Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lives fall apart in bittersweet romance sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU continues the story of 17-year-old Belly's hopes and dreams for romance. But since she and Conrad broke up, for the first time in her life she's not planning on spending the summer at their beach house like she always has. But Conrad suddenly disappears from college now that the term is almost over. Jeremiah enlists Belly's help to track him down, and of course the trail leads right to the beach house. There they learn that Conrad and Jeremiah's dad has plans for the future that will forever change everything. Can they, should they, hold on to what once was, or is it time to let it all go and move on?
Is It Any Good?
This second volume in the trilogy takes a slightly darker turn from the summery, breezy fun of the first book. Of course, everyone in It's Not Summer Without You is still grieving the loss of Suzannah from cancer, so with emotions running high, things go off the rails pretty quickly, with lots of arguments, resentment, and rebellious behavior. Tensions over the question of Conrad or Jeremiah continue to run high, and fans will enjoy going along for the rollercoaster ride wondering which it will be.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how It's Not Summer Without You fits into The Summer I Turned Pretty franchise. Do you like the direction the story took in this second volume? If you didn't read the first book or watch the TV show, would you like to now?
What about the teen drinking in this book? Is it realistic? Glamorized? Is it a big deal?
Why are romances so popular? What do we love about them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : April 27, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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