Our time with Belly and the Fisher boys is once again put on pause; the season finale of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” premiered on Wednesday, forcing us to say goodbye to Cousins until the recently announced movie comes to Amazon Prime.
Whether team Conrad or team Jeremiah, many can agree the books were well adapted in the Amazon Prime series. However, there were differences between the beloved series and its literary counterpart.
SEASON 1 VS BOOK 1
The biggest difference between Season 1 and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” book is the debutante ball that Belly signs up for. The ball had no presence in the book, however it is obvious that it was needed for the adaptation. Without it, the season wouldn’t have had the drama needed to pull in audiences.
The ball brought more attention to Nicole; a girl who has somewhat of a relationship with Conrad. In addition, Nicole and Belly become friends, a departure from the book. We were also introduced to Shayla, a brief love interest for Steven, Belly’s older brother.
This season also provided the foundation for Steven and Taylor’s relationship that would develop down the line, something that was nonexistent in the books.
In both versions of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” universe, Belly dates a boy named Cam Cameron. In the novel, Cam calls it off because he knows Belly has her heart set on either Jeremiah or Conrad. However, in the show, Belly calls it off thinking that a relationship between her and Conrad can finally be a reality.
The final major difference between the two is the career of Laurel, Belly’s mother. In the show, she is an author, which is never mentioned in the books. This career choice leads her to having a summer romance with author Cleveland Castillo.
SEASON 2 VS BOOK 2
Season 2 diverts from “It’s Not Summer Without You” by speeding up the plot of the book so Belly and Jeremiah find Conrad at the house in Cousins by the end of Episode 2, leaving room for more story and setting the stage for new characters like Aunt Julia and Skye.
In the novel, Adam – Conrad and Jeremiah’s dad – attempts to sell the house. This is in contrast to Susanah’s sister, Julia, trying to sell the house in the show.
The on and off relationship between Taylor and Steven starts to bloom even more in this season, causing Taylor to break up with her boyfriend Milo, who also did not exist in the books.
SEASON 3 VS BOOK 3
This season does follow “We’ll Always Have Summer” for the most part, but there are some differences between the two.
Jeremiah has an internship with his dad’s company, but unlike in the books, Steven is there as well. Steven and a new character introduced in the show, Denise, become close friends and eventually business partners.
Speaking of Steven, his car accident was nonexistent in the novel, but it did have a role in the relationship between him and Taylor in the show, which seems to be permanent.
Instead of going to Spain after Belly and Jeremiah cancel their wedding, Belly finds herself in Paris, expanding on the novel for the last three episodes of the season.
At the end of the book, readers know Belly goes to Europe, but never find out what happens while she’s there with the exception that Conrad sends her letters. The last three episodes conversely give viewers some insight on what happened, which includes Conrad surprising Belly in Paris at the end of the season.
The season ends with Belly and Conrad together, back at the Cousins beach house, but not married like they are at the end of the book.
Viewers can only hope for the appearance of the “Bonrad” wedding in the recently announced “The Summer I Turned Pretty” movie, which will officially conclude the adaptation of the series. A release date is yet to be announced.
