It’s Not Summer Without ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’

In the second installment of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” book trilogy, Jenny Han’s 2010 novel “It’s Not Summer Without You” continues the young adult romance with a story exploring grief and teenage love. This summer, the TV adaptation hit Prime Video. 

Upon the release of the first season last summer, audiences were catapulted into the love triangles and brooding romances of Cousins Beach. The series embraces the awkwardness and triviality of adolescence with its cheesy tropes and melodramatic acting.  

The series is initially disguised as a cringe-worthy tale of a desperate, teenage Isabel Conklin — affectionately known as Belly. She spends her summer in a dreamy beach town, navigating her feelings for her childhood crush — and his brother. Despite its clichés, the story contains a deeply touching narrative about unrequited love and coping with loss.

Belly, played by Lola Tung, is an optimistic and headstrong 16-year-old who has spent years falling in love with Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) — the apathetic son of her mother’s best friend Susannah. As she stays at the Fisher’s beach house, Belly is persistent in her attempt to win Conrad’s affection. Over the summer, she fights for a relationship with her emotionally unavailable crush, but she must also fight her emerging feelings for his brother Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).

After a journey of heartbreak and self-discovery, the first season concluded with her and Conrad together — a seemingly happy ending.

Then, on July 14, the story resumed. 

Picking up one summer after the first season, Season 2 immediately dives back into the drama. After Susannah’s death rocks Cousins Beach, the characters must grapple through various stages of grief caused by the loss. The first three episodes embed flashbacks that paint the events leading to the tragedy.

Episode 1 conveys a heartbroken Belly consumed by memories of the past year and her relationship with Conrad. While their acting is cheesy at best and the plot is cliché at worst, the pair’s continued love story mimics many beloved romantic comedies while capturing the awkward moments of teenage years. 

The series doesn’t shy away from the embarrassment of adolescence. Rather, it authentically embraces the discomforts of growing up — something shows with teenage audiences tend to struggle with.

Through the highs and lows of their relationship, Belly and Conrad’s characters reveal the mental afflictions that come with managing grief, adding a dose of reality to an otherwise unrealistic drama.

As Belly relives the pain of her past relationship, which takes many rocky turns, she is forced to accept the pain of the present. With summer on the horizon, she must navigate her strained relationship with the brothers and cope with her own heartache over a detrimental loss. 

Adding to the conflict, Season 2 keeps true to the book’s original plot. When a character goes missing, Belly reunites with Jeremiah in a search that leads them back to the beach house, only to find the home’s ownership was left in the wrong hands. Unlike the book, Season 2 introduces viewers to the Fisher brothers’ aunt Julia, played by Kyra Sedgwick.

While neither Julia nor her child Skye (Elsie Fisher) are characters in Jenny Han’s trilogy, they add much needed depth to the show. Proving antagonists often have motives beyond just being cruel, Julia offers a glimpse into the complicated drama of the Fishers’ picturesque lives. 

In addition to new characters, the season also explores new dynamics between the series’ beloved supporting roles. After continuing flirtatious banter, Belly’s brother Steven (Sean Kaufman) and best friend Taylor (Rain Spencer) struggle to fight their feelings for each other. Even though both were minor characters in the books with no romantic storyline, their on-screen chemistry is undeniable and highlights the toxicity in the show’s other relationships by presenting a romance based on mutual respect, not revenge. 

As the series progresses and the fate of the beach house is decided, the main love triangle takes center stage in the final episodes. Since Season 1, fans have been divided between Team Conrad, Belly’s temperamental first love, and Team Jeremiah, her “pick-me” best friend. 

Tackling mature themes of anxiety and anguish, the cast’s performances improved compared to the previous season. Tung awkwardly yet perfectly depicts the role of a conflicted teenage girl while Briney shines as an especially moody Conrad. 

Due to the cheesy script — which stays true to excerpts from the books — and scenes that are far from superb, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is reminiscent of romantic comedies and Disney shows from the early 2000s. 

With a soundtrack including some of Taylor Swift’s quintessential summer ballads and a story of complex romances, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is the perfect guilty pleasure series to watch on repeat.

Season 2 of “The Summer I Turned Pretty is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Featured image courtesy of Prime Video.