Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Book: The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer #1)
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: May 5, 2009
Pages: 276
Source: Bought
Date Read: March 27, 2011

Summary:

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 terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Yani's Analysis:

When this book was first published I heard great things about it so I bought it. I don’t remember where my mind was at the time, but I couldn’t get into it. I was annoyed by Belly, I thought she was juvenile. This time around it was her innocence and naiveté that made me love this book. It made her real. Like Cam says it’s the imperfections that make someone beautiful. I am so glad Ginger and others on twitter where raving about this book and I picked it back up.

I love “summer” books. All my life my family and I travel to the west coast of Florida for one week each summer. Every year, never missed it once. When I was 13 I met a boy there, and for the next 5 years I would see him and his family every summer. I thought it was true love, I really did, and looking back now I know it wasn’t. I think that held me back from believing that Belly really loves Conrad the first time around. The second time reading this book, I was there, I believed it, I felt it.

Along with the other events in this story, it was such a captivating read. I loved how Jenny went back and forth from present to past, to explain the character’s actions and emotions. And it wasn’t a methodical thing like one present on past chapter, it just happened when it needed to. I really really really liked this book and I seriously don’t know how I could have thought that this book wasn’t worth it, because it totally is…

Review for It’s Not Summer Without You: Tomorrow


Ratings:

Plot: 4/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 5/5

Similar Titles:

Endless Summer is two books in one and if you liked The Summer I Turned Pretty, I think you will definitely enjoy this lighter (romantic comedy) type novel. I love summer love novels and Hailey Abbott know how to write those well too.

Other Memorable Quotes:

"Summer was what mattered. My whole life is measured in summers."