The Summer I Turned Pretty

megank - The Summer I Turned Pretty is one of the most amazing books I've read this year. Belly is finally going to be old enough to fit in with Conrad, Jeremiah, and her brother. Every summer she expects Conrad to notice her, but he never did. This summer, Conrad changed completely, he starts to smoke and stops talking to everyone, but so did Belly, she became pretty and her whole summer becomes out of control. I think my favourite character will definitely be Jeremiah because he's very friendly, humorous, and is always there for Belly to be her best friend no matter what. Whenever Belly is feeling down, he is there to solver her problems. I also love how the author uses many throwback chapters to let people know how much they have grown and to let us see what memories made Belly the person she is today. People should definitely read this book, Belly faces many problems that teens today can also experience, such as crush problems, puberty, friendship, and mostly growth. If you've read To All The Boys I Loved Before also by Jenny Han, you will love this book for sure!

Starred review from April 27, 2009
This well-written coming-of-age story introduces 15-year-old Isabel, aka Belly, for whom summer has always been the most important time of year: it's when her family shares a beach house with her mother's best friend, Susannah, and her two sons. Like Belly's older brother, Steven, Susannah's boys have always thought of Belly as their younger sister. But this summer—“It was the summer everything began”—is different. One brother, Jeremiah, is suddenly interested in Belly, but she has always had a crush on dark and unattainable Conrad. And then there is Cam, also spending the summer at the beach, who becomes Belly's first boyfriend. Han (Shug
) realistically balances Belly's naïveté with her awareness of the changes the years have brought (“In some ways it was even harder being the only girl back then. In some ways not”). Anecdotal chapters of past summers are interspersed, rounding out Belly's character, her attachment to Susannah and her desire for the boys to include her. First in a planned trilogy, Han's novel offers plenty of summertime drama to keep readers looking forward to the next installment. Ages 12–up.