Review: "Every Year After"

Hot take: Some book adaptations don't have to happen. And honestly, in this case, I felt "Every Summer After" was the perfect book for a book adaptation... if done right. When I read this book, I could see the town of Barry's Bay coming to life — the salty air, the small-town charm, the yearning, coming-of-age stories, friends-to-lovers, etc. On screen, Barry's Bay was everything I imagined, but what I missed from the feels that "Every Summer After" evoked was the feeling that everything was going to be okay.

Let's talk about all the changes and what I really feel about one of my favorite duologies coming to fruition. Spoiler alert: I loved the show. But I have thoughts.

Percy can do no wrong — sue me!

The casting for Percy? Chef's kiss. Sadie Soverall treated our girl Percy so well. She captured her wit, dorkiness, and natural allure beautifully. And it was so evident how much she loved Sam. The yearning was crazy. But one thing I was not prepared for was how depressed she was.

The show was honestly really sad. I know "Every Summer After" is messy and complicated, but I always view that book as a beach read: something that feels as warm as the sun or as endearing as a coastal town. So much of the good in "Every Summer After" that made it one of the best love stories was overshadowed by the heartbreak and the fallout in the show. It was an authentic adaptation — there was no sugarcoating what Sam, Percy, and Charlie went through. I just wish we got to see Percy be truly happy.

She deserved the Tavern.

One of the major changes from the book was Percy inheriting the Tavern. To me, this made sense. So much of Percy's identity was built in Barry's Bay, and she spent her formative years in The Tavern. She knew more than anyone the magic of the lake, and that meant the magic of the Tavern. For Sam and Charlie, the Tavern was just a part of their lives. But, for Percy, it was so much more. It was an escape, where she built her first love, made memories, felt heartbreak... you get it.

What I didn't like was Sam and Charlie's reactions. They were throwing a hissy fit that wasn't justified. Percy was the daughter that Sue never had, and Sue was a sounding board for Percy and someone to go to when she had no one else — she deserved to be in the will.

I personally loved how Percy ends up running The Tavern. She is home.

Book Sam and Percy > Show Sam and Percy

Sam and Percy are perfectly imperfect. They are the epitome of young love. Sure, what Percy did was catastrophically messed up, but a lot of factors played into their downfall. Hint, hint: Miscommunication.

I will say, their characters truly came to life on screen. I'm not going to lie, I got a little misty-eyed every time there was a flashback of them. I felt their love exude through their sweet nothings. Like the friendship bracelets?? Ugh, it gets me every time. And don't even get me started when adult Sam saw her for the first time. [Insert picture of me melting].

The Taylor of it all.

The whiplash this show gave me. First of all, in the book, Sam broke up with Taylor as soon as Percy returned. But now, we have Sam emotionally cheating and about to propose to Taylor. No, thank you. This took me out of Sam and Percy's relationship. How can there be resolution if there's a third party involved?

Sam should've known sooner.

Here's where on-screen Sam and Percy lost me. In the book, Sam had 12 years to come to terms with what transpired between Percy and Charlie. In the show, he had just days. Not to mention, it was his mother's funeral. It's unrealistic to expect Sam to forgive Percy after all this time, when for 10 years he had a warped reality of their divide. That reality has now been drastically changed by a very unsettling truth. I mean, the love of his life literally slept with his brother... like c'mon.

The domino effect of this is that we don't get to see Sam and Percy's reunion and rekindling as we did in the book. We don't get to see them get their happy ending. I'm sure Season 2 will give us everything we want and more, but for now, I'm left feeling incomplete. Where was the closure?

Plus, I really could not deal with Sam and Charlie fighting. Sue never would've wanted this. And the fact that it was happening during her memorial really pulled me out of the show, too.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie

I am a Charlie Florek truther. If you know me, you know I stand 10 toes down for "One Golden Summer" and Charlie Florek. Unfortunately, I did not feel the connection to show Charlie as I did in the books.

Firstly, he was so rude to Percy. The Charlie Florek that I know would have embraced her with open arms. He would've stood up for Percy when it felt like the town they grew up in was against her.

Secondly, what is the whole Deliliah and Charlie storyline? Count me out. It just made Charlie feel like he was emotionally unattached from Sam's life, Sue's life, Barry's Bay, and, honestly, just himself. He was literally going to give up The Tavern to his F-buddy. My Charlie would never. Ergo, another reason why his reaction to Percy getting The Tavern wasn't justified.

He did redeem himself, though. Episodes 7 and 8 solidified why I used to go to war for Charlie in the comments on my BookTok. We got to see the best parts of Charlie, such as how he's a shoulder to lean on, turns the bad days into good days, and how he really is just a good person to have in your corner.

He's like Sue in many ways. He conceals when he's struggling, and he runs away when he's grieving or hurt. I pray season 2 does "One Golden Summer" justice and further fleshes out his character. Alice, where are you when we need you most?

Bottom Line: I loved it, but in a different way than I loved the books.

I say all of this knowing damn well I was sat for every episode. I was locked in and was in awe of the drama and the love stories (yes, plural!). The show did an amazing job of adding side characters and plot lines that kept me entranced — Chantal and Jordie, I'm rooting for you. It was a good show, objectively speaking. As a book reader, I was slightly disappointed in all of the changes. But as a show watcher, I was hooked. It had all the drama reminiscent of an early-2000s show.

I'd still go to bat for Sam and Percy. All of their moments tugged at my heartstrings. In fact, that New Year's scene is living in my head rent-free. So, bottom line, I love the show, and I love the book, but for different reasons. If I had never read the book, I could confidently say this was one of my favorite shows I've watched recently.

The soundtrack was perfect. The casting was perfect. The easter eggs were perfect. And the characters were perfectly imperfect. And Barry's Bay remains one of my all-time favorite universes. See you for season 2 (hopefully!).