Reviews - The Summer I Turned Pretty (Deluxe Edition)

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28.1k reviews for:

The Summer I Turned Pretty (Deluxe Edition)

Jenny Han

3.51 AVERAGE

fmurphy31's review against another edition

3.75

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

khaleesiofthetardis's review against another edition

3.5

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

hannahbailey's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Never has a book screamed 2010 YA angst more! Felt like a nostalgic road trip, despite never experiencing a summer like this as a teen lol.

Such a good choice to set the show in modern times as this already felt so outdated, but it was still fun to read! Belly is annoying and Conrad is way meaner in the book, but what I somehow forgot after watching the show was how sad the actual storyline is 😭

Content Warnings

jetlaggedjanet's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Fun and easy read for sure

makira_k's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

iamammarashahid's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

so I finally read The Summer I Turned Pretty, and honestly? It was kinda meh. Like, the whole love triangle thing was super dramatic, but also… predictable? I saw the ending coming from a mile away, which was a bit of a bummer.

The writing style was okay, easy to read, perfect for a beach day or something. But Belly… girl, no. Seriously. She was so self-absorbed! I get that she's going through a lot, and first love is confusing, but she was constantly making everything about her. It was frustrating watching her treat Conrad and Jeremiah like they were toys, playing them against each other. It felt really selfish, and honestly, I wanted to shake some sense into her more than once.

The summer setting was cute, and I loved the family aspect – the Cousins' dynamic was the best part of the book! But the constant drama and Belly's inability to make a decision just got old after a while. It wasn't a terrible read, but it definitely wasn't as amazing as everyone made it out to be. I'd give it 2.5 stars, maybe 3 if I was feeling generous. Definitely not a five-star read for me.