Recently Read: The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy

Author: Jenny Han
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Year Published: 2009
Status: Complete Trilogy- The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always Have Summer
Page Count: 276, 288, 291
Rating: 4/5 for all three books

Also by Jenny Han: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

I picked up The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han for $2.99 on my nook, and started it on a whim while all my books were packed away. I ran to the library after finishing the first one for the next two and read all three books in three days.

 

For as long as Isabelle, Belly for short, can remember, she has spent every summer at Cousins beach. Her mom's best friend owns a house there, and Belly and her brother and mom go every summer. Her mom's bff has two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. As long as Belly has been going to the beach house, she has been in love with Conrad. One summer both boys seem to notice Belly as more than just a little almost sister, and as you might have guessed, a love triangle ensues.

These books are a great quick read. Once I started, I couldn't stop. The characters are lovable and funny, and the pacing is great. These books are the perfect balance of light fluff and real life seriousness. I enjoyed Belly's narration of the story and found her to be a very real character. One thing I loved about these books were the amount of love present between all of the characters. Each character has so much love for every other character and that really added to the story.

The two love interests are very well done. Each boy has a different personality and different appeals. Conrad is a little bit moody and bottled-up where Jeremiah is quick to joke and share his thoughts. These books cover a span of many years, so you get the opportunity to see each character grows and changes and how their relationships with the other characters grow and change as well.

I would recommend this trilogy if you are looking to squeeze in some last minute summery reads. But have all three on hand, because I'm sure you'll be hooked by the middle of the first book!

I'm becoming a fan of Jenny Han. I'm thinking  I will have to pick up her Burn for Burn trilogy that she co-wrote, once the third book comes out this year. I'm also looking forward to the concluding book in her To All The Boys I've Loved Before dualology, which is titled P.S. I Still Love You.