The Summer I Turned Pretty is a three-part series of young adult romance books written by American author Jenny Han and published by Simon & Schuster. The series includes The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009), It's Not Summer Without You (2010), and We'll Always Have Summer (2011).
The books follow Isabel "Belly" Conklin during the summers she spends at Cousins Beach with her mother, her best friend (Taylor), her older brother (Steven), and her mother's lifelong best friend and her sons. The series became national bestsellers; the final book stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for over a month.
A television show based on the trilogy's novels premiered on Amazon Prime Video on June 17, 2022.
Books in the series
- The Summer I Turned Pretty: 2009
- It's Not Summer Without You: 2010
- We’ll Always Have Summer: 2011
Characters
- Isabel "Belly" Conklin: The narrator and main character of the series. She is the daughter of Laurel and the younger sister of Steven. She has had a crush on her friend Conrad since she was young, but her relationship with him ends after they briefly become a couple at the end of It's Not Summer Without You. Later, she starts a relationship with Conrad's brother, Jeremiah, after he kisses her. In We'll Always Have Summer, which describes their two-year relationship, Belly discovers that Jeremiah cheated on her with a girl from a sorority at a party. She slaps him and spends days in bed, crying. To show he is sorry, Jeremiah proposes to her, and she agrees, though she later stays at Cousins Beach because of arguments with her mother, who is upset about her young marriage. While there, Belly begins to feel old emotions for Conrad, who is also staying at the beach. Conrad confesses his love for her, but Belly is angry and says he is too late. Her feelings for both brothers are unclear. In the end, Belly and Jeremiah end their engagement and break up. In the epilogue, Belly does not hear from Conrad for two years but receives letters from him every month during college. Eventually, she reconnects with him. Conrad appears at her college graduation, and they get back together. He proposes to her a year later.
- Conrad "Con," "Connie" Fisher: The older son of Susannah and Adam Fisher, and the older brother of Jeremiah. He is known for keeping his emotions hidden and pushing people away. In the first book, he is described as a jerk, spending time at the beach drinking or staying in his room. It is believed he has feelings for Belly, as he is often overly protective or jealous of other boys flirting with her. At the end of the first book, he and Belly become a couple, but their relationship ends quickly when Conrad returns to his old habits. In the second book, he runs away from college to protect the beach house after learning his father plans to sell it. His father agrees to let him keep the house if he returns to college and passes his exams. Belly and Jeremiah help Conrad prepare for his exams, but things go wrong when Conrad sees Belly and Jeremiah kissing. He tells his brother it is okay for them to be together. In We'll Always Have Summer, it is revealed that Conrad never stopped loving Belly and pretended he was over her. He hides his feelings until he learns about Jeremiah's cheating, which makes him angry and causes him to leave. Later, he confesses his love for Belly, but she refuses him, saying he is too late. The next day, Conrad apologizes, claiming he was too drunk during his confession, but Belly knows he is lying. After Jeremiah learns of Conrad's feelings, he disappears on his wedding day. Conrad finds him and they fight, and Jeremiah disowns him. Conrad says goodbye to Belly, gives her back his infinity necklace, and tells her it always belonged to her. In the epilogue, Conrad sends Belly letters every month during college and appears at her graduation. They get back together, and he proposes to her two years later. The series ends with Belly marrying Conrad, and the couple starting a new life together.
- Jeremiah "Jere" Fisher: At the start of the series, he is seen as the "golden" boy, admired by everyone. He is a good friend to Belly and a kind brother to Conrad. He lets Conrad pursue Belly even when he realizes he has feelings for her. In It's Not Summer Without You, he kisses Belly while they are in a car, and she kisses him back, but Conrad finds out and allows Jeremiah to have a chance with her. In We'll Always Have Summer, Jeremiah changes and becomes a reckless frat boy, cheating on Belly with a girl from a sorority. He proposes to her to show he is sorry, but his behavior worsens. He remains jealous of Conrad and Belly's friendship and uses his engagement to hurt Conrad. When he learns Conrad confessed his feelings for Belly, he runs away on his wedding day. Conrad finds him and argues with him, and after reading a letter from their mother meant for Conrad, Jeremiah disowns him. In the epilogue, he is seen at Conrad and Belly's wedding with a new girl.
- Susannah "Beck" Fisher: A strong and kind person who is deeply loved by her family and friends. She dies of cancer between the first and second books, but her memory and influence remain throughout the series. She left letters for "the summer kids," though only one is read in the final book. Her death deeply affects everyone, and it takes nearly a year for them to adjust to life without her.
- Mr. Fisher: A man who is determined to get what he wants, even if it hurts others. He is Susannah's husband and the father of Conrad and Jeremiah. After Susannah's death, he turns to drinking and treats his family poorly. He tries to sell the summer house in It's Not Summer Without You, but Laurel and Conrad stop him. In the final book, he attempts to repair his relationship with his sons and pays for Jeremiah and Belly's wedding, even though he disagrees with their young marriage.
- Taylor Jewel: Belly's best friend, though they are very different. Taylor is initially described as boy-crazy and shallow, but she matures by We'll Always Have Summer. In the first book, she tries to match Belly with boys, even though Belly resists. She and Belly argue when Taylor accuses Belly of being a bad friend for not wanting her to attend a party at the beach house. By the second book, they reconcile, and Taylor supports Belly throughout her wedding plans.
Television adaptation
In 2013, Lions Gate Entertainment announced it had gotten the rights to make a television series based on a trilogy. On February 8, 2021, Amazon ordered eight episodes of a series created by Han and Gabrielle Stanton. The series was also produced by Han, Gabrielle Stanton, Karen Rosenfelt, Paul Lee, Nne Ebong, and Hope Hartman. The seven-episode series was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, and first aired on June 17, 2022. Season 2 began on July 14, 2023, and was widely expected by fans. Season 3, the final season of the show, premiered on July 16, 2025.