The Summer I Turned Pretty by Janeny Han Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (May 5th, 2009) Hardcover: 276 pages Reading Level: Young Adult
Series: Summer, book #1 Rating: 4 of 5 stars Some summers are just destined to be pretty
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 wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.
Review: This is a really great summer read. It's quick but has some deeper aspects than what the title and cover hint to. Belly is the happiest during the summers she spends with her moms friend Suzanne and her family at the beach house. They spend their days swimming and soaking up the sun without a care in the world. But this summer is different for a few reasons. Belly has grown up and isn't the same little girl, and the boys (Jeremiah and Conrad) both notice. Plus there is a deeper secret that can't stay hidden beneath the glow of summer for long.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me long for the beach and a carefree summer. Belly takes us through her past summer experiences that brought her to get to know Jeremiah and Conrad. Her friendship with Jeremiah, her growing love for Conrad, and the way they each treated her like a little kid. Now she is more adventurous and they take notice.
As Belly enjoys the summer and tries to figure out why Conrad seems to be more distant and angry, she connects more with Jeremiah than she expected. But her mother and Suzanne are also keeping a secret, one that the boys are already aware of, and one that turns Belly's world upside down.
Character: Belly (I admit, the nickname drove me nuts!) is sweet and ready to take chances after crushing on Conrad after all these summers. Jeremiah is funny, sweet, and adorable. He is very easy to like. Conrad is the older brother so he is more"grown up" in this activities and he seems to be more reserved and hard to read. Belly's mother and Suzanne were quite the pair. I think that most people would love to have a mom as cool as they are.
Cover: This cover does fit in well with the story but it comes off a little more fluffy than what the moral of the story seems to be. Either way, the cover was what first made me really take notice of the book.
This is a book that makes you imagine being young and in the heat of summer. How relationships form and change over 3 months, and how the hard parts of life don't go away over summer break.
It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, book #2)
Released April 5th, 2010
We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, book #3)
To be released May 3rd, 2011
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Book Trailer
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