The Summer I Turned Pretty feels like sitting on a beach with sand between my toes, hearing the sound of waves crashing on the beach. It’s as nostalgic to me as One Tree Hill. But which version captures the magic best? Is it the trilogy that swept young adults of the early 2010s off their feet or the Amazon series that is flooding Instagram timelines?
Content Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty book series and television show.
The Original Summer I Turned Pretty Stories
“It was a summer I would never, ever forget. It was the summer everything began. It was the summer I turned pretty. Because for the first time, I felt it. Pretty, I mean. Every summer up to this one, I believed it’d be different. Life would be different. And that summer, it finally was.”
Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han is making changes to the show, as she feels that she would have written the story in today’s age. As a fan of TSITP books, I found some of the plot changes in the series to be more frustrating than enjoyable. One of the most significant changes is that Susannah’s cancer was kept secret, whereas in the book, it was well-known and discussed multiple times.
Some of the other changes I felt had influential repercussions were introducing a new character, Susannah’s sister, to sell the house instead of Adam. I think that the book version of Mr. Fisher selling the house helps pave the way for Conrad to start making amends with his father. There are also changes to Belly’s core character traits. Belly had such strong opinions about being a virgin in the books, and I think that the changes for the show made her stance in the book less credible.
“That’s when I finally got it. I finally understood. It wasn’t the thought that counted. It was the actual execution that mattered, the showing up for somebody. The intent behind it wasn’t enough. Not for me. Not anymore. It wasn’t enough to know that deep down, he loved me. You had to actually say it to somebody, show them you cared. And he just didn’t. Not enough.”
Jenny Han, It’s Not Summer Without You
On the other hand, there are some changes that I’m happy to see. The show is more modern in terms of technology, so we see a lot more FaceTime sessions, social media, and emojis than in the book, since these weren’t as large a presence in 2009 when the first book was published. There’s also the heteronormativity of the books compared to a more contemporary take with LGBTQ+ characters added into the cast. Most noticeably, Jeremiah is bisexual, with on-screen kisses and flirting that never happened in the books.
The addition of the debutante ball in the first season came as a welcome surprise to book readers, too. Seeing Belly enjoying something for herself, in an iconic coming-of-age activity, embodies what The Summer I Turned Pretty is about at its core. I also love getting more screen time with Steven and his big brother moments, since he was rarely on the page before. In the same vein, we get a lot more of Laurel and Susannah’s relationship. I loved seeing more of their friendship as an older viewer who might not have appreciated it so much when the YA books were first published.
“There hadn’t been one specific moment. It was like gradually waking up. You go from being asleep to the space between dreaming and awake, and then into consciousness. It’s a slow process, but when you’re awake, there’s no mistaking it. There was no mistaking that it had been love.”
Jenny Han, We’ll Always Have Summer
As far as casting goes, I’ve never been much of a critic, with my only exception being the recent trend to cast mega-stars in everything. That being said, I love that Jenny Han was able to provide representation through Belly, and I think Lola Tung is doing a fantastic job. Alternatively, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say that Jeremiah and Conrad are brothers. Thankfully, their chemistry on screen with Belly and the rest of the cast more than makes up for the differences.
A New Tide: How the Series Reinvents the Summer Story
Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes. Watching the show and never reading the books puts the entire series in a fresh light. You don’t have spoilers the way book readers do; you can enjoy each scene as a stand-alone and not wonder if you thought the book did it better. Alternatively, the show must stand on its own as a separate form of media. While internal monologues work well in print, they don’t always translate to TV, which Jenny Han needed to consider as she wrote the scripts. Some of these changes might bother readers of The Summer I Turned Pretty, but they would be insignificant for the audience purely watching it as a teen drama.
One of the benefits of watching a TV series is its visual appeal. Jenny Han toys with our emotions with the lighting and the nuances of what Belly wears when she’s with each of the brothers. When we see Belly with Conrad in their almost-kiss scenes, the set is calm and aesthetically pleasing, often with beams of sunlight, and the song choice effectively highlights their feelings in the moment. Which leads us to the audio cues: they are also very memorable and iconic in The Summer I Turned Pretty series. Hearing a pop song during pivotal scenes enhances the moment for viewers. There are also moments when the group of teens is at a party, but Belly locks eyes with Conrad, and the sounds fade into a dull roar.
As the series progresses and viewers become more invested, it becomes harder to avoid book spoilers. Social media doesn’t just spoil plot twists, though. It invites debate, speculation, and camaraderie. Social media posts discussing The Summer I Turned Pretty bring together readers and viewers, and sometimes draw viewers to become readers as well. Sharing hashtags of which team you’re on (Team Bonrad here) allows viewers and readers to enjoy the shared experience that media can provide that reading a book can’t.
As readers, we know that the book is always better than the movie, or in this case, the TV show. However, I think Jenny Han did a great job of modernizing her book series, making it accessible to a wider audience. The inclusion of the mother’s stories and Steven’s love life, in addition to the love triangle of Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah, provides viewers with more than the original romance to latch onto.
In the end, I think it’s not about which media tells the story better, but which version becomes your summer soundtrack. The Summer I Turned Pretty bridges generations for its cozy summer vibes and aching teen romance. Whether you found a part of yourself in Belly’s shoes, got caught in a whirlwind summer romance, or found comfort in the mother-daughter moments. As Nicole said in season one, “No one really ever gets over their first love,” and I think for many of us growing up when these books were released, a piece of our hearts will always beat a little bit for them.
For more of the Cousins drama, check out Team Jeremiah or Team Conrad: Whose Love Will Win Out? A Quick Series Recap of TSITP.
Keep summer going all year long with our Summer Book Recs bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
