The Mantra of The Summer I Turned Pretty

I am sure you have seen that the beloved book series The Summer I Turned Pretty, written by the inspiring Jenny Han, has recently been created into a television show. It is a coming-of-age story of a fifteen-year-old girl named Belly. I do not want to spoil it in case you have not read or seen it yet, so here is your warning!  

The series begins with Belly feeling different, like something has changed. She is on her way to the summer beach house with her mom and brother, where she has spent many summers with her mom’s best friend and her sons. She is seen looking at herself in the car mirror, touching her hair and looking at all angles of her face. When she arrives her mom’s best friend’s sons, Jeremiah and Conrad, can be seen looking at her in a way she has never been looked at before. As the story unfolds, we see Belly become more self-aware of how she is perceived. She takes more time choosing what to wear and getting ready to present herself. We learn, from Conrad, that Belly used to not care about what she looked like and was effortlessly herself. 

I have read all three books and watched the recently released television series. Although different, one thing stays true within both, beauty is not only skin deep. We discover that Jeremiah and Conrad both like Belly. Jeremiah develops a crush, while Conrad had always loved her deep down. Jeremiah started to see her as more of a friend because of her outer beauty (no hate to Jeremiah!), but Conrad continuously loved her for her inner beauty.  

In today’s society, they tell you to be yourself but not enough to where you don’t fit in. It is impossible to hold yourself to the world’s beauty standard. I adore the irony of the title The Summer I Turned Pretty. Belly had always been pretty because of her kind soul and character; however, it takes her going through tough situations to realize this herself. She got so lost in trying to maintain a beauty standard she thought was necessary when her heart was really the most beautiful thing about her. There is nothing wrong with using skincare serums, makeup, and hair products, but it is important to know that you are not beautiful because of those products. Your beauty runs deeper than that.