Book to Screen
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’: 24 of the Biggest Book Changes in Season 3 So Far
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3.]
The Summer I Turned Pretty is back and delivering plenty of book-to-screen changes as the show adapts Jenny Han‘s novel, We’ll Always Have Summer, the third installment from her trilogy about Belly (Lola Tung) and her complicated dynamic with the Fisher brothers, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
While the season appears to be following the basic structure of Han’s book, which finds Belly in college, deep into her relationship with Jeremiah, only time will tell how many big changes are in store. A few have already been revealed, though, and we’re breaking them down. Scroll down for a closer peek, but beware of book and show spoilers below.
The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3, Wednesdays, Prime Video
Conrad's Therapy Journey
One big reveal in Season 3 is that Conrad is in therapy. This wasn’t part of the books, but it’s a sign of growth for the character who has struggled with keeping his emotions bottled up over the seasons. It will be interesting to see how it could impact his journey as Season 3 unfolds.
Steven's Work Rivalry
While Steven’s (Sean Kaufman) work life was briefly mentioned in the book, it appears that his office life will be explored on a bigger level in the show, especially after the introduction of an original character, Denise (Isabella Briggs). Working under the eye of Fisher family patriarch Adam (Tom Everett Scott), Steven isn’t exactly off to the best start with his young colleague.
Steven & Taylor's Complicated Relationship
In the books, Steven and Taylor (Rain Spencer) were never a couple, so carrying over from Season 2, their romance seems to have taken a sneaky turn as they cheat on their significant others with each other. The on-and-off dynamic of their relationship is definitely surprising, but it feels like a way to justify the direction of Belly and Jeremiah’s own dynamic.
Belly's Study Abroad Conundrum
While Belly’s study abroad journey is teased in the book, it is introduced as a bigger plot point in Season 3, seemingly serving as a dilemma for her as she considers skipping the opportunity to stay with Jeremiah. Only time will tell how that will play out, but for now, we’re keeping Belly’s dreams for a Paris-based schooling experience alive.
Jeremiah's (Non-)Graduation
While Jeremiah was portrayed as a bit of a slacker in college within the pages of Han’s book, the show took it to a bigger level by having him miss out on enough credits to graduate. This means Jeremiah will have to complete an extra semester in order to get his diploma. It seems like his educational shortcomings will play an important role in his path for Season 3, which is definitely a big change from the book.
Steven's Words of Reason
The show is building up the sibling bond between Belly and Steven, more so than in the books, and it appears he’s the voice of reason, reminding her of Jeremiah’s faults. In other words, he’s the one lifting the rose-colored glasses off Belly’s eyes. While Steven might be well-intentioned, his current situation with Taylor makes his words a little less impactful, unfortunately.
Conrad's Bond With Agnes
In the book, Conrad has a brief fling with his classmate Agnes (Zoé de Grand’Maison), and in the show, it appears that they are quite friendly, but it’s made clear up front that they’re not emotionally involved. In other words, it appears that Agnes is about to play a bigger role in the show than she did in the book, but we’re not opposed to that.
Belly's Clarity About Her Past With Conrad
While the show hasn’t shied away from sex, Han’s original book trilogy never really crossed that line, and when Belly was with Jeremiah, they never went all the way, making his cheating that much worse. In Season 2, Belly had gotten together with Conrad at the beach house, but it seemed to be a secret. One line of dialogue from Season 3’s premiere episode revealed that Jeremiah knows that she was with his brother at some point, hinting at some underlying tension.
Steven's Accident
Steven gets into an accident after a fight with Taylor, but considering their relationship on the show is far different from the book, this predicament never came to pass in the pages of Han’s novel. The traumatic event seems to have influenced other plots, as we elaborate below.
Conrad's Dismissal
Conrad gets dismissed from the medical program he was accepted into, while it doesn’t seem it will derail his schooling, it’s an extra layer to his story that didn’t exist in the books. The dismissal also seems like it will play as a lesson in knowing himself and his limits.
Taylor's Confrontation With Jeremiah
In the show, Taylor gets iced out by Belly because she’s in the same sorority as the girl Jeremiah cheated with, but in the book, things didn’t play out that way exactly. Also, Taylor’s confrontation of Jeremiah was much more intense in the show than whatever she said in reaction to his cheating in the book.
John & Laurel's Hookup
In a twist we never saw coming, Belly and Steven’s parents, Laurel (Jackie Chung) and John (Colin Ferguson), cross paths at a literary conference, where they spend some quality time together. Considering the pair are happily divorced in the book, this twist could shake things up as Season 3 continues to play out.
Jeremiah's Proposal to Belly
While Jeremiah’s proposal to Belly happens in the book and show, the motivation behind it seems a little different onscreen, with Steven’s accident heightening emotions. Once those emotions pass, how will Belly feel about the proposal in the aftermath? If the show stays true to the book, she has a lot to consider.
Taylor's Mom
The introduction of Taylor’s mom isn’t too much of a deviation from the books, but the show’s focus on her storyline and struggle with finances is completely new for the show, and didn’t exist in the pages of Han’s novel. Lucinda Jewel (Kristen Connolly) is definitely gearing up to play a bigger role in this onscreen adaptation, and we’re curious to see how that unfolds.
Susannah's Remembrance Board
Before Susannah’s (Rachel Blanchard) garden dedication, Belly and her mom Laurel put together a remembrance board featuring photos from the past. The moment was a sweet one, allowing Laurel and Belly to reflect on nostalgic memories and keep Susannah’s memory alive.
Restaurant Spending
In the book, there’s an occasion where Belly’s father treats her and Jeremiah to a meal, and Belly expresses annoyance over Jeremiah ordering the most expensive thing on the menu. This element was represented during the group meal in Episode 3, where Laurel offers to treat, and Adam promptly orders the most expensive thing on the menu, and Jeremiah follows suit. Belly in turn orders soup, and we hear Conrad order salmon, two more reasonably priced items. While the moment wasn’t exactly the same in the show, it was clearly inspired by the book.
Belly's Parents Play a United Front
In the book, there isn’t a lot of crossover between Belly’s mom and dad playing a united front in trying to persuade her against marriage with Jeremiah. In the show, they explored this idea by having them throw her a joint breakfast that quickly turned negative as she fought against their reasoning.
Wedding Dress Shopping
The wedding dress shopping scene Belly shares with Taylor and her mom is much more extensive in the show than the minor mention it gets in the book. Hunting for a gown in a prom dress shop also adds to the financial strain surrounding a wedding for college kids.
Jeremiah Admits He Doesn't Want Belly to Go to Paris
Belly’s study abroad wasn’t a central plot line from the books. It was mentioned towards the end of the story, but didn’t have any stakes in Belly and Jeremiah’s school plans. This latest episode saw Belly decide she didn’t want to go abroad as a newlywed, and so she made the choice to stayBelly’s study abroad wasn’t a central plot line from the books. It was mentioned towards the end of the story, but didn’t have any stakes in Belly and Jeremiah’s school plans. This latest episode saw Belly decide she didn’t want to go abroad as a newlywed, and so she made the choice to stay, but Jeremiah also admitted he didn’t want her to leave, despite initially seeming supportive of it. This is an interesting turn that might play into things as Season 3 continues., but Jeremiah also admitted he didn’t want her to leave, despite initially seeming
Jeremiah's Work Triumph
When it came to Season 3’s fifth installment, a.k.a. the Conrad POV episode, most moments were book accurate, but the biggest change occurred with Jeremiah’s work triumph. After Jeremiah was left behind at the office, he managed to notice an error in the paperwork, impressing his dad to the point of winning over his support for moving forward with getting married to Belly. That isn’t exactly how it unfolded in the book, but it was nice to see Adam treat his youngest son with more kindness than we’ve seen recently.
Belly's Country Club Wedding
As fans of the book already know, the country club wasn’t part of the books, so Belly being sent there to organize a big ceremony is a definite deviation from Jenny Han’s book. In the book, Belly and Jeremiah plan to have their nuptials on the beach.
Fisher Family Suit Fitting
In the book, Jeremiah plans to wear khakis and a summer top for his wedding, unlike this show version, which sees the Fisher men unite to go suit shopping. The moment allowed viewers to get a closer glimpse at their dynamic, though.
Laurel's Shower Gift
After Conrad convinces Laurel to reconsider her anti-wedding stance regarding Belly and Jeremiah, she goes to the wedding shower for Belly, and this does happen in the books, but the show makes a slight tweak. The gift of Belly’s passport and airline gift cards is all-new and hints at potential travel in the near future.
Adam's Wedding Date
In the books, Adam’s secretary does help with wedding planning, like she does in the show, but there isn’t that element of her having been his mistress. When Adam announced to Jeremiah and Conrad that he was going to take her as a date to the wedding, it was clear that Conrad’s knowledge of the matter only added a layer of tension to the situation.
