AUTHOR Jenny Han
MR RATING 10/10
(MY) SYNOPSIS Cousins Beach. It's Belly's favorite place in the whole world and she goes there every summer. Cousins Beach is where Susannah is. Cousins Beach is where Jeremiah is. But most importantly, Cousins Beach is where Conrad is.
Since practically ever, Belly has had a major crush on Conrad, Susannah's eldest (and most handsome) son. But he's always thought of Belly as a little sister, not someone he'd kiss. Even though Belly knows this and Conrad all but spells it out for her, she can't help but lust after him.
Then there's Jeremiah. The goofy, caring, cute Jeremiah who's always been Belly's best friend. He's the type of guy who loves football (unlike his brother who only plays it because of their dad) and is always looking for fun. Belly loves Jeremiah too, but just like a brother. Not like she loves Conrad.
But this summer, everything changes. This summer, Jeremiah sees Belly as not a friend, but... someone more than that. Everyone notices Belly's change, even careless Conrad. Belly doesn't think she's any different, but they know she is. She's older and pretty.
Jeremiah keeps giving Belly subtle hints, even when he lopes off with Conrad and Belly's older brother Steven, leaving Belly behind. But all oblivious Belly can see is Conrad and how Conrad has changed, too. She still sees Jeremiah as just her friend.
In a summer where some things are pretty and some things are not, Belly finds herself on edge. She doesn't know what to do, especially with new guy Cam and his kind and romantic gestures. And when Susannah starts acting weird, Belly doesn't know who to turn to. Because this summer, everything changes.
MY COMMENTS I absolutely loved this book!! One reason I loved it was because the majority of the chapters were short. And I don't know about you, but I love short chapters because I hate stopping in the middle of a chapter when I'm reading. It's just an OCD thing I have, I guess.
One thing especially amazing about The Summer I Turned Pretty was that it had flashback chapters. Like, it would have the chapter open telling what age Belly was during a particular summer. The flashback chapters always had a significance pertaining to the previous or next chapter in the present. It was really interesting and it really connected the story by having what happened in summers prior to the book's beginning.
It had lovable characters. The characters were relatable and realistic, especially Belly because I could really relate to all the changes she was going through. And all the boy problems she had. She was a fun and interesting character, perfectly executed in first person POV. I also couldn't help falling for Jeremiah and Conrad. Jenny Han did a great job describing them and their very different personalities. It reminded me of The Vampire Diaries a little bit, because I was caught between two brothers (just like Belly and Elena). Jeremiah was sweet and fun, while Conrad was mostly serious but engaging. But anyway, I also loved Susannah. She gave Belly that second caring mother figure, the person who loved her as much as her actual mother. The person who was always there for her.
The sense of summer was always there. Sometimes when I was reading, I felt as if I was really there at Cousins Beach because it was so descriptive and Belly was always making funny comments about what was going on. It all seemed so very tangible. The Summer I Turned Pretty would be the perfect book to be made into a movie. Not to mention it's a trilogy. I cannot wait to buy the sequel It's Not Summer Without You once it comes out it paperback.
Another thing, don't you just love the cover? I have a thing with covers: books always pull me in if the cover is intriguing. And that's exactly what this cover is. I noticed it in the store, loved the cover, heard it was amazing, so, naturally, I bought it. Well, my grandma bought it for me, but you get the point.
All in all, you will not be disappointed with this YA read. It was pretty awesomely amazing and the story line was fun, realistic, and full of surprises from summers past. I suggest reading it when you have a lot of free time because it was very hard to put it down (after all, I had to go to bed sometime). So go to B&N, order it online, find it at your local library, or borrow it from a friend. It's too good to let it go unread :)
