The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 1 // Series Review

About The Show
Belly Conklin is about to turn 16, and she’s headed to her favorite place in the world, Cousins Beach, to spend the summer with her family and the Fishers. Belly’s grown up a lot over the past year, and she has a feeling that this summer is going to be different than all the summers before. The Summer I Turned Pretty is based on the book by Jenny Han, who is creator and executive producer.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3sB1Wpv

My Rating


If you know me, then you know that ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ trilogy by Jenny Han is one of my least favorite trilogies. Honestly, the books started off okay, and then just got worse. However, when Amazon Prime released their original series based off the books, I was intrigued. I hoped that it would be a fresh take on the books.

And, I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the show. The first season obviously follows the first book in which we meet Belly (Isabella). Every summer, Belly (along with her mom and brother) goes to Cousins to spend the summer with her mom’s best friend (Susannah) and her two sons Conrad and Jeremiah.

Belly has always had a crush on Conrad, yet to him she’s like a little sister. But, now that she’s a little older, and has had a major glow up, she’s hoping that maybe he’ll see her in a new light. However, while Conrad might be falling for her, Jeremiah might start taking notice of the new Belly too. And that’s basically the majority of the plot of the first book, although a lot of other things happens throughout the book.

The show follows the first book pretty closely, but I liked a lot of changes that they made. From the first episode I knew that I was going to enjoy the series 100% more than the book. I’m not embarrassed to say that the show, in my opinion, is better.

“For me, everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.”

I don’t know about other people, but it gave me classic teen drama vibes. I’ve always been a lover of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘One Tree Hill’, so when I say I got total Dawson’s vibes from the show you better believe it’s a compliment. Also, Conrad, Belly, Jeremiah – think Dawson, Joey, Pacey. Just saying.

The actors did a great job bringing the characters to life. And, I might have to admit that this version of Belly didn’t annoy me nearly as much as the one in the book. By the way, did anyone else get transported back in time seeing Rachel Blanchard? Not only is she stunning, but I still remember loving the Clueless series where she played Cher.

Overall, the show was a good time. I think that teens today will really enjoy it, as well as adults that are desperate for a good classic teen drama. If you are a fan of the books, I think you’d still like the show, because the root of the plot is still there. Just a side note, the fact the series pointed out that teens today probably don’t know who The Olsen Twins are makes me feel so old.

In the comments, let me know if you liked the series or books better. Also, let me know if you’d like me to review the second season of the series. Don’t forget to show your support by following my book blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

5 Summertime Films // Toss-Up Tuesday

Hi Friends,
Fall is just around the corner, which means that it’s your last chance to watch some summer movies. Although I’m much more of an autumn and winter girl myself, I thought I’d share some summer films you should check out before the season changes!

There’s Someone Inside Your House (Netflix)
“The graduating class at Osborne High is being targeted by a masked assailant, intent on exposing the darkest secret of each victim, and only a group of misfit outsiders can stop the killings.”

This is a teen thriller based on the Stephanie Perkins book of the same name. I personally wasn’t a fan of the book (read my review) but I think the film seems like it would be a good summer slasher flick.

Love and Gelato (Netflix)
“Lina makes a promise to her sick mother that she’ll spend the summer before college in Rome, where she falls for the city, the people – and the “gelato”.”

Yep, another book-to-movie adaptation, courtesy of Netflix. I read this book as well (see my review), but the movie looks quite different than the book. However, if you separate the two from each other, then you’ll get a fun summertime teen movie.

Moonshot (HBO Max)
“This romantic comedy with a twist follows two college students as they join forces in order to be reunited with their significant others, embarking on a lively journey that takes them wildly off course.”

This is a cute movie that is all about finding love in space. The film is one of those feel good teen flicks that is perfect for a summer date night. Or, just a good watch for a summer night in.

Teen Beach Movie (Disney+)
“Two surfing lovers, whose doomed relationship is nearing to a close, find themselves swept into a dimension-traversing wave that sends them into a beach movie musical in the 60’s.”

If you like summer and musicals, then this one is for you. It’s Pleasantville meets Grease, but more kid friendly. This film gives off all those summer vibes that you might be looking for, before the season ends.

Secret Headquarters (Paramount+)
“While hanging out after school, Charlie and his friends discover the headquarters of the world’s most powerful superhero hidden beneath his home. When villains attack, they must team up to defend the headquarters and save the world.”

This film is essentially a new twist on the Spy Kids movie. There’s action, comedy, and a superhero element. Honestly, it’s a great pick for a summertime family movie night.

Those are my picks for five awesome movie to watch before the summer ends. I can’t wait to watch them myself! Before you go, give this post a like, and follow my blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Trailer Reaction // What We Know So Far!

Hi Friends,
When I saw that the trailer for Amazon Prime series adaptation of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty‘ by Jenny Han was released I was skeptical to say the least. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the book trilogy in the first place, so I didn’t think the show would be any better. However, after seeing the trailer I am interested enough to give the show a chance.

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ follows Belly as she gets caught in a love triangle between two brothers. The book takes place throughout the summer, and not only showcases first love, but heartbreak as well.

The trailer didn’t give too much away, but the acting looked very good. I am actually looking forward to watching the show, and reviewing it for you all. It might turn out to be above the books in my opinion. Although, I wasn’t a fan of Netflix’s ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ by Jenny Han film adaptation. Here’s hoping that Amazon does a better job on this trilogy.

We don’t know that much about the series, or how closely it will follow the books. However, Jenny Han seems to have a decent role in the development of the show, so it has been suspected that the series will be fairly similar to the books.

Things that we do know about the adaption is for one the release date, which is June 17th. There will be a total of seven episodes, and to be expected it will only focus on the first book in the trilogy, ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’.

Also, one cool thing about the trailer is that it featured “This Love (Taylor’s Version)”, which makes me suspect we might be getting a “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” album released soon. I know that has nothing to do with the series, but it is still exciting to me.

In the comments, let me know if you will be watching the show on Amazon Prime. Don’t forget to follow the blog, so you don’t miss out on my review of the series.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Dash and Lily // Series Review

Title: Dash and Lily
Network: Netflix
Released: 2020
Genre: Series/Romance/Holiday
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Synopsis
A whirlwind Christmas romance builds as cynical Dash and optimistic Lily trade dares, dreams and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations around New York City.


After reading the book, I knew that I had to watch the Netflix adaptation. First off, I want to say that the book and series are fairly different. I have seen a few of Netflix book-to-movies, and suspected that the series wouldn’t be exactly like the book. However, in this case I think that the changes that were made worked well.

The movie did have the same major plot as the book, which I have reviewed. Lily and Dash meet during the holidays, through a red notebook left by Lily at their favorite bookstore. By exchanging the notebook, the two getting to know one another. And, every pass of the notebook has a dare the other must to complete.

I found the show to be adorable, and definitely something that I would rewatch every holiday season. I enjoyed the acting, and connected with the character in a way that I didn’t with the book. A change that I liked was how they met (before they actually met). In the book, I felt that it took too long before they met in person. It was nice to see Lily’s quirkiness in real life, and Dash was far more relatable in the series.

I liked how Dash wanted to meet Lily, and he couldn’t even think about any other girl. He was all in with Lily. One of my major dislikes of the book was changed in the series, which probably added to my enjoyment of the show. One being, Lily seemed stronger and didn’t apologies for her mistakes, because she’s a teenager. Making mistakes is part of the job description.

“Sometimes Words Aren’t Enough.”

As for the family aspect, it was interesting to actually meet Dash’s dad in the series, since we didn’t get much info on his parents in book. The scene with his dad though brief explained a lot about Dash’s cynical personality. I noticed that Lily and her brother had a lot more scenes together than in the book, and seemed to have closer relationship. He was even the one to encourage her to leave the notebook, and wrote the first dare. This is a major change from the book, since Lily did it all on her own due to her lonely Christmas. It was refreshing seeing their close sibling bond.

Some of the characters in the series were pretty different, but still really likeable. And, there were some other relationships that I liked seeing develop as well. The ending wasn’t exactly like the book, which you can probably tell by now is a theme with the series. However, I absolutely preferred the series ending over the books. Honestly, it made my heart swoon and even my husband was a fan of the show.

I didn’t hate the book at all, but out of the two I completely favor the series. It fixed all the issues I had with the book, as slight as they may have been. It was such a heartwarming holiday teen romance show that I would recommend to everyone. In all honesty, I would even say that you could skip the book and just go for the series. Also, Nick Jones produce the series, which I find to be interesting.

Let me know if you agree with me on the series vs. book comparison. Please share this post, and like it as well. And, give the blog a follow to support my blog!

Until the Next Chapter,
Bunny

3 Books // 3 Adaptions

Hi Friends,
Lately, there have been many book adaptations released. I have seen the trailers for each of them and wanted to share my thoughts. My opinion is from a readers standpoint, since I have read each of these books.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (Peacock)

This is a series coming to the streaming service of Peacock. I was very excited for this adaptation, since I was a fan of the book. However, I noticed many changes. Of course, most adaptations are modified, but something felt off about this one. There were a lot of character differences, which could turn out to be a good thing. However, throughout the book none of the main characters suspected each other. Sure, they had their doubts at times, but they stuck by one another for the most part. From the looks of the trailer, they aren’t as united. Still, I will probably be giving the first couple episodes a chance. Here’s hoping it surprises me.

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins (Netflix)

If you read my review of this book than you know I didn’t enjoy it. Although, I wanted to give the movie version the benefit of the doubt. Yet the trailer looks as dull as the book. No offense to anyone who liked the book, because I know a lot of people did. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. Netflix does a lot of book-to-movie adaptations, but sadly I haven’t cared for many of them. But I might watch the film at one point since I do love my horror movies. And, I am genuinely curious to see if the story works better as a film.

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan (Amazon Prime)

This is another series release, and after seeing the trailer I am highly disappointed in the direction of the show. I loved the original movies, because they were scary without being gruesome. But, I guess Amazon saw the attention the Gossip Girl reboot was getting, and decided to go the sexualized, glamorized route. It seems like some weird Gen-Z version of a horror series. I am not into it at all. Out of all the adaptations, this is the one I am least likely to watch.

Keep in mind that these are solely my thoughts on the adaptations. If you want to hear my opinions after watching them, please check out my Twitter. Lastly, you know the drill follow, like and share the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny