Warning: reading this book may cause a sudden desire to move to Cousins Beach and fall in love with two brothers. A side effect may include an unhealthy obsession with blue eyes.

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is the first book in a summer trilogy that has been adapted into a popular TV show. The book, written by Jenny Han, has recently gained popularity because of its Prime Video series. It’s a great standalone, but reading it will leave you wanting to run to the nearest bookstore to buy the rest of the series.

The book follows Isabel, also known as “Belly,” when she goes to Susannah’s, a family friend’s, beach house. She visits every summer, and there she sees Susannah’s sons: Conrad and Jeremiah. Ever since she was a kid, she’s had a crush on Conrad. But throughout the trilogy, secrets are revealed and relationships change. 

The summer is full of new beginnings and endings. Belly feels like this is the first summer that she is truly pretty; she’s older now, and hopes to be invited to all the summer parties and events. She has many hopes and expectations for this season. However, this will be the last summer at Susannah’s beach house since the boys are going to college next year; this hangs over Belly throughout the novel. This is the last summer that things will be the same. 

The writing is very clear and easy to follow. It’s almost written like a diary; Han puts us directly in Belly’s head, making us feel like we’re reading her thoughts. She captures the whirlwind of teenage emotions perfectly with scatterbrained thoughts and random childhood memories. Reading it feels like you’re sitting right next to the characters, with the waves lapping at your feet and the sand between your toes, experiencing the same things they feel and see.  

The flashbacks are my favorite part of the book. Diving deeper into Belly’s childhood adds a lot to the story, providing context and clarifying the characters’ relationships. It’s also fun to watch her grow up and mature through her memories.

The TV show adds many events that don’t occur in the book. The debutante ball was added to the first season and was never in any of the books. It’s a major plot point in the show that takes away from the storyline created in the book. The novel uses the subtle inner monologue of Belly to showcase her character development, whereas the show relies too heavily on the grand event of the deb ball to demonstrate her personal growth.

The show expanded the character Conrad and dove deeper into his personality and his struggles. In the book he comes across as a moody teenager, but in the show it’s revealed that he’s struggling with carrying around secrets about his mom. The TV writers show him struggling with mental health and panic attacks. This added to his character and made him seem like more of a real person with real struggles. Also, the writing in the TV series was top-tier because Jenny Han wrote parts of the script. The dialogue felt true to the novels. 

This three-book series is a great little read that really captures the essence of growing up and finding yourself. Belly’s story captures young teenage love and how first crushes feel. This romance series is one of my favorites I’ve ever read, and I would 100% recommend this book. 

Prime Video also announced that there will be a “The Summer I Turned Pretty” movie coming out. It will be written and directed by Han. The exact release date has not been publicized, but it is thought that the movie will wrap up Belly’s life and provide closure for all of the characters. 

“I can say that there is another big milestone for Belly, so we’ll continue with that journey,” said Han. 

Let us know in the comments if you like the book or the TV series better (and whether you are team Jeremiah or team Conrad)!