The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV Series) by Jenny Han
Bibliographic Information
Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Creator & Executive Producer: Jenny Han
Directors: Jesse Peretz, Jeff Chan, Erica Dunton
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime
Release Date: June 17, 2022
Genre/Format
Drama, Romance - TV Series
Awards or Honors
2024 Nominee for Casting Society of America, USA
2024 Winner People’s Choice Award, USA
2024 Nominee for Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards
2024, 2023 Winner for ReFrame
2022 Nominee Just Jared Jr Fan Awards, People’s Choice Awards, USA
Rating
16+ (Amazon), 14+ (Common Sense Media)
Seasons & Episodes
There are two seasons and 15 episodes.
Season 1 Summary
The Summer I Turned Pretty is based on the 3 book series under the same name. Season one centers around our main protagonist, and narrator, Belly, a 15 year old girl who turns 16 in the middle of the season. Belly travels to a beach house owned by her mother’s friend every summer with her mother and brother. Her mother’s friend has two boys who are also there every summer. The four kids grow up together, and Belly is the youngest of the four, and treated as such, but this summer she is ready for things to be different. She has had a crush on the oldest brother, Conrad, for a long time, and she thinks this summer he might notice that she has grown up. Conrad does notice, but he is also acting weird most of the summer. In the meantime, the other brother, Jeremiah also notices Belly has grown up. Belly explores dating with a sweet boy from town, while also exploring her romantic feelings for both brothers. She also navigates her female friendships with a few sticky points. In the background of our main protagonist, the lifelong friendship of the two mothers is explored. They are mid-life and experiencing career issues, divorce, marriage infidelity, dating, parenting problems, and complex health issues.
How I feel while anxiously cheering for my favorite brother in the love triangle
Creator Description
Jenny Han is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series and The Summer I Turned Pretty series (Han, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation
I haven’t read any of the books in the series, but I did enjoy the first season. The series is primarily about a 15 year old (who turns 16 mid-season) and explores her identity as she explores romance with with two brothers who are also life-long friends. I liked the theme of identity-exploration that she and many other characters experience.
I enjoyed the other characters in Belly’s bubble like her mom and her mom’s friend. Their friendship is complicated and messy at times with different ideas, but it still endures. I also loved Jeremiah’s character who presents as bi in the TV series, (but straight in the books). He is well-developed and seen as funny, colorful, and sweet, but we can see how he feels hurt at different moments in the season.
Lovers of Taylor Swift (like me) will love that there are multiple songs in the season from Lover as well as a few others like “This Love (Taylor’s Version)” from 1989 Taylor’s Version.
Creative Use for a Library Program
The first season is centered around a debutante ball. The library could host a formal wear swap for young adults prior to local spring dances/proms.
Speed-Round Talk
Belly has spent every summer with her mom and brother in her mom’s friend’s beach house with her and her two sons. She has been in love with one of them for a long time, but the summer she turns 16, everything seems to change. Will she end up with one of the brothers or another person completely?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
There is underage drinking, cannabis smoking, and partying. There is lots of kissing and talk of sex for the young adults. There is one brief sex scene between two adults. The creator does show the natural consequences of alcohol and marijuana use, and the sex scene is between two consenting adults.
Reason for Inclusion
This a coming of age story where a girl goes through all the emotions that 16 year old girls often feel. They are trying to figure out who they are and where they belong in the social circle apart from their parents all the while showing issues that friends and parents are also dealing with. The many topics that come up include, sibling relationships, parenting, divorce, cancer, infidelity, racial microagressions, socioeconomics, queer and bi-sexual identities, social norms, underage drinking, and recreational and medicinal use of marijuana. It was overall, a sweet story in season 1, leaving the viewer anxious for the next season.
References
Han, Jenny. (n.d.). Jenny Han. https://www.jennyhan.com
Han, Jenny (Creator & Producer). (2022-2023). The Summer I Turned Pretty [TV series]. Amazon Studios; Amazon.
Swift, T. (2022, May 5). Taylor Swift - This Love (Taylor's Version) (lyric video). [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvxQYPR4lmU
Witton, Hannah. (2024, March 6). Love triangle books gif [GIF]. Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/HannahWitton-hannah-witton-YFONMpPonGDXc72Evi
*Cover Image is property of Netflix; from Netflix.