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

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But anyways, Belly the Brat is as annoying as ever, and while I don't remember, my past self says that she was less annoying in this book than in the first one, so that's a plus. I just absolutely hate how much she plays with the brothers' feelings, like girl, please, just choose one and go, neither of them are even good choices, grab Cam Cameron and LEAVE. Actually, leave Cam out of this, he deserves the world. Also, telling Connie to go to hell at his mother's funeral is unforgivable. I have no idea why he would even want her after that. Or at all, actually. Although she attempts to convince herself otherwise, Belly is wrought with guilt following her subtle yet dramatic encounters with Conrad: first with the peaches and then when she nurses his surfing wound. Is Belly’s guilt justified? Why do you think these moments carry such significance for Belly? Conrad asks his former employer and dear friend, Ernie, “Do you really believe in that? That people are meant to be with one person?” How would you answer this question? Do you believe in soul mates, or is it possible to love more than one person over your lifetime? Is it possible to love more than one person at the same time? Belly considers this possibility, when she realizes that she has feelings of love for both Jeremiah and Conrad. How would you explain this? And that’s the end! Honestly, re-reading this book got me so hyped for the show ( I absolutely loved this last season). The summer before, Susannah’s cancer had returned just when Belly and her longtime crush, Conrad, were falling in love with one another. They started seeing one another during the fall and winter, but in the spring, when Susannah’s health took a turn for the worst, things fell apart. Belly forced Conrad to come to prom with her by threatening to go with another boy if he refused. Conrad agreed to come but was miserable the whole time and forgot to bring Belly a corsage. Belly assumed all this meant that Conrad wanted to break up with her, so she broke up with him first and ran away crying. They did not see or speak to one another until Susannah’s funeral a month later.

We’ll Always Have Summer is the most nostalgic of the three books in Jenny Han’s series. The title evokes the warmth and comforting permanence of memories. Belly is particularly touched by her memories of growing up at Cousins Beach, especially as represented by the images she recalls of Jeremiah and Conrad. Discuss Belly’s reaction to her realization that she’s had the story of Rosie, the dog, all wrong in her memory: “What else had I remembered wrong? I was a person who loved to play Remember When in my head. I’d always prided myself on how I remembered every detail. It scared me to think that my memories could be just ever-so-slightly wrong.” How much of Belly’s love for Jeremiah and Conrad is based on memories? How much weight can we assign to memories, as a foundation for current relationships? What kind of value does Belly put on her memories? Belly sets up a study area at the beach house, and she and Jeremiah help Conrad study all night. The next morning, Conrad, Jeremiah and Belly drive away from the beach house, and Belly cries because leaving the house feels like losing Susannah all over again. While she’s in town, she has an uncomfortable conversation with some friends about Susannah’s death which reopens that wound.He’d probably meet some random homeless guy and become best friends with him, and then he’d tell me the man’s life story the next day. Not that there were any homeless guys on our end of the beach. Not that I’d ever seen a homeless person in Cousins, for that matter. But if there was, Cam would find him.” 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 next morning, Laurel arrives at the beach house, and she is furious that Belly lied about staying at Taylor’s house. Laurel says they have to leave, but Belly adamantly refuses and wants to save Susannah’s house. She says she wishes Susannah was her mother instead of Laurel and says Susannah would never forgive Laurel for letting the Fisher boys lose their beach house. Conrad pulls her out of the ocean and throws her over his shoulder. When she makes him set her down, she feels a familiar spark between them! So, Mr. Fisher is coming over. Laurel’s determined that she could persuade him into keeping the house for the boys. And she does! In July, Belly is still mourning Susannah’s loss and going through the motions of normal life. But then she gets a call from Jeremiah. Conrad has skipped his summer classes and has been missing from college for two days. Jeremiah wants Belly to come on a road trip to help him find Conrad. Belly agrees.Belly runs upstairs to get dressed for the party, and while she’s up there she receives a phone call from Taylor. Flashing forward, Jeremiah calls Belly to inform her that Conrad is missing, and that Jeremiah needs her help to find him. Conrad's mid-terms are coming up, and he needs to be at school to take them. On her and Jeremiah's road trip to find him, Belly gives readers more intel on what went down between herself and Conrad. First, before Susannah's death, she made Belly promise that she would always look after Conrad no matter how much he pushed her away. Second, we learn about the night they broke up. Conrad took Belly to her prom, and after acting strange all night, broke things off with her with no explanation. Flash forward, and Jeremiah breaks the silence of the car ride by casually mentioning that the song playing was the theme song for one of the five proms he went to. Then Jeremiah said, “You guys need to get a room,” but I knew he was joking. He winked at me as he came from behind, lifted Conrad up, and launched him into the pool. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Han, Jenny. It’s Not Summer Without You ( Summer Series). Simon and Schuster. 2010, Kindle.