The first The Summer I Turned Pretty book has sold over 7 million copies, and that is due to the television adaptation by Amazon Prime. The Summer I Turned Pretty television series aired in the summer of 2022, and the response was extensive. The New York Times listed it as one of the top ten shows that summer. Rotten Tomatoes scored it 85%, and reviews agree. A few things many reviews have mentioned are the great emotional pull the story has, the addictive binge it brings, and the awesome soundtrack. While I agree with these things, I believe the show is not up to the standard that I would have expected from the producer, Jenny Han. I just finished watching the first season, and I felt underwhelmed.
The first episode felt almost awkward in a sense, the main character Belly, played by Lola Tung, did not sell the character to me. She seemed very unsure, and the audience could tell that she was just launched into the role. Her chemistry with her love interests is barely there. While this may only be one complaint, it really throws off the first four episodes. Once both Conrad and Jeremiah have been noted as love interests, Tung seems to fill in her role as Belly.
However, you must acknowledge it is a good show. The producers captured the young adult vibe of the original books perfectly. The show captures the essence of growing up and figuring life out. As reviews mentioned, the show is addictive. One can not help but say “One more episode” as the credits roll for the end of each one. The soundtrack is also something to talk about. Just the first episode alone consists of hits from Taylor Swift, Cardi B, and Olivia Rodrigo. Throughout the whole first season, Jenny Han uses popular, well-known songs and rebrands them into her story. It is also worth mentioning that the soundtrack was a reason for the excitement of the show before it aired. The hit songs by Taylor Swift especially called her fans to watch.
Overall, the show is definitely worth watching. I do believe that the show is not as cinematically award-winning as other shows released in the past few years, but is a good show nonetheless.
