The first book in Jenny Han’s “Summer” trilogy (entitled “The Summer I Turned Pretty”), is about a teenage girl named Isabel; but most of the characters in the book call her “Belly”. Every year, Belly, along with her Mom and brother Steven, go to a beach house on Cousins Beach with their Mom’s best friend Susannah and her sons Conrad and Jeremiah. The book is told from Belly’s perspective and most of the plot takes place in the present (although, the book does flash back in order to give context on what is happening in the present). Belly has had a crush on both Jeremiah and Conrad for a very long time (although, she likes the older and more mysterious Conrad more than she likes the younger and goofy Jeremiah). Since Belly looks older and cooler this year, Conrad, Jeremiah, and Steven (who usually exclude Belly) finally let her tag along with them to parties and other events. At a fourth of July party, Belly gets reintroduced to Cam, who is very smart and seems to be very compatible with Belly. Since Jeremiah and Conrad are acting different this summer, Belly and Cam eventually start to date; and continue to do so for most of the book (even though Belly isn’t completely over her crushes). Towards the end of the book, Belly finds out about 2 big changes that are occurring in Susannah’s family; which explains why her sons are acting differently. Also, Belly’s feelings for Conrad and Jeremiah are revealed and she finally gets to find out whether or not the boys share her feelings. I definitely enjoyed this book; it is a perfect read for the summer months since it takes place in the summer and is set at the beach! I am excited to start reading the other 2 books in Jenny Han’s “Summer” trilogy. My favourite parts in the book took place in Belly’s present because I am not a big fan of flashbacks (although, they definitely helped me to better understand what was happening in the present). My least favourite part of the book was when Susannah’s 2 big secrets were revealed to Belly and the reader towards the end of the book (most of the other characters in the book already knew or had guessed the secrets before this point). This is because the secrets will definitely cause some sadness and changes for the characters in the future. It also makes me worry that the families will never have the same close relationship that they had before and that all of the characters might not return back to the Cousins beach house next summer. Thus, if I could change anything in the book, I would get rid of Susannah’s secrets since, as I said before, they seem to pose a lot of challenges for all of the main characters in the future and threaten the characters’ "perfect" summers together at the beach house. In conclusion, this book was a fairly easy read and leaves the reader wanting to read the second book to find out the aftermath of Susannah’s secrets. I would definitely recommend this book to others; especially those who have previously enjoyed Jenny Han’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” trilogy because both books have similar plots. I think that this book is best suited for a teenage or young adult audience and is geared more towards females. Lastly, I am giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 butterflies rating because I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the sequels but the book wasn’t really action-packed. Have you read "The Summer I Turned Pretty"? If so, let me know whether you are on team Cam, team Conrad, or team Jeremiah in the comments down below... Book Rating: 3.5/ 5
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February 2024
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