The Summer I Turned Pretty books must be read in chronological order, which coincides with their publication order, by following this sequence:⁠[5-10]

Order Cover Title First published Notes
1 Book cover of The Summer I Turned Pretty. The Summer I Turned Pretty 2009⁠[5-6] Introduces Belly, Cousins Beach, and the Fisher family bond.
2 Book cover of It’s Not Summer Without You. It’s Not Summer Without You 2010⁠[7-8] Continues after major emotional changes.
3 Book cover of We’ll Always Have Summer. We’ll Always Have Summer 2011⁠[9-10] Resolves the romantic and family conflicts.
Reading order of The Summer I Turned Pretty books.
Reading order of The Summer I Turned Pretty books.

1. The Summer I Turned Pretty

Main bookRequired reading
Book cover of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Book cover of The Summer I Turned Pretty.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009)⁠[5-6] introduces Isabel “Belly” Dunne, her annual summers at Cousins Beach, and her long emotional attachment to Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. This novel establishes the beach house as the center of the shared family history and sets up the central relationships that carry the trilogy forward.⁠[2]

It also introduces the deeper family concerns beneath the summer setting.⁠[2]

2. It’s Not Summer Without You

Main bookRequired reading
Book cover of It's Not Summer Without You.
Book cover of It’s Not Summer Without You.

It’s Not Summer Without You (2010)⁠[7-8] continues after the first book’s emotional turning points, with Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad drawn back to Cousins Beach as they grapple with grief, distance, and unresolved feelings. The summer house becomes a focus of conflict and memory, keeping the trilogy’s family and romantic strands connected.⁠[3]

This middle volume depends on the relationships already established.⁠[3]

3. We’ll Always Have Summer

Main bookRequired reading
Book cover of We'll Always Have Summer.
Book cover of We’ll Always Have Summer.

We’ll Always Have Summer (2011)⁠[9-10] shifts the narrative to the aftermath of Belly’s earlier choices and the ongoing history between the Conklin and Fisher families. This novel centers on Belly’s relationship with Jeremiah, Conrad’s return to the summer house, and the unresolved feelings that complicate the future.⁠[4]

It is the concluding volume, bringing the trilogy’s emotional and romantic questions to resolution.⁠[4]

References

  1. The Summer I Turned Pretty Books by Jenny Han from Simon & Schuster. Simon & Schuster.
  2. The Summer I Turned Pretty. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781416968238.
  3. It’s Not Summer Without You. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781416995555.
  4. We’ll Always Have Summer. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781416995586.
  5. The Summer I Turned Pretty | Book by Jenny Han | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
  6. The Summer I Turned Pretty | Book by Jenny Han | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Canada.
  7. It’s Not Summer Without You | Book by Jenny Han | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
  8. It’s Not Summer Without You | Book by Jenny Han | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Canada.
  9. We’ll Always Have Summer | Book by Jenny Han | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster.
  10. We’ll Always Have Summer | Book by Jenny Han | Official Publisher Page. Simon & Schuster Canada.