From a lighthearted plot of summer love to much deeper underlying meanings, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” shows what it’s like to go through monumental life changes. 

The show began as a series of three novels written by Jenny Han over the course of 2009, 2010 and 2011. According to the author’s Instagram, she has been heavily involved in the filming process of both seasons. 

The show follows the main character, Belly, as she navigates a love triangle between two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. The plot also deals with the tragic loss of the boys’ mom, Susannah, to cancer.  

Memes have circulated on Instagram and TikTok about Belly being “annoying” in her pursuits with the boys and how she needs to “leave them alone” during their hard time. In a video from TikTok user Alana Lintao, she imitates how Jeremiah is Belly’s second option saying, “You are a man with a pulse and that’s good enough for me.” As funny as it was, that post really hit the nail on the head.  

Belly portrays Conrad as her dream and Jeremiah as real or let’s face it – convenient and available.  

Belly has gone through a lot considering her close relationship to Susannah, but I still think she needs to find another man that is not one of the boys. Instead, she should be there for the boys as friends. As soon as she found out Susannah’s struggle with cancer, I think she should have distanced herself romantically from the boys or at least chosen one boy and stuck with it.  

Amid the controversial team Conrad or team Jeremiah, I am team Laurel, Belly’s mom. In season two of the show, Laurel slaps Belly across the face after all the drama with boys occurred. While Laurel later apologizes for the slap, I think it was well-deserved on Belly’s part. 

Despite the show’s up and down love triangle, it has gained a lot of interest because of the music choices. The show features artists like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B and more. The teeny bopper vibes, as well as the music, have coined this show as perfect for Generation Z.  

Singer Taylor Swift even posted about the show on her Instagram story when the trailer for season two came out, since various “Taylor’s version” songs have been used in the show, such as “Back to December,” “Last Kiss” and “Delicate.”  

All in all, I recommend watching this show. Yes, you will get annoyed at the characters and their choices, but the great music and viral memes will make up for it.