The characters are so much deeper in the show. In the books Conrad kinda sucks and Jeremiah is basically flat

Same feeling for me. This is very rare to be noted. I just read the first book and I think the characters have a lot more depth in the series. I find that the feelings they feel and the tensions between them are much more present in the series. In the book we don't feel enough of Conrad's attraction to Belly... And then I prefer Jere's statement in the series than in the book.

I watched the show first and then read the books - I was in college when the books came out so I was outside of the age demographic. I also didn’t know it was based on a book series, so I read them after I saw the first season.

I look at each separately and try not to compare them. I like them both for different reasons - the books are very sweet and innocent. The show is definitely more adult. I like the additions to season one - adding the Deb ball gave Belly something to do. I did not like all the additions to season 2 - mainly the Aunt Julia/Skye storyline because it just felt like it didn’t really fit, but I enjoyed the additions of all the kids being together at the house, the party, the day at the boardwalk.

I love the additions made on the show and the details provided by the books! They enhance each other and then there is fanfiction which has added a whole additional layer to the complexity of the characters in my mind.

I agree! It feels more evolved too. I just watched an interview with cast where they said that Jenny is writing the show/making changes to the book as if she wrote the books today/this year so we get the benefit of her introspection.

its a lot better than the books imo. belly is actually likeable in the show while in the books she was really annoying imo. jelly is also treated with more respect in the show vs the books with jenny making the love triangle more equal compared to the books where belly was only obsessed with conrad. the actors also have really great chemistry especially in S2 which has some of their best moments as a ship

The show is very different and much much better than the books on the overall. Coz the books were written like a decade ago so they're kind of outdated too. 

To put it simply: yes. The show follows the books bones, but the in between is so much better. There are some key differences on the show that make the story better and feel like the characters are different from their book counterpart.

The scenes are more interesting, the dynamics are better, and the chemistry of the Jelly actors is off the charts! The show is also a lot more mature than the books, imo

Yeah definitely. Some people even have the opinion that they are fascinated how they turned tsitp into smth watchable, considering what their starting point was.

I personally think the concept of the books was wonderful, but it definitely lacked on any type of good character development, interesting plot as the series continued, or a proper wrap up for the series. The vision was there, yk. The vibes of the summer and what the first book promised was I think why some people did catch onto liking this, but at the end of the day it really was.. an interesting product of its time.

The way the show has modernized every aspect, dealt with characters in a more mature way and gave each one more depth definitely makes me, and I think a lot of us, think that the show is better. But to each their own.

Those books still hold a great lot of nostalgia for some people. And they can be really enjoyable after u ignore some...questionable parts.

The triangle itself has also been expanded, which adds to everything and makes it as fun for us as it is.

Unequivocally, yes. 

I really hope that one change they will “flip” though is how the wedding gets called off!

In the books it’s more down to Jeremiah who can’t deal with Belly loving Conrad (as well as him).

I really hope it’s more Belly’s decision in the show and she realises they aren’t right together/she shouldn’t love someone else the way she does.

I agree with this 

Like how Jere was very pushy towards telling them about the engagement at the memorial dinner and belly was very uncomfortable doing that but in the show it was belly that did it and wanted to tell them despite Jeres reservations 

It completely changed thr dynamic 

I have but also they haven’t bothered me. I like that bc of the time jump, it has given Belly more of a voice versus in the book, because she comes across very immature and annoying in the book. Not saying she isn’t coming across that way in the show, but I think this is one way the writing on the show is giving more agency to Belly by flipping some of the writing around. I think tv shows, in general, are giving a lot more power to female lead characters than they used to so the male leads can take a step back. I think the switching around also shows how Jeremiah and Belly bring out the worst in each other and why they aren’t meant to be together and how Conrad brings out her best side (more of this is probably to come).

I also look at the books and the show as separate so I don’t really compare the two beyond having specific book moments that I want to see - book 3 is my favorite of this series.

For this season, I don’t really mind the changes that have been made bc it’s less about how they get there for me and more about the big book moments that, as a book reader, I want to see and so far, they’ve included them. I think it’s all flowing really nicely and they’re setting up the next episode in a way that if you’ve read the books, you have an idea of what is coming, but you’re still surprised along with the non-book readers.

The one subplot I don’t understand and don’t think should get as much screen time is the Taylor and her mom; however, it does add drama and give you a glimpse into Taylor’s home life so I see the point somewhat.

One thing I did sort of work out is the whole thing of Conrad taking ‘look after him’ to mean…literally do whatever he wants whenever he wants including handing your clearly besotted girlfriend over to him (regarding Jere) has been very clumsily handed over to Belly this season. Or at least if you consider it that way, it makes some of the coddling make sense. They’ve flipped a few elements and none of them have landed for me personally.

I miss Steven’s relationship with Conrad too but also they added time to the timeline so he’s probably done thinking Conrad is an option and sees Jer and Belly have been happily together for four years now in the show timeline. I think Conrad has distanced himself from all of them too so Steven and him may have some kind of reconciliation too

The time jump still existed in the books. We are through Chapter 11 in the books right now in the show. The story starts outside of cousins so maybe that’s why it feels different to you so far? And they’re all not together? But they will get back to Cousin’s, I am assuming by the end of the next episode or fully by Ep 4.

I think for me the issue is season 1 we spend the whole time getting to Conrad and they get together in the last 5 minutes and then season 2 we start off after they break up, season 2 we get small flashbacks of their relationship through the episodes but we see belly longing to be with Jeremiah while Conrad starts thinking they might get a chance to get back together and end with Jere and belly together, now with season 3 we get a flash forward a year into their relationship with belly moving in and then another flash forward to 3 years later - honestly wish we got small things of them going through those four years and how things progress good and bad. Now we know belly and Jere have been together 4 years happily (where as Conrad we see small glimpses of happiness but mostly unhappy scenes in the little we get) so it’s hard to route for a couple that seems to only really live in the small subtext when it’s been heavily a belly and Jere show in “real” time and screen time. It’s really disheartening and I’m worried it’s going to end the same as season 1 with 5 minutes at the end for flashes.

Book 3 gives you whiplash too. It's not just you. Book readers are just better prepared.

I get you. So many of the other posts are about how the show is going to replicate the books. Idk the whole thing gives Dawson’s creek but in a more serious way somehow with less context. Like it’s wild how similar. They both have a parent die. They both show family dynamics of growing up together in an idyllic place. There’s a girl who dates and ruins a relationship between two boys who are like brothers. This show just feels like the writer didn’t like how that one ended and is “righting” it. Idk I got downvoted previously because I said Conrad is Dawson, Jere is Pacey and Belly is Joey in just a different font. Like the Belly Jere relationship issues are EXACTLY the issues Pacey and Joey have. And Belly in love Conrad for years is exactly the dynamic of Joey/Dawson. Joey even has a Paris moment where she chooses to stay?! It’s wild how similar these shows are! I looked up the writer and she looks to be around my age so it makes sense. She probably watched that show. Idk it’s a great show I just wish Belly had more of a personality outside the brothers. Maybe I’m old and just miss a 24 episode season with filler but it could use some episodes to really flesh out these relationships and characters. I’m cool with a time jump but I need more reasons shown as to why this girl can only date these brothers.

I think they would wait until S2 for anything physical between belly Jeremiah letting the car be their first kiss, so the live triangle could be more as the books

The necklace plot ♾️ 

Good point about the drama and the love triangle. I also think the many flashbacks would have been confusing.

Potential spoilers(I don’t know how to make a spoiler code)

I only really read the first book and just started watching the show but either I zoned out from the book sometimes when I was reading it or the book changed/added in things that weren’t in the book. Maybe the book was intended for an audience a little bit younger than me, (spoilers possibly ahead) but I don’t remember Conrad having the job with the boat guy, I thought Taylor only came to Cousins once in the book, I don’t remember Jeremiah being bi (which wasn’t bad but I didn’t remember it), I don’t remember the ball storyline/ Steven staying the whole summer since in the book he had left early to look at colleges.

So far it’s just been interesting seeing this first season after reading the first book.

Season one only scratched the surface of the books. There is so much more to come.

Also this is one of the only times I'll say it, but the show is actually better than the books.

I agree, the show was much better. I still wound up reading all of the books anyway but they were not that enjoyable.

Books 1 & 2 pretty much end the way Seasons 1 & 2 did.

Honestly for me, I didn’t really care for any of the books. I think the show is so much better.

Honestly I would give the first book a 7/10 it's was okayy quite typical. Half way through the second book I was having second thoughts about how annoying Belly is dude everything she saw she'll say "my time at cousins with the boys" and "Susan she's dead" How pick me !!! Left it and never read it against

Hm not really because there’s a third book so I don’t mind the endings of one or two.

Not really since I prefer the show so I wasn't bothered about the book ending as long as Conrad and belly got together let alone had a happy ending

No, books are too different. Honestly, show is better and you only have to wait a month this for s2.

I only read 2 and 3 but if you're coming from the show I think you'd be disappointed with the books honestly, I definitely was. judging from the comments, seems to be a minority opinion though.

Not really. The plot of the show changed a lot from the book so I’m not sure the second book will make much sense to you.

nooo, the second and third book is built up from the first and there’s so much references so if u skip the first then it’s better not reading any at all. i read all three books in like 2 days but skipped 60% of the last one(guilty). there’s like 180 pages and a 3-4h read each book. def recommend

I would read the whole series. There are several changes and it was fun to see the differences from the TV show!

So I read the book a few months ago and hated Conrad, wanted Belly to be with Jeremiah and they absolutely ruined this in the show. The show makes Jeremiah seem very cringe and manipulative

Could not get past the fact that her name was Belly.

i honestly found the entire premise of the book really stupid. and i watched the trailer for the show, and damn i CRINGED so hard because that was some bs right there

i finished reading the series last week and i completely agree. in many ways, it's so bad (and dumb) but something about it kept me hooked lol. i find that it's a guilty pleasure type of read. and if you're looking for something logical and mature, this series is definitely not for you.

I read it when I was in highschool, early 2015, and honestly I loved the books. But I tried to read them a couple of months back and didn't make it through the first 5 chapters.