THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY

Isabel (Belly) revels in summer. For as long as she can remember, her family has spent the summer at the beach with her mom’s friend, Susannah, and her two sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly is convinced that this summer, the summer of her sixteenth birthday, will be the best yet. Jessica Almasy is convincing as the naïve Belly. The angst and insecurity embedded in Belly’s character resonate in Almasy’s voice as she catches us up on summers past through a series of flashbacks. As we learn of past crushes and kisses, Belly stumbles through the complexities of her current feelings for both Conrad and Jeremiah. Then there’s a bigger challenge for the families to face as the summer draws to a close. E.A.B. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2011]