If You’re Team Conrad, Read These YA Books
The Fisher boys have taken the world by storm with the Prime adaptation of the YA book The Summer I Turned Pretty. Everyone wonders if Belly will choose brooding, loyal Conrad Fisher or his younger brother fun-loving, impulsive Jeremiah Fisher. But, if you read the book back in 2009 when it was published, you know the ending and the ultimate decision Belly makes. Joining the ranks of “Teams” like Team Edward vs. Team Jacob or Team Gale vs. Team Peeta, The Summer I Turned Pretty was a contemporary take around the time of epic love triangles and the drama-infused books will have you flip-flopping between who Belly should end up with. If you’re Team Conrad, you probably enjoy books with slow-burn romance, strong first loves, and someone who is emotionally intelligent, but not always emotionally available.
To hold you over until Wednesday and the next few episodes, check out these titles that are prefect for the Team Conrad fans:
For books that have Conrad-esque characters (brooding boys, quiet love, deep history, heartbreak)
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
A girl returns to her childhood lake house for one final summer with her family…and runs into her first love. It has:
A quiet, broken boy with Conrad energy
Summer nostalgia
Navigation of grief and second chances
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
Two broken teenagers connect anonymously through letters on a grave. It has:
Brooding male lead
Emotional trauma and healing
Very Conrad-ish slow burn
How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox
More literary, but deals with grief and mental health with a boy who sees beneath the surface. It has:
A character-driven story with depth
Poetic, raw, and emotional narrative
A main character who internalizing everything exactly like Conrad
For books that have slow-burn and sometimes messy love triangles (Heartbreak, regret, maybe when you’re like “She picked who??”)
99 Days by Katie Cotugno
A girl cheats with one brother…then falls for the other one. It has:
Actual brothers like The Summer I Turned Pretty
A super messy love triangle
Characters you might hate, but can’t stop reading about
Someone Else’s Summer by Rachel Bateman
A girl retraces her late sister’s bucket list—and starts falling for her sister’s ex. It has:
Unexpected love
Guilt combined with grief
Slow and emotional plot points similar to Conrad and Belly’s plot.
What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
A beach town. A complicated past. A guy she’s trying to avoid all summer. It has:
A Conrad-style slow-burn second chance
Lots of history and guilt
Emotional growth
Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse
Set in Tokyo. She’s leaving in a week…and he just came back. Her feelings are complicated by a current almost-boyfriend. It has:
Angsty goodbye energy
Bittersweet story
A messy and real plot, similar to We’ll Always Have Summer
The Way You Make Me Feel by Maureen Goo
A fun summer love story with depth. Not a dramatic triangle, but has a “who’s right for me?” arc with family and identity. It has:
Great characters
The same vibes as Team Jeremiah vs. Team Conrad
Coming-of-age
Check out these title and hey, maybe re-read The Summer I Turned Pretty series to get in your Conrad fix between episodes.
