| Title | : | The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy: The Summer I Turned Pretty; Its Not Summer Without You; Well Always Have Summer |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 144244228X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781442442283 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 896 |
| Publication | : | First published May 24, 2011 |
As the summers go on, Belly has to choose between two brothers who love her as she comes to the realization that she will have to break one of their hearts.
For the first time, all three Summer novels are in one collection, including The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy: The Summer I Turned Pretty; Its Not Summer Without You; Well Always Have Summer Reviews
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I read all three books in one day..that's how good they are. The author's way of writing is amazing and I loved how she interwined the past with the present in "The summer I turned pretty", and I also loved how we got to read Conrad's point of view in "We'll always have summer", because he is the most mysterious character in all 3 books.
Belly's character is great, in the first book she was a bit immature but as I read the other two books I saw how she had grown up and changed. What I didn't like about her was how indecisive she was.
I loved all the other characters, and I was pretty sad to find out that Susannah died, because she was such a lovable character and it seemed that she was the one responsible for the gathering in the beach house each year. Without her, it wasn't the same in Cousins.
The ending of this trilogy is awesome. I LOVED it. Jenny Han just became one of my fav authors. -
The Summer I Turned Pretty: 3 stars
After loving Jenny Han's To All The Boys I Loved Before series I had high expectations for this and unfortunately I was let down. The main character, Belly, was unbelievably immature and whiny. The way that she viewed the boys, as though she relied on them for her own happiness and her reason for even being alive - I couldn't stand it. I did give her some slack considering her age and I'm sure there were some things that she did that I would've done too when I was 15. And as I continued on, I started to just accept that that was who she was, even though I would have loved to see some more character development.
Considering this book centered around a love triangle, I couldn't see any of the chemistry between Belly with either boys. They all seem tropeish and contrived. In fact, alot of the characters felt like tropes. They felt incredibly one dimensional, which is such a shame, because I was really expecting more from Jenny Han on that front.
While I enjoyed the pacing, it did feel like nothing was happening throughout the book. At times I had to ask myself what was the purpose of this book. I couldn't understand why this story and these characters had been stretched out into a trilogy. It definitely could've been condensed a lil'.
However, the reason why I bumped this book up to a 3 star rating, when I spent the majority of the book thinking it'd be a 2 star read at most, was because of the other relationships and dynamics in this book. What I love about Jenny Han, is her incorporation of family relationships and how she deals with them. The relationship between Susannah, the mother of the boys and Belly was probably one of my favourite teenager/adult relationships I've ever read in YA.
I also appreciated the way Jenny Han wrapped the story up. The things that seemed out of place finally made more sense. I didn't expect to feel as many things as I did considering how distant I felt from the characters throughout the book.
It's Not Summer Without You: 3.5 stars
Some of my issues with the first book were alleviated in the second. While Belly was still immature and whiny, it was a lot more bearable. I think because we got to know the characters more, they became more realistic, more fully fleshed out and less tropish. But this again brings me back to my feeling that had these books should've been condensed. The character development and overarching story would've flowed better.
What set this book apart from the previous one was the adult characters. They absolutely shined in this book. There were a couple of times where I actually gasped because I could not believe how badass they were, specifically Belly's mum.
Not only that, I think this book went a lil deeper in terms of themes and what it was about than the previous one. This book was a little bit more serious in tone, which I was definitely a fan of. I loved seeing how all the characters were dealing with grief. Overall, I just thought this book was better than the previous one both in terms of story and execution.
However, there were quite a few time jumps in this, which although I appreciated, I also felt were ruining the flow of the story and annoying to follow at times. We also got introduced to Jeremiah, one of the boy's, P.O.V. in this book, which again, I also appreciated and enjoyed because it offered a refreshing new perspective but the execution of them was a bit awkward.
And finally, my only other major issue with this book was all the over explaining. Everyone kept explaining their emotions, like please stop, we get it. I mean, I know that I'm probably on the older side of the target demographic but still, us, readers aren't that dumb.
We'll Always Have Summer: 2.5 stars
After I finished the previous books, each time, my initial reaction was how is there more? The story could end right here and that's okay - I'd be completely satisfied with it. So this final book, just reinforced all my issues with this series. It should've been condensed into one standalone, a duology at most because at the end of the day the outcome was always going to be the same. This is light, fun, YA contemporary fluff, so I knew I couldn't go into it expecting much but still. The ending was predictable (especially considering the way that the previous book ended - it basically explained how this was going to end) and the story was so cheesy at times (which I did tolerate and even enjoy at times), I couldn't count the amount of times I rolled my eyes. Honestly, I would've been okay with it all had it been condensed into the one book but stretching it out and going on this unnecessary journey, that just annoyed me.
Belly's immaturity, that I thought had been resolved in the previous book, popped up every now and then in this book. To be fair, there were some great moments of real maturity and growth that had me very hopeful, but every now and then she'd say something or think something and I'd have to roll my eyes.
The flashbacks were again an issue here. They messed with the flow of the story.
Overall, I spent the majority of the book slightly pissed off because this felt totally unnecessary. However, again, Jenny Han redeemed it a lil for me with the conclusion. I loved the last chapter. I thought it was a pretty solid way to wrap up the series and I'm glad that we got a glimpse into the future so at least I can leave this story satisfied that Belly did in fact grow up. And to be honest, I will miss these characters a little, but mainly because I felt like I spent so much time with them. -
Oh man.
I guess I should have known these books would crash and burn once Belly said "Girls don't want you to ask permission for a kiss. They want spontaneity." Yeah, girl, speak for yourself. Consent is important. Shove off.
I read the
Burn for Burn trilogy by Jenny Han and
Siobhan Vivian a month or so before I read this series, and I really liked those books. I had a series bindup of the Summer trilogy so I sped through all the books in less than a week. Despite how much I ended up disliking them in the end, Jenny Han has an easy, fluffy writing style that kept these books going, like
Stephanie Perkins. And I liked her loose, easy symbolism worked in about sympathies being as useless as saffron and how at the very end the wedding stuff was brought inside for nothing, symbolizing how all the wedding plans were for nothing.
I was going to review each of these books individually, but the last book of this series blew me away - in a bad way. It destroyed everything I loved about the books and left me so confused. I genuinely didn't know what message Han was trying to get through in the end.
Can I just talk about the stupid endings of books 1 and 2 first? They end with little spoilers about what's coming in the next book and are the most ridiculous baits ever. I had a bindup so I didn't have to go between books, but I just couldn't imagine reading this and then waiting a year for the next book.
So yeah, this whole series is about Belly (my sister laughed for hours at this name) having these two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah, both in love with her. And oh no, she can't choose! No, not really. Belly is better than most YA love triangle girls in some ways, but really she's an idiot. Not in the sense of Juliette from
Shatter Me was an idiot - Belly is just annoying and the kind of person you just wouldn't associate with in a high school setting, unlike Juliette, who I would like to punch in the face. Now, when Belly was eleven (that's right, eleven) she "fell in love" with Conrad. She was childhood friends with both of them, and this is something that really annoyed me about these books - she doesn't have a brother-like bond with either Conrad or Jeremiah. They've been friends forever, why did they both fall in love with her? It's just really ridiculous. And of course neither of them act on this until, quote-unquote, "the summer she turns pretty." Yeah. Now, back to Belly being in love with Conrad since she was eleven. Apparently... she always loved him... this is a wreck. Even when she's going to marry Jeremiah in book 3, she talks about how she'll "always love Conrad" in some way. For crying out loud, first love (especially when you're ELEVEN) doesn't always lead to last love. Move on, Belly. Move on.
I want to talk about Belly's BFF for a moment before I rage on the love triangle a bit more. Taylor is the only character who I feel got any real character development - and her character development is excellent. She transforms from an annoying teenage girl to a supportive friend. But on that note... Belly invites Taylor to the beach house one summer, and... doesn't want Taylor dating Conrad OR Jeremiah because... she sees both of them as hers. Come the heck on. This is bad enough on its own, but gender swap and see how problematic it gets.
But yeah, now let's get into the wreck that is The Belly/Conrad/Jeremiah Love Triangle. I've said before that both brothers falling in love with her sounds ridiculously unrealistic, but this escalates to exponential proportions. It's. So. Bad. First, let's discuss Conrad. Apparently he "always" loved Belly, but... I wanted to punch him so badly. Because he denies being in love with her SO MANY TIMES that, like any normal being, I assumed that he did not love her. In book 1 (I think) when Belly confesses being in love with Conrad (translation: practically demanding he love her back) and he says "Yeah, well I don't love you" I thought "Well, okay then. Move on, Belly." But nope. Belly's all "Don't be ridiculous, you know youwantlove me." Back. Off. Girl. And then Conrad treats Belly like such utter dirt at the Hollywood dance thing (I know his mom was sick but come on he was so utterly rude) and... this only serves to show that Jeremiah is apparently a possessive jerk because he knows Conrad was a bad date and this never ever shows up again. Before I get to the climax of The Love Triangle let's talk about Jeremiah for a moment.
So their relationship began when they were 13 when Jeremiah sexually assaulted Belly. Wait, I mean kissed her without her consent and when she very very very clearly did not want it. This isn't even used enough with Jeremiah's character - later on, he seems to be a great boyfriend (except for, you know, the cheating thing) and Belly never holds this against him or brings it up ever again. And I was so, so, so angry when Belly said "He stole my first kiss!" No. No he didn't. I wanted to quote Kat-
from another series by Jenny Han! (Burn for Burn) - "Your first time is when you want it." (I love Kat.) Or something like that about how if you're raped that's not your first time or the loss of your virginity and if you're forcefully kissed that's not your first kiss. Sure, it's technically "the first time you were kissed," but it's not your first kiss.
Now before I get to The Climax, let's talk about how Belly handles The Love Triangle for a bit.
When Belly kisses Jeremiah (CONSENTINGLY) and sees Conrad sees it, she's all "Oh no I've hurt him" and runs off after him - abandoning the guy she was just making out with... Come ON, Belly. Make up your freaking mind. Now, Belly acknowledges that she's behaving stupidly, but really that does nothing to make her look better. Acknowledging that you're an idiot doesn't make you less of one. And then, when Belly and Jeremiah go to Conrad's college, Belly "instantly hates" this girl who comes looking for Conrad (a girl who shares my name) because... um... (fumbles through papers) because she ends sentences like a question? And apparently she possibly dated Conrad? I don't know? What is this? Get me out of here? And then when Belly sees an infinity necklace that she just knows is for her (this girl might not intend to but she sounds so freaking conceited) she at first thinks it's a figure-eight... for Conrad's hypothetical skater girlfriend... who Belly then decides she hates as well. Stop it, Belly. Stop it.
Now to The Climax. Belly and Jeremiah... are getting married! Wait. But Jeremiah cheated on her. No, no, apparently they "knew" they were getting back together when they "broke up"... well, wait, no, only Belly "knew" that so Jeremiah didn't see anything wrong with sleeping with another random girl. (If this sounds familiar that's because it's a trope used in
99 Days by
Katie Cotugno. You're welcome.) Okay... Now, the thing is, when Jeremiah proposed to Belly after she found out he "cheated," she accepts because she believes he won't do it again. I... actually liked this part. I fully believed that Jeremiah was being honest and would not "cheat" on Belly again, and I actually got kind of excited when she said yes... because I had been with them in their relationship since day one. I liked them as a couple much, much better than I did Belly and Conrad (because Conrad turns into the brooding bad boy that can't freaking communicate) and thought that Han was showing us a good relationship and that their marrying young would turn out well?
NOPE.
This. This is what made me so utterly angry in a book. Angrier than I have ever been in a while. The entire last book of this trilogy is spent focusing on Belly and Jeremiah's upcoming wedding. We spent pages and pages focused on the invitations and Belly's shower (okay, that scene was funny) and vases with some awkward/sexually charged moments between Belly and Conrad consisting of "oh no I touched his leg." When Belly and Jeremiah's families disapprove of their engagement and then Belly's mom shows up at the shower, I got happy and thought: Yes, they're approving! Belly and Jeremiah will live happily ever after! Yeah, no. I. Hated. This. Part. So. Utterly. Much.
Then can we talk about how Conrad tells Belly Jeremiah cheated and Belly's all "Yeah, I knew" and Conrad's all "What? How can you still want him? I'm disgusted" and then he and Jeremiah have a fight and then apparently the wedding is all canceled because B+J decided at the last moment that this wasn't for them? ARRGGHH. I had actually been shipping them! I had been happy that they were getting married! I thought this would end well!
Nope. After an entire book of wedding preparation... Belly and Conrad get married. After waiting a reasonable amount of time (like five years), having her mom pick out the dress, and listening to an appropriate song at the reception, it's official. Jeremiah apparently has a new girlfriend now though, so let's push him to the side and pretend like he's happy and focus on the newlyweds! There's absolutely no buildup to B+C ending up together and it's so rushed and horrible. Plus, what's with that crap about running away from the reception to jump in the ocean? Look, I get you guys are happy and all, but come on. There are people waiting for you. Be a little more mature.
Um, yeah, I guess we reached the end?
There are parts I didn't mention, like Conrad and Jeremiah's mom dying of cancer and throwing a monkey wrench in their love life and Belly dating this random guy and throwing an even bigger monkey wrench into her Conrad/Jeremiah love life. But this love triangle crap ruined everything about this book I actually liked. I think Belly had a brother but that's not important at all in any way. One quick note: Belly's mom, despite protest, is an absolutely terrible person for doing drugs because her best friend is doing them medicinally and getting high. Bad. Parenting. And doing drugs is much, much different than getting drunk. But ha ha, it's fine, she'll only do drugs if everyone else is doing them!
...
Don't follow the flock guys. Sophie out. Don't waste your time with these horrible, horrible books that promise but don't deliver. -
So WOW.
I finished this bad boy in like 2 days. And I wasn't even trying to. I was like: yes I will finally have a book that will take me at least a week since I'm so busy.
But that obviously didn't happen, it suck me right in.
So to begin with, this was not what I was expecting. I thought, a fun easy read with a little drama about loving two brothers.
I didn't think this was going to be about cancer and losing the most important person in your life and grief and a lot of WEEPING.
But what can I say, I love Jenny Han. She is amazing in creating very flawed characters who seem so real.
Belly's child flashbacks and her emotions they all seem so silly, but they are also so real and relatable for that age.
I feel like this trilogy is great, but I think the premise and the book cover (also the original ones) are just misleading.
Even though the ending is happy, it's just a lot of heart break and then a happy ending, which is way too short in my opinion.
I would have loved it if she had written a fourth book about how she coped with the break-up and studying abroad, how it became that in the end they didn't all hate each other etc. It's as if every single feeling Belly has had throughout the book was magnified, and then a really important period of time where she really grew up and learned from her past mistakes, was just glossed over and finished quickly with a happily ever after. It felt too sudden and I didn't feel ready to let go yet.
BUT, this is Jenny Han. Her characters love fierce, and it is devastating and heart breaking but you still want it.
If you're looking for an easier lighter read, I would recommend you read her 'To all the boys I've loved before', because it has all the good stuff this has, but then less heart breaking.
The summer I turned pretty: 4 stars
It's not summer without you: 3 stars
We'll always have summer: 3.5 stars -
The Summer series by Jenny Han, best selling author of To All The Boys I've Loved Before, is another trilogy about Love, Friendship and a bit of thriller/mystery YA book.
The books definitely are a perfect summer read which is light and fluffy considering we have a very straightforward yet very "confusing" (in characters mind) plot going on in these books.
Conrad and Jeremiah, two boys which I think my teenage self would have loved, but not anymore. Cousins Beach and everything related to the atmosphere is perfect in the books. Probably can say this one is pretty similar to Twilight series.
Belly, as a character lacks development as well as depth. She is naive and utterly confused in her head. The love component is also very boring at times and overall I would call this a one time read. -
Heart-warming and heart-breaking..."The Summer"-trilogy isn`t for everyone, but for people like me its everything i could have wished for when i was in 6:th grade in school. Belly and the Fisher brothers were an unlikely love-triangle and i just adored all three of them while Conrad Fisher always had my whole heart. After pushing Belly away in the first two books, we watch him fight for Belly`s heart in the last book "We`ll Always have Summer"...it is an beautiful and epic tale of love, tragic, life, pain, betrayal, happiness, brotherhood and the journey of growing up and taking a decision for the right path for you. Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah has known each other ALL THEIR LIVES, which is very much incredible and highlights the events in this trilogy even more. The last book is my favourite in this trilogy, and one of the best books i have ever read.I haven`t re-read this books and i won`t.I am much older now and don`t want it to ruin the sweet taste of pleasure in my memory of this trilogy.
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Okay. This is my very first review so please bear with me.
I gave Miss Jenny Han's trilogy THREE stars because I have been taken, torn, tortured, devastated, and ripped apart into tiny little pieces you probably couldn't put me back together again. Yes, those books have that much power over me despite the fact that it's almost shitty in a Twilight Saga way. Almost.
The first book was close to perfection. Miss Han tugged at my heart strings with the nostalgia of teenage years and firsts: first date, first boyfriend, first kiss, first love. I was so hooked that I cannot sleep without reading it all. I laughed, almost cried, then laughed with tears in my eyes. Forgive the fact that Belly has that selfish boys-above-all Bella Swan-like tendencies and Conrad is twisted with that hide-your-feelings-to-protect-her-but-toy-with-her-own (is there a word for that? Pray tell) because I understand their teenage characters. I myself was a teenager a year ago and I know how it feels like. We girls love bad boys. Conrad was a bad boy. He's dark, mysterious, he's older than Belly so she likes him. And he's protective, sometimes, caring in his own personal way, sometimes. Girls like Belly doesn't go for the bad boy because he's just hot. They go for the bad boy because they can't have him & they like chasing him around. They feed on the fantasy of having him but sooner or later, they get over it. Forgive her, she's just a child. Plus, they have something real they're going through. Belly's in a phase, Conrad has family & daddy issues. Not to mention sweet Susannah's cancer. Forgiven. Forgotten.
The second book, however, is so-so. I did not connect to it well enough that I had to skip Belly's whining on and on and on about Conrad treating her like shit. Well, she is shitty. What kind of childhood friend doesn't call up when the mother of her friends just died? Where's the support from her? She thinks Jere & Conrad might not want to hear from her but she's just thinking of herself. She claims to love Sussanah. She'd rather have Sussanah as her mother than Laurel. Yep. She's a shitty bitch.
Then comes Jeremiah to the rescue! Cue superhero music! All I can say is, poor, poor Jeremiah. He loves Belly, Belly loves Conrad, Conrad loves his brother that he gave Belly to Jeremiah which makes Jere a rebound. This is becoming a pathetic teenage drama.
The only thing that made it interesting is the daddy & mommy issues that developed throughout the book. I hated Belly for the way she treats & thinks about her Mom. So your mom doesn't cry, your mom has the emotional capacity of a rock, so sue her for trying to be strong and tough. I understand that you're a teenager. You are going through rapid changes and the love of your life is screwing it up but shut your pie hole because you mother is dealing with more serious shit compared to what you consider important. She's your mother. She raised you in the best way she knows, she's dealing with you the best ways she can. Personally, I'd rather see my mom being tough than see her blubbering in tears all the time. Suck it up and respect her.
Now the last book. *sigh* Let me just take a moment to remember why I gave the trilogy three stars instead of five (when I loved the first) or four (when I liked the second) Oh, there's the memory, yes, yes, it's all about that white ocassion where everyone is happy and two hearts are to be united as one: the WEDDING.
When I started reading, I was like, "Awwww, Jeremiah's so cute! I love it. Maybe the nice guy has a chance after all. Yay for the nice guys!" And then came the cheating part. Oops. Nice slip there, Miss Han, very sneaky. And then all of a sudden they're engaged. Engaged. Breath, Ness, it's okay. Jeremiah just proposed to Belly to make up to his faults as a man and Belly accepted it though she still thinks about Conrad. Just when I thought they just got engaged and they're to get married later, like, when they graduate, I'm reading that the wedding is on that very summer (Belly's eighteen, Jere's nineteen, mind) and I thought, "THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS!"
First of all, you don't get married at eighteen. That's way too young. Like Barney Stinson said, "DON'T THINK ABOUT GETTING MARRIED UNTIL YOU'RE THIRTY" and there's a reason for that. Reading Belly & Taylor talk about the wedding, I could only roll my eyes, shake my head in pity. These people have no idea what they're talking about. They haven't experienced life and they don't listen to their parents which is practically jumping off the cliff into an oblivion of suffering. Fortunately,
Miss Han didn't let that happen. Instead, she put the suffering at present time with Belly's confused feelings for Conrad and Conrad suffering himself.
The good thing in this book is that we see Conrad's point of view, we understand why he did what he did, and most of all, the development of his character which I suppose is the only character that developed throughout the trilogy. I have rooted for Jere back in the second book because he's the nice guy, the sweet one, the one who really wants Belly for all the right reasons. Then I'm back to Conrad on the third book seeing that he's turned into a mature, responsible human being. I'd want to marry that man.
The bad thing is the conflict itself. I've always begged for an answer to the question: WHY DO YOU EVEN CONTINUE ON PLANNING AND MAKING THE WEDDING IF YOU'RE NOT GOING THROUGH IT ON THE BIG DAY? It's such a waste of money and time! It's ridiculous and moronic! If you have doubts and fears and all those feelings of wanting another person, then stop right there, don't think about the wedding anymore. Just give the money to some charity or go travel to make some peace of mind.
Yes, I get it that a story should have conflict, it should have the element of confusion & discord only this is such a mainstream drama heightened by hormones & emotional problems.
Don't even get me started on the part where the boys fight over Belly because I have an issue about choosing lovelife/social life over family. It's just something anyone shouldn't do. Whatever the situation is, whoever that person is, be it your girlfriend or your bestfriend, you DON'T choose them over your family. Your family is always there for you, they're the people who raised you, who put up with your shit. Don't throw them away because of someone who might break your heart in the end. The fight scene between Jere & Conrad only goes to show that Jere's character is more flawed than Conrad's and Miss Han is pointing out that Conrad is more worthy than his little bro. I get it.
In the end, I didn't cry. I didn't tear up. I felt anger. A little bit of happiness but mostly anger, disappointment. In the last chapter, I'm like, "What just happened?" I thought I read a cheesy Filipino pocketbook where the protagonists get to go through a lot of crap & still has get to live happily ever after. If the ending was written simply without them getting married and all that corny beach stuff (I seriously wanted to puke on those last paragraphs) I would have put down the book a happy girl. Because that's how I like my endings. Simple. Happy. With a something like "a smile coming from the man I love after not seeing him for years & I just knew, he still held my heart & I still have his". How hard can that be? But that's just me.
See how torn I am? In between understanding the perks of being a teenager to understanding the needed elements of a good book and my emotions towards how the story was written to the flaws of the characters, I am blissfully, madly torn. All in all, this is a good book only with too much drama I felt like I'm watching a Filipino movie and I'm not a big fan of those movies. I loathe them though I'm a Filipino myself. I immensely enjoyed this especially the first one. If I were to read this again, I'd probably read the first book only to feel fourteen again and reminisce about Firsts. But like I said, that's just me.
xx -
What a lovely summerread! I really enjoyed the first book, it was the perfect book for this season. The second book has a severe case of second book syndrome, I really had to drag myself through it.. But the third book was really summerish again and I'd really enjoyed that one!
I am #TeamJeremiah from the first page until the very last. -
I was going to review all of these individually, but I couldn’t put them down and read them all in one shot. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from this series. I think part of me imagined it to be just a nice light beach read, hence the word summer. I was dead wrong; these books were so much more. I should have known though, Ginger recommended them to me and she tends to be partial to the emotional contemporary books. Don’t be discouraged though, they were far from being dark and depressing.
Every once and a while, you come across a book, or series that holds a special something. That magical feeling when you read it for the first time. You know it won’t the same when you re-read it, so you try and pace yourself… but its’ impossible because you eat, sleep, breathe the story. These books were that for me. The Summer Series is everything a contemporary should be. I felt everything all at once. I was overwhelmed with feeling, in a good way. It’s a beautiful coming of age story.
Belly, oh gosh, I loved her. I loved her for her faults. So many times I saw myself in her. Her flaws are so realistic. Han takes you through multiple trips during this series, back to when they were all little, spending summers at this beach house. You truly get a sense for who Belly is deep down. You literally grow up with her on paper. Her innocence is captured so well. I was nervous about her name being Belly, because that’s just weird, but have no fear! It’s a nick name and how she acquired it is adorable.
There is a love Triangle between Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad. This is not really a spoiler. I’m not always a fan of love triangles, but most are acceptable. I find it hard to even lump this series into the cliché (Love Triangle) group, because it felt more real than that. This isn’t the love triangle you normally see. “Oh he’s so cute and nice, but this other guy is so sexy and bad.” Nope, nothing like that. You don’t have a good or a bad guy. They all grew up together. They love each other like family, and naturally as they get older, some feelings change. I adored each and every one of them for different reasons. These Characters are so real, their problems are real, and their decisions are as well.
If you can’t tell already, I’m in love with this series. Madly in love. I look forward to my daughter reading it someday. I cannot stress enough, how great these books are. If you have them, READ THEM! Don’t put it off for too long. They are perfect to get you in the mood for summer. If you don’t have them yet, I assure you they are worth purchasing. These are now on my pedestal of favorite books ever, next to all the others. :o) -
3.5 Stars
As a big fan of Jenny Han, I had been waiting to read The Summer I Turned Pretty for so long. The summer vibes originally drew me in, and I enjoyed reading about life at a beach house. The main character is enjoyable, but she does have her moments that put me off. As well, the third and final instalment ruined the trilogy for me, and I was very dissatisfied with the ending. If you are looking to read this series, I would still recommend the first and the second book.
Full Series Review on The Candid Cover -
Let me start off by saying that the best part of this series was the beach house - not what happened at the beach house but just the house itself. That house had more growth and character than our MC. So yeah, that's how these books went for me.
I honestly should have known not to expect much. Unlike most, I did not enjoy the
To All the Boys I've Loved Before series. But I wanted to give this a chance since I had heard so much about it. It was a very quick read. I finished all three books in three days. So that was a plus. Now let's talk about the books.
The Summer I Turned Pretty - We meet Belly (am I the only one who was annoyed by this name? I get the nickname when you're a child but not when you're a teenager. I digress.) Every summer Belly goes to the beach house with her mom and brother, and there they stay with her moms bff and her two sons, Conrad & Jeremiah. Belly is in LOVEEEE with Conrad but of course, he wants nothing to do with her. The whole book is her pining over him until the end when it seems they get together.
It's Not Summer Without You - Conrad and Belly broke up (shocker) and now it's another whole book about going after Conrad and Belly whining about he doesn't love her. Oh, and an actual sad moment - the boys' mom passes away. I was really sad with this as she was one of the only good characters.
We'll Always Have Summer - Belly is with Jeremiah, but still loved Conrad. Belly is going to marry Jeremiah, but still loves Conrad. Do you see the problem here?
By the time I reached the middle of the third book, I didn't want Belly with either of the boys. All of them were 100% toxic for each other. Conrad was horrible to Belly and we're just supposed to forgive him because he's hurting on the inside? I'm sorry but no. As for Jeremiah, I actually liked him through most of the series. Up until the last book when Han completely changed his character and made him absolutely horrible. I guess she had to make Conrad seem more appealing so make the other brother a jerk? It was such a 180 from his previous character that I almost didn't finish, but I had come so far at that point that there was no turning back.
Another issue I had was pacing. Han wove in flashbacks throughout all of the books to try to give us more backstory but they were very abrupt and either disrupted the flow or had nothing to do with anything going on. Also, suddenly just having Conrad's POV in the later books was another miss. Disrupted the flow and added nothing of value.
In all honesty, I just don't think Han's writing is for me. Her style is very simplistic. There's really no deep feeling or beautiful prose. It's "he walked here. then we went here. I love him. He loves me." I need more. I need emotion and characters growth. I need angst and feelings and I didn't get anything but annoyance at these characters. -
**This book review may contain spoilers.**
This and other reviews at
CALLMESENSEI.
Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy has all of the things necessary for a feel good romance: a young girl in love, two yummy-looking boys, and a summer house at the beach.
Belly lives for her summers at the beach with her Fisher boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. She’s been in love with Conrad for years; Jeremiah is her best friend. This summer both boys will admit their feelings for Belly and Belly must choose who between them.
If only this tale of young love was that easy. The Fishers will face the loss of their mother and nothing will be the same for Belly and her boys again.
I picked up the first novel from this trilogy at a dollar book sale and thought it would be a perfect summer reading book. But really, the whole trilogy just struck the wrong cord with me.
Book One:
Basically, Belly is in love with Conrad. Conrad just can’t be bothered to reciprocate her feelings because he knows his mother’s secret; she’s ill and there’s no chance that she will get better. He’s an ass to everyone, especially Belly.
Belly and Jeremiah have no secrets. Jeremiah knows that Belly is in love with his brother but falls for her anyways.
Book Two:
Conrad and Belly are dating, without the label. Conrad disappoints Belly the night of her prom, leaving her devastated. Susanna passes away. Jeremiah reaches out to Belly when Conrad goes missing. They save Conrad from himself. Jeremiah kisses Belly. Conrad graciously gives his brother permission to go for Belly.
Book Three:
Belly and Jeremiah are together their first year in college. Jeremiah cheats on Belly during Spring Break. The obvious solution is to get married. Parents freak out. Conrad decides that his brother cannot marry his girl. Predictably, they don’t get married. Flash forward several years later, Conrad and Belly are married.
Seriously?!? This is a trilogy that has a 4.5 rating on Goodreads?
There is no depth to these immature and frankly selfish characters. None of these characters treat each other well.
It reminds me all too much of a personal relationship that I once had and did not end well. From that relationship, I learned much about myself and about what a relationship should be. That such a similar relationship should end in marriage is not romantic, but terribly sad.
1 star—but only because I can not give it zero. -
Note: may contain spoilers. I've tried to mark them, but still I may be spoilering!
1: 3/5. The first book was okay. I had trouble getting into the story and also sympathising with Belly. By the way, why would she introduce herself as Belly if she dislikes the name that much? It's so strange.... As the story picked up its pace, it got easier to stay in the story, but still, it didn't feel like it grabbed my attention like other books have before. I found the little twist a little predictable and I didn't very much like the ending. However, at the end I really felt for the characters, and the story still wasn't too bad.
2: 4/5. This book was much, much better than the first one in my opinion. I liked that Belly finally grew up a little and became a little more adult in the way she thought (of course, she's still officially a child, but she didn't annoy me as much as she did in the first book). Conrad annoyed me to no end, I really really dislike the pushing and pulling he was doing. Jeremiah was very sweet and I felt really bad for him here and there... Also, the fact that the whole story actually takes place in 6 days is kind of impressive... But very well executed. Also, Laurel is badass and I really like her!
3: 4/5. That ending! It's so sweet~ I kind of expected it to turn out this way, but it was still good. The book wrapped up really nicely, and it felt very satisfying.
All in all, I kind of liked the series. It was fluffy, but with a hint of seriousness mixed in. I liked that Isabel obviously grew up a little in the course of the trilogy, and the ending was very, very cute. -
4/5
I devoured the trilogy in 48H. It was cute, especially the first and second book - the third was less summery, more complicated, so it's my least favorite. A perfect light read for sunny days! -
the summary
- love triangle troupe-
this is just two sides: hate it or love it. unfortunately, I am sitting on the fence.
well, it is kinda a good plot, but belly spoiled it for me.
chev's system for reviews
plot development ☆☆☆
character development ☆☆☆
chev's board
have you checked out my five reviews <3 TEN tomorrow!
the rating
3/5!!
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So when someone says there’s a love triangle, this is the kind of love triangle I expect. It’s a reread for me, but it’s been a while since I’ve first read this series. It had me hooked until the end and it definitely got me emotional at some points throughout the book. I’m kinda sad this series is over now (again), but at least I still have the TV show.
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I can't help but have a massive soft spot for this series. The Summer Trilogy while enjoyably heartwarming, light, and filled with moments of growing and changing, also has important depth like when it touches on lovable, doting Susannah's cancer and the way her two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher, and Belly and the rest of Belly's family cope since Susannah is Belly's mother's best friend. Another aspect of this depth manifests itself in all the emotional challenges that each new turn of life presents for each of these characters.
I found myself laughing (hello Cam Cameron!), crying, and living meaningfully right along with these characters that brought huge swells of emotions in me like the swells of the waves that crash on Cousins Beach, where Belly goes to visit the Fisher boys every summer. She claims them as her summer boys as she never sees their pale skin or ruddy cheeks in the frosty white of winter, but instead always sees their tanned shoulders and ruffled, salty hair from the ocean.
Eventually, a love triangle develops, though, between her, Conrad, and Jeremiah as she becomes more than the fun sister that they would sometimes drag along or other times exclude from their activities. I admittedly, however, found myself smitten with Conrad all along. Of course I didn't always appreciate and stand by how he treated Belly, but he gave her her first real dance and infinity, he delicately, intimately wiped peach pulp from her mouth, he headily twirled her around after finishing his exam that she helped him study for, he looked at her with a kind of transient, though no less impactful, tenderness as she helped clean up his scrape, they ran off in the dead of the night to share a romantic getaway together at the beach house, a perfect place for hiding away, and he always protected her when he could most of the times she found herself in trouble. All of these little moments capture and add up to a bigger, undeniable reality: these characters have a special, sensitively explored connection that let's face it I couldn't get enough of or turn away from.
I was also inevitably drawn to the mystery of Conrad's character and unpacking and working him out as he had multiple layers to him that were fun to immerse myself in and explore. Jeremiah was more of an open book who while nice and charismatic, although not always, as he had his share of faults, too, I never shared a more profound connection with the way he was or how his character was developed as I did with Conrad.
Ultimately, this series captures what it is to be a teenager in all its awkward, delightful glory and also what it is to go back to a place every summer that has many memories attached sentimentally onto it, which you will forever hold inside of you. Except within that place you find yourself simultaneously growing/changing and holding onto past unmistakable parts of yourself that still live inside you no matter how old you get.
This series made me go through a rollercoaster of heart- expanding emotions that I can forever return to to cherish and love, in fact I already have a few times! -
Nog net op tijd voor de start van de read-a-thon! Hoewel ik het eerste boek het leukst vond en het laatste boek het minst leuk, krijgt het over-all toch 4 sterren.
Ik had hiervoor To all the boys I've Loved Before van haar gelezen en die vond ik qua schrijfstijl erg tegen vallen. Dit boek is compleet het tegen over gestelde. Het leest zo gemakkelijk en de sfeer is zo goed neer gezet. Een heerlijk zomer boek en ik ben dan ook heel blij dat ik dit boek toch nog gekocht heb (was het eerst niet van plan namelijk).
Morgen (eigenlijk vandaag) eerste dag van de read-a-thon. Wil er deze ronde serieus aan mee doen, dus dat betekend mijn wekker zetten voor morgen! -
I loved this trilogy so much I just had to write a poem.
Belly Conklin oh how childish you are.
You stick your tongue out like a kid and you’re really quite mid.
Your mother is a badass and yet you are a complete ass.
You pine over boys who will never like you back. I keep wondering when you will finally crack. And you live in a shack.
Sometimes I want to shove you in a go cart. Mainly because you’re named after my least favourite body part.
Thank you. -
I just reread this series and it's now become my favorite contemporary books in YA. If you're an older reader of YA, you'll think this is silly. But if you're the right age (13-18) this will really connect with you.
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Insgesamt ist diese Trilogie wirklich süß und voller toller Momente <3
Auch wenn Band 1 und 2 "nur" 4 Sterne Bücher sind, die ganze Reihe verdient mehr: man sieht die Entwicklung aller Charaktere über einen längeren Zeitraum hinweg (fast 9 Jahre!), und das ist wahnsinnig schön.
Kurzum: der Reread auf Englisch, Deutsch und mit dem englischen Hörbuch hat sich gelohnt! -
This was an absolutely incredible series. I will need to get my own copy of this so I can read it over and over and over again.
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J’ai bien aimé. C’est simple et doux. Et ça se passe en été, sur une plage. Deux choses que j’adore.
Mais sans plus. -
Pretty average.Terrible time skips Show was way better and logical ig. We will still see season 2 to judge completely
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The Summer I Turned Pretty: 3 stars
It's not Summer Without you: 4 stars
We'll always have Summer: 2.5 stars
Overall rating: 3 stars
“Nothing, nothing felt better than the way sand felt beneath my feet. It was both solid and shifting. Constant and ever-changing. It was summer.”
The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy had it's moments of pure bliss but also moments of utter stupidity. But it was still an addictive and compelling story. I feel though that the cringe worthy moments in the book series outweighed the feel-good and enlightening moments. The cast of characters were a bit off-putting, I couldn't sympathise with Isabel's, Jeremiah's or Conrad's situation. The character development for the three characters was, I felt, too rushed and overly excessive. I just couldn't fall in love with these characters. The writing style was of course fun and quirky, pure Jenny Han. It had a contemporary feel to it which I, of course, fell in love with.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
This novel was the perfect summer read. It brought towards me a sensation of happiness and feel-good feelings, something that is common with contemporary, summer YA. But. Isabel, the main character, was, to be blunt, the worst character in this novel. Whiny, immature, naive, ignorant and self-centred, I absolutely did not enjoy reading from Isabel's perspective. Her voice was too immature and childish, she refused to think things through. Her biggest wish was to 'fit in' with the boys but, honey, that ain't going happen *snaps fingers*. They just aren't interested. But despite that, it was an easy to read book which focussed on growing up, family and relationships but just that.
It's not Summer Without you
This was the better sequel of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Isabel actually developed, a little, into a young woman and began to think rationally and maturely. She started to grow on me. Conrad and Jeremiah were also, surprisingly, a better version of themselves with Conrad's angst and Jeremiah's maturity. It was such a more enjoyable read. But it didn't hold as much of the summery feel I did share during the first book which was actually missed. The progression of the story and the themes developing into more serious subjects worked really well. The romance did, honestly, have an effect on me. Who doesn't love a little of teenage romance from time to time?
We'll Always have Summer
The trilogy was at a high with It's not Summer Without you but it came crashing down with the final book. Everything was ruined. The storyline was worthless, unnecessary and, quite frankly, boring. I really didn't like it. Isabel was a far more enjoyable character with her emotional maturity being well written and constructed. Conrad and Jeremiah were likeable characters, each with their own emotional battles which I really enjoyed as it gave them more depth and empathises. The ending threw me though, I felt like it wasn't an ending, it was more like a cliffhanger with a lack of finality and closure.
Nevertheless, The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy was enjoyable and a fun read but the characters did lack maturity with the final storyline being completely pointless. I definitely recommend for a fun, entertaining read but nothing more. -
Loved this series! Started reading book 1 and couldn't stop until I'd finished book 3. Although these books would be classed as contemporary YA romance, that really doesn't do them justice. Really, they are books about the importance of family, friends, and about growing up and figuring out that life is seldom simple ... The central character, Belly (Isabel), is a fairly typical teenage girl. I liked that she wasn't made out to be some perfect heroine. She was bratty and whiny at times, often confused about what was going on, but clearly a lively and loveable character. The boys ( her brother, Steven, and their childhood friends Jeremiah and Conrad) too were far from perfect; as the series progressed we go to see things first from Jeremiah's point of view and then Conrad's, which added depth to the story, filled in some gaps and also helped to explain various things that Belly herself didn't understand. Their confusion, anger and sadness over various events are well presented, alongside their boyish pranks and banter. The tension between the two brothers, their competitiveness versus their strong brotherly love, is particularly well portrayed. The adult characters are all very 'present' as well, and portrayed in a realistic way. It was good to read a YA story that showed adults as active and concerned, not absent, although one of the themes of the series is the realisation, as the children grow, that their parents are far from perfect. I loved the role played by the beach house, as an anchor point for many of the characters; it almost took on a life of its own. And I enjoyed the way in which the story was told, swapping from present day to flashbacks of the past in a way that seems very natural to me, as current events triggered memories and characters looked back in an effort to find either understanding or comfort. It is not a difficult read, and It only took me a day or so to read all three (!), but it is a story that will stay with me for quite some time.
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I liked the first two books. I hated the third. I absolutely hated it.
Okay, let's set the scene here:
Belly (or Isabel) grew up around these two dudes. their mom and her mom are bffs and belly feels very close to their mom (Suzannah). belly spends the first book pining over Conrad who is an ass, but also kinda likes her. there's also a subplot surrounding the boy's parents and their marriage and that. okay. so far, so good.
second book, she kinda starts dating Conrad but then he goes AWOL after a thing happens and that sort of wrecks her relationship with him and she kinda teeters between him and Jeremiah (the other brother). also still kind of a thing happening with their parents.
third book, they decide they want to get married while she's still a freshmen in college, and the parents flip out. this is the parents role in this one. they don't get a subplot, they are now the obstacle. we spend way too much time with planning the wedding, which I have never cared about when reading a book. also, the reason they decide to get married is dumb. and she spends most of the first half saying how her current beau is the bomb.com but then the brother shows up and she's all like "which one??! which one??!" all over again.
I think the worst part about it is that you feel like Belly lives in a world where these two boys are the only things that matter in life. you sort of hear that she likes swimming and that she's good at it, but when she chooses a college she goes to the same one as her boyfriend. and we don't find out what her major is, I don't think. she doesn't have much in the way of personality, other than "upset" and "in love".
honestly, you could read these. they're readable. but not if you like sustenance. they're basically three books worth of "omg I love them both, they both love me this is a difficult decision" stretched out, and is used as a basis for belly to make important life-altering decisions.
just save your money and read some fanfiction.
one star, because the author tried. -
3.5 stars
