Jenny Han reveals why The Summer I Turned Pretty won’t have a ‘neat’ ending

So, The Summer I Turned Pretty might seem like a light and cute young adult romantic drama about Belly caught in a love triangle with two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. And don’t get me wrong, it definitely is all of that. But it’s also so much more.

This series shows us first love, heartbreak, and dealing with serious topics like depression, anxiety, grief, and losing a parent. It’s about navigating life while carrying all of that pain, and still trying to find moments of joy.

Jenny Han has never been the type of writer to tell simple stories. She’s explained before that she always wants to push herself to write something better, something different. And it looks like the ending of The Summer I Turned Pretty will be no exception.

Speaking on the Wild Card with Rachel Martin podcast, Han made it clear she doesn’t go for “happily ever after” endings. “I like a hopeful ending,” she said. “But I don’t like too neat of an ending, personally.”

She went on to explain that even though season three might not offer a tidy conclusion, she still wants it to leave viewers feeling hopeful, especially since the story is written for a younger audience. “But I really must insist on hope, because if something ends in such a bleak way. That’s what I insist on,” she continued. “And I do think that that is, for me, the only real difference between writing stories for a young audience and for adults, is a hopeful ending.”

She feels a sense of responsibility when writing for teenagers

via Amazon Prime

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The series has always drawn strong emotional reactions from viewers, and Han knows that’s part of what makes it powerful and heartbreaking. “That is the tragedy of the story,” she said. “No matter what, you’re going to be hurting somebody that you love dearly.”

She also spoke about the responsibility she feels when writing for teenagers. “I care about my readers,” she said. “I would never want someone to read my book and then want to cause, like, self-harm or feel, like, deeply depressed after reading that… because they’re still a child. You know, you are responsible for them to some degree, I feel.”

Han explained how the time jump in season three changes the tone of the story. Belly and the others are no longer teenagers, they’re now in their twenties, making adult choices.

“They are now adults,” she said about Belly, Conrad, Jeremiah, Steven and Taylor. “They are in their twenties.”

And that means the storytelling matures too. “It’s different, though, for adults. Adults can, you know, decide for yourself and you have an adult brain,” Han said. “But for young people, I want them to feel hopeful. I want them to feel good about themselves and good about the world around them. That’s important to me.”

So while the ending of The Summer I Turned Pretty might not wrap everything up neatly, Han promises it will be real, heartfelt — and yes, still filled with hope.

Well, I’m ready to get my heart broken, that’s for sure.

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