The picture-perfect summer. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty, a well-known book series by Jenny Han, has gained much attention in recent years following the release of the hit show.

As recently as June 17, 2022, Amazon Prime Video released season one of the fan-favorite show, centered around sixteen-year-old Belly Conklin. According to Scattered Books, this show takes focus on Belly as she “navigates her growing feelings and changing relationships,” while “also coming to terms with her own identity and past.” 

Growing up visiting two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah, and her mom’s best friend, Susannah, Belly became attached to her home away from home, Cousins Beach. This became Belly’s escape as she visited the summer house each year. 

Season one of The Summer I Turned Pretty focuses closely on the plot and drama that is represented in the first book of the series. This show introduces the love triangle Belly is in the midst of and all the ups and downs Belly is met with in her idealistic, “perfect summer.” Towards the end of the season, Susannah finds out that her cancer that had previously been cured has returned, and she has to break the news to her boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. This series, though only consisting of seven episodes, left viewers speechless with the cliffhanger the series ended on. Viewers were skeptical of whether Susannah would go forth with the cancer trial, leading into Season Two of The Summer I Turned Pretty. 

“Waiting for the release of the second season felt like a lifetime,” Roshni Padala, Olympic Heights junior added. 

This show airs on Amazon Prime Video each summer to complete The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, beginning the summer of 2022 and ending the summer of 2024. When season two, It’s Not Summer Without You, returned on Amazon Prime Video on July 14, 2023, three episodes initially aired, followed by one episode weekly. This eight episode series featured returning characters, all from season one, with the addition of two new characters: Conrad and Jeremiah’s Aunt Julia and cousin Skye. 

Following the release of season two, this show gained much more popularity than the initial release of season one. When filming of the second season was announced in the summer of 2022, viewers were able to truly connect with the characters and drama of the show leading up to the final release. “The Summer I Turned Pretty is exactly what I imagine my perfect summer to be,” Grace Deeb, Olympic Heights junior, added. “The character development, along with the actors themselves, is all I could’ve imagined and more.” 

Season Two of the Summer I Turned Pretty takes place after Susannah has passed, where Belly is back in her hometown on her last day of junior year, looking back on all of the memories she shared in the summer house. Throughout this season, special moments were shown through flashbacks, whether it be the days before Susannah passed, or the moments they shared altogether – Belly, Conrad, Jeremiah, Susannah, Steven, and Laurel. 

Episode One: Love Lost

In the first initial episode, Belly is unsure of where her feelings stand as Jeremiah and Conrad fight to steal her heart. According to Fandom, when an unexpected visitor, Aunt Julia, arrives, Belly must get “the gang together” to save “the future of Susannah’s beloved house.” 

Episode Two: Love Scene

In episode two, Belly receives a call from Jeremiah in which the two of them must resolve their past struggles to find a way to help Conrad.

Episode Three: Love Sick

In episode three, Belly and the boys find out that Aunt Julia and Skye have put the summer house up for sale, as they must work together to find a way to save the house in honor of Susannah. Belly is reminded of the last summer she and the boys spent in Cousins and must put her feelings aside to get the house back for good. 

Episode Four: Love Game

In episode four, Conrad, Jeremiah, Belly, and Skye go to the boardwalk to enjoy one last day together before the summer house is officially sold. Cam Cameron, Belly’s past love interest, joins them once they arrive. 

Episode Five: Love Fool

In episode five, Aunt Julia forces Belly, Skye and the boys out of the summer house, so they find an alternative place to stay for the night. Sitting off in the darkness together, their feelings begin to confront them.

Episode Six: Love Fest

In episode six, Belly decides to throw a party as the boys and Belly have officially lost the house for good, or so they thought. As this party gains popularity, problems arise, and Belly is left with no hope.

Episode Seven: Love Affair

In episode seven, Belly is awoken by a call from her mom, realizing the problems she caused the night before. She is met with the feeling of a painful hangover and is left with the question, “Is it too late to fix everything?” according to Fandom. 

Episode Eight: Love Triangle

In episode eight with the help of Laurel, Belly, and the boys are able to get the summer house back for good. Belly is faced with the decision she must make once and for all this summer: is it going to be Conrad or Jeremiah? Emotions are high as this episode leaves viewers questioning what is to come for the final season. 

Overall, “Season Two of The Summer I Turned Pretty was a perfect adaptation of the books,” Emma Mizne, Olympic Heights junior, shared.