Similes in The Summer I Turned Pretty capture that specific ache of first love and fleeting summers better than almost any other young adult novel. Jenny Han’s prose uses comparison after comparison to make readers feel the heat, the heartbreak, and the hope of those transformative months at Cousins Beach. Below, I’ve broken down the types of similes that make this book resonate, along with original examples you can use in your own writing about summer romance and coming-of-age moments.
Similes of First Love and Longing
These comparisons capture that dizzying, overwhelming feeling of wanting someone for the first time—the core emotional engine of Belly’s story.
“like salt water in a cut” — “Seeing him with her felt like salt water in a cut.” (sharp, stinging pain)
“as inevitable as the tide” — “Falling for him was as inevitable as the tide.” (resigned, accepting)
“like holding your breath underwater” — “Being near him was like holding your breath underwater.” (suspended, desperate)
“as bright as sunscreen on skin” — “His smile was as bright as sunscreen on skin.” (intense, summery)
“like a song stuck in your head” — “Thinking about him was like a song stuck in your head.” (persistent, inescapable)
“as warm as sand between toes” — “Her touch was as warm as sand between toes.” (comforting, familiar)
The “salt water in a cut” simile works because it takes something universal (summer beach pain) and maps it onto emotional hurt—the kind of visceral comparison that makes readers physically feel the sting.
Similes of Summer Heat and Atmosphere
Jenny Han’s novels live and die by their ability to make you feel summer. These similes build that sensory world.
“like asphalt on bare feet” — “The afternoon stretched out like asphalt on bare feet.” (uncomfortable, endless)
“as heavy as wet swimsuits” — “The humidity hung as heavy as wet swimsuits.” (oppressive, clinging)
“like ice melting in a glass” — “Time moved like ice melting in a glass.” (slow, inevitable)
“as golden as late afternoon light” — “Everything looked as golden as late afternoon light.” (nostalgic, perfect)
“like a ceiling fan on low” — “The breeze was like a ceiling fan on low.” (barely adequate, lazy)
“as clear as chlorine water” — “The sky was as clear as chlorine water.” (bright, artificial)
“like sugar dissolving in tea” — “The heat settled like sugar dissolving in tea.” (sweet, permeating)
According to Wikipedia’s article on Summer, the season’s sensory intensity—heat, light, sound—makes it particularly rich ground for figurative language, which is why these comparisons feel so natural.
Similes of Growth and Change
Belly’s transformation from girl to young woman is the book’s backbone. These similes track that uncomfortable, necessary evolution.
“like outgrowing a favorite swimsuit” — “Changing felt like outgrowing a favorite swimsuit.” (bittersweet, constraining)
“as sudden as a thunderstorm” — “Growing up was as sudden as a thunderstorm.” (unexpected, jarring)
“like peeling sunburned skin” — “Letting go was like peeling sunburned skin.” (painful, necessary)
“as natural as waves eroding sand” — “Drifting apart was as natural as waves eroding sand.” (gradual, unstoppable)
“like learning to swim” — “Falling in love was like learning to swim.” (terrifying, essential)
“as fragile as a sandcastle” — “Our friendship was as fragile as a sandcastle.” (temporary, delicate)
The “peeling sunburned skin” comparison is one my students always reach for first when writing about painful transitions—it’s gross but honest, which is exactly what good similes should be.
Similes of Nostalgia and Memory
The entire Summer I Turned Pretty series is built on looking back. These similes capture that specific ache of remembering.
“like finding an old ticket stub” — “The memory hit like finding an old ticket stub.” (unexpected, poignant)
“as faded as a summer tan” — “His face was as faded as a summer tan.” (distant, diminishing)
“like a Polaroid developing” — “Understanding came like a Polaroid developing.” (slow, clear)
“as distant as last summer” — “Happiness felt as distant as last summer.” ( unreachable, temporal)
“like a seashell to your ear” — “Hearing his voice was like a seashell to your ear.” (echoing, oceanic)
“as preserved as fruit in a jar” — “That moment was as preserved as fruit in a jar.” (sweet, suspended)
Similes of Heartbreak and Loss
When summer ends and love fractures, Han’s prose (and these examples) lean into the devastation.
“like a beach house in winter” — “Being without him felt like a beach house in winter.” (empty, off-season)
“as cold as deep ocean water” — “Her words were as cold as deep ocean water.” (shocking, numbing)
“like stepping on a shell” — “The rejection was like stepping on a shell.” (sharp, unexpected)
“as final as a closing gate” — “Summer ending was as final as a closing gate.” (definitive, locked)
“like salt in an open wound” — “Seeing them together was like salt in an open wound.” (aggravating, painful)
“as hollow as a driftwood log” — “I felt as hollow as a driftwood log.” (empty, weathered)
I’ll be honest: “salt in an open wound” is overused at this point. It’s effective, yes, but it’s the kind of simile that makes an editor’s eyes glaze over. Try “like a beach house in winter” instead—it’s more specific to the book’s world and therefore more powerful.
How to Write Your Own Summer Romance Simile
Writing similes like Jenny Han’s isn’t about being poetic for poetry’s sake. It’s about finding the physical sensation that matches the emotional one.
Step 1: Identify the feeling you’re describing (longing, regret, joy).
Step 2: Think of a specific summer object or sensation (sunscreen, tide pools, melting ice cream).
Step 3: Connect them with “like” or “as,” making sure the comparison illuminates something new about the feeling.
Worked Example:
- Feeling: Anticipation before seeing someone you love
- Summer sensation: The moment before a wave breaks
- Simile: “Waiting for him was like standing in shallow water before the wave breaks.”
The key is specificity. Don’t just say “like summer.” Say “like the inside of a beach bag on a hot day” or “like wet sand slipping through your fingers.”
According to Wikipedia’s definition of Simile, this figure of speech explicitly compares two different things using “like” or “as,” which creates a bridge between the abstract emotion and the concrete summer detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a good simile in young adult fiction? The best YA similes are accessible but not childish, emotional but not melodramatic. They should feel like something a teenager would actually think, not something an adult thinks a teenager would think. Jenny Han nails this by using beach and summer imagery that feels authentic to the characters’ world.
Are there common similes I should avoid when writing about summer? Yes. “Hot as hell,” “cold as ice,” and “bright as the sun” are so worn out they’ve lost all impact. Also avoid mixing metaphors—if you start with ocean imagery, stay in the ocean. Don’t jump from waves to mountains in the same paragraph.
How many similes should I use in a chapter? Quality over quantity, always. One perfect simile per scene is better than five mediocre ones. In The Summer I Turned Pretty, Han spaces hers out so each one lands with impact rather than overwhelming the reader.
Can I use similes from the book in my own writing? You can be inspired by the style and structure, but don’t copy Jenny Han’s exact similes. Instead, think about what makes them work—the specificity, the emotional resonance, the summer setting—and apply those principles to your own comparisons.
Ashley Moore, a passionate educator with a knack for storytelling, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa. With a career spanning over a decade, Ashley has worked extensively as a writing coach and a literature curriculum developer. Her fascination with similes and their ability to paint vivid mental images has been a driving force in her career. Ashley believes that figurative language is the bridge between mundane communication and imaginative expression. On SimileCraft, she writes in-depth guides that demystify the use of similes and metaphors in writing, empowering budding authors to tap into their creative potential. Her interactive workshops and tutorials are crafted to inspire confidence in writers of all levels, as she aims to bring the excitement of figurative language to a broader audience.