How is it already over? I have spent every summer the past four years with this show on the top of my mind. “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” though some might consider it a hard watch at times, it had me hanging on by a thread. Jenny Han, famous writer, author, and director,  did it again. She took a silly love trilogy and made it into a debate among American teenagers. 

One girl, two brothers, who will she choose? This story follows Belly (Lola Tung), our main character and her journey of falling in love and finding her own way. She has grown up spending summers at her mothers best friend's Cape Cod home. With her brother Steven (Sean Kaufman), and her Mother Laurel (Jackie Chung), travel from Philadelphia to Massachusetts to spend summers with the Fishers; Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) and her two sons, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeramiah (Gavin Casalengo). Since she could remember, Belly had always been in love with Conrad, though she always believed Conrad could never see her in the same light. But, one summer she arrived at the beach house and everything was different. The boys she thought she knew completely, she saw with an entirely new perspective.  The first season really showed Belly facing first love and heartbreak, and moreover, how she handles adult situations. 

As the story goes on, viewers see the characters develop. Belly learns that she needs to be able to control her feelings in order to avoid making the wrong choice. But the second season did not make that easier. Belly’s feelings towards the Fisher boys became more complicated. The brothers both felt an immense love for Belly, and it was hard to not let that tear them apart. In this season we watch how this found family faces love and grief, having viewers going mad!

This brings us to the final season. At this point, we have seen Belly in love twice. It divided fans across the world on either #TeamConrad or #TeamJeremiah. After a series of bad decisions, the love triangle decides they need to grow alone for a while. But with that, the characters were able to realize their true desires, and were able to find themselves. It is such a sight to see when all the characters find that confirmation they had been looking for throughout the whole show.

The summer I turned pretty is a  show about love, and the battles of trying to do what's right. In my opinion, this was a very well structured show for teens 12-19, though I know people of all ages who have found this show quite interesting. While watching this, I physically felt the emotions of some characters. For instance, I felt genuine sympathy for both brothers throughout the entire series, as it often felt as if Belly was constantly bouncing back and forth from each. While Belly is technically the protagonist, dare I say she became quite selfish throughout the seasons. This show was a rollercoaster of  sadness, happiness, sympathy, etc. More times than none I found myself cringing at the TV. 

All together, the show kept me nonstop entertained. Every episode we were left on a new cliffhanger that left viewers conversing until the following Wednesday. I think it is a cute, raunchy show that is a perfect outlet to fill one's extra time with. 

Darby Smith is a staff writer for the Dedham Mirror. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with friends, keeping up to date with the news, going to the beach, and being with her dog.