Tag: tv adaptations

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

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I should start this out by saying I was a little hesitant to read this book. I read One of Us Is Lying because I really enjoyed the TV adaptation on Peacock, and the book was just as good. After I finished the book, I realized that the second book in the series wasn’t so much about the original characters but about Maeve and a new group of people that go to Bayview.

At the end of the show, it seemed like the next season would be a continuation of the original Bayview Four’s stories. The book ended differently, so it makes sense that their stories have mostly ended, but I still wanted more of them.

They do make appearances throughout the second book, but the story isn’t about them anymore. This time, the focus is more on Bronwyn’s sister Maeve and her group of friends. A new Simon impersonator has come into the picture and is playing games of Truth or Dare with the students of Bayview.

I was surprised to find how much I really did enjoy this book despite my earlier hesitations. The new characters were interesting and the revelations of secrets kept me reading chapter after chapter. The story had a pretty good twist that was different enough from the first book to keep it interesting. Would definitely recommend continuing the series if you’re a fan of the show and have read the first book.

I’ve seen things about a third book coming in 2023, and I’m pretty sure I’ll read that as well.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

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Back again with another tv adaptation-inspired read!

The last time I went to a bookstore (which was who knows how long ago) I remember looking at the section of upcoming adaptations and seeing this book. It sounded interesting, but I ended up buying something else instead and adding it to my list of potential future books to read.

I get Peacock for free with my Xfinity account and hadn’t really used it before, but when the Chucky series came out I would go there to watch episodes that I missed and saw One of Us Is Lying had already come out. I binged through the series and had to read the book after that.

The storylines were very similar and I really enjoyed reading the book. There were a few changes made, but overall kept to the same story.

One of Us Is Lying is basically The Breakfast Club with a murder. A group of totally unrelated people end up in detention for reasons that don’t seem to make sense and one of them ends up dead. You spend the rest of the book jumping into each character’s mind and trying to figure out whodunit.

It’s a interesting story with a good amount of twists and a fairly surprising ending. I thought that I had it figured out, but I was only half way there.

I liked how the ending played out in the show better, but it’s always easier to improve on something the second time around. The show also left room to have a second season with the same cast, where I think the sequel to the book is an entirely different group of people. I’m definitely going to read the sequel next, so expect another update soon!

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

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It’s been awhile since my last book review, but don’t worry, I’ve still been reading!

I felt like there was a lot of hype for the Hulu adaptation of Nine Perfect Strangers. They had such a great cast and were promoting the show off the success of Big Little Lies. I made sure to watch it every week and it was certainly interesting. I feel like I enjoyed it for the most part. I cared about the characters and was happy with how things ended for all of them. Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Masha was a bit odd, but kind of worked? Overall, I enjoyed it.

I really liked Big Little Lies and have wanted to read more of Liane Moriarty’s work, so it only made sense to read the book. I think it’s important to mention that Liane Moriarty is Australian and both books take place in Australia, so it’s interesting to me that they’ve been adapted to American locations. I guess this is Nicole Kidman’s doing, right? She has to be the reason these Australian books are being made into American TV.

Anyway…I have to say that I liked the show more than I liked the book. It was still a good read, but I almost wish I would have read it before seeing the show. It just wasn’t as dramatic or interesting and we didn’t get to see as much of the personalities of the characters.

There were quite a few changes that were made when they adapted it into a show, and I think all of the changes were for the better. The biggest ones for me for the house they stayed in and Masha’s character.

In the book they’re in an old Victorian house that has cracks in the plastic and gave me sort of an eerie feeling. I’m assuming that’s what Moriarty was going for, but it seemed like it would be a better location for a ghost story than a meditation retreat. Changing it to a modern facility worked better in the show. Although it didn’t have that eerie, old feeling I think there’s still something creepy about those cold, empty facilities. Almost like Kim Kardashian’s empty, white, seemingly endless hallways.

The other big change was Masha. In the book she was an overweight business executive that didn’t take care of herself and had a near death experience that made her change her lifestyle. Nicole Kidman’s portrayal was also unhealthy, but not quite in the same way. They had similar traumas prior to their NDE, so that was the same, but their personalities afterward were very different.

Both Masha’s pushed the boundaries to extremes with their guests, but while Nicole Kidman’s moves were carefully calculated and kept in control, book Masha really lept off the deep end. They both helped the guests in similar ways, but by the end Nicole Kidman’s character was respected where book Masha should’ve been institutionalized.

I definitely liked the way that the show handled everything better. It felt intentional, where the book made her seem too crazy. It was a good read though. At the end I found myself wanted to just keep reading one more chapter. I was glad too that they tied up all the loose ends by the end and didn’t leave the reader guessing what happened to everyone after they left the retreat.

It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn

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I have to say, after the disappointment in the last book of the series I was completely surprised when I found that I couldn’t put this one down! I loved Hyacinth’s story and really enjoyed the chemistry that she had with Gareth.

Where in Francesca’s story I felt like I didn’t really get to know her, I feel like I know Hyacinth. She reminds me of Eloise a little bit, but definitely bolder. She’s exciting to read and I love how she speaks her mind.

I really enjoyed seeing her fall in love with Gareth. He’s her perfect match conversationally and he respects her. His little backstory with his father was interesting and I loved how Hyacinth helped him deal with that by translating his grandmother’s journal. They were a good team.

It was also fun to have a little side story with the hidden jewels and the treasure hunt that they were on. We got to see a Bridgerton doing something other than attending parties, which was nice. It was exciting and a good change up to the stories that Julia Quinn has been writing.

I’m a little sad that I only have one book left in the series, and I’m hoping that Gregory’s story is just as good as this one. I haven’t read any of the second epilogues so I guess I’ll have those to read as well. I know there’s another spin-off series that goes into Violet’s past but I don’t think I’m going to read them yet. Maybe I’ll save that for when Netflix releases their own spin-off.

To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

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I can’t believe I’m already finished with the fifth book in this series. They’re so easy to read, I swear I’m just flying through them.

I love Eloise. She’s the perfect character. She’s smart, she stands up for herself, and she doesn’t let people disrespect her in any way. In the last book we did see Penelope stand up to Colin a little bit, but Eloise takes that to a whole new level. She refuses to be disrespected.

On a side note, apparently I’m a spinster since I’m 29 and unmarried. Is that a bad thing? The books kind of make me feel like it’s a bad thing.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this story. Phillip took awhile to open up and see Eloise as more than just a mother to his orphaned children, but I like them together and thought that they were a good match.

I think it’s because I saw myself in Eloise a little bit. She’s too realistic to just accept a “sweep me off my feet” type of love match. She needs someone who challenges her and who she can respect on other levels. She doesn’t necessarily need the romance, she wants someone who she can have an intelligent conversation with and someone who respects her for her intelligence. I felt that.

I really hope that the show makes it this far. I think it’s only been renewed up to four seasons, so that would be Penelope and Colin’s story I believe.

The one thing I’m really interested about with the show’s adaptation is the storyline with Marina. In the show, she’s Penelope’s cousin and she ends up with Phillip Crane after he realizes she’s pregnant with his late brother’s child. In the book she also ends up with Phillip after George dies, though the children belong to Phillip.

Marina has such a strong storyline in the show, it would be a shame for her to have the same fate as book Marina. I’m curious to see how this plays out, especially because Phillip’s children play such a huge role in his marriage to Eloise.

I’m a little sad that I’m more than half way through the books. Are the prequels good too? I might have to read those as well.

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

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I was so excited to finally get to Penelope and Colin’s story! Its obvious in the show that the two will end up together, so I couldn’t wait to get to that in the books.

It was interesting to me that this book takes place 11 years after the first book and that Lady Whistledown was able to stay anonymous for this long. In the show it’s something everyone wants to figure out and in the books it’s the same, but I can’t image the show will wait this long for people to find out that Penelope is the woman behind the gossip column.

Colin really annoyed me. He has a terrible attitude and I know it’s supposed to seem cute that Penelope is the only one who sees this other side of him, but he needs serious work. At a certain point in the book I was so fed up with him and how he would talk to Penelope when he was angry with her that I didn’t want them to end up together anymore. I know it was supposed to add drama to the story and it was because he was jealous of the success that she had as Whistledown when he didn’t leave his mark on the world yet, but really? Do we need male characters that can’t handle the success of women and treat them poorly because of it?

All of the Bridgerton brothers seem to have this complex about not being good enough even though everyone loves and respects them, and to be honest, it’s pretty annoying. I’m curious if Gregory will be this way by the time it gets to him. I hope not, that would be really disappointing.

The one other issue that I had with this one is that there’s been so much discussion about how Penelope used to be overweight and Colin is always eating. I feel like whenever we see a character that has struggled with their weight, there’s always a love interest who loves to eat. Why do we do that? Can he only love her if he also has issues with food and overeating? It’s weird.

Overall, I liked the story. I like Penelope and I think she’s a strong character. Part of me does wish she would’ve ended up with someone else, or at least that there would’ve been another suitor who realized how great she was. Colin’s alright, I guess, but it took him way too long.

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

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I blew through the second book in the Bridgerton series. They’re definitely not quality literature, but they’re easy to read and the stories are very enjoyable.

I’m sure whoever writes the show has read the books and has written the characters to match their personalities exactly. Knowing who plays Anthony in the show and imagining Kate as Simone Ashley made it fun.

It’s interesting to me how they’ve diversified the cast in the show, but how it still works. I’ve seen Simone Ashley in Sex Education and based on that I think she’s going to be perfect in this role.

Part of me didn’t expect to love Anthony and Kate’ s story as much as I loved Daphne and Simon’s. Anthony wasn’t exactly my favorite character in the show, so maybe that played a role in it, but reading his story definitely made me understand the man better.

There really isn’t much to say about the book. It was a good love story. It was interesting how they came together and the chemistry was amazing once again. I’m sure that’ll be a theme throughout the rest of them as well. Violet approves of love matches after all, so all of her children must find love, right?

I’m sure I’ll be back soon with my thoughts on the third installment. I’m already half way through it as I type this.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

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I really enjoyed this book. I watched the Hulu adaptation probably about a year ago and really loved it, so I’ve had this book on my list to read for awhile.

The show did a really good job adapting the story for the screen. There were definitely a few changes made, but I don’t think they messed with the story much at all. I did think it was interesting that the author never specifically mentioned Mia and Pearl’s races, yet the show made the decision to make them African American. It’s interesting to me that they did this because I feel like it hinders where the story could have gone.

***MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD***

Something that was really interesting in the book was how Izzy felt that Mia could have been a better mother to her than Elena. She loves spending time with Mia, she listens to the things that Mia teaches her, she even at one point says that she fantasizes that Mia is her mother.

Honestly because I watched the show first I pictured Mia and Pearl as being African American, so reading this was the first time that I realized that oh, if she thinks she looks enough like Mia to possibly be her daughter than that means that Mia must be white.

I’m sure that race was changed in the show to draw even larger differences between Mia and Elena. I thought Kerry Washington was perfect in the show, so I wouldn’t change it, but when adaptations do this I feel like we need to question the change and why it was made. Wouldn’t it have been more shocking to Elena that a woman who looked like her chose this lifestyle? Did we really need to make a black woman this sort of nomad who’s perceived by Elena as being unstable with the way she lives her life? The book already deals with elements of race, so did it need this added layer of racism?

It’s definitely interesting to think about and adds more to the discussion when reading the book, but I can’t help but wonder if doing this was really necessary to the story.

Also, I feel like it really hinders them from creating a second season of the show. At the end of the book, Izzy is headed to Mia’s parents’ house. She knows everything about Pearl and Mia’s brother and her parents from the file her mother kept and she’s looking for Mia by going to her parents.

If I was a writer for the show and wanted to create another season, I could definitely see a situation unfolding where Izzy (who’s around the same age as Pearl) tells Mia’s parents that she’s the baby. It would definitely create a conflict and force all of the characters to come together again, but since they have different races this wouldn’t be something that they can do now.

Maybe they have other ideas, and I don’t think the show has been renewed yet, but I do wonder if this was part of the conversation. Anyone else think the same?

Normal People by Sally Rooney

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I loved this book.

The Hulu show was so good, and if you haven’t seen it I HIGHLY recommend it. I knew immediately that I’d have to read the book.

It’s kind of hard to explain, but I really don’t think any form of entertainment has ever really shown the emotions between two people who are so obviously meant to be together but can’t because of situations in their lives and bad timing.

It seems like Connell and Marianne just can’t catch a break. One of them is either in a relationship with someone else when the other is ready or just has too much pride to admit that they’re actually both madly in love with each other. Their relationship is so complicated, but also just kind of works in a way. It’s so frustrating to see them fail over and over again because they can’t communicate.

I feel like this story really does so well because everyone can relate to a situation that was ruined because of miscommunication or just no communication at all. I know I’ve definitely been there.

One thing I do want to say is that at some points this was really hard to read. I honestly didn’t think it’d take me so long, but some parts just made me so sad I felt like I needed to put the book down and take a break for a little.

Definitely an emotional rollercoaster, but highly recommended.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

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I really don’t know why, but it took me forever to get through this book. I think it may have been because it was so similar to the show that it wasn’t really interesting to me, or didn’t really add anything to the story enough for me to stay interested. Honestly though, that’s a compliment to the show because it means they did really well with the details!

I will say, the story did get a lot more interesting once we got to the murders and what Grace did remember. I did also like that we got to see Dr. Jordan meeting with more people that knew Grace and that he went to the house where the murders took place.

I expected the hypnotism to be more exciting in the book, but I guess it can’t be too sensational if it’s supposed to be believable. The acting in the show was perfect and made this scene so creepy!

One thing I really didn’t like was how both Jeremiah and Dr. Jordan kind of fled after the hypnotism. It seemed like both of them were trying to be helpful and then it was like they both just gave up. I really thought that they would help her get out sooner, but I guess since this is fiction based on a true story we wouldn’t be able to have her get out of the penitentiary earlier than she actually did.

It was also disappointing that Dr. Jordan’s memory was affected in the war, resulting in him being no help to Grace whatsoever. Honestly it made his whole role in the story pretty pointless. I’m not sure how much of this is historically accurate, but if this is what really happened then that really sucks.

Although I’m not sure myself whether Grace was innocent or if she was suffering from some sort of mental/post-traumatic stress disorder, I am glad that she was pardoned and was able to live the rest of her life with some sort of freedom. She definitely was very unlucky in life, so it was nice that she sort of had a happy ending. Not sure that I wanted her to end up with Jamie, but honestly it could’ve been way worse.

I hope she did have a happy ending. It would be nice to know what really happened.