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A review by lucyatoz
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han is a young adult story featuring Isabel, or as she goes by her nickname in the book Belly, which I think most teenagers would have bulked at!
This novel has issues. Belly is an annoying teenager, with an internal monologue which did get some what irritating. Jeremiah and Conrad, the son's of her Mum's best friend, are the people who she has spent the Summer with, along with her brother Steven, for a long time. They are your typical American boys, who enjoy swimming, football, playing computer games, and teasing Belly.
It is not my kind of read personally, but wanted to read something that I would not normally read. They are some topics that affect teenagers, such as drinking alcohol and using drugs, which are mentioned but not really elaborated on. Both mother's are divorced, or about to be, with one also having a relapse of cancer, which again is touched on but not really part of the story as such. It is mainly centred around Belly and, for me, this lead to very self-centred story, when it could have been so much more.
I borrowed a copy of this book from Taunton Library and listened to it on cloudLibrary. I read this for prompt 10, told in a non-chronological order, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
This novel has issues. Belly is an annoying teenager, with an internal monologue which did get some what irritating. Jeremiah and Conrad, the son's of her Mum's best friend, are the people who she has spent the Summer with, along with her brother Steven, for a long time. They are your typical American boys, who enjoy swimming, football, playing computer games, and teasing Belly.
It is not my kind of read personally, but wanted to read something that I would not normally read. They are some topics that affect teenagers, such as drinking alcohol and using drugs, which are mentioned but not really elaborated on. Both mother's are divorced, or about to be, with one also having a relapse of cancer, which again is touched on but not really part of the story as such. It is mainly centred around Belly and, for me, this lead to very self-centred story, when it could have been so much more.
I borrowed a copy of this book from Taunton Library and listened to it on cloudLibrary. I read this for prompt 10, told in a non-chronological order, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Blood, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol