The Summer That Stays With You

There are summer shows, and then there’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. The kind of show that doesn’t just entertain you, but makes you feel something. It’s the one you watch with your best friend and text each other mid-episode. The one you rewatch when you're missing that one summer that felt like everything.

Based on Jenny Han’s amazing book series, The Summer I Turned Pretty is more than just a "coming of age story". It’s about growing up and realizing that time doesn’t wait for anyone. It’s about friendships that shift, feelings that change, and moments that leave a huge mark on us.

Every scene feels like a memory, even if it’s one you’ve never lived. It captures the magic and messiness of being young... the way love can feel endless and painful all at once, and how some summers stay with you forever. Whether you're 15 or 25, something about it hits a little too close to home in the best way possible.

Image Credit: Min An from Pixels

It's Not Just a Love Story...

It’s a sun soaked, heart warming, and an emotional rollercoaster ride that perfectly captures what it’s like to grow up, fall in love, and realize that nothing ever stays the same. The vibe of the show is really unique and very comforting.

From the very first episode, this show pulls you into Cousins Beach like you’ve been there every summer of your life. The ocean, the warm colors, the soft lighting at golden hour... it all feels familiar in the best way. It’s the kind of place you daydream about when you’re stuck in school, the kind of summer you wish you had, or maybe did.

Everything feels like a scene you’d imagine while looking out a car window with your favorite song playing. Belly's story feels very, very real. You’re not just watching her grow up.

You’re feeling it with her. The gut-wrenching feeling of wanting to be noticed. The confusion of first love. The heartbreak that slams you down when things change, even when they’re supposed to. There’s something about Cousins Beach that makes every emotion you feel even more bigger, every glance means more, every moment feels like it could be the one that changes everything. And somehow, by the end of it, you're not just invested. You feel like you lived that summer with her.

Image Credit: Xang from Pixels

Take the Quiz: Which "The Summer I Turned Pretty" character are you most like?

Find out which character from the hit show "The Summer I Turned Pretty" is your personality twin!

It Never Really Ended... Did it?

There’s a reason main character (Belly) hits home for so many people. She’s not perfect, and the show never tries to make her be. She’s awkward, she messes up, she overthinks everything.. but who doesn't at 16? Watching her grow into herself, watching her be seen for the first time, it’s painfully relatable.

Because most of us know what it’s like to go from “just the little sister” to someone who’s suddenly being looked at differently by friends, by crushes, by ourselves. Let’s be honest, love triangles in shows are usually just for drama. But here?

It hurts in the way only real love can hurt. Conrad and Jeremiah aren’t just two random guys fighting over a girl, they’re brothers. And they’ve known Belly forever.

Every glance, every quiet moment between them carries years of unsaid things. You don’t just root for one; you feel for all three. It’s messy, but in the way real feelings are.

It is not just about romance. What sets this show apart is that the romance is only one piece of it. The show explores grief, family, friendship, and identity. All the stuff that hits you harder in the quiet moments.

Image Credit: Olivetreebranch from WikiMedia Commons

More Than Just Pretty

The moms’ storylines are just as emotional as the teens’, and watching the way they navigate love, loss, and motherhood gives the show even more depth. This show hits you harshly with the "The Summer Everything Changed'.

If you’ve ever had a summer where you came out of it a little different, maybe braver, maybe sadder, maybe a little more in love, then this show gets it. It doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat bow. It lets the characters mess up.

It lets the moments breathe. And by the end, you don’t just feel like you watched a story.

You feel like you've lived one.

Yes, it is called The Summer I Turned Pretty, but it is just way more than the shallow meaning itself. It’s about turning pages in your life, about the kind of summer that leaves a mark. If you haven’t watched it yet, save it for a day when the days are long and the nights are short... Summer. Trust me, it’ll hit different.