The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

INTRODUCTION

Home is not a place where we usually live. Sometimes it can be a house which isn’t yours but you still love it more than anything. Sometimes it can be people who you may meet only once in a while but whom you trust more than anything. Sometimes it can be moments which we dread to live yet once again even though they are long gone. Sometimes home is that one person on whom you have had a huge crush your entire life…

ABOUT THE BOOK

The summer I turned pretty is the first book in the series. It is a romance novel filled with a bit of humor and is perfect for summer reads. A story telling the life of a teenage girl who has a lot of love to give and who makes foolish choices. Being a YA book I guess every teenager could either relate to her situation or would love to end up in her place.

BLURB

Isabella, known as Belly, has spent all her summers in her mother Laurel’s best friend, Susannah’s beach house. Every summer, Susannah with her husband and her two sons- Conrad and Jeremiah and Laurel with her husband and her daughter Belly and son Steven used to gather there and spend their summer holidays there.

But this summer something is different. Belly is just turning 16 and not to mention has physically become more attractive. Both Jeremiah and Conrad notice that. But Belly has always liked only Conrad.

Will Conrad really see Belly as someone other than her best friend Steven’s little sister? Or is a love triangle about to form here?

THEMES

● Teenage– as we all are aware of, that teenage can be a problematic phase. We are down between letting go of our childish phase and embracing adulthood. Moreover we face some physical and emotional changes too just like Belly does and this period is most crucial for learning morals and understanding emotions.

● Self-discovery– we are often so indulged with people around us that we often forget about how we actually are and what we want from life. It is really important to discover who we actually are and love ourselves and accept our flaws too.

● Balancing feelings– times and again we see ourselves confused between what we feel. And in those times balancing our feelings are really important. Though we can’t control our feelings, we should have a check on them.

● Moving on– this book shows how important moving on in life is. It’s natural to be sad over losing things, people or relationships but sooner or later we can realize that there is no point holding onto the past. We need to move on in life in order to ensure a better future for ourselves.

● Relationships– this book had a lot of dynamic relationships which differ from each other. It shows how every relationship be it of mother and daughter or even of best friends is important to shape us.

CHARACTERS

● Bella Conklin– a teenager unsure of her own feelings. The most relatable character and sweetheart of everyone.

● Steven Conklin– the best brother and the best friend anyone can have. Not only was he with her sister supporting her but when his friends needed him, he was there too.

● Jeremiah Fisher– the most lived boy of the entire series. He gives those golden retriever vibes and is the most charming and cute boy.

● Conrad Fisher– the grumpy brother who keeps his feelings to himself. His aloofness and at the same time his hotness is way too appealing.

● Laurel– Steven and Belly’s mother and a divorced woman who is financially independent and knows what she wants.

● Susannah– Jeremiah and Conrad’s mother. She is the heart of the family.

BEST LINES

● Moments, when lost, can’t be found again. They’re just gone.

● It’s the imperfections that make things beautiful.

● I wondered if this was the way old crushes died, with a whimper, slowly, and then, just like that—gone.

● It’s hard to throw away history. It was like you were throwing away a part of yourself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenny Han is a successful writer whose famous works include mainly teenage romance with a bit of Asian culture mixed. Her novels are loved by teenagers who are confused about their own feelings and can relate to the protagonists. Her book series To all the boys I’ve loved before has been made into a film adaptation too. And The summer I turned pretty is made into a web series by Amazon prime.

CONCLUSION

A perfect summer read which would definitely make everyone recall their teenage years and make them crave for those moments to come back again. The love triangle may sound childish but indeed you will not be able to choose between the two boys.