The Summer I Turned Prettyis back for its third and final season, and audiences are eating up every piece of thecoming-of-age show. This teen series has been a smash hit forAmazon, marking another successfulbook adaptationofJenny Han’sbooks. The third season is the longest, comprising 11 episodes, and fans hope to see a resolution to the love triangle between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah.
Besides the romance at the center of the show, audiences also love the summer-y vibes of the coastal town that the series showcases. It’s dramatic, but it still feels like a chosen family that loves each other, despite all the challenges they face. Fans ofyoung adult (YA) showsare loving all of it, and thankfully, once you’re done withThe Summer I Turned Pretty, there are plenty of other greatteen dramasto watch.
7’My Life With the Walter Boys' (2023 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 42% | IMDb: 6.9/10
My Life With the Walter Boysfeels likeNetflix’sanswer toAmazon Prime’sThe Summer I Turned Pretty. The Netflix series follows Jackie Howard, who relocates from New York City to a small town after her famous parents and sister are killed in a car accident. She is now living with her mom’s best friend’s family, which consists of 10 boys and one girl.
Similar toThe Summer I Turned Pretty, there’s alove trianglebetween the female lead and two brothers — one that’s broody and “mysterious” and the other that’s sweet and the “underdog.” The tropes are very similar, and they both share themes of grief and growing up. However,My Life With the Walter Boyswas more poorly received by critics compared to the Amazon Prime series. Regardless,the similarities are apparent, but the shows are different enough for you to enjoy both.
My Life with the Walter Boys
6’Outer Banks' (2020 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 79% | IMDb: 7.5/10
Outer Banksis the dream for fans of young adult series, but also action and adventure. ThinkIndiana JonesmeetsThe Summer I Turned Pretty. In 2026, the fifth andfinal season ofOuter Bankswill premiere on Netflix. The adventure series is a huge success for Netflix, frequently topping Netflix’s rankings and even theU.S. Nielsen ratings.
Similar toThe Summer I Turned Pretty,Outer Bankstakes place in a warm coastal community called the Outer Banks in North Carolina. In this town, there’s a social divide between the rich “Kooks” and the poorer “Pogues.” The show follows a group of friends who go searching for one of their friends’ missing fathers, and unexpectedly get involved in a treasure hunt. The Netflix series continues to grow in scale every season, but it feels grounded in the powerful friendships these friends have with one another.It will be sorely missedonce the final season comes to an end.
Outer Banks
5’XO, Kitty' (2023 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% | IMDb: 6.5/10
If you love the writing inThe Summer I Turned Pretty, you can check out other series based on Jenny Han’s books, like the film trilogyTo All The Boysand the spin-off series,XO, Kitty.The original film trilogy was massively popular on Netflix, and the spin-off series stars the main character’s little sister, Kitty. While the original film trilogy was a classic rom-com,XO, Kittytakes place in Seoul,South Korea, and you can see the influences ofK-dramason the series.
Similar to the originalmovie trilogy,XO, Kittyisvery popular on Netflix.The second season debuted at No. 1 on the Netflix rankings, was watched millions of times, and was a top series in many countries around the world. Given its success,XO, Kittywas renewed for a third season and has already wrapped filming. The series boasts a cast of many newcomers, as well as a lineup that includes Korean actors and actresses.
4’Dawson’s Creek' (1998 - 2003)
Rotten Tomatoes: 74% | IMDb: 6.8/10
Small New England town, love triangles, and plenty of drama —Dawson’s Creekhas entered the Hall of Fame of beloved teen dramas. Running onThe WBfor six seasons and over 120 episodes, the YA show is a fan favorite for fans of small-town high school drama. The series was created byKevin Williamson, who also went on tocreateThe Vampire Diariesand the new Netflix hitThe Waterfront.
Not only is it aTV classic, but the show also launched the careers of multiple stars who are now well-known as A-list celebrities, includingJames Van Der BeekandEmmy-winningMichelle Williams. Besides being a new classic in the teen drama world, it also led to a surge in teen dramas, includingOne Tree Hill,Gossip Girl, andPretty Little Liars, among others. It was instrumental in shaping pop culture in the late90sand early2000s, andthe show’s influence is still felt today.
Dawson’s Creek
3’Never Have I Ever' (2020 - 2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 7.8/10
Mindy Kalinghas been responsible for being the creative genius behind multiple hits likeThe OfficeandThe Mindy Project. Since then, she has segued into writing powerhouse comedies, such asThe Sex Lives of College GirlsandRunning Point. However, before she wrote these two, she created and wrote the hilariousNever Have I Ever. WhileThe Summer I Turned Prettyis more of a drama than a comedy,Never Have I Everis heavier on the comedy.
The series follows Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a young teen who lost her father and became paralyzed due to the psychological trauma of the loss. However, one day, she miraculously regains her ability to move, and now she is on a mission to make her second year in high school a social success.Never Have I Everhas powerful and meaningful conversations about dealing with loss and growing up, while also providinga hilarious depiction of what high school can truly be like.
Never Have I Ever
2’Forever' (2025 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 7.7/10
Foreveris the newest teen drama hit from Netflix. Inspired byJudy Blume’sbook of the same name, the show follows two teens whose families are pushing them to succeed in high school. One of them comes from an affluent background, while the other struggles to make ends meet. Both are using athletics to help them achieve their dreams. The Netflix series is produced byRegina Kingand is showrun byMara Brock Akil.
The series beautifully captures the essence of young love and all that it entails.Foreverwas praised for showcasing the realities of growing up as a young Black teenager in the United States. The coming-of-age show was a success and was renewed by Netflix only a week after the first season premiered. Unlike other young teen dramas, this series often feels grounded in reality andtouches on important aspects of being a teenager.
1’Ginny & Georgia' (2021 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 67% | IMDb: 7.5/10
Ginny & Georgiais one of the most popular titles on Netflix. With only three seasons, the series has consistently topped the charts in each of its seasons. In its first month, the first season was viewed for 381 million hours worldwide. UnlikeThe Summer I Turned Pretty,Ginny & Georgiais tonally much darker than the Amazon Prime series. The Netflix drama contains murder, self-harm,eating disorders, family dynamics, abuse, and many other complex and adult topics. However, if you are willing to watch the series, the teen drama has plenty of important conversation starters.
The show has been criticized for taking too long to film, and the younger brother, Austin, appears significantly older than the actual age he’s supposed to be portraying. Despite these small details,the series seems to get better with every season, showcasing teens in a variety of situations and how they deal with them. It also presents a positive display of how therapy can help a person overcome their negative coping mechanisms.
Ginny & Georgia
Next:If ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Is Changing the Story, the Show Needs To Ditch the Worst Part of an Iconic Book Scene
