The Summer I Turned Pretty

81 pages • 2 hours read

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009

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Introduction

Before Reading

During Reading

After Reading

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-11

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the beach where Belly and her family have their yearly summer vacation?

2. What does Susannah offer everyone (including the teens) to drink at dinner?

3. What musical instrument does Conrad play as he tells Belly about his recent break-up?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What was Belly’s first experience with a broken heart?

2. What is the tradition that marks the beginning of the summer at the beach house?

3. What reasons does Belly give for resenting her mother?

Paired Resource

“Jenny Han on The Summer I Turned Pretty, Writing Process & Pleasing Her Fans”

In this 8-minute video for Collider Interviews, author Jenny Han talks about the process of writing The Summer I Turned Pretty and adapting it into a film.
An important part of the adaptation process was figuring out what was most important to fans, including the theme of The Power of First Love.
How does a friendship between two women serve as a foundation for the whole story in The Summer I Turned Pretty? How is this foundation evident in this section in the book?

CHAPTERS 12-20

Reading Check

1. What reason does Conrad provide for Susannah and Laurel smoking marijuana in the house?

2. What skill does Jeremiah offer to teach Belly?

3. On the boardwalk, which boy does Taylor confide to Belly she intends to pursue which romantically?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Belly dislike going to her father’s apartment? What meaning does the apartment hold for her?

2. What happens at the movie theater that changes the nature of Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship?

3. How is Steven connected to the theme of The Inevitability of Change?

Paired Resource

“YA Grows Up: Teen Protagonists Step into Adulthood”

This 2021 article from School Library Journal discusses the trend toward YA protagonists with real-world, grown-up conflicts. (Teacher-appropriate; not-student-facing due to mature content)
This information connects with the theme of The Challenges of Growing Up.
Content, ideas, and examples may help instructors guide discussion about the conflicts Belly experiences and observes in the novel.

CHAPTERS 21-30

Reading Check

1. When Belly goes out for a midnight swim, with whom does she see Conrad and Jeremiah drinking beers?

2. When Belly and Cam have a swimming race, what prize does Belly end up winning?

3. What shocking news does Conrad deliver to Belly about his parents?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Cam invite Belly to do, and why does this invitation make Belly nervous?

2. In the flashback scene, what incident does Belly recall during a past game of “Truth or Dare”?

3. In what ways does Belly struggle with comparing herself to others? Cite a specific incident in your response.

Paired Resource

CHAPTERS 31-40

Reading Check

1. What does Susannah give to Belly for her 16th birthday?

2. What does Jeremiah give Belly for her birthday?

3. What is the name of the girl that Conrad brings to the house?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What reason does Belly give to Conrad for being mad at him? What is the true reason for why she is mad?

2. What does Belly learn from Laurel and Susannah when she pretends to be sleeping by the pool?

3. Why does Belly wish Conrad was watching her kiss Cam on the porch?

Paired Resource

“Jenny Han–Capturing Young Love in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”

In this 3-minute clip from The Daily Show, author Jenny Han discusses young love in relation to her book To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
The Power of First Love is a core theme in this story.
Based on Han’s discussion in this interview, how do the protagonists of each novel compare?

CHAPTERS 41-46

Reading Check

1. Why is Conrad so angry with Susannah?

2. During the final dinner of the summer, what food does Jeremiah crack a joke about?

3. During the final night swim of the summer, what activity does Belly suggest?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In the flashback, what is the “no secrets” rule and why does Jeremiah invoke it?

2. What does Belly say that causes the fight between Jeremiah and Conrad?

3. How do the final chapters of the book suggest that, while change is inevitable, one has agency in how one responds to change?

Paired Resource

“The Case for a Happy Ending”

In this article from Publishers Weekly, author Marie Bostwick explains the value of a happy ending.
Ideas in this article connect with the theme of The Power of First Love and The Inevitability of Change.
How would you evaluate the ending of The Summer I Turned Pretty in terms of fulfillment and happiness? How does the ending compare to a traditionally happy ending?

Recommended Next Reads

It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

The second novel in The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, It’s Not Summer Without You continues to follow Belly at Cousins Beach; this time, she searches for Conrad, who has disappeared.
Shared themes include The Challenges of Growing Up.
As part of a trilogy, this novel furthers the stories of all the main characters in The Summer I Turned Pretty: Belly, Jeremiah, Conrad, Susannah, and Laurel.
It’s Not Summer Without You on SuperSummary

We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

The third and final novel in The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, We’ll Always Have Summer sees Belly finally confront her feelings for Jeremiah and Conrad: She must choose between the brothers.
Shared themes include The Power of First Love.
A motif of the entire trilogy, this book also uses summer as a symbol for potential, opportunity, and change.
We’ll Always Have Summer on SuperSummary

Reading Questions Answer Key

CHAPTERS 1-11

Reading Check

1. Cousins Beach (Chapter 1)

2. Red wine (Chapter 5)

3. A guitar (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. Belly remembers how, when she was 12, Conrad invited her to the boardwalk with him. Belly thought this indicated Conrad’s interest in her, but she soon realized that Conrad simply wanted an excuse to see the pretty girl running the ring toss booth. (Chapter 2)

2. The teens all consider the first belly flop into the pool as the tradition that kicks off the summer. (Chapter 3)

3. Belly resents her mother for being practical and reasonable, even during her divorce from Belly’s father. (Chapters 10-11)

CHAPTERS 12-20

Reading Check

1. Conrad says marijuana soothes the effects of chemotherapy. (Chapter 14)

2. How to drive a stick shift (Chapter 17)

3. Jeremiah (Chapter 18)

Short Answer

1. Her father’s apartment is dingy and depressing. Despite her father’s attempts to make the apartment inviting, Belly resents his attempts to acclimate her to the new reality that her parents are divorced. (Chapters 12-13)

2. When Steven abandons Belly and Jeremiah at the movie theater, the outing suddenly begins to feel like a date. Their relationship seems to be taking a more romantic turn; Belly is somewhat confused by this development, since up until this point she has only considered Jeremiah a friend. (Chapter 16)

3. With Steven heading off to college, Belly realizes that this summer will be the last one of its kind; Steven’s plans foreshadow different directions in life for them all. Belly also thinks that, even though Steven annoys her, without him everything at Cousins Beach will be off balance; things will change. (Chapters 19-20)

CHAPTERS 21-30

Reading Check

1. Clay (Chapter 21)

2. A sweatshirt (Chapter 23)

3. That they are divorcing (Chapter 26)

Short Answer

1. Cam invites Belly to the drive-in movie. Belly fears she will have to kiss Cam, and she’s only kissed one other boy before. (Chapter 24)

2. Belly recalls how, during Steven’s turn, he asked Taylor who in the room she would kiss; Taylor responded that she would kiss Belly, which upset Jeremiah because he wanted Taylor to name him. When it was Jeremiah’s turn, Taylor dared him to kiss Belly. (Chapter 28)

3. Belly struggles with jealousy, especially when it comes to Taylor. In this section, Belly is angry when she learns that Taylor has been kissing her brother Steven. The root of this jealousy is the fact that Belly feels insecure about her inexperience with boys; this causes her to unleash her pent-up anger on Taylor by calling her “slutty.” (Chapters 21-30)

CHAPTERS 31-40

Reading Check

1. A pearl necklace (Chapter 36)

2. A silver key charm (Chapter 36)

3. Nicole (Chapter 39)

Short Answer

1. Belly does not provide an exact reason for why she is mad at Conrad. Deep inside, she realizes that he makes her feel confused and distracted in her relationship with Cam, which makes her mad. (Chapters 31-32)

2. Belly learns that Susannah thinks that Conrad must know something is up, because his attitude is different this year. Susannah thinks it will be more challenging for her to deliver the news to him because he is sensitive. (Chapter 34)

3. Belly wants Conrad to know just how completely she is over him. (Chapter 36)

CHAPTERS 41-46

Reading Check

1. For not telling Jeremiah and him the truth about her illness sooner (Chapter 43)

2. Potato salad (Chapter 44)

3. Creating a whirlpool (Chapter 45)

Short Answer

1. In this flashback, Belly recalls Jeremiah confronting Belly about her crush on Conrad; she denied it. Jeremiah invoked their “no secrets” rule, which was essentially a pact to tell the truth; Belly continued to deny it. (Chapter 41)

2. Belly professes her love to Conrad, but he says that it is not reciprocated; she says that she doesn’t believe him. Conrad takes her arms and begins shaking her. Jeremiah sees this and comes to Belly’s aid; when Jeremiah intervenes, he and Conrad begin a physical altercation. (Chapter 42)

3. The main example is when Belly confesses her feelings to Conrad, who does not reciprocate. She was fearful of doing this because she was scared of changing the dynamic among him, Jeremiah, and herself. After her conversation with Jeremiah, though, Belly realizes that it is possible to confront change without catastrophic ramifications. (Chapters 40-46)