I’ve always loved reading. Long before I was a mom, before I had daughters of my own, I was the kid who stayed up way too late with a reading light under my covers, just trying to finish up one more chapter. I flew through series, from the historical American Girl books and The Babysitter’s Club as a teen to Twilight and ACOTAR as I got older; I love reading. Since my kids are growing up in a time of tablets and smartphones, I wanted both my girls to love reading as much as I did when I was their age. I’d take them on trips to Barnes & Noble on the last day of school to stock up on books for summer reading, but nothing had grabbed their attention until my 13-year-old was gifted the book series The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han, that’s recently become a hit TV series, too.
I discovered The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) at the start of season one on Amazon Prime Video, long after it became a young adult book series. The following school year, my daughter read the first book for a book report in her English Language Arts class. It was the book that hooked her and sparked her love of reading. This summer, she read through books two and three and binged seasons one and two. Now we are watching season three together, which debuted on July 16, 2025, and even kicked off the third season with a The Summer I Turned Pretty watch party. We ate lobster mac and cheese and wore “Team Conrad” friendship bracelets.
What is The Summer I Turned Pretty about?
I was sold on TSITP from the very beginning. What’s not to love about a high school love triangle between a girl and two brothers, set in a New England coastal beach town, with an amazing playlist to set the scene? At first glance, The Summer I Turned Pretty looks like your typical teenage romance, but underneath the dreamy salt air summer aesthetic are very grown-up and relevant themes that deal with grief, self-doubt, family dynamics, and relationships. And, just like being 13, it’s delicate, messy, and emotionally honest.
Is The Summer I Turned Pretty OK for tweens/teens?
I realize that some parents might hesitate to let their children watch the show due to its romantic plotlines and mature themes. The Summer I Turned Pretty doesn’t shy away from real teenage experiences. But watching it alongside my 13-year-old daughter has opened up opportunities for conversations that I might never have thought to start on my own.
There’s something powerful about watching characters make mistakes on TV in front of your child. Instead of me offering unsolicited life advice, we’ve paused episodes of the show to talk about things like underage drinking at parties or what it feels like when a friend leaves you out, which evokes unsettled feelings no matter what age you are.
Opening the door for hard conversations
We’ve talked about what healthy crushes and relationships look like. Not to mention [spoiler alert!] everything wrong with the marriage proposal plotline. These are conversations that can feel awkward or heavy when brought up out of nowhere.
“These are conversations that can feel awkward or heavy when brought up out of nowhere.”
I also hope this openness shows my daughter that when she’s faced with a real-world problem, she knows she can come talk to me about it. I will be there to listen, help if need be, and not judge. Sometimes we don’t talk at all, and we just sit there shoulder to shoulder with our bowls of ice cream, taking in the show.
I don’t expect that we’ll always watch the same shows, agree on every storyline, or enjoy reading the same books. Parenting teenage girls today can feel like constantly reaching for connection while giving them space to learn and grow. Watching this show with one another has given us something to do together. It goes beyond me asking about how her day was or pushing her to open up to me. It’s now a shared ritual. I’ll always make space for her thoughts, her feelings, and the parts of growing up that feel complicated.
“Parenting teenage girls today can feel like constantly reaching for connection while giving them space to learn and grow.”
Read more: Do millennial moms love TSITP even more than teens? One mom weighs in.
When do new episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty come out?
The first two episodes of season three debuted on July 16, 2025, with new episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty coming out on Wednesdays through September. For parents who also want to try watching with their kids, all seasons are available on Amazon Prime Video, with the full TSITP season three release schedule as follows:
- Episodes 1-2: Wednesday, July 16
- Episode 3: Wednesday, July 23
- Episode 4: Wednesday, July 30
- Episode 5: Wednesday, Aug. 6
- Episode 6: Wednesday, Aug. 13
- Episode 7: Wednesday, Aug. 20
- Episode 8: Wednesday, Aug. 27
- Episode 9: Wednesday, Sept. 3
- Episode 10: Wednesday, Sept. 10
- Episode 11 (Finale): Wednesday, Sept. 17
My daughter has put me on a deadline of a Friday watch date each week, or she goes on without me!
Maria Childs, Contributing Writer
Maria Childs is a marketing and communications professional living in Milwaukee. She is passionate about motherhood, co-parenting, and being a girl mom. When she’s not busy working in K-12 public education, you can find her running her two daughters to sports practices, dancing to Taylor Swift, browsing bookstores, and catching up with friends
