The Summer I Turned Pretty (trilogy)

The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy, (or sometimes known as "The Belly Conklin Series" or "The Summer Series/Trilogy." ) written by international best selling author Jenny Han and published by Simon and Schuster, includes The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and the final book We'll Always Have Summer.

The story of the trilogy follow a young teenage girl named Isabel "Belly," Conklin and the summers she spends at a residence known as Cousin's Beach, with her mother and older brother, Steven, along with her mother's lifelong best friend, Susannah, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. The book series has been a national bestseller with the final installment of the series, We'll Always Have Summer having been on the bestseller list for over a month.

It has been revealed by author Jenny Han that a script is in the works by "a very talented screenwriter".

Books in the series

• The Summer I Turned Pretty
• It's Not Summer Without You
• We'll Always Have Summer

Characters

Isabel "Belly" Conklin - The main character, narrator and protagonist in the series. She is the daughter of Laurel and the younger sister of Steven. She is known to have had a crush on Conrad since she was little, but her relationship with him falls apart and at the end of It's Not Summer Without You after the two get together for a short lived time. At the end of the novel, she starts a relationship with his brother, Jeremiah, after he kisses her; making his feelings known to her. In We'll Always Have Summer, which sees the two years the couple have been together, she discovers at a frat party, that he cheated on her with a girl in his sister sorority (who was also known to be the "sorority slut") which not only results in her literally slapping him across the face (marking the first time she ever struck someone) but her spending days literally in bed crying. As an act to prove his regret, he proposes to her which she hesitantly accepts. But as a result of ongoing fights with her mother (who is furious with her for choosing to marry so young), she stays at Cousin's Beach. Because of this arrangement, her old feelings for Conrad, who is as well staying there, begin to slowly yet just as strongly resurface. Toward the climax of the novel, Conrad, after discovering his brother's infidelity, confesses his love for her in what is known to be the most dramatic and heart wrenching scene in the series. Although Belly blows up at his confession saying he was too late and that "they were never anything" (leaving Conrad completely heart broken) her feelings for both brothers are called into question. She and Jeremiah, in the end, call off the wedding and break up for good when realizing that while they had good intentions, they just simply were not meant to be together. It is told in the epilogue (a basic summary of what happened the years that followed up to Conrad and Belly's wedding) that Belly did not hear from Conrad for two years before receiving her first hand-written letter from him, which then come "each and every month" throughout the rest of her college years and that this is how she eventually began to stay in contact with him. He then shows up at her college graduation where it is implied resulted in their reunion and getting back together as a couple (as Belly "just knew").

Conrad ("Con") Fisher - The eldest son of Susannah and Mr. Fisher and older brother of Jeremiah. He is known to push away his loved ones aside and to keeping all his emotions and feelings inside and rarely, if not ever, expresses them. In the first book, his character is something of a jerk or "asshole" to everyone having spent the summer throughout the novel getting drunk and locked in his room. It is suspected though, however, that he has developed feelings for Belly having shown several accounts of getting either overly protective or jealous of guys flirting with her. At the end of the novel he gets together with her. However, the relationship is short lived when Conrad once again slips back into his "asshole" ways and pushes her away and their relationship ends on a sour note. In the beginning of the second novel, he runs away from college and vanishes and is found at the summer house by Jeremiah and Belly. It is soon revealed that the boys' father intends to sell the summer house and Conrad took off in order to save what remained of Susannah. In the end, Laurel shows up after Belly makes a drunken call to her one night and saves everything by making a deal with Mr. Fisher that Conrad and Jeremiah can personally keep the house if Conrad returned to college and passed all his exams. The adults leave and Belly and Jeremiah help prep Conrad for his exams the following night and morning. Things seem to make a turn for the best when Conrad successfully passes all of his tests. However, things make an abrupt turn for the worse when Conrad returns to the car after finishing his last test, where Belly and Jere are waiting for him, only to walk in on his brother and Belly making out in the front seat after Jeremiah finally made his move on her. He is described in reaction as pale white and leaves the scene where Belly follows him and he is has so much hate and fury in his eyes that Belly literally winces from it. There he sees Belly wearing his necklace (which she found in the earlier parts of the novel) and demands it back which Belly does (clearly surprising him) and when he tells her to go and she doesn't he says he never wanted her causing her to flee. In the end, he confesses that he lied to her and (as told from a flashback in the following book) tells his brother he can have his chance to be with her and lies, insisting he is over her.

In We'll Always Have Summer which takes place two years later it is revealed that Conrad has always been in love with Belly and is scared by the depth of his feelings for her. He hates seeing his brother be with Belly and can't stand the idea of him having a future with "his girl" and finds it harder and harder to "pretend." He spends time throughout the novel fighting his feelings for Belly and pretending he does not care for her. However, once he discovers how his brother cheated on Belly at his brother's bachelor party, he is so furious that he sees red and leaves in order to avoid harming Jeremiah. When Belly finds him after looking for him when finding out he was no longer with Jeremiah, he confesses his love for her and begs her not to marry his brother and to be with him, even crying in his emotion. Belly, however, blows up at his confession stating he was too late, leaving him heart broken. After Jeremiah goes missing on his wedding day after discovering through Belly how Conrad revealed his feelings for her, Conrad finds him at their mother's garden. Here they fight and Jeremiah demands him to admit that he loves Belly and he eventually does. Right after this, Jere disowns him as his brother saying that he wants nothing more to do with him, vowing never to see him again declaring them "done". After this, Conrad bids his goodbye to Belly saying it was best for them to have some time apart and gives her back his infinity necklace (the one returned to him in the previous novel) saying it "always" belonged to her and "always will", implying he will always love her. It is told in the epilogue that Conrad did not contact Belly for two years before sending her his first hand-written letter to her which then come "each and every month" throughout the rest of her college years. He then shows up at her college graduation to where it resulted in their reunion and getting back together as a couple. This all leading up to his marriage proposal two years into their relationship. The epilogue of the series officially ended with Belly marrying Conrad, becoming his wife, and the couple starting a life together; marking the end of the series.

Jeremiah ("Jere") Fisher - At the outset of the series he is the good boy, the one that appears to be golden in the eyes of everyone. The stabilizing and supportive force in the family where Conrad is known to be the turmoil. He is a good friend to Belly and a loving brother to Conrad and even steps aside as Conrad pursues Belly, even when he came to realize his own feelings for her himself. He reluctantly allows Conrad to have a fair chance with Belly, however by It's Not Summer Without You, he grows tired of burying his feelings for Belly and abruptly kisses her while sitting in a car with her, who kisses him back, only to be walked in on by Conrad. Despite being near furious of what he caught the two doing, he gives Jeremiah permission to have his earned chance with her. By the third book, We'll Always Have Summer, his character goes through an ugly transformation from Golden Boy to Frat Boy, even cheating on Belly with the "sister sorority slut" and proposes to Belly as an act to prove his remorse, but is shown to have dramatically changed for the worst. He is even as well shown to be very jealous of Conrad and Belly's friendship and even rubs his engagement to Belly in Conrad's face. However when he discovers through Belly that Conrad confessed his feelings for Belly, he takes off the night before the wedding and never shows up, worrying everyone. He is found and confronted by Conrad at Susannah's garden resulting in a fight with him as the two verbally argue about who loved and deserved Belly more, followed by Jeremiah demanding Conrad to admit he loves her. After reading a letter for "him" (turning out the letter was actually meant for Conrad) from their mom, he disowns Conrad as his brother declaring they were "done" and vows never to see him again not wanting anything further to do with him. Although in the epilogue of the novel he can be seen at Conrad and Belly's wedding, leaving the status of the two brothers' relationship unknown.

Susannah "Beck" Fisher - The rock that everyone seems to cling to. Even in death her calming force is referenced and used by all as they navigate the different situations in their lives. She dies of cancer by book two but is heavily remembered by her family and friends throughout the course of the remaining series. It is discovered she left letters to "the summer kids" in the final book (although we only get to read the one she gave to Belly.) She is shown to be very friendly, loving and compassionate. Her death hits everyone hard and life without her seemed near impossible and takes everyone almost a year to pull themselves together and to form a life without her existence.

Mr. Fisher - A man who is known to have his way no matter what it costs or who it hurts. He is Susannah's husband and father of Conrad and Jeremiah. After she dies he turns to whiskey. He drove Conrad away after Conrad saw how badly he began treating Susannah, such as cheating on her and running away when she got cancer. He tries to sell the summer house in It's Not Summer Without You after she dies and barely stopped in time by Laurel and Conrad and everyone else (excluding Steven who is away in college.)In the final book, he tries to mend his relationships with his sons and pays for Jeremiah and Belly's wedding despite not agreeing with them on getting married at such a young age.

Taylor Jewel - Belly's best friend despite being polar opposites. Unlike Belly, she is boy crazy and shallow, though by We'll Always Have Summer, she grows up and has something wise to say for once. In the first book of the series as seen in flashbacks, she is boy crazy and considered something of a slut as she goes for all three guys (Steven, Conrad and Jeremiah) almost at once (first setting her eyes on Conrad and flirting with him, then kissing and leading Jeremiah on and then getting caught kissing Steven, all of this in less than a week) despite telling Belly that girls "can't do that." She is seen desperately trying to pair Belly with guys and trying to get to "show some cleave" despite Belly's endless protests of doing such things. She and Belly have a falling out towards the climax in It's Not Summer Without You when she accuses Belly of being "a crappy friend" when Belly does not want her to come to a party at the beach house and saying how she "keeps her summer house and her summer boys all to herself and not sharing anything with [her]," which sparks an argument between the two girls. By We'll Always Have Summer they make peace and Taylor can been seen throughout the course of the book supporting Belly and her decision to have a wedding and helping. She confronts Conrad after suspecting he said something to Belly after noticing a change in her behavior and warns him to leave her alone stating he only hurt her endlessly in the past. But then says Belly told her a part of her will always love him and says she knows he loves Belly too and that "only he can stop her from marrying Jeremiah" but to be "damn sure he still wants her [Belly]" and to "be the good guy Belly says he is" and to "let her go." (Although he silently refuses to let Belly go.)

Laurel Conklin - Belly and Steven's mother as well as Susannah's best friend. She is rigid and desperate to have the relationship with Belly that her daughter had with her best friend Susannah. She seems to always make the wrong choices as far as Belly is concerned but her desire to be close to her daughter is prevalent and admirable. The two young women come head to head in We'll Always Have Summer when Belly and Jeremiah announce their engagement and Laurel is furious saying the couple are far too young for such a commitment, even going as far as refusing to show up for the wedding and even kicking Belly out of the house. Conrad though, talks to her and manages to convince her to make amends with Belly. It is shown in the final book that the relationship between Conrad and Laurel is very close and even resembles the relationship between Conrad and Susannah. In the epilogue of We'll Always Have Summer it is implied that she helps Belly pick out her wedding dress for her and Conrad's wedding and helped plan it (just as Belly always dreamed and hoped of having her wedding).

Steven Conklin - Belly’s brother Steven is a good friend and supportive brother. Though we see little of him overall his truthfulness is a springboard for Belly to make difficult but wise decisions. He appears throughout Belly's flashbacks making fun of her and teasing her endlessly but despite such teasing is shown to have a protective side of her. This in which is also supported from a statement from Jeremiah from one of the chapters of It's Not Summer Without You who states that Steven despite his constant teasing was "really protective of Belly." Even saying to Belly herself in We'll Always Have Summer that while Jeremiah was like a brother to him Belly was his "little sister and [she] came first." Something that even surprises Belly herself.

Cam Cameron - Belly's first boyfriend and the first guy who ever called her beautiful. He only appears in the first novel of the series being a summer fling for Belly. It is told he had a crush on Belly throughout grade school but never had the courage to approach her. He left one final voice message for Belly asking if she wanted to stay in contact after the summer but if not "it was nice hanging out with her". He is mentioned twice more throughout the series afterwards as a summer memory for Belly.