The Summer I Turned Pretty | Jenny Han | Cliff Note Books

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a young adult novel written by Jenny Han. It tells the story of a girl named Belly (short for Isabel) who spends every summer at a beach house with her mother and brother, as well as her mother’s best friend, Susannah, and Susannah’s two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been in love with Conrad, the older of the two brothers, for as long as she can remember, but he has always seen her as just a kid.

As the summer unfolds, Belly begins to see Conrad in a different light, and their relationship takes a new turn. But things become complicated when Jeremiah also expresses his feelings for Belly, and she must navigate her emotions and the changing dynamics of their group.

Throughout the novel, Belly reflects on her past summers at the beach house and the memories she has made with her family and friends. She also grapples with issues of identity and growing up, as she tries to find her place in the world.

Overall, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a nostalgic and emotional coming-of-age story that explores the complexities of first love and the bittersweet nature of growing up.

CHARACTERS

1. Isabel “Belly” Conklin: The protagonist and narrator of the story, a teenage girl who spends every summer at the beach house with her family and friends.
2. Conrad Fisher: The older of Susannah’s two sons, who Belly has been in love with for years.
3. Jeremiah Fisher: The younger of Susannah’s two sons, who also has feelings for Belly.
4. Susannah Fisher: Belly’s mother’s best friend and the owner of the beach house.
5. Laurel Conklin: Belly’s mother, who is struggling with her own issues and distant from her children.
6. Steven Conklin: Belly’s older brother, who has a strained relationship with their mother.
7. Taylor: Belly’s best friend from home, who visits the beach house for a week during the summer.
8. Cam Cameron: A boy who becomes interested in Belly and complicates her relationships with Conrad and Jeremiah.

AUTHOR

Jenny Han is a Korean-American author who was born on September 3, 1980, in Richmond, Virginia. She grew up in a predominantly white community, which inspired her to write stories that reflect the experiences of Asian Americans.

Han attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a degree in English and later went on to receive a master’s degree in fine arts from the New School in New York City.

Han began her writing career as an intern at Penguin Books and later worked as a children’s bookseller at the Books of Wonder store in Manhattan. She published her first novel, “Shug,” in 2006, which received critical acclaim and was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Han is best known for her young adult novels, including “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “The Summer I Turned Pretty” trilogy, and “Burn for Burn” series, which she co-wrote with Siobhan Vivian.

In addition to her writing, Han is also a producer on the film adaptations of her “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” series for Netflix. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and their son.

QUOTES

1. “That’s one of the things I like about summer. It’s always seemed like a magical time to me.”
2. “The thing about summer was that I always had too much time on my hands.”
3. “Sometimes you have to break the rules to free your heart.”
4. “It was the kind of moment that I would remember forever, not because it was anything special, but because it was the last time things were the way they were.”
5. “It was that kind of summer, the kind of summer that changes lives.”
6. “That’s the thing about summer. It’s all about possibility.”
7. “I couldn’t decide if the summer was ending or if the rest of my life was beginning.”
8. “I was so in love with the idea of being in love that I didn’t even realize I was.”
9. “Maybe it was better to know the truth than to never know it at all.”
10. “I knew that in a few years’ time, I would look back on this summer and think of it as the summer that everything changed.”

SUMMARIES

Chapter 1: The chapter introduces the main character, Isabel “Belly” Conklin, and her family’s annual tradition of spending summers at a beach house owned by her mother’s best friend, Susannah. Belly reflects on her childhood memories of the summers, which have always been the best time of the year for her.

Chapter 2: Belly arrives at the beach house and is greeted by Susannah’s two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah, who she has known since she was a child. Belly has a crush on Conrad, who is now seventeen and has become distant from her. Jeremiah, on the other hand, is friendly and cheerful.

Chapter 3: Belly spends the day at the beach with Conrad and Jeremiah, and they are joined by some of their friends. Belly reflects on her feelings for Conrad and how she has always hoped he would see her as more than just a little sister figure.

Chapter 4: Belly’s best friend from home, Taylor, arrives for a week-long visit. Taylor is confident and popular, and Belly is intimidated by her. Taylor is immediately attracted to Conrad, which makes Belly jealous and upset.

Chapter 5: Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah go surfing early in the morning, and Belly impresses them with her skills. Later in the day, they have a barbecue with their friends, and Belly feels out of place among the older teenagers. She also begins to realize that her feelings for Conrad may not be reciprocated.

Chapter 6: Belly and Taylor go shopping and run into a boy named Cam Cameron, who takes an interest in Belly. Belly is flattered by his attention, but also feels guilty for betraying her feelings for Conrad.

Chapter 7: Belly and Conrad have a heart-to-heart conversation on the beach, where Conrad admits that he used to see Belly as a little sister, but now he is starting to see her as a woman. Belly is thrilled by his confession, but also confused by his mixed signals.

Chapter 8: Belly goes on a date with Cam, which makes her feel guilty and disloyal to Conrad. The date ends badly, and Belly realizes that she is not interested in Cam after all.

Chapter 9: Belly attends a party with Conrad and his friends, where she gets drunk and embarrasses herself. Conrad takes care of her and brings her back to the beach house, where they have a tender moment.

Chapter 10: Jeremiah confesses his feelings for Belly, which complicates her already confusing love triangle with Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly is torn between her loyalty to Conrad and her growing feelings for Jeremiah. She also reflects on the fact that this summer may be the last time they are all together, as Susannah is battling cancer.

Chapter 11: Belly’s mother, Laurel, comes to visit the beach house, but their relationship is strained and awkward. Belly and Laurel argue about Laurel’s drinking and distant behavior.

Chapter 12: Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah go on a late-night beach walk and Conrad reveals his feelings for Belly. However, he also tells her that he cannot be with her because of his own issues and because he doesn’t want to hurt his brother.

Chapter 13: Belly spends the day with Jeremiah and they share a kiss, which makes Belly feel guilty and confused. She also reflects on how much she has changed over the summer and how much she has grown up.

Chapter 14: Susannah’s health takes a turn for the worse, and she is hospitalized. Belly and the others struggle to come to terms with the fact that Susannah may not recover.

Chapter 15: Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship becomes more serious, but Belly still feels conflicted about her feelings for both him and Conrad. Belly also learns that Susannah’s cancer is terminal, and the group decides to have a bonfire on the beach in her honor. Belly reflects on how much Susannah has meant to her and how much the beach house has been a second home to her.

Chapter 16: The group returns to the beach house after Susannah’s funeral, and they struggle to come to terms with her passing. Belly reflects on her memories of Susannah and how much she will miss her.

Chapter 17: Belly and Conrad have a heart-to-heart conversation on the beach, where Conrad tells her that he has realized that he loves her. However, Belly is torn between her feelings for Conrad and Jeremiah.

Chapter 18: Belly and Jeremiah have a serious conversation about their future, and Jeremiah tells her that he is willing to wait for her, even if it means waiting forever. Belly realizes that she loves him, but is still confused about her feelings for Conrad.

Chapter 19: Belly and Conrad share a kiss, which makes her even more confused about her feelings for him. However, she realizes that she cannot keep stringing both Jeremiah and Conrad along.

Chapter 20: Belly makes a decision and tells both Conrad and Jeremiah the truth about her feelings. Conrad tells her that he is willing to wait for her, but Jeremiah is hurt and angry. Belly reflects on how much she has grown and how much she has learned about love and loss over the summer.

Chapter 21: Belly and Jeremiah have a heart-to-heart conversation, and Jeremiah tells her that he wants her to be happy, even if it means being with Conrad. Belly realizes how much Jeremiah truly cares about her.

Chapter 22: Belly and Conrad spend the day together, and Conrad tells her that he wants to be with her, but only if she is sure that she wants to be with him. Belly realizes that she loves him and wants to be with him.

Chapter 23: Belly and Conrad share their first night together, and Belly realizes that she has never been happier. However, she also knows that their relationship is still complicated and uncertain.

Chapter 24: Belly and Conrad spend their last day together before they have to leave the beach house. They share their final moments together and promise to keep in touch.

Chapter 25: Belly reflects on how much she has grown and changed over the summer, and how much she has learned about love and loss. She realizes that this summer was a turning point in her life and that she will always remember it as the summer she turned pretty. The book ends with Belly feeling both sad and excited for the future, and looking forward to the next summer.