Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - The Summer I Turned Pretty

Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han

22 reviews

spideyreads's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I've read this book twice. After reading it a second time, I've realized it's not really worth all the hype. It's just a book that's kind of... there. The protagonists were extremely self-centered and annoying, and even the book acknowledges that they act as if the world revolves around them. Another thing that annoyed me about this book is the age difference and the "practically siblings best friends to lovers" dynamic and how young the protagonist, Belly, is. I'm sorry, I have trouble imagining an eighteen year old wanting to date a fifteen/sixteen year old he's known since birth. I don't know, the age difference just sort of rubs me the wrong way since there's an obvious difference in the characters's maturity levels. I think young adult books should be encouraging teenagers to act their age and be themselves instead of always wanting to be grown, but, not going to lie, that's probably what this book captures the best; the feeling of wanting to be as grown up as your cool older friends. Maybe I'm being too picky, and I'm sure lots of my favorite books also have this problem, but this book just had it showcased front and center.

I'm a big romance reader, so it's pretty shocking I didn't like this book. I recommend To All the Boys I've Loved Before if you want to read something by Jenny Han. Better characters, better writing, and better romance. To All the Boys is definitely worth the hype.

read this book if you like:

love triangles
watching characters grow up
beachy, summery reads
teen TV shows
BookTok
romance tropes

don't read this book if you hate:

"Pick me girls"
will-they-won't-they
BookTok
toxic love interests
bland/boring characters & love interests
romance tropes

Content Warnings

moonbin's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

Content Warnings

stewartj0421's review

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emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a binge-worthy read that I finished in a day. I was looking for something light as a palette cleanser in between heavier reads. This book delivered on that, yet it also delivered a surprising amount of emotional depth that added layers and complexity to an otherwise —perhaps— cliche coming-of-age novel.

There is a period in the novel where all of the characters feel so insufferable that I almost got too frustrated to keep reading, but the issues were resolved by the end of the book and it became clear why it was necessary to experience those conflicts alongside the characters. Overall, it was a fantastic read and I'm itching to read the next in the series!

Content Warnings

cdoubet's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

katiea714's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

carleyhall's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It’s been a while since I read YA and I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was such an easy read. I can see why others might not be fond of Belly’s character, but I felt she was a realistic portrayal of a girl in her situation coming of age. She made mistakes and was often petty, but where’s the fun in a perfect main character. I want to root for Conrad but I had trouble connecting with him in this book. I hope he’ll be more developed in the future novels. I enjoy how even Jeremiah and Cam had flaws that are realistic to being a boy their age. I’m also looking forward to a closer look at the relationships between Belly, Steven, and their mother.

Content Warnings