Narda Serna 
The first time I read “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” I wanted to be Belly. I wanted two hot brothers (only Conrad, really) fighting for me. Let me state that I was in the seventh grade, 14 years old.
For anyone unfamiliar with the show, let me explain it. Belly spends every summer at a beach house with two lifelong friends who are brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah and, of course, sparks start to fly with both brothers the summer Belly turns “pretty.” Although, she has always had a crush on Conrad.
The show can be cringey and a little silly at times but, I don’t know, maybe my 14-year-old self is the one loving it. I think the reason the show became so popular is due to its soundtrack. Every season is full of bangers. I do not know what kind of budget they have for the music, but whoever is in charge is doing an exceptional job.
Ever since I read the books and, later, from the start of the show, I have always been team Conrad and will always be. Conrad, in the beginning, is guarded, moody and pushes people away because he doesn’t know how to deal with all of his pain and knowing that his mother could die at any moment due to cancer. But as seasons go on, we see him slowly open up. He goes to therapy and learns how to communicate and express his feelings.
The reason I hate Jeremiah, and why I don’t feel even the slightest bit sorry for him, is that there is no character development for him. He is manipulative from the beginning. He plays the “nice guy” card to win people over but, deep down, he knows exactly how to twist situations in his favor. He tries to make Belly feel guilty for not choosing him and acts like Conrad is the bad guy. Honestly, it seems as if Jeremiah doesn’t even see Belly as a person. He treats her as a prize he needs to win, just to prove he can beat Conrad. He only started liking Belly because he saw that Conrad was paying attention to her, and he wanted in too. He cheated on Belly and tried to erase it by asking her to marry him. Yes, marry him.
As for Belly, I don’t exactly love her either. Honestly, I feel pretty indifferent toward her most of the time. She is messy, indecisive and tends to play with both Jeremiah and Conrad’s emotions. At this point, I just want Conrad to be happy and, if that means he wants to be with Belly, so be it.
At the time I’m writing this, there are still three episodes left and, as a book reader, I’m nervous. The author said the ending of the show will be different from the books so, now, I’m curious how they will unfold.
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