shifu (hiatus)'s Reviews > A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

The AGGGTM TV show made a lot of decisions. And nearly all of them were bad ones. The only good thing about them, though, is that they made me realize the strong points of this book.


˗ˏˋ ꒰ 1. pip's brilliance ꒱ ˎˊ˗

If anyone other than Pip had taken on this case in the book, they wouldn't have been able to solve it. It's her way of thinking, her character that serves as the basis for why she was able to crack the case. The book was what it was because Pip solved everything; it was Pip who saw things no one else could. In short, it was Pip's brilliance that solved the case.

But in the TV show—her brilliance just isn’t there. Anyone could’ve been in her place, and they might have potentially solved the case too. I couldn't feel those "big brain" moments in the TV show that I could so naturally associate with book Pip.

It's stark when you compare the two. Book Pip was a force of nature. TV show Pip was just—eh.


˗ˏˋ ꒰ 2. book ravi vs. tv show ravi ꒱ ˎˊ˗

One thing I liked about book Ravi was that he shined on his own but never overshadowed Pip. He added to her ideas, helped her when needed, but it was always Team Ravi and Pip.

TV show Ravi, on the other hand—oh god, I couldn't even feel any chemistry between them. Their relationship and his character as portrayed in the show was so disappointing to me.


˗ˏˋ ꒰ 3. the relationship between pip and her stepdad ꒱ ˎˊ˗

I LOVED the relationship between Pip and Victor in the book. Her love and trust for him, his "pickle" nickname for her 😭😭😭—I adored it.

But the TV show absolutely ruined their relationship. The unnecessary strain between them in the show was so out of place and uncalled for. It was heartbreaking to see one of my favorite aspects of the book get completely mangled 💔.


˗ˏˋ ꒰ 4. no unnecessary plot points ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Everything that happened in the books was crucial to the story. It was essential for solving the case.

In the TV show, however, things were scattered at random without any consideration for their relevance to the mystery. Nat was Andie’s BFF? Umm, WHY? Why was that even needed? Pip is unhappy with Victor? Dan da Silva suddenly gives Pip his backstory? So many things Pip solved herself in the books are just handed to her in the show? WHY???


˗ˏˋ ꒰ bottom line ꒱ ˎˊ˗

I'm pretty sure i'm missing a lot of other points but the TV show was honestly a disappointment. I think this is why so many book-to-movie/TV show adaptations fail in general. Making viewers/readers feel the same things they felt while reading the book in a different form of media is just not that easy of a task.

In the end, I think the only thing the show succeeded in doing was highlighting all the aspects of the book that made it so intriguing in the first place.