The Summer I Turned Pretty was originally a book series, so when its show adaptation’s first season dropped in 2022, it was met with a dedicated fanbase. Along with that, came the two fan ‘teams’, divided over whether Jeremiah or Conrad should pursue Belly, with a whopping 75.2% of fans on GoodReads voting for Team Conrad.
Watching The Summer I Turned Pretty every Wednesday became a nail-biting weekly experience for millions of viewers who didn’t know who Belly was going to choose.
The show’s setting is Cousins Beach, Massachusetts, where Belly and her family, the Conklins, vacation at their family friend Susannah’s beach house with her two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. The core narrative revolves around Belly’s relationships with Conrad and Jeremiah, forcing her to confront her feelings.
Regarding the overall plot, it felt a bit dragged out at times. The story initially introduces Belly Conklin as an insecure 15-year-old girl secretly in love with her childhood friend, which was a slow starting point, especially if you hadn’t read the books. But as the story progresses, the relationships and drama definitely draw in the audience.
One of the most annoying parts of the show was that I felt like there was both too much and too little time; it would always end with agonizing cliffhangers, leaving fans waiting for what felt like weeks for the next episode. However, there was often a lot of filler in between those pivotal moments, which seemed to delay the “big decision” for Belly.
However, one of my favorite parts was the overall character growth —yes, even Jeremiah. By the final episode, it truly felt as though every character had matured and moved on compared to season one. The final scenes with Conrad and Belly driving to the beach house, paralleling the first episode with “Scott Street” played by Phoebe Bridgers, really tied the show together, heightening my excitement for the movie.
Would I recommend watching The Summer I Turned Pretty? Absolutely. Even though the series put me through an emotional rollercoaster every Wednesday, I genuinely enjoyed seeing the characters’ development. While your experience will be different watching it now without the week-to-week wait, the show is definitely worth your time.
