81 pages 2 hours read

Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-11

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the beach where Belly and her family have their yearly summer vacation?

2. What does Susannah offer everyone (including the teens) to drink at dinner?

3. What musical instrument does Conrad play as he tells Belly about his recent break-up?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What was Belly’s first experience with a broken heart?

2. What is the tradition that marks the beginning of the summer at the beach house?

3. What reasons does Belly give for resenting her mother?

Paired Resource

Jenny Han on The Summer I Turned Pretty, Writing Process & Pleasing Her Fans

  • In this 8-minute video for Collider Interviews, author Jenny Han talks about the process of writing The Summer I Turned Pretty and adapting it into a film.
  • An important part of the adaptation process was figuring out what was most important to fans, including the theme of The Power of First Love.
  • How does a friendship between two women serve as a foundation for the whole story in The Summer I Turned Pretty? How is this foundation evident in this section in the book?