The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty begins with a short scene prior to the first chapter. How did you interpret it? Why do you think Jenny Han introduces the book this way?

We get a great feel for the house at Cousins Beach in the very first chapter. How does Jenny Han use all five senses to describe the novel’s setting? Describe similar examples of writing craft throughout the book.

What does “pretty” mean, with respect to the title of the book? How would Belly define “pretty”? How do you define “pretty”? Is there a difference between “pretty” and “beautiful”?

Consider these references:

• “She shook her head like she was in awe of me. ‘You’re so pretty, so pretty. You’re going to have an amazing, amazing summer. It’ll be a summer you’ll never forget.”
• “It was the summer I turned pretty.”
• “This was Cam, a real guy who had noticed me even before I was pretty.”
• “‘No.’ Cam ran his hand through his hair. He wouldn’t look at me. ‘It’s because I thought you were really pretty. Like, maybe the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.’”
• “Cam looked perplexed. ‘Why? Your nose is cute. It’s the imperfections that make things beautiful.”
• “He was the first boy to tell me I was beautiful.”

The Summer I Turned Pretty is told in the first person from Belly’s perspective, apparently in retrospect. When is the “now” from which she’s narrating? How do you know? How might the story have been different if Jenny Han had written the novel in third person?

Chapters alternate between past and present—between significant memories from earlier summers and current experiences. What purpose do these flashbacks serve?

In what ways does each person in the house (Jeremiah, Conrad, Susannah, and Laurel) play a particular “role”—in the story, overall, and in Belly’s life? How does the dynamic change when Steven leaves? How might the atmosphere have been different if Mr. Fisher had visited, or even Belly and Steven’s father?

“I was getting older too. Things couldn’t stay the same forever.” What do you think Jenny Han is suggesting here? Recall a time in your life when you realized you were growing up, and how that felt.

Belly and the boys love playing “Would You Rather.” Borrowing Jeremiah’s example, “Would you rather live one perfect day over and over or live your life with no perfect days but just decent ones?” What do you think? How do these competing scenarios relate to the issues Belly faces? If asked again at the very end of the summer, do you think Belly would stick with her original answer (for just decent days)?

What is the turning point in Belly and Conrad’s relationship? Were you surprised by the direction it took?

When did you start to think there might be something seriously wrong with Susannah, and/or the family’s situation? What were the signs?

Explain Belly’s feelings for Cam over the course of the novel. Did she ever really like him? What stopped her, ultimately, from falling in love with him?

Consider these examples of Belly’s observations about Cam:

• “But there was something about him that seemed safe and comfortable.”
• “He’d probably meet some random homeless guy and become best friends with him, and then he’d tell me the man’s life story the next day. Not that there were any homeless guys on our end of the beach. Not that I’d ever seen a homeless person in Cousins, for that matter. But if there was, Cam would find him.”
• “I ran up to the front door, and I didn’t have to turn around to know that Cam would wait until I was inside before he drove away.”
• “Here I had this really great guy who actually liked me.”

What’s the point of including Belly’s childhood friend, Taylor, in The Summer I Turned Pretty? How did Jenny Han use Taylor to help the reader get to know Belly better?

“The old pull, the tide drawing me back in. I kept getting caught in this current—first love, I mean. First love kept making me come back to this, to him. He still took my breath away, just being near him. I had been lying to myself the night before, thinking I was free, thinking I had let him go. It didn’t matter what he said or did, I’d never let him go.” Do you identify with Jenny Han’s powerful description of first love? Discuss the difference between crushes and love. How might Belly differentiate the two?

Susannah jokes about her cancer. What was the effect of this comedic moment on the characters in the novel? How did it affect you, as a reader?

Which of Belly’s three love interests in The Summer I Turned Pretty did you like best—Conrad, Jeremiah, or Cam? Compare and contrast, then come up with a list of qualities for an ideal summer romance!

Discuss the ending. What’s happened? What do you think will happen from here?