I was never a huge fan of book-based TV shows or movie adaptations. Though I enjoy the fact that I’m able to see my favorite characters come to life, there are still a lot of plot points that adaptations tend to miss. However, watching “The Summer I Turned Pretty” changed my view of adaptations.

Written by Jenny Han, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a trilogy primarily set in the fictional town of Cousins, North Carolina. It features a love triangle between Isabel, referred to as Belly, Conklin (Lola Tung) and her childhood best friends, brothers Conrad (Chris Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno). Along with the love triangle, the series captures the real-life struggles of family issues, depression and anxiety. 

I first heard about the trilogy when season one of the series was released in June 2022. Once I heard all the hype, I decided to watch it and became invested with the chemistry between the characters, specifically Belly and Conrad. I tend to look for a deeper connection between characters, and I enjoyed seeing the complexity behind them. I was also excited to hear the soundtrack; the series gained a lot of attraction as “the Swiftie show” due to many Taylor Swift songs being included in the soundtrack. As a big fan of hers, it made the experience more entertaining because the chosen songs connected perfectly to the storyline.

After I finished the final episode, I became eager while waiting for the second season and began to read the book trilogy. They weren’t my favorite, but the more I read the books, the more I enjoyed them. There were a few differences in the books compared to the series, but I was glad to see that the major plot points were still included. 

The first three episodes of season two were released on July 14, with the rest of the episodes releasing weekly. With this season focused on the second book, “It’s Not Summer Without You,” the viewers were shown different perspectives and saw a lot more behind the characters. Just from the first three episodes, season two became my favorite because of the developed relationship between Belly and Conrad. Their scenes have always been my favorite to watch, and I was excited to see more of their chemistry this season. I was pleased with the outcome of their scenes from the books; they truly captured the emotions that readers felt while reading those moments.

As much as I loved season two, I wanted more of Belly’s point of view. I was excited to see behind the other characters’ motives, but it almost felt like the writers forgot who the main character was. It was good the writers showed multiple points of views, but after this season, we didn’t see much of what was going on in Belly’s head and why she was making the choices she did.

All in all, I loved this season and this show became something I was able to escape reality in. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a great watch for anyone hoping for a nostalgic summer show.