By Sophia Doan and Donya Vandersteen
My Life With the Walter Boys, a recent hit on Netflix, has teenage girls falling for the “Cole Effect”, yelling at the screen at Alex’s annoying tendencies, and walking away from the show in frustration. Despite its growing popularity, there is much debate over its similarities to the popular show on Amazon Prime, The Summer I Turned Pretty.
My Life With the Walter Boys copies many aspects of The Summer I Turned Pretty, including its love triangle, family dynamics, character personalities, and overall plot of the show. Both shows were originally books before becoming shows, however, TSITP was published in 2009 and MLWTWB was published 5 years later in 2014. Although they aren’t completely identical, the resemblance has fans of TSITP feeling as though the show has been ripped off.
For following the same basic plot, The Summer I Turned Pretty has a better cast, memorability, and storyline. The characters are easier to connect with, and there are more positives to both of Belly’s love options, leading to more debate between team Jeremiah, or team Conrad. In My Life With the Walter Boys, almost everyone is team Cole, hating on Alex’s annoyingly clingy and needy personality. Although he is supposed to be the “safe” option with his smarts, kind heart, and shy personality, he uses Jackie as a way to get back at his brother, winning little to no hearts in the audience. Compared to the love interests in TSITP, Alex and Cole have less likable qualities so when it comes to picking a team, many settle on Cole simply because of his better looks. In TSITP, Belly’s long-lasting love for Conrad, unconditional friendship with Jeremiah, and the death of their mother—Susannah— their commitment to a relationship with Belly throughout the show, making it extremely difficult to pick between the brothers; it curates a more entertaining and captivating viewing experience.
Additionally, The Summer I Turned Pretty follows more interesting secondary character story arcs. With the death of Susannah and the expression of intense grief felt by her closest friends and family, the viewer can’t help but become emotionally invested in the lives of the adults. My Life With the Walter Boys attempts to follow the loss of Jackie’s parents, money struggles for the Walter parents, and the love lives of the side characters, but it ends up making the plot harder to follow and less enjoyable. However, both series share the same problem: the girl at the center. Belly and Jackie are both annoying, self-centered, unaware of other people’s feelings, and done dirty by the wardrobe and makeup artists. They both bounce from brother to brother, disregarding who they hurt along the journey of “following their hearts.” Both shows have deep family trauma, a hyper best friend, and homewrecking tendencies. Jackie’s character is much harder to like since she becomes more of a burden on the Walter family’s life; most of what her character does only causes drama and tension between the brothers (and the family). Although Belly isn’t the most respectable herself, her behavior is easier to understand as she has an extensive history with both Conrad and Jeremiah. To further understand why Belly is the problem, read Lili Metanovic and Sadie York’s article: Belly Deserved The Slap.
While My Life With the Walter Boys was still a fun and entertaining show, we can’t get over its similarities to The Summer I Turned Pretty, which is a favorite show for many. With the same love triangle, character tropes, and commitment issues, My Life With the Walter Boys simply isn’t nearly as iconic as The Summer I Turned Pretty and presents as a dupe or spin-off more than anything.