A review of Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” from the girl who fell in love with the books
It’s summertime here at The Connector and that means it’s time for binge watching all those shows everyone has been raving about. This summer, it’s Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” To some, this is just another young adult book adaptation hitting a streaming platform. But for me, this was ten years in the making to see my favorite characters come to life on the screen.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” began as a book trilogy by Jenny Han, who you might recognize from Netflix’s hit movie series, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was Han’s first big hit on the young adult fiction scene. Originally published in 2009, this trilogy gradually increased in success with every passing year and every installment.
The book tells the story of Belly, a 16-year-old girl who goes to Cousins Beach every summer with her mom and brother. They share a beach house with their family friends, a mother and her two boys, who just happen to be very attractive and swoon-worthy. But this summer is when everything changes. Belly goes from the annoying little sister they’ve known her as, to a beautiful young woman. While the love triangle trope in books and movies tend to receive a collective eye roll from their audiences, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” executes this trope in a way that feels natural, dividing the audience into #teamConrad and #teamJeremiah.
Changes from Book to Screen
As with every adaptation, some things need to be cut, changed or updated for a modern audience. The biggest change they added into the show was the debutante ball subplot. Alongside the summertime fun and romance, Belly also participates in the debutante ball held at the local country club. As a die-hard fan of the book, this change felt like it could potentially stick out in a negative way. However, after finishing all seven episodes and seeing costumes, the tension, the drama, it really worked. The creators did an excellent job at adding in this new element to the story that still felt like it belonged in the world of Cousins Beach.
Another beloved change was a small character update. Jeremiah, one of the brothers involved in the love triangle, has a small moment where it’s revealed he is bisexual. Not only did this reflect the modern audience, it also really fit in with the character. They didn’t just make him bisexual for the sake of it, there was intentionality behind it.
The good thing about a seven-episode series that adapts the first book of the same title, is that the show simply has more time with these characters. The series can dive into different perspectives and spend more time with outside characters, as opposed to the book told strictly from Belly’s point of view.
It’s a delight to see the incredible friendship between the two moms. We get to watch them navigate motherhood, friendship, divorce and sickness together. There’s also more time spent with Belly and her best friend from back home, Taylor. Romance is at this show’s heart, but the complexities of these female friendships are really where things get interesting.
While on it’s surface, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is just a teenage love triangle story that takes place on a beach. But there’s so much more to the story. It’s certainly a coming of age, as the audience gets to watch Belly make mistakes and grow. But it’s also a story about family and their changing dynamics. It’s about friendship and relationships. It’s relatable, nostalgic and makes you want to run away to the beach with someone handsome. And with an incredible soundtrack featuring all the favorites of summertime, from BLACKPINK to Taylor Swift, this show should definitely be added to your watch list this summer.
