On August 1, 2024, the long-awaited Netflix adaptation of “A Good Girls Guide to Murder” was released. Based off of the hit series by Holly Jackson, the announcement of the show’s making was met with high expectations. Following its release, viewers had mixed reactions.
Reviewers on IMDB felt that the characters were interesting, the storyline was captivating and the ending was well written. Emma Myers and Zain Iqbal had impressive on-screen chemistry and kept the show entertaining. Many who shared this opinion had not read the book and did not start the show with something to compare it to. This allowed for a better viewing experience overall as they did not go into it with a critical eye.
On the other hand, those who had read the book prior to watching the show had a few more complaints. It was inevitable that a few key details from the book would not match up with the remake; however, there were a few alterations that changed the plot quite a bit. For example, the turning point at the end of the storyline is much more abrupt in the book whereas the show takes a slightly more gradual approach to its reveal. This changes the tone of the plot twist as a whole and draws out its suspense.
All things considered, reviews of the show were mostly positive. The target audience was definitely reached and had good things to say. One aspect of the show that came as a surprise was the cast members’ British accents. Many readers from the U.S. learned that they had been reading the American version of the book. As it turns out, the author of the book is British, making the British version the original copy. The setting and pattern of speech featured in the show were drastically different, which means that the remake failed to meet the expectations of certain viewers.
Most people who had read the book and watched the show agreed that the casting of characters was accurate. Physically, the description that was given to each character in the novel matched that of the characters in the show. Going beyond appearance, the actors did a phenomenal job of conveying their individual characters personality traits and little quirks. For instance, Emma Myers, who plays the role of Pip, clearly worked hard to make her character appear cunning, clever and quick-witted.
As of now, the making of Season 2 has not been confirmed. However, with two books following the first, fans can only hope for more to complete the trilogy. I personally think that the first season was very well done and it met my expectations having read the book. Even though reactions to the show were mixed, its release was a success and many are anticipating a continuation based off of the second book, “Good Girl Bad Blood.”
