Overview
The Summer I Turned Pretty was originally a book series (you can read our book review), then adapted into the popular Netflix TV series by the same name. The book is a sweet coming-of-age summer romance, with only a few points of concern regarding content. It follows a teen girl nicknamed Belly and her love triangle with brothers Conrad and Jeremiah. The Netflix series, however, takes Belly’s story and makes it more edgy and mature. Let’s take a look at the details of this popular show to see if it’s a fit for your family.
Harmful Content ❗️
Most of the drama and edgy content in The Summer I Turned Pretty is all to be expected in a teen romance show. This includes themes around complicated teen relationships, sex, partying, substance use, tense family dynamics, and more. Minors are seen getting drunk and smoking weed; there is even a scene in which parents share a blunt.
One character in the show battles cancer and eventually passes away, the other characters are seen processing this loss in different ways.
Language
Frequent F-bombs are dropped, along with other swears such as “b*tch”, “a**hole”, and “sl*t.”
Sex
There is no shortage of crushes, flirting, and making out in this show. As the show takes place at the beach, characters are often in swimsuits and showing skin. One character encourages Belly to show more skin to impress the boys. A couple of scenes include a girl shown in her bra. Sex is discussed, but nothing explicit is ever shown.
Violence
This is not considered a violent show, but there are a few fight scenes where boys exchange blows at a party.
Positive Value 💫
One thing a chick flick will always be is entertaining. If your kid has an affinity for romance stories, they’ll love following Belly’s summer with Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly’s character is kind and humble, and she desires to become her own person, just as all teens do. She’s not perfect, but she learns from her mistakes.
Another positive is that parents can use the show to start important conversations around sex, substance use, etc. As your child is watching, consider asking them questions about their own feelings or experiences regarding these subjects.
So, should my kid watch it?
This depends on your family’s values and your own child’s maturity level, but we’d say this is appropriate for older teens, around 14 and up.
