This article, “who is Belly,” contains spoilers regarding the Amazon original series The Summer I Turned Pretty season 1.
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The main character in The Summer I Turned Pretty is Belly, a fifteen-year-old girl who is looking to be lucky in love this summer, when she’s reunited with her teenage infatuation, Conrad. But who exactly is this protagonist?
Who is Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 1?
Belly is the nickname given to Isabel Conklin, portrayed by Lola Tung in her first credited role. This naïve, happy-go-lucky teen sits at the heart of the series. She is a likeable and friendly individual, who is desperate to find love this summer, with her heart set on the moody teen heartthrob called Conrad. She believes her chances with Conrad are much improved now that she has blossomed into a young, attractive woman. The show spends a great deal of effort hammering home this idea that she is a beautiful, entirely altered individual now. Ditching those glasses really worked wonders for her appearance.
With Belly feeling more confident and noticeable now, she spends a lot of time perfecting her image, focusing on her wardrobe and make-up. Best friend Taylor helps her out too, providing Belly with revealing dresses and scandalous bikinis, hoping she’ll come out of her shell more. This new look doesn’t catch the attention of Conrad straight away, but she manages to click with Cam in the meantime. The two start to date, although there isn’t any real spark and she quickly ends their relationship.
Belly then finds herself in a love triangle with brothers Conrad and Jeremiah, unsure who to choose and who will choose her. Both brothers go hot and cold with the ever-popular Belly. Jeremiah only shows his true affections once he witnesses Conrad and Belly kissing, whilst Conrad continues to date Nicole throughout most of the season. Jeremiah is invited to the debutante ball by Belly, but then disappears during the waltz, so Conrad replaces him. In the end, Belly chooses Conrad to be her one true love, with the final shot showing the couple kissing on the beach.
At times, Belly can be immature and selfish, which is fair to be said of all teenagers at some point. Her dogged determination to find a partner is a little obsessive at times, but fits this teen stereotype well. Belly does realize how self-absorbed she has been once she finds out about Susannah’s cancer diagnosis though. Her worries seem insignificant compared to Susannah’s. Best friend Taylor did mention Belly’s self-centered nature during an argument, but it took something drastic for it all to click for Belly. Nicole also warned her about breaking hearts and she did lead on quite a few boys in season 1. Hopefully she will learn some lessons from her eventful summer and grow as a person.
You can watch this series with a subscription to Amazon Prime.
