Young adult novels continue to dominate the teen TV and film landscape, this time with Jenny Han's novel The Summer I Turned Pretty. The coming-of-age series was released on Amazon Prime Video on June 17th, much to the excitement of fans of the beloved trilogy. Like the books, the series centers on Belly (Lola Tung), a teenager who winds up in a love triangle with two brothers while trying to enjoy her summer vacation.
While The Summer I Turned Pretty has a unique story to tell, there are a ton of other teen and coming-of-age movies that are similar to the series. From shows about teenagers trying to survive their varying summers to shows about everyday high schoolers, these are the best shows to watch while waiting for the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Atypical (2017-2021)
Atypical centers on Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), a young teenager who is on the autism spectrum and is determined to find love. With Sam focusing on romance and being more independent, the rest of his family must adjust to their new roles in supporting Sam while also navigating their own changing lives.
Like Sam, Belly is on a mission for more independence and connections with others. While their methods differ slightly, both Atypical and The Summer I Turned Pretty touch on the same adolescent growing pains revolving around romantic awakenings.
Dash & Lily (2020)
Dash & Lily is based on the young adult novel series written by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. The holiday romantic comedy follows two teenagers who begin to fall for each other despite only communicating with each other through a notebook full of dares (who also pull off some big romantic gestures over the course of the show).
Like Dash & Lily, The Summer I Turned Pretty takes place over a landmark moment of a teenager's life: summer break. Belly and Lily also both share the same timid desire for romance that carries them through their unique stories.
Looking For Alaska (2019)
Looking for Alaska is John Green's third novel to get adapted for the screen. The coming-of-age drama series follows Pudge (Charlie Plummer) as he attends a boarding school for the first time ever in the hopes of becoming wiser. While there, he meets and falls for Alaska (Kristine Froseth), the wildcard of the bunch who goes missing one night.
The obvious similarity between Looking for Alaska and The Summer I Turned Pretty is that they both are young adult novels that were adapted into TV shows. However, the shows also both center on teenagers trying to be independent, even when they would benefit from asking for help.
Love, Victor (2020-2022)
Love, Victor just released its third and final season where it continues to follow Victor (Michael Cimino) on his quest to find love now that he's secure in his sexuality. The series also follows an ensemble cast of teenagers who are navigating their own highs and lows of romantic relationships in high school.
Belly might not go through the struggles that Victor does in coming to terms with his sexuality, but both characters do go on similar journies in their quest for love. Both lead characters also end up in their own love triangles of sorts that are always fun for audiences to dive into.
Never Have I Ever (2020-)
Created by Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever centers on Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a high school sophomore who is determined to turn her life around after a devastating freshman year. Headed into its third season, Devi is on the brink of completing her mission now that she's publically dating Paxton (Darren Barnet), the "it" boy at school.
While Devi and Belly's stories are similar in the senss that they both want love and both end up in complicated love triangles, the shows truly are compatible because they both feature young, talented actresses of color in lead roles.
Outer Banks (2020-)
Outer Banks is equal parts teen summer adventure story and teen mystery, making it a truly unique show to watch. The series begins when John B (Chase Stokes) convinces his friends to help him find the treasure his father went searching for when he went missing. Along the way, the teens face off against heated rivals and experience love and friendship in varying forms.
Both Outer Banks and The Summer I Turned Pretty take place over the summer, making them fun shows to watch to beat the heat this summer. And while Outer Banks is more of a mystery show, The Summer I Turned Pretty has its own share of mystery thanks to Laurel and Susannah's secret.
Sex Education (2019-)
Sex Education is one of Netflix's best and biggest teen series of all time. The series centers on Otis (Asa Butterfield), a teenager who starts an underground sex therapy clinic using his mother's manuals, videos, and professional expertise as a sex therapist.
Tonally Sex Education is a bit more "adult" than the stories being told in The Summer I Turned Pretty, but that doesn't mean the shows don't have anything in common. At the end of the day, both are telling tales about teenagers figuring out their young lives which teens fans can't get enough of.
Surviving Summer (2022-)
Surviving Summer is Netflix teen series making waves on the streaming service. The drama follows Summer, a teenager who has relocated from Brooklyn to a small town in Australia. Summer is deadset on hating her new town, but eventually, she warms up to it, especially the teens who also live there.
Like The Summer I Turned Pretty, Surviving Summer takes place during summer break, making them perfect shows to watch after each other. They also both follow young teenagers who are a bit out of their element, spending summer in a place they're not used to living.
The Sex Lives Of College Girls (2021-)
The Sex Lives of College Girls aims to shut down the hypocritical thinking that girls aren't as interested in sex as their male counterparts. The series centers on four college freshmen as they navigate college while dealing with hook ups, relationships, and their own sexuality journies.
Mindy Kaling's The Sex Lives of College Girls is definitely more adult than The Summer I Turned Pretty, so viewer discretion should be advised. However, both shows tell powerful and necessary narratives of young women figuring out who they are. They also both feature dealing with complicated sibling relationships when romance gets involved.
The Wilds (2020-)
Considered to be a female interpretation of Lord of the Flies, The Wilds centers on a group of teen girls who get stranded on a deserted island after surviving a plane crash. Unbeknownst to them, the girls are taking part in an elaborate social experiment with scientists watching their every move.
The Wilds is another show that's not tonally similar to The Summer I Turned Pretty, but there's still something the shows have to offer fans. After all, they both put young women at the center of their stories. They also deal with romance and friendships in the highest intensity of situations.