We'll Always Have Summer

March 14, 2011
Isabel (Belly) Conklin always knew she "would be Belly Fisher one day." She just didn't know which of the Fisher brothers she'd marry: Conrad, her first love, or younger brother Jeremiah, who caught her on the rebound. As fate would have it, Jeremiah is the one to propose marriage during the spring of Belly's first year in college. Following impulse rather than reason (or her mother's adamant protests), Belly accepts. However, her premarital bliss is undercut by the flicker of passion she still holds for Conrad. In Han's conclusion to the trilogy that began with The Summer I Turned Pretty, she both underscores the folly of getting engaged too young and vividly depicts the emotions of a girl on the brink of womanhood, impatient to make all of her dreams come true. If Jeremiah's frat-boy mentality is somewhat stereotyped, he remains an effective foil to the more pensive, sensitive Conrad. While Belly's final decision may not come as a surprise to readers, it will satisfy those who have followed her through each of her summers. Ages 12âup.

November 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-Isobel "Belly" Conklin has always known that someday she would marry a Fisher boy. First she loved Conrad, and then it was Jeremiah. In Jenny Han's sequel (2011) to The Summer I Turned Pretty (2010) and It's Not Sumer without You (2010, all S & S), Belly is turning 19 and has agreed to marry Jeremiah at the end of the summer, but her heart and mind keep going back to Conrad. In the final book of the "Summer Trilogy," we get a deeper look at the history of this triangle and discover where it ultimately ends. At times, Jessica Almasy's narration seems too young and Belly comes off as annoyingly naive. But, in many ways, that's the way she was written. When Jeremiah admits to sexual infidelity, Belly is hurt and upset, but he quickly proposes and she seemingly forgets her doubts and believes that marriage will somehow fix whatever was wrong with their relationship. Jeremiah comes across as so inconsiderate that Belly's unending devotion to him borders on the absurd. This light, entertaining read can stand on its own, but the character flaws come close to sinking the story.-Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA

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