“Pretty” is the Perfect Binge-Watch for Break

As the trend toward old becoming new continues, the 2008 show The Summer I Turned Pretty took over social media platforms this summer thanks to the beautiful detail they put into the series’ characters and set.

The book trilogy got turned into a teen drama series starring rising actors such as Lola Tung (Isabel “Belly” Conklin), Christopher Briney (Conrad Fisher), and Gavin Casalegno (Jerimiah Fisher). The TV series focuses on the first book of the same name, and was released on Prime Video on June 17, 2022. They are currently working on the second series that will be more focused on the second book (2010’s It’s Not Summer Without You), but the producers have yet to announce when it will be released.

The plot of the original series takes place at a North Carolina beach house owned by the Fisher family where teenager Belly, her brother Steven, and her mother, Laurel, visit every summer. Laura is close friends with the Fisher family’s mom, so the two families have been raised together. As a result, Belly, Steven, Conrad, and Jeremiah have grown up together and all have close relationships. After spending so many years together in this house, Belly develops a crush on Conrad, but keeps a close platonic relationship with Jeremiah. Because of Conrad’s personality and age differences, Belly never thought they would get together. That all changes the summer she turns sixteen and “turns pretty” (thus, the name of the story). The resulting love triangle between Belly, Conrad, and Jerimiah is what drives the action for the book trilogy.

The TV series itself does an excellent job of adapting the first of the books to the screen, and picking up every little detail the book has to offer in a way that those thirsting for drama and young love will appreciate. From the description of the actors to the details of the location, the series brings the beach house and the characters to life in a way that won’t disappoint readers.

The actors that were chosen for their specific roles also do a fantastic job in their roles and share amazing chemistry, especially Tung, Briney, and Casalegno who have made waves for how their friendship exists on and off set.

Another amazing factor that the series has to offer is the background music which features popular artists such as Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo.

I am not the only FCHS student who agrees the producers did a fantastic job when bringing the book series to life. “The TV show follows along with the storyline very well, only missing a few details, but overall the show was accurate to the book,” said senior Kimmie Bond.

Over the summer after I watched the series, I was so intrigued by the storyline I took time and bought all the books. I have never finished reading three books so quickly, and I was so entertained that I read each book within a day. I cried and laughed at certain parts of the book, so if you enjoy reading about romantic comedies while also experiencing sadness, then this book series and TV show is for you. If you haven’t checked it out, it might make for the perfect binge-read (or streaming) over Thanksgiving break. All three books are available to check out at the FCHS Media Center, and you can stream The Summer I Turned Pretty show on Amazon Prime.