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The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 is set to return on July 16, 2025, and fans of the show are revisiting key plot points from the original book trilogy by Jenny Han. One of the recurring questions being asked ahead of the new season’s release is what happens with Steven Conklin, Belly’s older brother, in the books. The character appears consistently in both the books and the TV adaptation, though his presence is more prominent in the series.
Steven is not part of the central love triangle and is primarily shown as Belly’s older brother, with a strong sense of protectiveness and practicality. His role supports Belly’s development while offering brief glimpses into his personal life. As The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 approaches, viewers are curious about whether any major changes will occur in Steven’s storyline.
Based on the books, Steven Conklin does not die. His fate remains unchanged across the trilogy. Although the Amazon Prime Video adaptation has expanded his character, this examination uses the books as the primary point of reference.
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What happens to Steven in the books and how The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 may portray him
A June 12, 2025, report by Decider speculated about Steven’s fate following some alarming scenes in the season 3 trailer. While the books confirm that Steven survives the events of We’ll Always Have Summer, the show appears to introduce an original subplot that raises concerns about his future.
In the trailer, fans briefly see Steven dropping Taylor off, driving away, and possibly getting into a car crash. A scene of Taylor sobbing beside a hospital bed has sparked speculation that Steven may be involved in a serious accident, one of the “core-shaking events” teased in the season’s synopsis.
In The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, Steven’s character is expected to follow his book storyline, where he remains alive throughout the trilogy. He is Belly’s older brother and a college student who appears during key moments. Steven is first seen in flashbacks, where he teases Belly and briefly kisses her best friend Taylor. He is mostly absent in the first two books, as he is away looking at colleges or focused on school.
In We’ll Always Have Summer, Steven plays a more visible role. He reacts to Belly and Jeremiah’s engagement and becomes Jeremiah’s best man. He expresses concern about their decision to marry young, reminding Belly that if it is meant to be, there is no rush. He emphasizes that while Jeremiah is like a brother to him, Belly is his sister and always comes first. Steven offers emotional support but also pushes Belly to make decisions with clarity. He helps organize the bachelor party and is present at all major events through the end of the series. He does not die in any part of the trilogy.
The Amazon Prime Video series, however, has significantly expanded Steven’s character. In the show, he is portrayed as a top student, works at a country club, and has romantic relationships with Shayla Wang and later Taylor. These subplots do not appear in the books.
Sean Kaufman returns as Steven in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3. In an Entertainment Weekly in an interview published on June 11, 2025, Kaufman talked about his character arc in the upcoming season and gave fans a warning about Steven’s relationship with Taylor.
“This is something where Steven can be his own main character... If the final season was an ice cream flavor for Steven and Taylor, it’d be Rocky Road,” he said.
What The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 trailer reveals and release details
The official trailer for The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 dropped on June 11, confirming a July 16, 2025, premiere on Amazon Prime Video. It shows Belly (Lola Tung) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) announcing their engagement while Belly’s mother, Laurel (Jackie Chung), voices concerns that they may be too young.
Conrad (Christopher Briney) returns from San Francisco, where he studies medicine to fulfill his mother’s wish, and his reappearance brings emotional tension to the love triangle.
“When I’m with Jer, everything is easier. But everywhere I go, there’s a memory of Conrad,” Belly reflects.
The trailer features Taylor Swift songs Daylight and Red (Taylor’s Version) to underline the emotional stakes. The narrative jumps two years ahead, placing Belly as a college junior preparing for summer at Cousins Beach with Jeremiah. The season explores her unresolved feelings when Conrad re-enters the picture. It expands to 11 episodes, making it the series’ longest season.
The returning cast includes Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman, Rain Spencer, and Jackie Chung, among others. New series regulars Isabella Briggs and Kristen Connolly join alongside recurring actors Sofia Bryant, Lily Donoghue, Zoé de Grand’Maison, Emma Ishta, and Tanner Zagarino.
Series creator Jenny Han described The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 as emotionally intense. In the Entertainment Weekly interview mentioned earlier, she said a “successful love triangle” brought heartbreak, and acknowledged there would be surprises beyond the novel’s plot.
While there’s no confirmation that Steven dies in the series, and he certainly survives in the books, the trailer leaves the door open for a potentially tragic twist. Han noted in the Entertainment Weekly interview that there were “surprises” and that things weren’t “exactly like the books.”
Until the season premieres, fans will have to wait and see whether Steven’s story follows the books or takes a dramatic turn in its final chapter.
