The Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Hanon October 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781416968290
Series: Summer #1
Format: Audiobook
Genres: Adolescence & Coming of Age, Contemporary, Dating & Sex, Family, Girls & Women, Romance, Seasons, Social Themes, Summer, Contemporary Romance, Dating & Relationships, Seasonal: Summer, Social Themes: Friendship
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Some summers are just destined to be pretty.
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.
World Building
The world of Cousins Beach and the Fisher/Conklin beach-house summers is evocative of a dreamy, familiar YA-setting: the salty air, family friends, the long beach nights. For example, Belly narrates: “Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer.” This atmospheric grounding works well, but the world itself is somewhat thin: it leans heavily on setting as nostalgic backdrop rather than richly layered with social, historical or environmental detail. So while it succeeds in mood, it doesn’t fully immerse you in a deeply realised place beyond summer-romance territory.
Character Development
The main character, Belly, and her long-time crushes (Conrad and Jeremiah) are given internal emotional arcs: Belly’s realisation that she is “seen,” that her feelings matter (“It was a summer I would never, ever forget. It was the summer everything began. It was the summer I turned pretty.”) We see how relationships shift, especially the dynamic between Belly and Conrad. Yet many of the characters remain archetypal (the moody older brother, the golden-boy best friend) and their growth is limited: conflicts are often rooted in teenage love drama rather than deeper self-transformation. Some readers on Goodreads felt Belly lacked agency or consistency. So character development is serviceable and emotionally effective at times, but stops short of being fully satisfying.
Plot Pace & Development
The plot revolves around one summer that feels destined to be different, with Belly’s feelings finally noticed, emotions rising, rifts appearing, and decisions looming. The pacing is fairly gentle and meandering — allowing lingering moments of friendship, beach-walks and reflection. For example: “For me there was-is-nothing better than walking on the beach late at night… you can say whatever you want.” This works for mood, but some readers may feel the momentum is slow, the stakes low and the plot predictable. Hence the pace is relaxed and emotionally oriented rather than thriller-tight or twist-filled.
Language, Flow & Structure
Jenny Han’s prose is clean, accessible and evocative of summer-memory. It flows well for YA: the first-person voice of Belly carries the reader through nostalgia, longing, and self-discovery. The structure includes flashes to past summers (“Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this. To now.”) That said, the writing is not especially complex or layered: it doesn’t push linguistic boundaries nor explore experimental structure. Some critics say the conversations feel forced or the descriptions shallow. Overall it’s solid for its genre, though not exceptional.
Themes & Literary Devices
The book explores themes of coming-of-age, the passage from childhood to being noticed, first love, sibling dynamics, friendship, and the magic and melancholy of a “perfect summer.” For example: “Maybe that was how it was with all first loves. They own a little piece of your heart, always.” Literary devices are present: repetition of summer-metaphors, the beach as threshold, the contrast between “winters” and “summers” of life (“For me, it was almost like winter didn’t count. Summer was what mattered. My whole life was measured in summers.”) However, the thematic exploration doesn’t always transcend the genre’s standard fare: deeper subversion or layered metaphor are limited, so the themes hit their mark but don’t surprise.
Creativity, Originality & Predictability
The novel is a crisp, enjoyable entry into YA romance, with a setting and scenario (girl spends summers at beach house with childhood friends/brothers, begins to be noticed) that feel comfortable and familiar. That comfort is part of its appeal. But from a standout originality perspective, it’s relatively predictable: many readers felt the love-triangle and character arcs play out as expected. On the plus side, the voice of Belly and the summer atmosphere bring their own charm and warmth, so while the structure may not twist you, the journey is pleasurable.
Emotional Impact
While the book evokes feelings of nostalgia, longing, and youth, its emotional resonance doesn’t always land deeply. Belly’s transformation from invisible to “seen” is poignant, yet somewhat surface-level. Readers feel the wistful tone of summer fading, but the story’s light drama and predictability limit its emotional depth. It stirs empathy, not catharsis.
Overall
Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty paints a tender portrait of adolescence and first love, balancing nostalgia with the sweet ache of growing up. Its world-building captures the warmth of Cousins Beach through mood and memory rather than depth, giving readers a hazy summer dream rather than a richly detailed setting. The character development of Belly and the Fisher brothers explores emotional change and romantic awakening, though the characters sometimes fall into archetypes. Plot pace and development lean toward gentle and meandering—perfect for reflective readers but lacking in urgency or complexity. Han’s language, flow, and structure are clean, accessible, and evocative, fitting the genre’s tone, even if not stylistically daring. Her themes and literary devices —love, identity, nostalgia, and the passage of youth—are heartfelt yet conventional. In creativity and originality, the story offers comfort in predictability rather than innovation. Finally, the emotional impact is sincere but not profound; it stirs empathy without leaving a lasting ache. Altogether, the novel’s soft rhythm, emotional honesty, and nostalgic tone make it a warm yet familiar YA romance—heartfelt and summery, but ultimately light in depth and originality.
Check Out the Next Book in the Series
It's Not Summer Without You
by Jenny Hanon April 5, 2011
ISBN: 9781416995562
Series: Summer #2
Genres: Adolescence & Coming of Age, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Dating & Relationships, Dating & Sex, Family, Girls & Women, Love & Romance, Seasonal: Summer, Seasons, Social Themes, Social Themes: Friendship, Summer
Buy on Amazon Goodreads
It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.
