payment page
“Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this. To now.”
These words begin and end The Summer I Turned Pretty, appearing in the Prologue and at the conclusion. Belly’s words imbue the story with a purpose, telling how she arrived at an important milestone, and they also promise the reader a satisfying ending—not to mention, an interesting story on the way there. Significant time jumping appears in this small quote, a practice repeated throughout the novel, where chapters often shift from the present summer to the past. The final lines reflect the first lines, much like current moments in Belly's story are informed by flashbacks, creating a full-circle moment.
“Mr. Fisher hadn’t been able to come down the night before. He wasn’t there the next morning the way he was supposed to be. Conrad cooked anyway, and he was thirteen and a terrible cook, but we all ate it. Watching him serve rubbery eggs and pretending not to be sad, I thought to myself, I will love this boy forever.”
One thread that runs throughout the novel is Belly’s explanation of how her love for Conrad develops over time. Like steps along a path, each moment is a small piece of their journey toward an eventual relationship. The cornerstone that cements her feelings occurs in Chapter Forty-One, when Conrad plans a large Father’s Day breakfast for his dad. Mr. Fisher is Conrad’s hero, and he constantly works to please and impress him. When Mr. Fisher cancels his visit, Conrad pushes through his sorrow and prepares the meal anyway. The intense empathy Belly feels as she watches Conrad serve breakfast makes her realize the depth of her feelings.
