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cguettler's review against another edition
4.0
I read the first book and watched the prime series in one day, then the last two books over the course of the next few days.
The Summer I Turned Pretty:
Definitely team Conrad throughout the whole book, but I gotta say I liked the show more than the book, which is rare… it just brought SO much more depth to all the other characters that barely get any development in the book.
It’s Not Summer Without You:
Okay okay they got me, I was team Jeremiah during this book but ONLY because we aren’t given anything from Conrad’s POV like we are Jeremiah’s… it makes you believe that Conrad is being a jerk for the sake of being a jerk. But as much as I fell in love with Belly’s mom in the Prime show, I love her even more by the end of this book!
We’ll Always Have Summer:
The amount of times I had to remind myself of how old everyone is… too many to count! Gosh this book was so frustrating, not only did I lose respect for Jeremiah but also Belly. BUT Conrad is this books saving grace. You can see how much he’s grown through his POVs and completely understand his motives whether they had been communicated well or not.
All in all, a very good ending to their story! Can’t wait for the TV series to finish!
The Summer I Turned Pretty:
Definitely team Conrad throughout the whole book, but I gotta say I liked the show more than the book, which is rare… it just brought SO much more depth to all the other characters that barely get any development in the book.
It’s Not Summer Without You:
Okay okay they got me, I was team Jeremiah during this book but ONLY because we aren’t given anything from Conrad’s POV like we are Jeremiah’s… it makes you believe that Conrad is being a jerk for the sake of being a jerk. But as much as I fell in love with Belly’s mom in the Prime show, I love her even more by the end of this book!
We’ll Always Have Summer:
The amount of times I had to remind myself of how old everyone is… too many to count! Gosh this book was so frustrating, not only did I lose respect for Jeremiah but also Belly. BUT Conrad is this books saving grace. You can see how much he’s grown through his POVs and completely understand his motives whether they had been communicated well or not.
All in all, a very good ending to their story! Can’t wait for the TV series to finish!
alyssaindira's review against another edition
4.0
Hey guys, so instead of reading each of these books separately, I actually got a book that contained all three books in the Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy. So, ill just smash all my reviews into one. So in the first book, The Summer I turned Pretty by Jenny Ham, it started off kinda like a sappy boring story for a while, and I was super confused with like every other chapter being a flashback. I couldnt tell where the storyline was. Some parts were a bit boring that just lead me to skim over them. Obviously I compared Jere and Conrad, the two leading men. Con, gah he is too complex to detail in words other than what the author depicts. And even then I cannot fathom my true feeling regarding the older Fisher Boy. Jeremiah, well he is almost the total package. Kind, funny, attentive, caring, mama's boy, and so much more. Which is reason why I am wary of love triangles, the guy who deserves to get a chance, is left out in the dust, and the jerk steals the girl away. BLEH. At first it kinda reminded me of the Tigers Curse, both brothers compete for a girls attention. However, there was a time in the book were Isabel "belly"(which by the way,I had to wait like 100 pages to find out why they called her that, up until then i was thinking "why the hell would someone name their kid belly?) she dates someone else. So that was strange given the underlying pretense that she was gonna immediately date one of the brothers. I admit, i dont think I would have continued on with the next book, given the ending of the first, if it werent printed on the very next page.
With regards to that,the second book, It's Not Summer Without You (probably read that part in a day and a half lol). So, I liked how the flashbacks were less chaotic, loved having Jeremiahs point of view. But that ending was like WTF did I just read? I am so confused. Also twas a bit sadder, and reinforced that Conrad is an ass, and Jere is the angel. I cant really say much more than that without spoiling it for you guys. Moving on to the third book. We'll Always Have Summer, god I still have tears in my eyes. *takes a deep breath*. In the beginning of the book I was so happy that what I wanted happened. BUT THEN THE GUY HAS TO BE A JERK AND RUIN IT. DAMN. I felt it was going to go downhill from there. On the contrary, the next thing is so unexpected and surprising, man I wish I could tell you but that would again, spoil it. So basically the entire book is centered around that, with a few minors bumps in the road. UNTIL ANOTHER BOY EFFS IT UP. I was at a lost for words the last bit of the book. My mind was spinning. Why cant anything be easy, because life isnt like that, even in a freakin novel. So thats when ordeals really get jacked up, and I was literally crying, but I am not sure why. Because of what COnrad did, because of Jere's reactions, or because of Isabel's final decision. *Cries*. It was a damn emotionally rollercoaster. Indeed, the auhtor must not have my mindset about the situation. In particular, I was thinking "Conrad doesnt derserve you.He has hurt you so many times it's hard to keep track. He tossed you around like a piece of garbage. He played cat and mouse with you. Strung you along for soo long, why in the hell...*bangs head against a wall* and yet, still, always, forever, I guess it all goes to hell from there eh? I should probably shut up now. (although I must say it also reminded me of Greys Anatomy's April and Jackson's wedding dilemma). Kayyyyyy, so yeah.......any questions..?
With regards to that,the second book, It's Not Summer Without You (probably read that part in a day and a half lol). So, I liked how the flashbacks were less chaotic, loved having Jeremiahs point of view. But that ending was like WTF did I just read? I am so confused. Also twas a bit sadder, and reinforced that Conrad is an ass, and Jere is the angel. I cant really say much more than that without spoiling it for you guys. Moving on to the third book. We'll Always Have Summer, god I still have tears in my eyes. *takes a deep breath*. In the beginning of the book I was so happy that what I wanted happened. BUT THEN THE GUY HAS TO BE A JERK AND RUIN IT. DAMN. I felt it was going to go downhill from there. On the contrary, the next thing is so unexpected and surprising, man I wish I could tell you but that would again, spoil it. So basically the entire book is centered around that, with a few minors bumps in the road. UNTIL ANOTHER BOY EFFS IT UP. I was at a lost for words the last bit of the book. My mind was spinning. Why cant anything be easy, because life isnt like that, even in a freakin novel. So thats when ordeals really get jacked up, and I was literally crying, but I am not sure why. Because of what COnrad did, because of Jere's reactions, or because of Isabel's final decision. *Cries*. It was a damn emotionally rollercoaster. Indeed, the auhtor must not have my mindset about the situation. In particular, I was thinking "Conrad doesnt derserve you.He has hurt you so many times it's hard to keep track. He tossed you around like a piece of garbage. He played cat and mouse with you. Strung you along for soo long, why in the hell...*bangs head against a wall* and yet, still, always, forever, I guess it all goes to hell from there eh? I should probably shut up now. (although I must say it also reminded me of Greys Anatomy's April and Jackson's wedding dilemma). Kayyyyyy, so yeah.......any questions..?
annalena209's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
whatsthestorywishbone's review against another edition
3.0
Why the hell did I read these? Not sure, apparently when I watch questionable tv I am inclined to read the source material. Especially if they are super short and don’t take long to read. Book 1) Redeeming quality was that it took me back to summer and being dumb about first crushes. Nostalgia made me finish. Book 2) This one was SAD. I really related to the grief of having a parent die and at the same time facing the loss the summer place you shared with that person. IMO this was the best one. Book 3) The base premises of the wedding and how they got engaged was infuriating and by the end I was mad at everyone.
usopppxx's review against another edition
2.0
Heart break, laughter, love and tears all mixed up in a bottle of 'you wont sleep until you finish the trilogy'.
chloemera's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ojohnson's review against another edition
5.0
After watching the tv show I had to read the book and turns out my sister had it in her room. When I read the first book I was honestly really disappointed. I loved how in the tv show we had the back and forth and the deb ball, but the book had none of that. It was all wonky with no Steven (sad), no Taylor the summer she actually turned pretty, and I just think it was extremely confusing because I was waiting for moments we had with the characters in the tv show.
I kept reading though because I wanted to see what was in store (I love spoiling endings and reading the last page of books before I even start) and I loved it! I was so confused how they were going to keep the same characters throughout the whole thing cause they were so young (and I read the last page) but it all made so much sense and I honestly cried at the end and the letters because it ended so nicely.
I will say though, Jenny Han needed another book. She needed to tell the story of how they finally got together, how Belly grew up and was able to forgive, how the brothers got past their hatred for each other. I wanted to see how they all were able to go back to Beck's house together and still be friends. Ugh I hope they wrap things up in a bow for the show!!
I kept reading though because I wanted to see what was in store (I love spoiling endings and reading the last page of books before I even start) and I loved it! I was so confused how they were going to keep the same characters throughout the whole thing cause they were so young (and I read the last page) but it all made so much sense and I honestly cried at the end and the letters because it ended so nicely.
I will say though, Jenny Han needed another book. She needed to tell the story of how they finally got together, how Belly grew up and was able to forgive, how the brothers got past their hatred for each other. I wanted to see how they all were able to go back to Beck's house together and still be friends. Ugh I hope they wrap things up in a bow for the show!!
m_zaccarian's review against another edition
2.0
I decided to re-read this trilogy once the series came out. As many YA novels that I have read in my early teens, re-reading it was flabbergasting! I had romanticised so much the characters and their behaviours, I only just now realize how toxic it all really is. None of them communicate, it is all deeply rooted in insecurities and jealousy, and baseline - every single character in this book needs therapy. The main problem is that Conrad is portrayed as the 'broody mysterious guy' just because he does not lie about his struggles - or he simply is not able to hide them. Everybody else is concealing them in some way, resulting in major miscommunication, gaslighting, manipulation, and general hurt.
It is a great book series to read to spend time and have a silly little romance, but it should - in NO WAY - be a starting line to set romantic expectations!
It is a great book series to read to spend time and have a silly little romance, but it should - in NO WAY - be a starting line to set romantic expectations!