The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

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.

First line:
I say, "I can't believe you're really here."


Fun summer read. I often wondered about the people who go to the beach house for the summer. Parties, pools, beach, suntans and cute boys.
This story deals with all of the above plus divorce, death and love. Quick, summer read.


What I liked:
Each character's growth
Belly understanding everything about summer isn't glamouros
Nickname, Belly


What I disliked:
The summer fling guy
Belly's bellyaching (couldn't resist)


Rating: PG 16
S: No
L: Some
V: No


3 1/2 STARS

25% test (p.69):
""Hi, Ste-ven," she said in a singsong voice.
"Hey," he mumbled.
Taylor looked at me and crossed her eyes. Brump, she mouths, emphasis on the p.
Iluaghed. "Taylor, this is Conrad and Jeremiah. Steven you know." I was curious about who she'd pick, who she'd think was cuter, funnier. Better.
"Hey," she said, sizing them up, and right away I could tell Conrad was the one. And I was glad. Because I knew that Conrad would never, ever, go for her.
"Hey," they said
Then Conrad turned back to the TV just like I knew he would. HJeremiah teratedher to one of his lopsided smiles and said, "So yu're Belly's friend, huh? We thought she didn'thave any friends."
I waited for him to grin at me to show he was just joking, but he didn't even look my way. "Shut up, Jeremiah," I said, and he grinned at me then, but it was a quick cursory one, and he went right back to looking at Taylor.
"Bely has tons of friends," Taylor informed him in a breezy was. "Do I look like someone who wuold hang with a loser?"
"Yes," my brother said from the couch. His head popped up. "You do."
Taylore glared at him. "Go back to jacking off, Steven."
She turned to me and sai, "Why don't you show me our room?""