*This is a spoiler-free review for season two so feel free to read on!*

“Nothing would ever be the same again…”

The Summer I Turned Pretty season two released on Prime Video on July 14th 2023 with the first three episodes available now. There will be eight episodes in total that will air weekly. The young adult drama series (based on the novel of the same name) stars Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, and Jackie Chung. Each episode runs for approximately 42-48 minutes.

Summer feels different this time around for Belly after suffering a tragic loss that has severely impacted her and everyone around her. After trying to re-connect with Conrad and Jeremiah, she gets tangled in a love triangle once again that isn’t so clear cut.

Here is the trailer:

The Summer I Turned Pretty was one of my favorite series of last year, bringing us plenty of emotional moments and a real depiction of growing up that just felt effortless and moving. Does season two do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

A coming-of-age series that gives you all the feels…

I love soapy teen dramas like Beverly Hills, 90210, One Tree Hill, and Melrose Place. But sometimes they can be over-the-top and really unrealistic. As much as I love them, I appreciate this series because it stays away from all of the crazy drama and focuses more on real characters who go through life-altering moments with honest reactions. It just feels fresh and organic without ever trying too hard and season two keeps that feeling going, which is important.

A love triangle plot that doesn’t seem overdone…

Love triangles can be completely exhausting, but this series makes them feel brand new again. I love both Conrad and Jeremiah and I honestly don’t know who Belly should end up with because they both bring out different sides of her. Sure, there is melodrama between them all when things get heated, but this is the driving plot of the show and it keeps us invested during season two for sure.

The Cons:

The flashbacks are really confusing at times.

I get that the series is trying to fill us in with what happened between last summer and this one, but the transitions don’t always work and I was often confused about where I was in the timeline. I’m hoping this improves as the episodes continue, but a lot is being jam-packed into these episodes and I want to get back to a natural sequence of events so I can appreciate everything going on more.

So am I in or out?

I’m in!!!

The summer magic is back!

I can’t wait to watch the rest of the episodes!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Summer I Turned Pretty in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

Scream Hunt is available here!

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*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“Are you into surfing?”

Surviving Summer released on Netflix on June 3rd 2022. The Australian teen series features ten episodes available to stream now. The show stars Sky Katz, Kai Lewins, Savannah La Rain and Dustin Clare. Each episode runs for approximately 26-30 minutes.

A wild teen from New York is sent to Australia to live with family friends she hasn’t seen in years, introducing her to the world of surfing.

Here is the trailer:

Surviving Summer will remind you of Blue Crush and Dive Club, but does this coming-of-age story add anything new to the genre? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Aesthetically pleasing.

This series was gorgeous to watch. The scenery was incredible and the music soundtrack complimented it well. I felt like I was being transported somewhere else while watching it and I think the “summer” premiere was a smart one. I’m ready to hit the beach after watching this…

Likable characters.

I would have preferred a little bit more edge to some of the characters, but much like Dive Club, this series was very family friendly. I liked a lot of the characters and I appreciated that we spent enough time peeling back some layers. Even though this was a story I have seen over and over again, it was still entertaining to watch because of the characters.

The Cons:

Predictable with unnecessary montages…

The montages were a bit much in this one. The episodes were on the short side, but I’m not sure that we really needed ten of them. I think this gave us a lot of unnecessary fluff when the story itself was entertaining enough to keep me invested. The ending was also really predictable as well so I’m not sure that this coming-of-age story really did anything that different to make it stand out in the genre.

So am I in or out?

I’m in about 75 percent…

This series had its charms and it was absolutely stunning to watch, but I wanted a little bit more from it. If you enjoy Blue Crush, you will find a lot to enjoy with this one, but you’re probably better off just re-watching that film.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Surviving Summer in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!