It’s impossible not to notice the current TV show talk these days: the new season of a top-rated show is coming out on July 16, 2025. This series, titled “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” gained particular popularity in summer 2023. Did you know that this series is actually based on a book? The book series includes 3 parts: “The Summer I Turned Pretty” (2009), “It’s Not Summer Without You” (2010), and “We’ll Always Have Summer” (2011). The book is published by a bestselling author, Jenny Han. The novels were a hit as soon as they went on the market.
In fact, both Amazon and Barnes and Noble report selling 266k copies in under a year. According to the American Library Association, the series was ranked as one of the top “Best Books for Young Adults.”
So, what is the book series about?
The story follows the main character Isabel “Belly” Conklin, a teenager who spends her summers at Cousins Beach in a large city with her family and friends Conrad and Jeremiah. As she grows older and “glows up” rapidly, she finds herself stuck in a love triangle between them.
The books are very highly regarded. According to PopSugar, “’The Summer I Turned Pretty’ continues to make us feel nostalgic for the days of summer when school was out for three months, and we could run to the beach and eat popsicles and hot dogs and play in the water to our hearts’ content.” This just goes to show us the emotions that immersing oneself in the book series can evoke.
The books talk about complex topics like the concept of a first love, hate, friendship, relationships, and care for others. With plenty of plot twists, it truly keeps the reader engaged throughout every part of the book.
In my experience, I decided to read the first book after finishing the TV series, and I liked the book series more due to its ability to make you imagine the characters and their experiences more than while watching the show.
Alina Aparicio, a CCHS senior with a similar experience, also enjoyed the book, explaining how, “reading the book helped [her] connect with the storyline more as [she] had a general idea of what the book was about.”
Ultimately, everyone needs to get their hands on the copies of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” book series immediately.
As for now, the third season of the show is premiering in July 2025. Don’t wait to read the third book of the series so you can understand the plot of the upcoming series before it comes out.
