The 15 Best Characters in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ — Ranked by Likability

The Summer I Turned Pretty recently wrapped up its second season and has proven to be a worthy adaptation of the young adult trilogy of the same name from Jenny Han.  

The series follows Belly Conklin, who finds that her annual trip to Cousins Beach with her family and the Fisher family is different the year she turns 16. Older and more mature, her friendship with the Fisher boys, Jeremiah and Conrad, grows into a complicated love triangle, and she navigates unexpected changes in both families.

While The Summer I Turned Pretty boasts several positive elements, one of the best aspects is the characters. The show features a unique cast of relatable, diverse, and multi-faceted characters. Plus, each season further sharpens its characters and adds to their complexity.

Across two seasons, a lot of truths and new sides to the characters have surfaced. Every development is essential, as the show challenges viewers with the question of who deserves to be with who in various complicated relationships.

All these characters are undergoing personal challenges and deserve empathy, but it can’t be denied some characters respond better to some situations than others and maintain their kind spirits through challenges.

As a result, some have proven to be more likable than others. Here are the top 15 best characters, ranked by likability.

15. Adam Fisher

Adam Fisher isn’t a very likable character in The Summer I Turned Pretty.

He’s the ex-husband of Susannah Fisher, who cheated on his wife when she had cancer and picks favorites with his kids. Those details alone explain why he’s at the bottom of this list.

However, he does slightly redeem himself in Season 2, when he finally listens to his sons and steps in to prevent Susannah’s sister, Julia, from selling the beach home they love.

Not only does he step in to help his sons, but even sells his own home to buy the beach house. Adam has made very bad choices in the past but earns a little respect for making an effort to right his wrongs.

14. Aunt Julia

Julia is the aunt of Conrad and Jeremiah and is a wholly original character created for the TV series. In the show’s second season, she is one of the main antagonists as she seeks to sell the beach house the boys want to keep.

She comes across as fairly cold, but viewers will slowly start to feel sympathy for her. Julia has no choice but to sell the house, and she did experience the negative side of Cousins Beach and Susannah.

Still, as an adult, one expects her to put two teenage nephews who need her above her complicated feelings about her sister. At the same time, she does show warmth and love to her child and is a good mother.

Julia is a flawed individual, but she’s also human and relatable, making her likable despite her shortcomings.

13. Nicole

Nicole is a little difficult to judge because she has a mixture of good and bad qualities. Things with Nicole are always tense because she’s initially Conrad’s girlfriend, despite Belly and Conrad having feelings for one another.

Of course, none of this is Nicole’s fault, and she is largely very cool with the awkward situation, even being Belly’s “big sister” for the deb ball.

However, she always seems a little condescending to Belly and eventually fully takes her anger at Conrad out on the younger girl.

She gets points for putting in an effort to make the most out of a complicated situation, but her blaming another girl for her boyfriend’s actions detracts from her likability.

12. Shayla

Shayla is another character whose likability is difficult to measure because she doesn’t return for Season 2. However, in the first season, she has a fairly turbulent relationship with Steven.

On the hand, she’s surprisingly very forgiving about his dalliances, but she also adds to some of the tension in their relationship due to not being fully aware of her wealth and how others who don’t share her privilege feel.

Despite a bit of immaturity and lack of awareness, she is also highly confident, independent, fashionable, and fierce. It’s difficult not to admire a girl who knows her worth regardless of her situation.

If she’d had a little more time to develop, she might’ve come across as even more likable.

11. John Conklin

On the surface, John Conklin is just the sweetest. He appears very sparsely in the series but is always the easy-going people-pleaser.

Despite being divorced from Laurel, John is always very supportive of her, and it’s especially touching that he tries to encourage her to navigate her grief and pursue her writing career.

The problem with John is that viewers rarely see him. It’s hinted that he wasn’t on board with the divorce and may still have been in love with Laurel.

While viewers feel for him, he shouldn’t let his feelings about the divorce impact how often he’s there for his kids. John is a good-hearted and kind man, but he’d be more likable if he was active enough in his kids’ lives for viewers to get to know him fully.

10. Steven Conklin

Belly’s brother Steven makes a lot of mistakes in the series, such as losing his temper with his sister and cheating on Shayla, but he is one of the characters who show the most growth.

What makes Steven likable is that he learns from his mistakes. He displays a lot more maturity in the second season by looking out for his mother and Belly, confronting his feelings for Taylor, and helping Conrad through his anxiety.

Additionally, he has a sense of humor and is easily one of the funniest characters in the show, increasing his likability even further.

9. Cleveland

Cleveland is another original character created for the TV series. He is the love interest of Laurel but also strikes up a touching friendship with Conrad.

Throughout both seasons, his appearances are pretty rare, but he seems to be content with that. He’s just content with being Cleveland and being whatever he’s needed to be, whether it’s a mentor, partner, or friend.

Despite breaking up with Laurel between seasons, he still extends his friendship towards her in Season 2, which is a testament to his good character.

It’s more the show’s fault that Cleveland isn’t at the top of this list. Unfortunately, it’s just hard to like someone who is nearly forgotten in Season 2 aside from a brief cameo.

8. Taylor

Taylor is one of the most likable characters on the show because of her relatable personality and friendship with Belly.

Granted, she makes quite a few mistakes, like her debacle with Steven and often getting her friends into trouble. However, her impulsiveness and knack for getting into trouble will make her relatable to anyone who is or has been a teenage girl.

In addition to being highly realistic, she is also admirable for her fierce protectiveness for Belly. She is as loyal as friends come and always has Belly’s best interests in mind.

She’s spunky, relatable, and has an impressive understanding of what it means to be a true friend, making it very difficult to dislike her.

7. Skye

Skye is a character put in an especially tight spot when they are introduced in Season 2.

They are the cousin of Conrad and Jeremiah, thus, instantly getting caught in the crossfire between the boys and their mom over the sale of the beach house.

Despite the difficult situation, Skye acts commendably and makes an effort to understand the boys’ perspective. Ultimately, they vouch for the boys while also continuing to be very respectful, sympathetic, and understanding to their mother.

Sky makes the best of their situation and can show empathy to everyone around them, making them one of the brightest spots of the second season.

6. Conrad Fisher

It’s hard to know where to begin with Conrad because he’s one of those characters who operate in extremes. He’s either extremely likable or extremely dislikable.

Conrad can be mean and emotionally detached and is almost solely responsible for the love triangle for refusing to just acknowledge his feelings. At the same time, he loves the most fiercely and feels things the most poignantly.

Most of the time, he comes across as unlikable because viewers don’t always immediately see the constant overthinking in his head and the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

Despite his moodiness and bad decisions, viewers understand his very valid struggles with mental health and anxiety. He cares so much that he eventually just breaks and ends up coming across as not caring at all.

Conrad is complicated, and his struggles don’t fully excuse how he has hurt others, but viewers can relate to how his mind gets in the way of who he is, and there’s always this feeling that his heart is in the right place even when his actions aren’t understandable.

5. Laurel Park

Few characters are as strong as Laurel Park is. She’s a writer, devoted friend, single mom, and the constant voice of reason throughout the series.

She has a lot on her plate as she’s dealing with divorce and motherhood, as well as her best friend going through cancer.

However, no matter how thin she’s stretched, she’s always willing to come to the rescue. Whether it’s convincing Susannah to undergo chemo, saving the beach house, or being there for Susannah’s boys, Laurel does it all.

Her difficulty in handling grief is heartbreaking to watch but only shows her human side rather than detracts from her likability.

Laurel has some reconnecting to do with her children after suffering a tragic loss, but she’s so selfless and strong that one wouldn’t dare criticize her for some understandable parental struggles.

4. Cameron

Cameron is a bit like the teenage version of Cleveland. He’s so kind, easygoing, and content with being a positive influence on others.

He shows maturity beyond his years and a tremendous amount of patience in dealing with the complicated love triangle with Belly. Meanwhile, in Season 2, he puts everything behind him to support his friends when they need him most.

Additionally, he’s a Marvel nerd, a hopeless romantic, and the epitome of respect. It’s really hard to find anything to dislike about Cameron.

If he had been one of the main characters and given more time to develop, he’d easily be the most likable character of the bunch.

3. Jeremiah Fisher

So far, Jeremiah Fisher is one of the most likable characters in the show. This will probably change in season 3 if the series follows the books, but for now, he’s still good ‘ol Jere.

He’s one of the sweetest and most reliable characters on the show, always trying to keep the peace and showing respect and kindness to everyone around him.

His one flaw is that he doesn’t handle the love triangle situation very well, but one can tell it’s only because he’s understandably hurt and genuinely believes that he can treat Belly better. Not all of his actions are excusable, but it’s easy to feel sympathy for what he’s going through.

For the most part, he’s just a ray of sunshine who treats others as he wants to be treated, earning him a good deal of respect.

2. Belly Conklin

Belly Conklin is one of the most likable characters in the show, and it’s not just because she’s the star of the show. A lot of her likability comes from how realistic and relatable she is.

Everyone can relate to what’s it like to experience feeling grown up and being looked at differently for the first time once they reach maturity, just as they can understand the difficulty in letting go of one’s first love.

The choices she makes aren’t always the right ones, but who hasn’t made mistakes when they are young and navigating love for the first time?

Meanwhile, Belly’s heart is always in the right place. She’s willing to break off her relationship with the person she’s in love with to avoid hurting Jeremiah, she’s endlessly patient and forgiving towards Conrad, and she’s the first person to step up when she sees someone else who needs help.

Additionally, it’s heartwarming to watch her grow into a young woman onscreen and make strides in her journey to self-discovery. Few characters are as enjoyable to watch as Belly is.

1. Susannah Fisher

The best way to describe Susannah is that she is a light; and she is really the most important person in the series. The truth is, there would be no The Summer I Turned Pretty without Susannah.

She’s the one who recognized Cousins Beach as a magical place, struck up a beautiful friendship with Laurel, treated Steven and Belly as her own, and kept both families together during their various trials.

Additionally, a lot of the work she does in bringing the families together is done while she’s battling cancer. Susannah shows unbelievable strength and selflessness during her battle, even taking the time to arrange in advance for Steven to receive a graduation gift after she passes.

Meanwhile, it’s her spirit that brings the Fishers and Conklins back together in Season 2 as they strive to honor her memory. Susannah’s impact and influence are seen in every story arc and character.

Essentially, if you like the show, it’s pretty much the same thing as liking Susannah.

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Which characters are your favorites on the series? Let us know in the comments below!

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 is streaming now on Amazon Prime.

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