The Wild Changes of The Summer I Turned Pretty

Some fans might not like what I’m saying,  but I’ll honestly say that Amazon Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty Series feels like a story that was put into a drama blender, with an overabundance of glitter added, and then set to full speed. The result is visually stunning, but the essence of the novel is lost and destroyed.

When reading the book, the story is told simply but meaningfully. The changing seasons in the novel occur calmly and with an unhurried pace. The novel depicts the cousins’ growth as they mature. Unfortunately, the series seems more impatient and emphasises the love triangle between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah. The conflicts become more intense, and the supporting characters in the series become as important as Belly. This is a stark contrast to the book.

It’s true when people say a series definitely needs drama to keep viewers interested and engaged. Turning Taylor Swift’s songs into soundtracks? Cool. Instagrammable teen fashion? Cool. The cast’s chemistry is even causing a stir on X and TikTok? So cool! Having things like that makes the show even more engaging. However, it also makes the tone of the story seem off, as it no longer tells a warm summer story.

To make matters worse, Jenny Han, the novel’s author, also participated in producing the series. Sometimes, for the sake of ratings, the subtle nuances that make a novel special are sacrificed, as drama and visuals are prioritised in a series. When I read it, the novel gave me a space where I could feel the tension even without the visuals. However, in the series, that tension is often replaced by a plot twist. Cosmopolitan explained that the series also incorporates several modern elements, such as the use of FaceTime and Instagram, to make the narrative more relevant, something that wasn’t present in the novel, written in the 2000s. I found these adjustments to make the story more “contemporary,” but they also diminished the poetic nuance that was the original’s charm.

Judging by the image above, the novel seems to invite us to enjoy sitting on the beach and gazing out at the ocean. On the other hand, the series invites us to attend a crowded fireworks display. While both have their own charms, the original character of The Summer I Turned Pretty is not fully conveyed in the series. And here, the series fails to deliver.