The Summer I Turned Pretty Show vs. To All The Boys I Loved Before

The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All The Boys I Loved Before are both original books by author Jenny Han. These are both turned into a show and a movie. Although I will be talking about the differences in the movies. These books and media have primarily female audiences, so this review is for the girls. 

Personally, what I like about The Summer I Turned Pretty is that a lot of the music featured are from my favorite artists like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Olivia Rodrigo. 

I have seen The Summer I Turned Pretty show and watched all To All The Boys I Loved Before movies. For this review I want to compare them and express which teams I am on. First, I want to explain each of the plots for understanding.

The Summer I Turned Pretty 

This show is about a girl named Isabel “Belly” Conklin, played by actress Lola Tung, who grows up being friends with two boys named Conrad Fisher, played by Christopher Briney, and Jeremiah Fisher, played by Gavin Casalegno. 

Throughout the show, she goes through the ups and downs of her teenage years and through going to college and living in Paris. When watching the show, most viewers are either team Conrad or team Jeremiah based on how they treat Belly. Currently, I am on team Jeremiah, but that changes daily. 

To The All The Boys I Loved Before

These books that were turned into a movie are about a girl named Lara Jean, played by actress Lana Condor, who accidentally sends out all the personal letters to all the boys she liked before that point in her life. The main point is that one boy named Peter Kavinsky, played by actor Noah Centineo, finds the letter and ends up catching feelings for her. This occurs when Lara Jean is in high school prior to college. 

Comparisons 

Now comparing each of these movies/shows, how they are different is very quite obvious to most. One is about a girl who is obsessed with two boys who are also obsessed with her, but have to pick one. And the other is about a girl who accidentally finds out that a boy she liked likes her back and ends up good for her. 

What I Think- My Favorite 

Personally, I like The Summer I Turned Pretty a lot better because of the unpredictable storyline and the whole being on a team thing for one of the boys. So that is my obvious favorite. Although, like other opinions I have heard, To All The Boys I Loved Before is a lot more relatable because this day in age most girls aren’t trying to pick between two boys. It seems more like a fantasy to most than reality. That is why I think To All The Boys I Loved Before is a lot better in that sense. It shows reality not fiction. What I really like is the writing and how Jenny Han puts the story together. When I watch both of these I feel like I am really there and I am one of any of the characters. Especially for the Summer I Turned Pretty because of some of the deep plot points. 

For The Summer I Turned Pretty fans, there is currently a movie set to be filmed in 2026 and released in 2027. So look for that in the media; I will be for sure! 

Rankings:

On the Cyclone Scale, I will be ranking each of these. 

First, The Summer I Turned Pretty: 

Finally, To All The Boys I Loved Before