The Summer I Turned Pretty
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Belly spends every summer at the beach house owned by her mom's best friend, Susannah. While all the usual occupants Belly's brother, her mom, Susannah, and Susannah's sons, Jeremiah and Conrad are present, this year things are different. A note of finality hangs in the air, as Conrad will start college in the fall. He's always been closed off, but now he's taken up drinking and smoking, and gets moody whenever other boys pay attention to Belly. In addition to Conrad, there's Cam, Belly's summer fling, and Jeremiah also seems to have a crush on her. Who will she end up with? Some chapters return to summers past, revealing Susannah's cancer and Belly's first kiss with one brother, Jeremiah, and her unwavering love for the other, Conrad. Han plants enough seeds throughout the book for readers to ascertain what's really going on with Susannah, while keeping Belly who is appropriately self-centered, alternating between typical teenage vanity and vulnerable insecurity clueless. This is a quick, satisfying read, with a poignant conclusion good for budding romance fans.--Jones, Courtney Copyright 2009 Booklist

This well-written coming-of-age story introduces 15-year-old Isabel, aka Belly, for whom summer has always been the most important time of year: it's when her family shares a beach house with her mother's best friend, Susannah, and her two sons. Like Belly's older brother, Steven, Susannah's boys have always thought of Belly as their younger sister. But this summer-"It was the summer everything began"-is different. One brother, Jeremiah, is suddenly interested in Belly, but she has always had a crush on dark and unattainable Conrad. And then there is Cam, also spending the summer at the beach, who becomes Belly's first boyfriend. Han (Shug) realistically balances Belly's naOvete with her awareness of the changes the years have brought ("In some ways it was even harder being the only girl back then. In some ways not"). Anecdotal chapters of past summers are interspersed, rounding out Belly's character, her attachment to Susannah and her desire for the boys to include her. First in a planned trilogy, Han's novel offers plenty of summertime drama to keep readers looking forward to the next installment. Ages 12-up. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 7-10-Fifteen-year-old Belly has always spent the summer at her family's beach house. It is where she feels defined, loved, and safe. But during the summer she is turning 16, everything begins to change. Belly, her brother Steven, and their best friends Jeremiah and Conrad are all growing up and soon will be moving in different directions. Each teenager begins the summer trying to go on as if nothing is changing, but as time passes, they are all forced to recognize the differences in their relationships with one another and with the world. Steven and Conrad will be in college in the fall, Belly has finally admitted her love for Conrad, Jeremiah has fallen in love with Belly, and the boys' mother has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Nothing can ever be the same. Jenny Han's hauntingly beautiful novel (S & S, 2009) is brilliantly read by Jessica Almasy who perfectly reflects Belly's teenage angst, emotional growth, and hard-earned revelations. She easily conveys the frustration and pain that causes Conrad to act out all summer, as well as the lackadaisical way that Jeremiah tries to breeze through his summer experience. All of the characters are wonderfully believable and the audiobook's overall tone creates an emotional and evocative listening experience. A must-have for public libraries and recommended for high school libraries, but it should be noted that there is some teenage drinking and mention of sexual situations.-Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Belly has always loved summers at the beach house with her mother's friend Susannah and Susannah's sons Jeremiah and Conrad. For years, the boys have seen Belly as a little girl, but the summer she turns sixteen marks a new beginning, with everyone noticing Belly's blossoming prettiness. In this breezy summer romance, Belly is a believable character--childish at times, empathetic, and effervescent. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Han's leisurely paced, somewhat somber narrative revisits several beach-house summers in flashback through the eyes of now 15-year-old Isabel, known to all as Belly. Belly measures her growing self by these summers and by her lifelong relationship with the older boys, her brother and her mother's best friend's two sons. Belly's dawning awareness of her sexuality and that of the boys is a strong theme, as is the sense of summer as a separate and reflective time and place: Readers get glimpses of kisses on the beach, her best friend's flirtations during one summer's visit, a first date. In the background the two mothers renew their friendship each year, and Lauren, Belly's mother, provides support for her friendif not, unfortunately, for the childrenin Susannah's losing battle with breast cancer. Besides the mostly off-stage issue of a parent's severe illness there's not much here to challenge most readersdriving, beer-drinking, divorce, a moment of surprise at the mothers smoking medicinal pot together. The wish-fulfilling title and sun-washed, catalog-beautiful teens on the cover will be enticing for girls looking for a diversion. (Fiction. 12-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This well-written coming-of-age story introduces 15-year-old Isabel, aka Belly, for whom summer has always been the most important time of year: it's when her family shares a beach house with her mother's best friend, Susannah, and her two sons. Like Belly's older brother, Steven, Susannah's boys have always thought of Belly as their younger sister. But this summer—"It was the summer everything began"—is different. One brother, Jeremiah, is suddenly interested in Belly, but she has always had a crush on dark and unattainable Conrad. And then there is Cam, also spending the summer at the beach, who becomes Belly's first boyfriend. Han (Shug) realistically balances Belly's navet with her awareness of the changes the years have brought ("In some ways it was even harder being the only girl back then. In some ways not"). Anecdotal chapters of past summers are interspersed, rounding out Belly's character, her attachment to Susannah and her desire for the boys to include her. First in a planned trilogy, Han's novel offers plenty of summertime drama to keep readers looking forward to the next installment. Ages 12–up. (May)

Gr 7–10—Romantic and heartbreakingly real, this novel follows 15-year-old Belly through the most important summer of her life. Every year, her family shares a beach house with Belly's mother's best friend, Susannah, and her two sons. Belly has always had a crush on Conrad, the older boy, but he has always treated her like an annoying younger sister. This summer, everything changes. The beautifully written novel captures Belly's realization that she is changing into an attractive young woman with a growing power over the boys in her life. They include Cam, the "nice" boy she should fall for but doesn't, and Jeremiah, Susannah's younger son. Only Conrad is seemingly immune to Belly's charms. Meanwhile, Susannah and her family are dealing with problems that Belly does not fully comprehend. Flashbacks to previous summers show her struggles to make Conrad and Jeremiah notice and include her, and how hurt she was when they didn't. The novel perfectly blends romance, family drama, and a coming-of-age tale, one that is substantially deeper than most, but it will still satisfy those hoping for a soapy story of summer love. Belly's discovery that you can't always choose who you love will appeal to readers, as will the author's expert evocation of a magical time when absolutely anything could happen.—Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Unified School District