Scan barcode
A review by paperbackdino
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I surprisingly enjoyed this book. Jenny Han’s writing was interesting and perfectly portrayed the ever-changing emotions of a teenage girl and how the world is viewed by her. I enjoyed the character development and the style of writing, which was descriptive but didn’t overtake from the plot or the storytelling. The book felt comforting, as if you had been to Cousins with Belly since she first went and had a strong introduction into this world. I liked the flashbacks too, as they allowed for further character development and improvement throughout.
However, I felt that the story was very slow and almost acted as a build up to the second book. The storyline felt very much like it was going to lead to things that never happened and the relationship between Conrad and Belly was not properly explored, which led to some confusion. While it has been picked up in the second book, I feel as though there should have been more about them in the first book- possibly in the flashback scenes where it focuses primarily on Jeremiah and Steven.
However, I felt that the story was very slow and almost acted as a build up to the second book. The storyline felt very much like it was going to lead to things that never happened and the relationship between Conrad and Belly was not properly explored, which led to some confusion. While it has been picked up in the second book, I feel as though there should have been more about them in the first book- possibly in the flashback scenes where it focuses primarily on Jeremiah and Steven.