March 14, 2011
Isabel (Belly) Conklin always knew she "would be Belly Fisher one day." She just didn't know which of the Fisher brothers she'd marry: Conrad, her first love, or younger brother Jeremiah, who caught her on the rebound. As fate would have it, Jeremiah is the one to propose marriage during the spring of Belly's first year in college. Following impulse rather than reason (or her mother's adamant protests), Belly accepts. However, her premarital bliss is undercut by the flicker of passion she still holds for Conrad. In Han's conclusion to the trilogy that began with The Summer I Turned Pretty, she both underscores the folly of getting engaged too young and vividly depicts the emotions of a girl on the brink of womanhood, impatient to make all of her dreams come true. If Jeremiah's frat-boy mentality is somewhat stereotyped, he remains an effective foil to the more pensive, sensitive Conrad. While Belly's final decision may not come as a surprise to readers, it will satisfy those who have followed her through each of her summers. Ages 12âup.