Author: nyah t

It Really Isn’t Summer Without You – A book review

On By nyah tIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Jenny Han’s It’s Not Summer Without You was a good book. After reading the first book in the trilogy, readers are easily hooked, wanting to know what will happen to Susannah, along with Belly and the boys. After Susannah’s death, the vibe of the book shifts. There is nobody to console the boys or act like a second mother to Belly. After finding out Conrad and Jeremiah are going to lose the summer house due to their dad they have to fight alongside Belly to save it. A lot of tension arises after finding out this news, which further strains everybody’s relationships.

All of the characters become more and more complex as the book shifts perspectives every few chapters or so. Overall, I really recommend this read to anyone who likes an easy read and would like to be hooked into a good series of books.

Is it Really Summer Without the Beach or the Boys?

On By nyah tIn Book Update, Characterization, NovelsLeave a comment

Jenny Han’s “It’s Not Summer Without You” has quite complex characters. Following Sussanah’s death in the previous book, titled “The Summer I Turned Pretty“, Conrad, Jeremiah, and Belly must figure out their emotions as their lives go through many changes. It could be argued that Belly is the most complex character, after struggling to find herself after losing so many people, but I would argue that Jeremiah is the most complex character in the series.

Often overlooked, Jeremiah has struggled the most all by himself. Growing up, it was revealed that Conrad was always his father’s favorite child. Of course, he was fine with being his mother’s favorite, but it had always hurt to see Conrad getting more attention regarding sports and creating a real bond with his father. Growing up like this led Jeremiah to respect and even love his dad even more while looking past the neglect he was presented with in his childhood.

Now, Conrad has run away from his problems in order to save the last piece of his mother; the beach house. This led Belly and Jeremiah to follow him up to Cousins and convince him to go back to university and finish the semester. But, with Conrad’s stubbornness and Jeremiah’s persistence, Belly is stuck between the two.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Book Review

On By nyah tIn Book Review, Highly Recommended, Novels2 Comments

Jenny Han’s, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was a great read. The book hooks you in from the beginning by introducing the reader to complex characters in a short amount of time, all of which are really easy to fall in love with. The tension between Belly and the boys is prominent from the beginning, which helps make almost all of the characters complex and dynamic, all coming with their own personal backstory.

The plot of the story thickens as Belly has her best-friend Taylor come for a visit, forcing tension with Taylor and Jeremiah, and Belly and Conrad.

Belly is left with the choice between Cam, Conrad, and Jeremiah, which she struggles to pick throughout the book

Towards the end of the summer, when the teens find out about Susannah’s sickness, readers are left on a cliffhanger about what Susannah is going to do to either combat her illness, or accept her fate.

Overall, I recommend this read to anyone who likes an easy read, multiple perspectives, a beachy setting, and a lot of romance.

The Summer We Drifted

On By nyah tIn Book Update, Highly Recommended, Novels1 Comment

In Jenny Han’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty”, Belly can easily be shown as the most complex character. Throughout the many chapters, she develops in many ways, one of which being her moving on from Conrad, and dating Cam. While this may be out of spite, the two did love each other for the time being. Belly evolves by changing her views on her friends and the people around her, as well as venturing out to find new opportunities for herself.

The most compelling conflict in the book so far is external and between Belly and Conrad. They have been drifting ever since the beginning of summer, and up until now, Belly had loved him. They eventually get into a huge fight after Belly confronts Conrad about his closed off and drifting attitude, and eventually ends up confessing her feelings, which led Conrad to say, “I hate you.”

Balling After Heartbreak

On By nyah tIn Music, Music Poetry, PoetryLeave a comment

21 Savage’s “ball w/o you” from his album “I Am>I Was” is more than a song, it is poetry. The album “I Am>I Was” is about 21’s progression in life and explains how he is now a better person that he used to be. The poem/song projects his feelings onto you and leaves you with a lasting impression. The purpose of “ball w/o you” is to express his strong feelings about a past relationship. He felt betrayed and left. 

The lines, 

I'd rather have loyalty than love 
'Cause love really don't mean jack (Straight up) 
See love is just a feeling 
You can love somebody and still stab them in the back

use line breaks and vivid imagery to progress his story and extreme feelings about betrayal. He is showing that he is still getting over things, but constantly progressing to get better and better, which goes with the theme of his album.

The lines, 

Valentines Day she ripped the card
And urinated on the rose petals (Damn)

are used to show the betrayal 21 endured in his past relationship. The line/s are not literal, he uses a hyperbole in order for listeners to lively imagine the love he gave out, and the falcity he received in return. 

The lines,

Middle school got my heart broke
Stop writin' love letters (21)

are used with imagery. Listeners can imagine 21 destroying or putting away all of his love letters and feelings after being heartbroken. The line connects back to the album by showing how 21 Savage felt like he could never love again, but eventually grows and becomes a better person by the and of the album.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

On By nyah tIn Book Update, Highly Recommended, Novels4 Comments

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” by Jenny Han centers around the main character, Belly. Belly is completely obsessed with summer, so when her mom’s friend, Susannah, invites Belly and her family to their beach house each year, she is ecstatic. Belly is accompanied by her mom, brother (Steven), Susannah, and Susannah’s children, Jeremiah and Conrad. Isabel (Belly) Concklin has loved Conrad since she was a little kid, and although Conrad, Jere, and Steven treat her like a sister, she loves each one of them in a different way.

From the beginning, readers are hooked. The descriptive setting of their shared beach house makes readers want to be there with the 4 “siblings.” The apparent love triangle between Belly, Jere, and Conrad always leaves you wanting to know what happens next between the three of them.

The new world presented in the book is called “Cousins.” This is where the beach house that the two families reside in for the summer is located. The author makes you want to be able to visit Cousins as it’s portrayed as a beautiful stretch of land with beaches, whales, boardwalks, and so much other stuff to do! Overall the book has been really interesting and fun to read so far.

The Little Mermaid’s Thesis

On By nyah tIn Course Stuff1 Comment

I agree with The Little Mermaid’s group thesis that “the movie breaks the dominant narrative that women should be submissive by listening and taking advice from the men in their life.” Ariel defied everyone’s expectations by going off to do what she wanted. She didn’t let people tell her what to do. The thesis really goes into depth about her struggles and triumphs.