The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty (S1) | TV Show Review

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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

As Sung By Taylor // Book Recommendations

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Hi Friends,
You might not know this, but I am a Swiftie! And since I could not manage to get tickets to The Eras tour, I thought I would do the next best thing. Sure, to non-readers, this might not be the next best thing, but I thought it would be fun to share some book recommendations based on some Taylor songs.

Related Post: Belladonna // Book Review

“But you’re untouchable, burning brighter than the sun
Now that you’re close I feel like coming undone
In the middle of the night, when I’m in this dream
It’s like a million little stars spelling out your name
You gotta come on, come on
Say that we’ll be together
Come on, come on
Oh, oh, oh”


“And it’s like snow at the beach
Weird but fuckin’ beautiful
Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful
You wanting me tonight feels impossible
But it’s comin’ down, no sound, it’s all around
Like snow on the beach
Like snow on the beach
Like snow on the beach
Like snow, oh, oh oh”


“I’d be a fearless leader
I’d be an alpha type
When everyone believes ya
What’s that like?
I’m so sick of running as fast as I can
Wondering if I’d get there quicker
If I was a man
And I’m so sick of them coming at me again
‘Cause if I was a man
Then I’d be the man
I’d be the man
I’d be the man”


“I’ve grown accustomed to sleepin’ alone
Still, I know that all it takes is to get it right
Just one time, just one time
All I know is this could either break my heart or bring it back to life
Got a feelin’ your electric touch could fill this ghost town up with life
And I want you now, wanna need you forever
In the heat of your electric touch”

Keep in mind that these are just my opinions, and I think that each of these songs compliments the book really well. In the comments, let me know which Taylor album is your favorite. I will forever be a Red girl! Do not forget to hit the follow, but before you leave.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

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

- Bunny 3 Comments

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

Cover vs Cover // Paperback Or Hardback

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Hi Friends,
I have seen a lot of these book ‘Cover vs. Cover’ posts and videos. Basically, the reader will say which cover they like more. There are many different versions of this post, but today I will be comparing the paperback and hardback covers. Often, both editions will have separate covers. So let’s get ready to rate some book covers!

The Thousandth Floor
This was a super easy pick for me, because I loved the hardback cover. Like, so much! It is so beautiful, and tells a great story. The paperback edition looks more like a cheesy romance book. It doesn’t in the convey a message in same way as the hardback copy.

The Summer I Turned Pretty
I am not a fan of people on the book cover, since it never seems original enough. I enjoy the fun, pretty, and unique covers that have thought put into them. Long story short, (no pun intended), the paperback cover is 100 times better than the hardback cover. I love the bright colors and font choice. It also gives me definite summer contemporary vibes.

Windfall
I had a hard time picking between these two. They’re different, yet similar. But, I have to contradict my earlier statement about people on the cover and choose the paperback version. I think, mostly, because my favorite color is pink. Also, I found the hardback cover to be kind of busy, and distracting from the text. Unpopular opinion, maybe.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
I hadn’t seen the paperback edition until writing this post, and all I can say is, stunning. I want to point out that this is the 2018 edition paperback. The original was the same as the hardback cover. There is also another, more recent version of the paperback, which features the cast of the movie adaption. Anyhow, I always thought that the hardback cover was too minimalist. It didn’t reflect the book at all. I kind of enjoy the chaos of the paperback cover. The background writing is a simple change, but great touch.

13 Reasons Why
This is the simplest cover versus cover, because they are practically the same. I’m reasonably certain that it’s the same photo with a different color profile. But between the two, I would say the hardback version is my favorite. However, I do see the reasoning behind the paperback cover. It is grey and dark, so you know this is a serious book. However, I like how lively the hardback is, while still keeping a somber tone.

Undead Girl Gang

Did they even try with the paperback cover? It looks disorganized and underwhelming. This might be another case of me just not liking real people on a book cover, but you have to admit that this cover is lame. I don’t really care too much for the hardback cover, either, but it’s at least marginally better than the paperback edition. I hope that eventually, the author completely revamps these covers. Let’s get, maybe, a cartoon drawing of some zombie girls on the cover.

As always, like, subscribe, et cetera. You all know this speech by now. But seriously, it helps me, it helps the blog, and you get cool notifications whenever I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny