Center for Teaching & Learning

At Cousins Beach, the place Belly has spent every summer of her life, not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but all of Belly’s favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother’s best friend, and her sons, Jeremiah and Conrad. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember. Will this be the summer that changes everything? Despite the distractions from a new boy, Cam, and Jeremiah, Belly’s heart belongs to Conrad.
I rated The Summer I Turned Pretty a ten. Every chapter introduced a new, surprising concept that hooked me, and I could not put down the book for even a second. Han’s book had a very intense friendships and romance, but in general it is a very easy read.
“Moments, when lost, can’t be found again. They’re just gone,” Belly says in this book. I loved this quote so much because it reminds me of summer in Cape Cod and how I yearn to be back there with all my friends and just have fun. Han captures the magic of summer in her writing.
The theme of this book if friendship and romance because of all the amazing times Belly has with Susannah, her mother, Jeremiah and Conrad.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fun, easy read and a great story of friendships and lots of relationships. There are also two other books in the series: It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer. As you read more you get into the style of Han’s writing. The Summer I Turned Pretty is a must read for anyone and everyone.
Avery
Simon & Schuster, 304 pages