The Best YA Dramas Like 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'

The teen drama that started it all, and the one that's become a cultural paragon for what it means to set up a love triangle and deliver an earned payoff. Few TV series could ever top the mastery and brilliance of relatable emotions in Dawson's Creek. Set in the small titular town, the intimate storytelling between characters who grow up together and follow their dreams includes a number of genre favorite archetypes that fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty would enjoy. 

If for nothing else, it's worth knowing why Katie Holmes' Joey Potter choosing Joshua Jackson's Pacey Witter is still one of the most iconic moments on TV. Dawson's Creek is essential for viewers who adore coming-of-age stories, small towns, and '90s nostalgia coupled with friend groups that feel like they'll remain in each other's lives long after the credits roll.

While the iconic teen drama does indeed feature two very different brothers like the ones in The Summer I Turned Pretty, the love triangles on One Tree Hill look a bit different. For starters, they're more short-lived and don't last beyond a season. However, the series features what might just be the greatest TV soundtrack of all time. For fans who love the music in Jenny Han's adaptation, One Tree Hill is a must-watch teen drama that does it best. 

Plus, Tree Hill, as a town, feels just as cozy as Cousins Beach and features a ton of angst to satisfy every type of viewer. It's a bit longer with its nine-season run, so it'd require more of a commitment, but the astounding characterizations will live on for a long time, and the cast members are especially lovely for how they bring to life nuanced, well-rounded characters. 

Though the drama in Heartstopper doesn't hone in on love triangles, the LGBTQIA+ focused series, based on Alice Oseman's graphic novels, is the perfect YA, coming-of-age romance. Sweet and tender at every turn, the series thoughtfully explores the pangs of being a high schooler, all while gorgeously showcasing an ever-blooming romance between Nick and Charlie. 

The show features a number of romantic relationships involving characters with diverse identities that allow viewers to understand the broad spectrum that fortifies the LGBTQIA+ community. The drama in Heartstopper is mostly external, and as one of the most well-written and inclusive shows on air right now, it's the perfect teen drama to dive into for all kinds of viewers.

The O.C. might not exactly be a small town drama, but it certainly feels like one with its ensemble cast and contained narratives. As yet another quintessential teen drama, the angsty series is certainly worth watching for drama fans, and especially for viewers looking for deliciously messy relationships and wild arcs. 

Adam Brody's Seth Cohen is the dreamboat, and he might be particularly intriguing for viewers hoping Belly chooses Christopher Briney's Conrad. Plus, for a teen drama that's as angsty as The O.C., it might make some viewers feel better about how stories are told today than they were in the early 2000s.

Grief is an enormous element in The Summer I Turned Pretty, and another teen drama that does a beautifully healing job of representing loss is Netflix's Never Have I Ever. Following Indian-American teenager Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), the series delivers young adult angst, healing from loss, and the woes of a love triangle, resulting in an earned ending that's easy to appreciate. 

It's refreshing, profoundly moving, and does a beautiful job of ensuring that the characters are consistently in the driver's seat. If you want more representation and inclusivity, Never Have I Ever is the show for you. In addition, if you're a fan of Mindy Kaling's writing style, she's the series's showrunner.

As another seasonal, coming-of-age small town drama that focuses on the relationship between mothers and daughters, Gilmore Girls is a blueprint for a reason. While a bit cooler as fall vibes are known to be the show's aesthetic, the small town antics are charming, and the love triangles are just as thrilling as they are in The Summer I Turned Pretty. 

Gilmore Girls is especially worth watching as the number of similarities between Alexis Bledel's Rory and Tung's Belly can be surprisingly comforting. Some fans are also able to draw parallels between the Fisher brothers and Rory's former boyfriends, bringing a myriad of gripping conversations to social media after every episode. Fun, charming, and all around well-written, The Summer I Turned Pretty fans are bound to adore this gem, too. 

As a spin-off to Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, XO, Kitty is a delightful gem worth watching for its honest depiction and sweet characterizations. With a primarily Asian cast and filmed in South Korea, XO, Kitty shines with its gorgeous cultural representation and authenticity. Anna Cathcart's Kitty Covey is one of the standout characters in the original trilogy, so the fact that viewers get to follow her on her own adventures is a gift that keeps on giving.

Fun, charming, and all around well-written, The Summer I Turned Pretty fans are bound to adore this gem, too. XO, Kitty is also perfect for viewers who are the younger siblings, wanting to see a feature where, for once, they're centered in a way that feels right.

Based on Ali Novak's novel of the same name, My Life With the Walter Boys, like Never Have I Ever and The Summer I Turned Pretty, thoughtfully explores grief with teenagers while simultaneously telling an exciting story with familiar tropes. It follows Nikki Rodriguez's Jackie as she moves from New York to Colorado to live with family friends after the death of her immediate family. 

Adjusting to the changes in her new life comes with the realization of romantic feelings for two brothers, Cole and Alex. My Life With the Walter Boys is perfect for viewers who revel in the love triangle trope and angsty slow burns that lead to something more down the line.

While a lot more dramatic than The Summer I Turned Pretty, Outer Banks might scratch the itch for viewers specifically looking for the summer aesthetic and a group of friends with blooming romances between a number of them. Featuring a search for treasure, loads of familial angst, romance, and more hijinks, surprises lurk in every corner of the series. 

Outer Banks especially shines with its found family vibes, and it delivers all the necessary angst to ensure that the devastatingly romantic moments hit hard because of all the drama. Some themes might not be suitable for viewers who want a more cozy story, but there's still a lot to appreciate in the series as it takes characters from a place where they're lonely to deeply loved afterward. 

If the thrill of one woman in a messy, complicated relationship with two completely different brothers is what you're searching for, then look no further than The Vampire Diaries. While the series obviously features fantastical elements, the drama and angst are wildly addicting, as the series provides all the excitement of watching romantic relationships unfold as it's meant to. 

Also based on a book series, if there's any vampire adaptation featuring the love triangle trope that's worth watching, The Vampire Diaries is undoubtedly it. Plus, like The Summer I Turned Pretty, it features an incredible soundtrack that thoroughly elevates the emotions in the scene, making it pop and shine in a way that makes it far more memorable than it would've otherwise been. Fans of supernatural dramas will find a new hit here.