The Summer I Turned Pretty

Book Details

Jenny Han The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Summer I Turned Pretty is a young adult romantic trilogy series that illustrates the wonderfulness and the chaotic nature of a youthful love affair during the summer months. The fictional beach town of Cousins Beach is where the series is set, and it centers around Isabel “Belly” Conklin, as she comes into her own with her summer vacations at the beach house of her mother and her best friend. About to enter a romance triangle between brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher, Belly finds herself caught up in first love, heartache and personal development in the setting of sun-drenched days and family life. Through the beautiful prose and recognizable characters, the book tackles issues of finding individual identity, friendship, youth, and the pain/wonder of growing up.

The trilogy revolves around what happens to Belly in turning relationships with the Fisher brothers and the emotional baggage of her summers with mother Susannah and her own mother, Laurel. The books explore the inner world of Belly and combine nostalgic summer atmosphere and exploration of such bottomless topics as grief and family relations. This loyalty to the readers is because of its realistic depiction of teenage feelings and of the desire of all of us to spend a perfect summer. It became even more popular with the so-called BookTok, a trend on social media portals such as TikTok, where those fans reignited interest in the books.

• Author: Jenny Han, American author known for YA romance, including *To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before*.
• Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Coming-of-Age.
• Total Word Count: ~150,000 (across three books).
• Global Sales: Over 7 million copies sold, boosted by the TV adaptation.

Published Books (U.S. hardcover editions):

The trilogy’s beachy and depth of emotional scenes in the trilogy has surely won it the status of a YA classic, with the fan-divided sentiment over the love triangle (Team Conrad/Team Jeremiah) being one of the most fierce in YA. Its combination of light summer romance and emotional scenes has made it be likened to such old time movie classics as *The Notebook*.

Adaptation Details

The Summer I Turned Pretty &#8216 initially as a trilogy, later as a series in the form of an adaptation on Prime Video (20222022), can be defined as the hallmark of a summer romance series that is immediately familiar and with a splash of color is akin to viewing fleeting nighttime moments. Set in Cousins Beach, the series employs dream-like coastal visuals, pop-heavy soundtrack, and natural performances to create the atmosphere of Cousins Beach. Co-showrunner Jenny Han has changed details, so as to make them match the spirit of the books and to make them more relevant to modern viewers. The series is romantic, family-oriented, and coming-of-age, although it can appeal both to the audience that read the books and those who have never done so.

Based in North Carolina, the series was recorded on beautiful sunlit beaches and in comfy beach houses, making the atmosphere very emotional, yet idyllic. Its popularity is connected with the so-called BookTok phenomenon, the fans of which analyze the love triangle and post favorite moments in it. The new version features larger roles of secondary characters and some of the minor additions, such as references to social media, to make the show relatable to modern teenagers.

• Showrunner: Jenny Han, Gabrielle Stanton.
• Platform: Prime Video.
• Release Dates:
  • Season 1: June 17, 2022 (7 episodes).
  • Season 2: July 14, 2023 (8 episodes).
  • Season 3: July 3, 2025 (11 episodes, ongoing as of August 2025).
• Runtime: ~45–60 minutes per episode, ~16 hours total (as of Season 3).

Key Cast:

Reception: The series has received an 81% average approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, complimented by their heartfelt performances and summer aesthetic, but some criticized it as having pacing problems. It is a hit streaming, with millions of times watched, based on fan disputes of Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah.

Production: Expected cost of over 10 million dollars an episode, was taken in Wilmington, North Carolina due .

Comparisons

Spoiler Warning: Minor plot hints below.

The Prime Video version is a close adaptation of the books in terms of emotional core and love triangle but with certain creative liberties, which draw a wider appeal to the audiences. It preserves the nostalgic sense of the summer, but also modernizes the elements on TV.

• Similarities:
• 
  Core plot: The plot of the summers Belly spends in Cousins Beach, her love affair with Conrad and Jeremiah and the relationships of the family are reproduced.
• Characters: The development of Belly, moodiness of Conrad, and friendliness of Jeremiah match the novels.
• Themes: First love, the ties of family and growing up predominate.
• Differences:
  • Books: First-person narration via Belly offers deeper insight into her emotions; slower pacing focuses on internal growth and memories.
  • Series: Expands secondary characters (e.g., Taylor, Steven); adds modern elements like social media; alters timelines and events (e.g., prom scenes, new subplots) for drama.
  • Tone: Books are introspective; series leans into visual romance and heightened emotions.

Why It Works: The show strikes at the essence of the books with its sunshine vibe, its good casting, and the use of music (ranging the likes of Taylor Swift). It may seem contentious to change the material but fans of the books will argue that the appeal and emotional connection of the story, updates to make it more relevant in the modern age, is what makes it a smashing success, particularly with YA audiences..

Trivia & Resources

• Trivia:
  • Jenny Han makes cameo appearances in the series and consulted closely to preserve the books’ spirit.
  • The show’s popularity sparked a “BookTok” frenzy, with fans creating content about the love triangle.
  • Season 3, released in 2025, expands on the books’ ending, adding new twists for viewers.
• Resources:
  • Buy books on Amazon.
  • Stream the series on Prime Video.