It's Not Summer Without You: Book 2 in the Summer I Turned Pretty Series

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It’s Not Summer Without You opens on a sad note. We learn that Belly and Conrad are not together, and that Susannah has passed away. How were you affected by this beginning? In what way did Jenny Han continue Belly’s story from The Summer I Turned Pretty, and in what way did she introduce a whole new story in the sequel? Read ahead for book spoilers to get an idea of where Belly's story went and how it differed from the show. "It's Not Summer Without You" Summary I looked over at Conrad, and he said in a low voice, to no one in particular, ‘Laurel is amazing.’ I’d never heard anyone describe my mom that way, especially not Conrad. I’d never thought of her as ‘amazing.’ But in that moment, she was. She truly was.” They were able to find his dorm without any issues and, although his roommate was less than helpful, they heard from one of his “girlfriends” that he went to the beach to surf. Jenny Han gives us plenty of opportunities to compare and contrast Jeremiah and Conrad—who they are as individuals, as well as who they are as they relate to Belly. Belly is constantly evaluating the two brothers. A few times in We’ll Always Have Summer, she even confuses the two—like when she realizes that it was Conrad who found the dog, Rosie, and not Jeremiah. A similar mix-up occurs at the very end of the book, when Jeremiah opens his letter from Susannah, only to realize that the letter inside was really for Conrad: “My mom must have mixed up the envelopes. In the letter she said she only got to see him in love once. That was with you.” Can you think of other similar mix-ups? What do we learn from these mix-ups?

After their dinner, they sit inside and watch TV. Belly eventually takes a hint that Jeremiah wants to be alone to talk with his brother, so she goes to bed and leaves the boys to chat. Chapter 19 This caused Belly to feel even more guilty about the fears she had. They discussed Conrad and their relationship that had recently ended. Susannah then asked Belly to be there for and look after him. I used to believe. I used to think that if I wanted it bad enough, wished hard enough, everything would work out the way it was supposed to. Destiny, like Susannah said. I wished for Conrad on every birthday, every shooting star, every lost eyelash, every penny in a fountain was dedicated to the one I loved. I thought it would always be that way.We see Belly’s relationship with her mother evolve throughout the three books in the series. In We’ll Always Have Summer, we’re privy to a compelling power dynamic between mother and daughter that hasn’t been as evident in the past. What is this power dynamic, and to what do you attribute it? How would you characterize the nature of Belly and Laurel’s relationship? So of course I jumped too. The water felt fine. Better than fine. Just like always, Cousins was the only place I wanted to be. Describe your first love. How has this first experience shaped who you are today? Discuss the significance of first love, versus “last” love, as movingly articulated by Belly:

It was a hot summer day in Cousins. I was lying by the pool with a magazine on my face. My mother was playing solitaire on the front porch, Susannah was inside puttering around the kitchen. She’d probably come out soon with a glass of sun tea and a book I should read. Something romantic. What does “pretty” mean, with respect to the title of the book? How would Belly define “pretty”? How do you define “pretty”? Is there a difference between “pretty” and “beautiful”?How truly stupid is Belly? When Conrad tells her he never cared about her, which she knows to be a lie and which happens right after she's been caught up close and personal with his brother, she chooses this time of all the times, to believe that's the truth and when he later tells her it wasn't true, she thinks to herself, aha, gotcha and then ignores his heartfelt words. I closed my eyes again. I was wearing sunglasses, so she couldn’t tell if my eyes were open or not anyway. “Which one?”

Belly got drunk at the party and danced with Jeremiah. She ran outside to swim in the ocean and Conrad chased her to tell her not to go into the water. She cried and apologized for what she had said at the funeral. They nearly kissed, but then Conrad went inside. Belly went to her room and called her mother, Laurel. Tensions are running very high between every person present. When Jeremiah eventually storms out of the house, Belly and Conrad are left alone. Her and Jere get to the house (seemingly much too soon in Belly’s perspective), and her heart just about leaps out of her chest upon seeing Conrad’s car in the driveway. Belly has been in love with Conrad since she was a child. They finally established a romantic relationship the previous summer, but the two exchanged harsh words at Susannah’s funeral. Belly recalls that the beach house was full of people after the funeral, and when Belly went to find Conrad, he was in the basement resting his head on a girl’s lap. Discuss the titles of the three books in Jenny Han’s series. Who is the “I,” “you,” and “we’ll” referenced, respectively? What does summer symbolize to Belly? To you?always been. He’d never lied about that. He gave and then he took away. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, the familiar ache, that lost, regretful feeling only he could give me. I never wanted to feel it again. Never, ever. If I forgot Conrad, if I evicted him from my heart, pretended like he was never there, it would be like doing those things to Susannah. And that, I couldn’t do. She compared their easy reconciliation to her and Taylor’s arguments, which could last a week and included many a power struggle.

It is a known fact that I did not care for the first book. I wasn't able to connect with Belly. The way she would string along all the guys in her life irritated me beyond belief. Not only that but she came across as self centered and childish. I don't think she changed much from the first book. Burton, Carson; Urban, Sasha; Chapman, Wilson (April 28, 2022). "Jenny Han's 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Sets Summer Release Date (TV News Roundup)". Variety . Retrieved 2022-04-28. The Summer I Turned Pretty" season two officially wrapped up in August. The show, based on the Jenny Han series of YA novels, premiered its first season in June 2022, and hopeless romantics could not get enough of the dramatic teen romance and love triangle that the main character, Isabel (Belly), experienced. Now, season two uses the events of Han's second novel, "It's Not Summer Without You," for the plot.

That's when I finally got it. I finally understood. It wasn't the thought that counted. It was the actual execution that mattered, the showing up for somebody. The intent behind it wasn't enough. Not for me. Not anymore. It wasn't enough to know that deep down, he loved me. You had to actually say it to somebody, show them you cared. And he just didn't. Not enough." The summer house is being sold! She realizes that Conrad didn’t go to Cousins to run away; he was just determined to save the house. Chapters 23 & 24 She then gets up and calls Taylor with the updates. After that, she gives her mother a phone call and lies that she’s going to spend another night at Taylor’s. Belly’s feelings for Conrad are profoundly conflicted throughout the three books in Jenny Han’s series. In regards to whether or not Conrad would attend Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding, Belly admits, “I think I was afraid. Afraid that he was coming and afraid that he wasn’t.” What does she mean by this?