The Summer I Turned Pretty

Belly spends every summer at the beach house owned by her mom’s best friend, Susannah. While all the usual occupants—Belly’s brother, her mom, Susannah, and Susannah’s sons, Jeremiah and Conrad—are present, this year things are different. A note of finality hangs in the air, as Conrad will start college in the fall. He’s always been closed off, but now he’s taken up drinking and smoking, and gets moody whenever other boys pay attention to Belly. In addition to Conrad, there’s Cam, Belly’s summer fling, and Jeremiah also seems to have a crush on her. Who will she end up with? Some chapters return to summers past, revealing Susannah’s cancer and Belly’s first kiss with one brother, Jeremiah, and her unwavering love for the other, Conrad. Han plants enough seeds throughout the book for readers to ascertain what’s really going on with Susannah, while keeping Belly—who is appropriately self-centered, alternating between typical teenage vanity and vulnerable insecurity—clueless. This is a quick, satisfying read, with a poignant conclusion good for budding romance fans.