Today, I will be talking about a book where two brothers fall in love with the same girl and the big question of who she will end up with hangs in the air throughout.
Which book comes to your mind with this trope? There are plenty, I know!
But I am talking about The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. It’s a young adult contemporary romance book that is very popular, and recently, it has been adapted as an OTT series.
Trust me when I say people are going crazy over the series, but I personally preferred the books more (says every book reader), so I decided to review the first book of the trilogy.
Have a look at my book review of The Summer I Turned Pretty, as it might help with your contemplation stage of whether I should choose this book or not.
Synopsis of The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
The Summer I Turned Pretty is a trilogy written by Jenny Han. I will give you the synopsis of the first part, The Summer I Turned Pretty.
The book begins by introducing us to Isabel Conklin (Belly), the fifteen-year-old girl, also one of the main protagonists. Belly, with her mother, Laurel, and her brother, Steven, is going to Cousin’s Beach, where she has spent all her summers since she was a baby.
Susannah, Laurel’s best friend, has a beach house at Cousin’s Beach, and they all spend their summers there every year. Susannah comes with her two teenage sons, Jeremiah and Conrad.
Conrad is the oldest brother with a beautiful face and a reserved and brooding personality. On the other hand, Jeremiah is the fun brother with a cute smile, a charming personality, and the heart of a party.
Belly has always been a little sister to all three boys, whom they tease, play, and care for. However, this year, things are going to change.
Belly is all grown up now, and the moment she arrives, both boys do a double take when they see her. She feels different, kind of shy and happy, a normal feeling for a teenager.
She has been crushing on Conrad for as long as she can remember. But unfortunately, Conrad never paid attention to her that way. Jeremiah, the younger brother, is Belly’s best friend.
This summer, things felt different yet the same. The boys saw her as a girl who was more than just a little sister; she became the center of attention.
Susannah always joked that Belly would end up marrying one of her sons, and she, as a mother, would be happy with whoever she chooses.
But how can Belly choose between the two handsome Fisher brothers?
In between the love triangle, Susannah is hiding a big secret from everyone except Laurel. A secret that can shatter each of them!
It’s a story about complicated relationships, heartbreak, first love, loss, friendship, and more. It’s a lighthearted summer romance read.
My Review of The Summer I Turned Pretty
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the first series I read by author Jenny Han. I loved the series, which led me to explore more of Jenny’s books. That’s when I came across The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Although it’s a trilogy, and I’ve read all the parts, here I’ve only reviewed the series’ first book. So, let’s start with my book review of The Summer I Turned Pretty!
The whole plot of the book was a cliché, about two brothers loving the same girl, the complicated relationship between the three, and the ultimate question of who will she choose.
It reminded me of the Vampire Diaries series, though this one didn’t have any supernatural elements.
This young adult summer romance book is a lighthearted read, and I was happy as well as frustrated throughout the read. There were many cute moments, but the stupid decisions and unnecessary drama often irked me.
Belly has had feelings for Conrad for a very long time, and everyone knows about it except for Conrad. (Yeah, yeah, nothing new. The clueless person of every romance story)
Her character was relatable but also annoying at the same time. She was self-obsessed and thought nothing else mattered except her own feelings and hurt. Although her care for the people she loved was very touching.
Actually, she was a typical teenager, rebellious with her parents and selfish about love and pain.
Conrad’s character sometimes felt logical, but he was just plain rude at other times. I really liked Jeremiah’s character; he was fun. Apart from these two, I was looking forward to Steven’s personality and felt bad as the author didn’t highlight him at all.
The best part of the book was Susannah and Laurel’s pure friendship. It was one of the best! Jenny showed a genuine bond filled with love and care, which is very rare.
On the other hand, Belly and Taylor’s friendship was fake, a relation maintained only for the sake of ‘let’s be friends.’ The contradiction between these two relationships is shown within the story.
Jenny Han’s writing was good but not the best, and it is understandable as these are the books she wrote at the beginning of her journey.
The book ends with a cliffhanger, though not a big one, and continues to the second and third parts.
As I have said before, I read romance stories to comfort my heart, so keeping aside the deep evaluation of the book, it was a heartfelt read.
Overall, the book was good but will not leave you in awe. It’s a simple story with complicated relationships about teenage boys and girls and their introduction to the emotion of love.
Wrap-Up
If you are considering reading the book, I hope my review will help you decide. The Summer I Turned Pretty is also a TV series, so you can watch it before diving into the books. However, I will suggest you read the books first. It will help you better understand.
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? Share your views in the comments!