The Summer I Turned Pretty

April 6, 2011 Uncategorized 7

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 276
Source: purchased


About the Book: Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer–they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.


My Thoughts: A number of people I follow on twitter have been raving about these books for some time now. The synopsis sounded fun and I adored Han’s book Shug so I decided to give it a try.


The story is told by Isabel (Belly) Conklin. She, her mother, and her brother (Steven) have  been spending summers at the beach with her mother’s best friend Susannah and Susannah’s boys (Conrad and Jeremiah) for as long as Belly can remember. She has been in love with Conrad for almost as long. The summer Belly turns 16 everything changes. She is no longer just “Steven’s little sister” tagging along with the boys. Suddenly Belly has a new role in their lives but figuring it all out is more complicated than expected.


The set up and character dynamics in this book really grabbed me. Most of the book is told in the present but occasionally Belly will flash back to a summer when she was younger. I enjoyed learning more about the history and memories that exist between Belly, her family, and Susannah’s boys. 


Another aspect that I appreciated was Cam. Belly’s summers have always revolved around Steven, Jeremiah, and most of all Conrad. Meeting Cam makes this summer different in unexpected ways. His character added a lot to the book and the ways Belly interacted with everyone else. Also, he’s adorable 🙂


I don’t know if it’s my age or what but for me the best part of the book was Susannah. I enjoyed Belly, the boys, and all that their relationships entail but Susannah with her quiet strength and dignity really captured me. She is the glue that holds everyone together. Belly’s mom is her best friend. Conrad and Jeremiah are her boys. Steven is like another son and Belly… Belly is the daughter she never had. When all was said and done Susannah was the character I was left thinking about. 


While I’m not as in love with this book as Ginger or Anna I did enjoy it. It’s a great summer read with a twist on the standard love triangle!

7 Responses to “The Summer I Turned Pretty”

  1. Anna

    Agreed about Susannah — weren’t you just drawn to her? She’s so strong. I’d endeavor to be like her as a mother. <3

  2. Shanyn

    This one was my least favorite of the three – they just keep getting better. I hope you read the next two soon!

  3. Ginger @ GReads!

    You hit the nail on the head – this book isn’t JUST about a summer romance. It involves various characters with stories of their own. I think that’s why I loved these books so much. I hope you pick up the next 2 & continue reading the story. Jenny Han is fabulous! Great review, Heidi 🙂

  4. The Book Bell

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE this series! I read the first two in a day and then the third one I just finished recently! I loved them all! haha. I’m a freak about these books! Great review! hope you like the rest of the series as well!
    Happy Reading

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