*This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission if you make a purchase through links on our site. This is at no additional cost to you.
Fans of Jenny Han’s book The Summer I Turned Pretty might be wondering after finishing this dreamy story if the events that take place are based out of real locations or not!
Where is The Summer I Turned Pretty based? The events of The Summer I Turned Pretty take place at Cousins Beach, which is a fictional beach town. The author Jenny Han has informed fans that the inspiration for Cousins Beach comes from Cape Cod, The Hamptons, The Outer Banks, and Virginia Beach.
Similar to other seaside towns on the East Coast, Cousins Beach is filled with regulars coming to summer in their vacation homes and tourists looking to get away to a cozy coastal town.
Jenny Han grew up in Virginia and went to college in North Carolina, so her time living both on the East Coast and near the outer banks is an easy connection to draw about the inspiration for her fictional beach town.
It is popularly believed that Cousins Beach is located in the state of Massachusetts, but is not confirmed in the text to be true.
The Amazon Prime series has more evidence to suggest that Massachusetts is the state that Cousins is located in.
For example, there’s a broadcasting of “Good Morning Massachusetts”, which Cleveland Castillo is interviewed for.
In the novel, almost all of the scenes take place in the house or the beach with very few notable landmarks to identify the exact fictional location of the town.
However, the lack of an exact location gives the reader a better way to relate their own summers to those the beloved characters in the book experience.
Where Do The Conklin’s Live?
We don’t know exactly where Belly and her family live in the non-summer months of the year. However, what do we know?
We do know that the Conklin’s live someplace where it snows in the winter and that it is 5 hours away from Boston, Massachusetts!
We also know that Laurel visits the Fisher’s on weekends when she is sick in the second book, It’s Not Summer Without You, as well as that it’s a bus ride’s distance when Belly visits Susannah.
In the television series, it is implied that Belly and her family live in Pennsylvania due to their car having Pennsylvania license plates.
Jenny Han is the co-showrunner, so it is safe to assume that details in the Amazon Prime series can be considered canon for unconfirmed details within the book.
Ultimately, I think the only thing that we can absolutely confirm is that the Conklin’s live on the East Coast.
However, Jenny Han intentionally left the location of Cousins Beach in an unnamed state, and the only location in the text that is confirmed is the Fisher’s home.
Where Do The Fisher’s Live?
Susanna, Mr. Fisher (Adam), Conrad, and Jeremiah live in Boston, Massachusetts during the year and summer at the beach house in Cousins Beach.
We do not know a lot about their life during the school year, but we get a glimpse into their home life in the second book, It’s Not Summer Without You.
We see Jeremiah in high school and a peak into their Boston home; however, most of the plot still surrounds the beach house and Cousins Beach.
Where Was The Series Filmed?
The series was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. They are currently filming season two of the series in the same location!
I cannot wait to see what other locations pop up in the second season of the show! Maybe some of Belly’s hometown scenes (prom?!?), or even Conrad’s college?
There are for sure to be some new locations added to the beloved series, and with the new season, I cannot wait to see how they continue to tell the story.
What do you guys think? I’m so excited to see how the show continues to unfold and what changes are made alongside with what is kept!
-Paisley
Other Articles From PaisleyReads: Who Is Day In House Of Sky And Breath?