Book Review | The Summer I Turned Pretty

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han

Publication: May 5th, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Borrowed from the library

Rating: 4 out 5 stars

Indie Bound | B&N | The Book Depository

Synopsis: 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 unit 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.  

Review: This is another book that has surprised me. I've seen this one hyped so much that I was worried about if I would like it as much as everyone else or not. While I didn't love it, I really, really enjoyed it. 

The setting was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book for me. I really enjoy books set in beach houses, or sea-side towns. I love the feel of them and the strong summer feelings that these settings give. This book takes place at a summer beach house with two families that come together for the summer.

The families were another aspect I loved about this novel. The interactions and strong relationships between the families were a lovely aspect of this story. I love the reactions between the two mothers, as well as between Belly and the boys. The way they had the right amount of heart-to-hearts and fun conversations joking with each other made them seem like realistic families to me. 

I really liked Belly as a character. I thought she was relatable and rather straight-forward. In fact, I enjoyed all of the characters. It was awesome to see the way that the interactions over time between all the characters, made them change; and it was a visible change to me. The bond between these characters was strong in the story as well as a strong likable aspect of the book. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this quick and lovely summer read. I can't wait to pick up the next book. I wish I would have read this book sooner - if you're waiting to read this one, I hope you'll pick it up this summer. :) 

Have you read this one and if so, what did you think of it? Have you read the rest of the series? What are your favorite summer books?