The Summer I Turned Pretty is a coming-of-age romantic drama series that premiered on Amazon Prime Video. It is based on the novel of the same name by Jenny Han, the author who penned the popular To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy.
The story follows Belly (Isabel “Belly” Conklin), an awkward teenager who desperately wants to break out of her “little sister” image. She spends her summers at her mother's best friend's beach house and reunites with her friends, brothers Jeremiah and Conrad. Belly finds herself caught in a love triangle between the two brothers.
The series is set during one perfect summer and explores first love, first heartbreak, and the magic of those carefree days. It's a coming-of-age story that will resonate with anyone who's ever been in love.
Over seven 45-minute episodes, we watch as Belly tries to navigate her way through her first summer romance. The series is heartwarming, romantic, and at times, funny. It's the perfect summertime watch.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Official Trailer
Is The Summer I Turned Pretty Worth Watching?
If you're looking for a rom-com series to watch, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a great option.
I would recommend this series to anyone who's a fan of coming-of-age love stories. The show has been praised for its depiction of teenage love and the complexities that come with it.
The soundtrack is also amazing and features songs from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Tyler the Creator. Top tunes included in the first season include Mr Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra, Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift, Brutal – Olivia Rodrigo, Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus, Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish and Levitating – Dua Lipa.
What Critics Are Saying About The Summer I Turned Pretty
We gave the series a solid 9/10 but how did other critics score it?
Rotten Tomatoes: The series has a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes with the audience rating it at 79% fresh. The series has a rating of 7.4/10 on IMDb, which is a pretty good score as the site normally rates shows quite low.
A reviewer on IMDb wrote “Amongst the cliches, irritating characters, and the irritating choices they make, there is something comforting about this series. The soundtrack, stunning locations, colorful costumes, excellent casting, and all around solid performances make an otherwise unoriginal series quite entertaining….and by the way, I'm team Conrad.”
Vanity Fair called the series a ‘Wistful Fantasy for the Whole Family'.
The Cast
The series stars Lola Tung as Belly, Christopher Briney as Conrad, Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah, Jackie Chung as Laurel and Rachel Blanchard as Susannah.
Loa Tung is a relative newcomer to the acting world but has already made a name for herself with her role in The Summer I Turned Pretty. She started attending Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama in 2020 as an acting major. After completing her first year, she took a break to work on The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Christopher Briney is an American actor and director, best known for Daliland (2020), before taking the role of Conrad.
When she was eight years old, Rachel Blanchard (Susannah) acted in the Canadian children's program The Kids of Degrassi Street. She also played Kitty Nygaard in the 2014 TV series Fargo. Susannah Fisher is one of the main female leads in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Where Was The Summer I Turned Pretty Filmed?
The beautiful beach house from “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is an actual home in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The beautiful home in the series is set in Cousins Beach, which is a fictional town. However, it is based on the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina, where many scenes throughout the show were filmed.
The series features several locations in and around Wilmington, including Wrightsville Beach, Padgett Station, and Russell's Quik Stop.
When Is Season 2 Coming?
The series was renewed for a second season on Amazon Prime Video ahead of its premiere. There is no word yet on when Season 2 will be released, but it is expected to come out sometime in 2023. Are you excited for The Summer I Turned Pretty? Let us know in the comments!
