A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder deviates from the usual high school narrative that viewers have become accustomed to. Stress about college, prom or even relationships is not the focus of the six-part series. Instead, the show, which first aired on the BBC before making its way to NetflixThe focus is on murder, mystery and the traumatic impact that the death of a person can have on a community. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder‘s star, Pippa Fitz-Amobi, played by talented Wednesday Star Emma Myers has none of the problems you’d expect from a high school teenager. Instead, Pip’s only goal is to solve the mystery of a murder that has rocked her community of Little Kilton.

The series is an adaptation of the first novel in an award-winning trilogy by Holly Jackson. The plot of the television series follows more or less the footsteps of the original text and revolves around the murder of Andie Bell, with the suspected murderer being her boyfriend Salil Singh. As with any adaptation A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder also exercises its own creative freedom, setting itself apart from the novel and giving it its own identity. If you look at the reception of the series, The changes were well received by viewerswith the show taking the coveted first place on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list and achieving a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer. However, it is undeniable that the changes made to the source text have an impact on A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, with some changes impacting the story more than others.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder changes Andie Bell’s character

One of the biggest changes A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder makes from the source text has to do with the character of Andie Bell. The plot of the story revolves around Andie’s murder, and her then-boyfriend Salil is named as her murderer, resulting in the Singh family name being dragged through the mud. In the series, Andie is portrayed as the darling of Little Kilton. Andie is loyal to her friends, has a large circle of friends, and has a good relationship with her sister Becca, despite the shocking revelation at the end of the series. The series attributes some flaws to Andie’s character, such as her dating Elliot and selling drugs. However, the show also justifies Andie’s shortcomings; she stops dating Elliot when she finds Sal and only sells drugs to escape her abusive father.

However, Book-Andie stands in stark contrast to the portrayal of the character in the series. In the novel, Andie is rather self-centered and does not treat her friends well. She is jealous, deceitful, and a bully who will do anything to be the center of attention. For example, unlike in the series, Nat is never friends with Andie. Instead, the two have a bitter relationship because Andie posted nude pictures of Nat in high school, earning her the nickname “Nude-Gate Nat.”

Although the book Andie wasn’t the best person, Andie’s death still shocks her community. Her behavior toward others is not seen as a justification for her death. A Good Girl’s Guide to MurderThe decision of to change Andie’s character and portray her as a kind and loving person makes the character’s death even more impactful. The death of the town’s sweetheart, as Andie appears to be in the series, leaves Little Kilton grieving even five years after her death. The more sympathetic portrayal of the character also makes the revelation of her relationship with Elliot and the fact that she sold drugs all the more shocking. While Andie’s character traits in the book made her relationship with a teacher and drug dealing seem more predictable, the portrayal of the golden girl in the series makes these actions puzzlingand conveys the message that not everyone is who they seem to be.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder weakens Pip’s detective skills

Although Pip sets out to solve the mystery of Andie’s murder, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murderand even made it their EPQ, A reader of the source text will quickly notice that the series seems to have downplayed Pip’s detective skills. Book-Pip’s investigations are more intense and thorough, with Pip following every lead she can get her hands on. She interviews multiple people and gathers as much information as she can. Everything Pip finds out about Andie’s murder is the result of her hard work and unwavering determination to find answers to the questions that have haunted her community since Andie’s death.

In the series, Pip is not solely responsible for the answers she finds. She is supported by several people along the way and sometimes seems to stumble upon answers by chance. For example, at the beginning of the series, Naomi suggests to Pip that Sal had an alibi for the time of Andie’s death, and it is Jesse who tells Pip about Becca’s assault. Although Pip ultimately solves Andie’s murder and proves Sal’s innocence in the process, The series’ decision to downplay Pip’s detective skills weakens the characterHowever, considering the amount of time and effort involved in adapting a novel into a series or film, it is perhaps justified that the series decided not to delve too deeply into the details of Pip’s investigation.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Changes place and time

One fact that will strike readers, especially those in the United States, is that A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has apparently changed the framework of the story. That’s because Holly Jackson’s novel came out in two versions, one in the US and one in the UK. With that in mind, readers in the US may have expected Pip’s murder investigation to take place in the town of Fairview, Connecticut, and were a little taken aback when the series began in a charming, quaint English town. However, since the rights to the series were first bought by the BBC, it makes sense that the show is set in the UK.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder also changes the timeline of historyalthough it does not have a significant impact on the overall narrative. The novel is set seven years before the series, with Andie dying in 2014 and the story beginning in 2017. However, the series picks up in 2024, with Andie dying five years earlier, in 2019. The jump in the timeline has resulted in several tiny changes in time-sensitive aspects. For example, Facebook is Pip’s primary social media, which he uses when investigating Andie’s death in the series. In contrast, Instagram is Pip’s preferred social media channel in the series.

As with any adjustment A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder made several changes when adapting Holly Jackson’s work. However, all of the changes most likely had the author’s seal of approval, as Jackson was an executive producer on the show. The show’s deviation from the source text has allowed the series to stand on its own and offered the readers, who are now spectators, something new and different from the novel. While some changes A Good Girl’s Guide to MurderThe success of the series clearly shows that viewers are more than satisfied with what is offered to them than with the plot of others. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is now available on Netflix.