The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han fits the bill as an ideal summer time read. I first read this book a few years ago yet I dig it out most summers to re-read. However for Isabel (Belly) this summer is different to all the rest - she turned pretty - aka grew out of the awkward teen pubescent phase that we can all relate to (clue is in the title). No doubt every young person has experienced the tense wait for the summer holidays to begin whilst the last few weeks of school drag, this book embodies that feeling.
The protagonist Belly spends the summer months with her mum and brother in a beach house with her mother's best friend, Susannah, and her two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has always 'loved' Conrad, an admiration almost; the cool, moody, aloof type - a modern day Mr Darcy even. Whereas Jeremiah has a more brotherly, best-friend type relationship with Belly... until this summer. You can easily relate to Belly, a likeable, typical teenage girl who deals with the trials of growing up whilst coping with emotions that are not always spine-tingling or butterfly-inducing - but hey, that's life.
This book is part of a series but I have not read the other two - it didn't leave me curious as to what happens next. The characters are not developed nor is the plot overly gripping, but it is relatable on almost every level as a Young Adult romance novel and an enjoyable story to read.
Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Author: Jenny Han
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Published: 2009, Simon & Schuster
Pages: 267
My rating: ★★★
Favourite quote: 'Moments, when lost, can't be found again. They're just gone.'
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han on Goodreads
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