The Summer I Turned Pretty

I absolutley loved this entire series, I read this book in two days and I found it so hard to put down. Through the first two books I loved Jeremiah and wanted Belly to be with him as I felt that Conrad seemed to not care about Belly as much as Jeremiah did. As I was reading the third book, i changed my views completely and loved Conrad so much more and wanted Belly to choose him instead. I cryed, laughed and got so excited through all the things Belly went through since she is so easy to relate to. This book is all I could think about when I wasn't reading and it is just a great book to put you in a good mood. I encourage everyone who loves teenage romance books, to read this amazing book because you will not regret it!! :)show more

So I started book one, expecting it to be a good, not THAT good! I read it in one day and I am in love with these characters, the setting, wonderful scenes from their childhood and the extraordinary summer feeling it carries. Belly is our narrator, a quirky, bright girl, that takes hearts in storm... unless they don't want to be taken. I immediately liked her and was engaged in her attempt to win Conrad Fisher's heart. She tells the story about her summer in Cousins, mixed with flashbacks to former summers, summers that meant something, had something special. The flashbacks aren't thrown into the story randomly, they are perfectly integrated, always relevant to our present scene. The word "pretty" in the title doesn't necessarily refer to a physical development or stunning beauty , it my opinion it stands for the metamorphosis a character can go through. Belly has developed physically but also grown psychically. Now she is experiencing a whole new array of emotions, exploring her new relationships to her big summer brothers. Our male protagonists are brothers, friends, rivals. Conrad is moody, dark and very unreasonable in his behaviour. Jeremiah is his little brother, kind and caring. We also meet Belly's brother, her mother and Susannah, Conrad's and Jeremiah's mother. The character's backgrounds, relationships and pasts are revealed gradually through the whole novel. Reading about their summer adventures, quarrels, reconciliation, friendship and love was a lot of fun. Jenny Han has a very casual writing style. I read this novel in one sitting, it very easy to read, not because of a plain content, but flowing writing. The Summer I Turned Pretty is a funny and youthful read. Special about The Summer I Turned Pretty is that its romance, happenings and emotions are anything but easy or plain because beside fun and frieds it also deals with very emotional and serious topics. THE VERDICT The Summer I Turned Pretty is a wonderful and light summer read with an authentic setting and characters and a great writing style. This novel should definitely be in the bag you pack for your next holidays!show more

Belly lives for the Summer. To her, the months in between summer are nothing but passing time until the next summer starts. Summer is a time that everything happens, and when Belly is happiest. Most summer's are the same . Driving down to the beach house with her mother and brother, Steven, swimming at night when she can't sleep, but finally, one summer, everything changes. When Belly gets to the beach house, the boys she's known forever - Jeremiah and Conrad, who've been her crushes and brother figures all at once - look at her differently. They don't just treat her like one of the guys anymore. Conrad smokes now, and he quit the football team, something that Belly never saw coming. His brother, Jeremiah, is now a jock. Belly wonders how everything has changed so quickly. But when things start to change, they eventually end up just as they should have been all along. THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY is a wonderfully written novel that you won't want to put down!show more