The Summer I Turned Pretty Author Jenny Han's Writing Was Inspired By Barbie Dolls: 'My Imagination Drove...'

Last June, Prime Video ventured into the young-adult genre for the very first time with Amazon Original The Summer I Turned Pretty, which debuted at No. 1 on the streaming service making the lead cast Lola Tung, Gavin Casalegno and Christopher Briney overnight sensations.

Jenny Han, now author-turned-producer, is the No. 1 New York Times best-selling author of the ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ and ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ series. Her books have been published in more than 30 languages. Her feats don’t end here though, as she has successfully transitioned from being a bestselling author to a successful series creator.

In a recent interview, Han has finally revealed an insightful tid-bit on what inspired her to create such a colorfully extensive plethora of characters in her fiction. “My imagination drove my passion for writing, which was really an extension of playing with Barbie dolls—worlds I created, with complicated back stories and relationships. Telling stories through characters let me express my feelings. I wrote those stories just for me. Fortunately, I was a very fast reader.”

Audiences are eagerly waiting for the brand new season of the Amazon original The Summer I Turned Pretty. While the teaser and trailer have received massive love from the viewers, who are all hearts for the Taylor Swift bangers featuring in them, they are also curious as to what the upcoming season entails. From what little the trailer has revealed, we can see Lola Tung’s character Belly being stuck in the middle of a messy love triangle between brothers Jeremiah (Gavin Caselegno) and Conrad (Christopher Briney).

Speaking about Belly’s upcoming character arc, Jenny said, “Yes, Belly is messy but she’s going through it and I think you know I have a lot of empathy for young people and what they go through and just basically I think we’re all coming of age, all the time,” she said. “Whatever age you are I think that you can look back on decisions that you’ve made and, you know, mistakes.”

Based on the New York Times bestselling series by author Jenny Han, the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty premieres with three-episodes on July 14. New episodes will air weekly on Prime Video, leading up to the finale on August 18.