Why You’re About To Be OBSESSED With The Summer I Turned Pretty
This summer, everything changes…
Based on the books by Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty follows Belly Conklin and her family as they head to the Fishers’ beach house in Cousins. Every summer is the same… until she turns sixteen. It’s a summer of first love, first heartbreak, and growing up.
There are so many things to love about The Summer I Turned Pretty — the cast, the soundtrack, the aesthetic. The show really makes you fall in love with Cousins Beach and makes the whole town feel like a character in itself, like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. It truly was a place that felt like anything was possible and you wanted to have your own magical summer like Belly. The soundtrack is unforgettable with musicians like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, BlackPink, Chloe, and Kim Petras. It really is the perfect summer playlist and I’m excited to see how they up the ante with the music in the second season. On top of that there were some fun musical moments with the cast — like Belly singing “Can’t Do Better” in the car, Steven singing in the shower, Jeremiah starting up Grease karaoke, or, best of all, Steven and Jeremiah and the debutante escort dance.
Jenny Han is not only the author of the books, but took on showrunning for the first time with the adaptation of The Summer I Turned Pretty. In adapting the story to the screen, she wasn’t afraid to deviate from her own source material. I love that she was able to update the storylines in a way that both feels more streamlined, but also really feel like they make sense for the characters. She really fleshes out Cousins Beach and allows us to see more of the characters’ stories come to life.
Lola Tung is phenomenal as Belly in her professional debut. She is flawed and learning and figuring herself out. I loved how she was dealing with this balance of how she used to be as a kid and finding out who she really wants to be this summer. The new debutante storyline they introduced really reflected that well, allowing her to change and grow and Belly is able to subvert expectations with her own flair.
Christopher Briney plays the brooding and moody Conrad, while Gavin Casalegno plays the flirty and free spirited Jeremiah. While the love triangle between Belly and them lacks chemistry at first, the cast is full of bright young talents. Sean Kaufman, who plays Belly’s older brother, is a stand out as he tackles a new storyline for his character that involves his own summer romance and the struggles of fitting in. Another highlight of the series is the friendship between Laurel and Susannah, played by Jackie Chung and Rachel Blanchard. They relive their glory days in the wake of Susannah’s cancer diagnosis and shine a light on strong female friendships and how that person can be the love of your life and your soulmate.
All in all, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a can’t miss summer watch. The changes from the books fill out this world and bring viewers deeper into it. The young cast is stellar and the music perfectly soundtracks the season. The show deals with powerful and relatable themes through the lens of an unforgettable summer, including finding yourself, strong female friendships, not fitting in, mental health, maturity, growing up, and realizing that everyone is dealing with something. Lucky for us, the show has already been picked up for a second season and we’ll get to follow the next chapter of Belly’s summer.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is currently streaming on Prime Video. See interviews from the New York City premiere, below:
