This summer, The Summer I Turned Pretty franchise debuted its final season. The show was three seasons long, matching the book trilogy it was made after. The season and series finale was released on September 17th; there were some surprising differences from the book, so let’s get into it. 

Some key differences in the book and show are mostly conclusion leading details. For example, Belly goes abroad to Paris in the show instead of Spain like in the books. Benito, Belly’s French fling, was not a major character in the books and more like a proof of past time. In the show, he plays a part in Belly’s inner circle and becomes a more relevant character. Additionally, Conrad and his brother Jeremiah have a conversation for closure, which was not an original part of the books. The most upsetting factor of these changes is that they took up space where more important scenes could have been added to make the resolution more realistic. Thankfully, fan favorite details of the books were still kept. For instance, Conrad’s letters to Belly were a major part fans were looking forward to and got to see in the finale.

So how exactly did the series wrap up? In short, Conrad surprises Belly for her birthday in Paris on his way to a medical conference where they reconnect and reform their bond. They get to communicate over ignored feelings and what truly happened between them. After Conrad pours his heart out, Belly essentially tells him to leave and focus on his career instead of her out of fear that he felt obligated to following his mother’s death. When he leaves, Belly realizes that she does love Conrad, not because she’s supposed to but because she wants to and she always has. She chases after him, finding him on the train and tells him how she feels. Following that scene, there is a time jump of them back at the beach house in Cousins. Now that the finale has been released, the question is, was it worth it and did it do the book justice?

The answers to those questions are mixed among the viewers. Some claim that since Belly still ended up with Conrad, the difference in details leading up to that makes the show different from the books, giving book readers the effect of being surprised and not completely spoiled. On the contrary, others are disappointed by the buildup and think the show should’ve been stricter on following the books. One student and fan of the series, Chloe Catinas (10), commented that “although I really liked that Belly and Conrad ended up together and mostly stuck to the book ending, it felt really rushed and incomplete. I wish the show would’ve used less filler episodes so the climax and finale could be more accurate to the book.” Most complaints seem to revolve around the fact that the characters’ endings seemed extremely sudden and not fully evolved.

The one thing fans can’t seem to get over is the missing wedding epilogue. Some were wondering if there was going to be a surprise second finale or if it was just a choice of the writers. It turns out it wasn’t. That is because The Summer I Turned Pretty The Movie was announced during the series finale premiere. It is assumed that the excluded scenes from the book will take place in this movie. Fans can probably expect a wedding, a time jump to Belly and Conrad with their kids, and possible further plotlines for other characters like Jeremiah, Steven and Taylor. There is no confirmed release date besides that it will not be released next year, so most likely in 2027. In the meantime, the show’s audience is sharing their predictions. Grace Yang (10) added that she “wants to see more of Belly and Conrad’s futures as a stable couple and a plot that isn’t focused on a love triangle. Hopefully every character’s story is continued and we get to see everyone have a good ending.”