A bold statement, I know, especially from a book lover. I mean, it's widely known in the book world that TV shows and movies are simply not as good. For a very long time, I took that as a general fact of life. Even though I love the TATBILB movies, Jenny Han's books are a clear win; the Fault in Our Stars movie is great, but the book is outstanding; Ella Enchanted is a fantastic movie, really, but the Cinderella fan in me has to prefer the more classic novel.
Dash and Lily, though. Dash and Lily is different. Somehow, the show changed enough that it was its own without being offensive and angering to the fanbase. The main two reason this worked, I think, are a) the book wasn't all that spectacular, just your average Christmas rom com and b) the changes updated and diversified the book.
Let's start with my impression of the book. When I first read it, I loved it. Amazing. I knew I would, considering it's a Christmas rom com, two of my favorite things rolled up into one. I mean, I love Christmas rom coms so much that I watched The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again. And I liked it. There was no losing for this book, I knew the second I picked it up.
It didn't disappoint. The characters were likeable, the story was enticing, and the ships were cute. It was exactly as I expected, which was comfortable to read, especially since we're coming up on one of the few major US holidays that hasn't been quarantined. This time last year, I was visiting my sister in New York City. I didn't know the difference between pandemic and epidemic - I could barely define virus - just like the majority of the population. This book was an escape that I welcomed.
But the show. God. That was true transportation to pre-Covid NYC, to pre-Covid holidays and Christmas and family. If the book is an escape, the show is a memory. Even though it's a fictional story, it's true in a way they never meant to make it. It was filmed before the pandemic, and it's a perfect picture of what it was like to be in New York for Christmas. It hurts more than they could have predicted because it represents everything we can't have this year.
A perfect example of this is the trailer. Even though I read the book before the show released, I watched the trailer before reading, and my initial reaction was to scream. I didn't know why, not then, but I was furious, watching Dash and Lily send each other across New York City like they owned the place. And then I cried. Yes, the trailer of a cutesy teen drama Christmas TV show made me cry. Sob, actually, but not because of their stupid problems or easily-fixed miscommunications. Because of their ease and comfort and security, things that have been missing from the whole world for what feels like forever. This show reminded me it wasn't forever.
Their accuracy and ability to break my fragile heart isn't the only reason I like the show better, however; I also think the changes and choices they made upgraded the story rather than tarnished its name.
First of all, the casting was amazing. Midori Francis was exactly as I imagined Lily and then some, and Austin Abrams made Dash bookish without being obnoxiously pretentious (not an easy feat, considering Dash as a character is very naturally pretentious).
The show was also more ensemble than the book. While we meet many characters in passing during the book, especially Lily's family and Dash's friends, they're all minor characters in the book but pretty major characters in the show. This includes the infuriating Edgar Thibaud (I swear to god, Lily, do not talk to him), the surprisingly likeable Sofia (I just couldn't hate her), and the über-sweet Boomer (I literally love him).
Adding characters made the show feel more full and diverse. It wasn't just the Dash and Lily universe, which is what the book sometimes feels like. In the book, all the characters are there to push the two main characters along their journey and don't have much growth themselves, a surefire sign of half-baked character development.
But I do have to say, taking out the Snarly nickname for Dash was a mistake. That nickname was the best ever and the little puppet Snarl should have been in every single scene. I will stand by that for the rest of my life.
Anyway. I also liked the rearranging of the scenes in the show. Dash and Lily's accidental connection through Edgar Thibaud and Priya's holiday party was a fantastic twist that both kept the story interesting and made perfect sense for everyone's character development.
I also think the story was updated and modernized. The book is from 2010, so it's not that dated, but a little facelift didn't hurt it, especially when it comes to technology (young moms aren't so likely to be excessively connected through a blog, but an app is believable).
Overall, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares was a fun rom com with a cute premise turned into an even better TV show that will live on for years as a teen Christmas staple (and hopefully will have more than one eight-episode season).
It was a short one today, more of a comparison than a review. Maybe next time I'll have more to say; I just read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and have some very strong opinions, so you might get a rant on that. Happy holidays no matter what you celebrate, enjoy the end of this endless year, and keep reading, readers.