Clough

These characters, this story, this is not the book. Call it something else. The characters-I loved them all in the book. I felt the experience and roots of where they came from and who that made them. This though, all stereotypes. The book was about how complicated and unpredictable love can be. The book implored compassion, this show implores judgement. This show is centered around racism and bigotry with everyone falling into stereotypical roles. Loved Mia in the book. Her compassion and empathy were boundless. In the show she can be mean and sneaky. Elena they make out to be a perfect marshmallow of a person worthy of dislike, oblivious to everyone but herself. In the book they were both Fierce mothers struggling with who they were and who they are now and how to love their children. Ugh. Soooo disappointed. Maybe the worst adaptation I’ve seen. 👎

Weird. I hated the music. The story was confusing. I had to goggle what was actually going on. But! The acting!! The scenery!! The cinematography!! Amazing. Especially the cast. They were so good I feel like they actually were the characters and they just filmed them.

Just beautiful. Seeing American culture from a completely different point of view. And as a mom of boys it pulled my heart in and didn’t let it go.

Have you read the book?? I would have loved it had I not read the book first. So much missing. So much changed from the story. The movie is too tidied up and polished. It misses the ugly, beautiful rawness the book has. It’s like a good window dressing but you don’t get to see what’s inside. Read the book.

Loveeeee!! It’s like watching the best and worst parts of middle school in the 90s. It totally nails the dedicated love of best friends supporting each other during that awkward and heart breaking transition time of going from a little kid to the teenage world. So. Good.