We’ve gathered ten standout quotes from the show of the summer to inspire you to live your best life.
* SPOILER WARNING: This post contains SPOILERS for Season 1 of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
With an addictive soundtrack featuring artists like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo, The Summer I Turned Pretty is already taking over the internet as the show to catch this season.
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Whether you want to fanaticize about your own summer fling, need some motherly advice, or crave adventures with your friends, we’ve gathered the Top 10 quotes from the show to help you live out your dream summer.
“Things change, whether you want them to or not.”
FULL QUOTE: “Things change, whether you want them to or not. So maybe I’ll change too.” – Belly
In the first episode of the season, Isabel “Belly” Conklin struggles to find a balance between her nostalgia for all of the things that she’s loved in the past, and her desire for things to be different in the future.
Eventually, she realizes that change is unstoppable, so she has to learn to evolve as it comes. This quote reminds us that we’re capable of adapting to any situation, even if it means becoming a version of ourselves that we haven’t been before.
“Boys may come and go, but a best friend is once in a lifetime.”
Right from the start, it’s clear that one of the highlights of this series is the unbreakable bond between Laurel, who is the speaker of this quote, and Susannah. In the face of heartbreak, illness, and overwhelming life changes, their friendship maintains a strong foundation of support and joy.
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Their inspiring relationship reminds us to cherish the friends that we have in our lives, and to make sure that we nurture our platonic loves just as much as our romantic ones.
“What’s the harm in a little summer fling? Live a little.”
Susannah’s effervescent personality shines throughout the series. And as this quote proves, she’s not afraid to share words of encouragement with those around her.
Her conversation with Laurel, encouraging her to go after the hot author that Laurel sees in a bookstore, is just one example of this. Her words remind us that sometimes, we just have to let ourselves have a little fun (especially in the summer)!
“You don’t have to hold everything in all the time.”
FULL QUOTE: “You don’t have to hold everything in all the time. You don’t always have to be strong.” – Laurel
Conrad carries a lot of weight in his heart throughout the series, trying to take care of everyone around him without letting them know how much he’s struggling. Laurel can see he’s experiencing a lot of pain, and pulls him aside to let him know that she’ll be there for him when he’s ready to accept some support.
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This quote reminds us that we have to lean on the people we love, and find a way to let our feelings be known. Sometimes the best way to care for the people around us is to bear the weight of our problems together.
“A piece of my heart will always beat a little bit for your brother…”
FULL QUOTE: “A piece of my heart will always beat a little bit for your brother, but that doesn’t mean I won’t allow myself to fall for someone even more incredible if he comes along.” – Taylor
While Taylor’s mid-party make-out session with Belly’s brother Steven may not have ended in the fairytale romance she hoped for, Taylor finds a way to gain some perspective from the heartache.
Sometimes, we take big risks in love that don’t pay off, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying. Taylor reminds us that if we can love the wrong person so much, we must be able to love the right person even more.
“Oh please, you didn’t hurt me. You wasted my time. There’s a difference.”
Another relationship that goes wrong in the show is the one between Conrad and Nicole. When Nicole finds out Conrad has been harboring secret feelings for Belly, she’s not hurt so much as frustrated.
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This iconic line to Conrad allows her to take back her power in their breakup, letting him know that while he was disrespectful to her, she won’t have any trouble letting their relationship go and moving on. Nicole’s powerful words remind us to always prioritize ourselves and to value our own time.
“When Jeremiah and I kissed, it was real. And real is scary.”
FULL QUOTE: “When Jeremiah and I kissed, it was real. And real is scary.” “But isn’t love supposed to be a little scary?” – Belly & Taylor
The peak of this show’s love triangle comes when Jeremiah confesses his feelings to Belly, and they share a romantic kiss under the stars. As Belly explains the situation to Taylor, her fears about jumping into something so new and real come to the surface.
However, we often have to take a risk to get what we want — and the risks we have to take while falling in love are no exception. Belly and Taylor’s conversation highlights how sometimes the best experiences of our lives lie just outside the edges of our comfort zones.
“You don’t get a say in who I date. I get to pick.”
Belly reaches a point of frustration with Conrad after he spends the summer sending her mixed signals. The past few months have taught her to listen to her own heart, and not let outside voices influence her decisions. She lets Conrad know that the only person who will be deciding who she dates is herself.
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Her iconic words here remind us of the importance of listening to our own inner voice before anyone else’s when it comes to love — we know ourselves best, after all.
“Girls aren’t supposed to know if we’re pretty of not…”
FULL QUOTE: “Girls aren’t supposed to know if we’re pretty of not. We’re supposed to wait for other people to tell us, before we’re allowed to feel it ourselves. But isn’t that bullsh*t? Because we’re all beautiful, in our own ways.” – Belly
In one of the most memorable quotes of the season, Belly reflects on how we treat girls in society. As women, we’re expected to be beautiful at all times, but we aren’t allowed to acknowledge our own beauty. As the Cousins Beach girls get ready for the debutant ball together, we see a montage of different faces and bodies, that are all spotlighted as being beautiful.
This quote serves as a great reminder that we are allowed to be confident in who we are, and that everyone has qualities that make them uniquely beautiful.
“I don’t want you to need me. I want you to want me.”
The series ends with a passionate moment between Belly and Conrad. After the emotional events of the last episode, the distance that was between them all summer finally has an explanation, and Belly’s feelings for Conrad come to the surface once again.
As Conrad expresses to Belly that he needs her, she counters by saying that all she wants is for him to want her. As it turns out, he wants her as much as he needs her.
This quote reminds us that the right person for us will want us just for the sake of wanting us, and not because we fill a need that they have. Sometimes, people will be attracted to us because we fill an empty part of them. But the right ones will be attracted to us for the simple fact that they love us for who we are.
