clear that all the characters have changed because of their experiences. Belly is no longer the girl she used to be; she becomes more mature, stronger, and better understands herself and her emotions. This part ends openly, preparing the reader for the final book.

In the third book, We’ll Always Have Summer, the events take place several years later, when Belly is already in college and in a relationship with Jeremiah. Their relationship seems happy and stable, but everything changes after Belly finds out about Jeremiah’s betrayal during a short break.

This is a major blow to her, but she eventually decides to forgive him, and he proposes to her. Belly agrees to marry him, although her family does not support this decision, believing she is not ready for such a step.

The wedding preparations take place in the familiar beach house, bringing back many memories and old feelings. There, Belly spends a lot of time with Conrad again. Gradually, emotional closeness develops between them. Conrad still loves Belly, but for a long time, he does not dare to say it.

Eventually, he confesses his feelings, which makes Belly question her choice. She realizes that her love for Conrad has never truly faded.

The tension reaches its peak on the eve of the wedding, when Belly understands she cannot marry Jeremiah without resolving her true feelings. As a result, she calls off the wedding. After that, each character goes their own way to figure things out.

In the end, after some time, Belly and Conrad meet again, more mature and confident in their feelings. They begin a new chapter together, and Belly chooses to build her life with him. This decision symbolizes the completion of her journey of growing up and finding true love.

For me, reading this trilogy was emotionally difficult because I felt all the heroine’s emotions deeply. The story is closely connected to real life and human experiences. I consider the second book the most difficult because of its heavy and emotional plot.

I would recommend this trilogy to older readers or teenagers who enjoy thoughtful and emotional stories. Even though it is emotional, it really makes you reflect on your own life.