By Mariyah Ramirez & Arlene Sanchez
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is an Amazon Prime Video adaptation of the novel by Jenny Han. This coming-of-age series details the life of 16-year-old Belly (Lola Tung) who is involved in a love triangle with a pair of brothers whom she has known since childhood.
Season one found Belly visiting a family friend’s beach house in Cousins Beach over the summer, as usual. She is excited to be with her longtime crush, Conrad (Christopher Briney), and his brother, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). This summer was different than the last because Belly finds people more interested in her looks.
Throughout season one, Belly finds herself in different relationships as she begins dating for the first time. She has an almost-kiss with Conrad, but he seems to not reciprocate her feelings and blows her off. Then she develops feelings for Jeremiah and the two share a kiss. Things get complicated when Conrad steps in for Jeremiah at the dance, and Belly is faced with complicated emotions.
Although season one may have been a traditional teenage romance story, season two, released in July, has left many fans upset. There is a debate on which brother Belly should end up with.
Season two sees more of the love triangle with Belly jumping between Conrad and Jeremiah. The whole season is filled with lots of emotions and keeps you hooked waiting to see what she will do or who she will be with next.
Season two introduces heavier topics than season one including having the kids deal with a major death. Belly and the brothers are shifting into adulthood with high school ending or recently ended. The season keeps the charm of the summer beach house, however.
The show takes the fast paced romance of the novel and takes the time to present both the chain of events and the love triangle. The storyline is just perfect as it focuses on the challenges of teenage love and its emotional impact as they transition into adulthood.
Amazon has confirmed that “The Summer I Turned Pretty” will receive a third season.
According to the book, Belly does end up having another opportunity to choose between Conrad and Jeremiah once again, so there is plenty of room for more complicated plots. We’ll be waiting to see how the love triangle plays out after Conrad was told by Sean to fight for her. Will he listen or will he let Belly be happy with Jeremiah in Season 3?
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