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We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3) by Jenny Han

 

Summary (from the publisher): It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college—only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

Review: This book jumps forward in time two years since the end of book two. Belly is in the end of her freshman year of college. She and Jeremiah have been happily dating for a while now and even go to the same school. Despite insistently telling herself that she's happy with Jeremiah, deep down, Belly questions her choice and still wonders if she has ever really gotten over Conrad. When Jeremiah's actions set off a series of events, Belly must confront her feelings once and for all. 

This series has always brought the drama and angst. Despite not at all being interested in stupid teenage choices in real life, I was riveted by this book. They are stupidly young to be making the choices they do, but yet I can't look away. After reading this, I understand all the online talk about Belly being the true villain of this series. She can be very cruel and cutting. She makes wild, irresponsible decisions and constantly pits the brothers against each other. And she is not a very good friend. I give her some grace since she is a teenager but it's hard to give her a pass on all of it. 

I do agree with others that this book veered from the love triangle presented in the earlier two books. In those, we see Belly truly torn between the two brothers with complicated feelings about them both. This book steered the reader hard for one brother in particular to the point where it was hard to imagine Belly making any other choice than the one she did.

Of all the characters in this series, the one with the most complicated character arc, in my opinion, is Belly's best friend Taylor. When we first meet Taylor in book one, she's annoying and boy hungry and seems to mostly be using Belly to get close to the Fisher boys. As the series has progressed, Taylor becomes the better friend. She is constantly loaning Belly clothes, covering for her, and looking out for her best interests. In return, Belly is consistently not very nice to her and sometimes deliberately doesn't include her. When they have fights, Taylor is always the one to make overtures back towards friendships. It is this friendship possibly more than any others that made me think very little of Belly.  

It's interesting to me, having now watched season one of the tv show, how much they have added to the plot. The book is about Belly and her interests alone. Most of the characters don't have a lot of depth and it's largely because Belly doesn't have the interest or space for them. In the show, her mom has a career and a love life, Conrad has jobs and confidants beyond her, and her brother and his relationships are also given a lot more depth. This is a quick read about a teenager love triangle and that is all. It was entertaining and I rated it based on that and how quickly I flew through it. But it's not much beyond that. 

If you're interested in a more nuanced (and far more likable character), I would suggest To All the Boys I've Loved Before, another trilogy by Jenny Han. 

Stars: 4

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