Suitabook

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Jenny Han

Reading: If reading together, pause after a flashback to check how it changes the present scene. You could also talk separately about how the characters handle illness and communication within their families.
Themes: Growing up and belonging: Belly has often felt left out of the boys’ activities and treated as the youngest. As she changes, she sees herself and other people differently. Belly sees herself and her relationships differently as she moves beyond feeling like the youngest child in the group.
Flashbacks and story movement: The story moves between time periods through flashbacks as Belly experiences a changing summer. This structure keeps earlier moments in view as the summer unfolds, rather than telling events only in sequence.
Family bonds and communication: Family bonds and communication are part of the story, alongside Belly’s changing relationships with those around her. The book’s positive emphasis on family ties and compassionate communication is explicit, though it does not mean every family relationship is presented as uncomplicated.
Worth knowing: Romantic talk and kissing appear alongside teen drinking, cigarette smoking and adult marijuana use. There is also a brief fight involving a punch and blood from accidentally broken glass.