The Summer I Turned Pretty, a television series on Amazon Prime, has been available for streaming since June 17, 2022.
In case you didn’t know, The Summer I Turned Pretty is based on the first book of Jenny Hahn’s contemporary romance YA “Summer” trilogy. All three “Summer” books are worth reading if you’re interested in romance.
Fast forward to July 2023, and the TV series is in its second season. It has been a hit among younger viewers — especially those in Generation Z — as it’s about a teenage girl (Isabel “Belly” Conklin) involved in a love triangle with two brothers (Conrad Fisher and Jeremiah Fisher) that are friends with her brother (Steven Conklin).
“How did the love triangle unfold?” you ask. In her annual summer vacation at a family friend’s beach house in Cousins Beach, Belly reunited with her brother, Steven, and his friends, Jeremiah and Conrad. Though we see little of Steven in the TV series, he’s a supportive brother and a good, if not great, friend.
Here are five reasons why Belly should pick Conrad (and five reasons why Belly should pick Jeremiah).
Belly should pick Conrad because…
1. Conrad is the eldest son of the Fishers. That being said, Conrad’s older and possibly more experienced in general. He could help Belly with her education, extracurricular activities, and personal problems. And, even if Belly’s the same age as Conrad, she could learn something new every day. Why would she pass on the opportunity to educate herself — especially when it’s one of her male dating prospects?
2. Conrad proved to be particularly moody this summer. He broke up with his girlfriend, quit the high school football team, and started smoking cigarettes. Now, this doesn’t sound like a good situation on the surface, but he might be able to understand Belly’s mood whenever it comes up. Why wouldn’t she want a guy who could understand her moodiness?
3. Conrad has been the object of Belly’s crush for years. Conrad’s poor behavior and personality traits suggest he’s a stereotypical teenage bad boy, but most of his behavior stems from his emotional turmoil. He may not share his emotions, as he tends to withdraw into himself, but he seems to have a crush on her, too. Why wouldn’t she want a guy who feels the same way as she does?
4. Conrad enjoys playing guitar. Playing guitar is one of Conrad’s hobbies, and he appears to be proud of his guitar-strumming talents. How could Belly resist a guy who plays the guitar?
5. Conrad has become increasingly drawn to Belly. Although somewhat aloof, he has his fair share of emotions toward his loved ones. How could Belly dismiss a guy unafraid of showing his emotions — directly or indirectly?
Belly should pick Jeremiah because…
1. Jeremiah is the youngest son of the Fishers. Though Jeremiah’s younger with less experience in general, he can show Belly how to have fun in everyday life. Why wouldn’t she want to lighten up and live her life?
2. Jeremiah is more outgoing than Conrad. Although Conrad’s quietness helps him appear more mysterious, Jeremiah’s loudness makes him a social person who would probably get along with Belly’s friends and family. How could Belly resist a happy-go-lucky guy?
3. Jeremiah has told Belly that he wants to be more than friends towards the end of the summer. As you can see, Jeremiah’s unafraid to share his feelings with (and possibly about) Belly. Jeremiah has realized he can’t compete with Conrad for Belly’s affection, but a guy can dream about a girl, right?
4. Jeremiah appears to be more appreciative of life in general. One afternoon, Jeremiah and Belly overheard their mothers discussing Susannah Fisher’s breast cancer and her concerns about undergoing a mastectomy to remove one of her breasts. As a result, both parties realized the seriousness of Mama Fisher’s medical condition.
5. Jeremiah can be sensitive. Jeremiah’s happy-go-lucky personality isn’t always there. Aside from his struggles, he could relate to Belly when she’s sensitive. Belly’s sensitivity likely won’t be seen as an inconvenience by Jeremiah.
At the End of the Day
Both Conrad and Jeremiah have good and bad qualities. So, understandably, Belly has a tough time choosing one over the other. Belly likely doesn’t want to hurt either one of them.
