Welcome back to Queen Ella Bee Reads and Harley Bear Book Blog's first ever read-along! It's time to discuss the first 5 chapters of The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell. I hope you're all read up. There's no quiz at the end, but there IS a giveaway!
Harley Bear: Me too. It's nothing like the show so far except the characters kind of are similar.
QEB: Right. I feel like the show just took a few of the basic characters, tweaked their personalities a ton and then spat them back out in different scenarios. And I guess I can see why they would have done that. Carrie's father doesn't seem very sympathetic. It works for a secondary character in the book but in the TV show he's more of a focus and he has to be likable. And the friends - I guess they need to be a group, not a bunch of disjointed people. But still. To cut a whole sister is weird.
HB: Ya I understand why they made him that way for the show. I was just expecting sebastian and Carrie to already have a past... more than just saying hi once lol
QEB: Right? Weird. Also Sebastian seems less... crazy in the show.
HB: They kind of took the two sisters and put them together bc the one in the show is only like a year younger but is headed down a bad path. Ya I feel like he's going to get her in trouble lol. I was also kind of overwhelmed. They introduced like 20 characters in the first few pages it seemed
QEB: Right. I mean, comparisons aside, I think the book's cute.
HB: Ya it's more YA than anything I've read lately. Definitely captures what it's like to be 16
like the way they talk and think
like the way they talk and think
QEB: So true. I feel like because of Sex and the City Candace Bushnell can kind of do whatever she wants. Which doesn't mean the book is bad. It just means it doesn't have to be super clever.
HB: I agree. It's kind of weird that they're able to get served at a bar, but it also makes me imagine a mini-Carrie Bradshaw because she was always at parties and stuff
QEB: I feel like it's very much the 80s.
I'm also curious about this whole writing plot point. Like, in the book she wants to be a writer already
but in the show she kind of discovers it. I mean, the show shifts the conflict of the story. Instead of being primarily about writing, it's about the loss of her mother (which also exists in the book, but not so much because it happened a long time ago).
I'm also curious about this whole writing plot point. Like, in the book she wants to be a writer already
but in the show she kind of discovers it. I mean, the show shifts the conflict of the story. Instead of being primarily about writing, it's about the loss of her mother (which also exists in the book, but not so much because it happened a long time ago).
HB: I was wondering that too. Like will she go to the city for a writing internship? I didn't read the summary for the book so I have no idea. On one hand I'm sad it's not like the show, but I'm also glad because that would be kind of boring if it was.
QEB: So true. I just thought it'd be a more subtle shift
HB: Me too. I'm excited to see Carrie get stronger and more confident. At least I hope she does.
QEB: I feel like from here on out we have to read it like it's not connected to the TV show
HB: Ya I think so too. I think Carrie might end up writing for the school paper
QEB: I hope so! But I wonder if she'll still have the internship
HB: I was confused. Maggie's dating Walter, but she's like openly flirting with Peter? lol.
Ya she has to go to the city at some point I'd hope
Ya she has to go to the city at some point I'd hope
QEB: She has to fall in love with Manhattan!!
Well, I think Walt's still my favorite. Both in the TV show and in the book.
Well, I think Walt's still my favorite. Both in the TV show and in the book.
HB: lol ya he's pretty great.
I like that it's kind of reading like a diary too without being in a diary format. Like it's more her thoughts than anything else
I like that it's kind of reading like a diary too without being in a diary format. Like it's more her thoughts than anything else
QEB: I totally agree.
I just don't know how they decided to cut Lali.
I just don't know how they decided to cut Lali.
HB: Ya that's kind of weird
QEB: I feel like maybe it's a hint she becomes less important?
HB: She was annoying me though when she was like putting down Carrie... like "why would he be dancing with you?"
Ya maybe
Ya maybe
QEB: So true. Terrible girl. But none of these people are in Sex and the City so clearly they don't last. I wonder how that'll go down.
HB: I think there's a second book to the series so it might not happen right away. I wish she'd meet some of the Sex and the City characters in the books though that'd be fun
QEB: Right. I totally want to see that!
HB: I wonder if Mouse is like Miranda, Lali is like Charlotte, and Maggie is like Samantha? They kind of fit the personalities
QEB: I guess. Is it just me or does The Mouse seem really closed off?
HB: Ya she's very distant
QEB: I think she's adorable in the show though. But I will say I like Samantha, Charlotte, Miranda and Stamford better than Maggie, Lali, The Mouse and Walt.
HB: Oh me too!
HB: Oh me too!
QEB: And I like Big better than Sebastian. She totally upgrades
HB: Haha ya. It makes sense that she would like someone like Sebastian though. He's like a high school version of Big. Has all the smooth lines and stuff
QEB: I mean, one can hope you upgrade as you get older.
HB: lol
QEB: But I feel like talking about the book only 5 chapters in is harsh. I totally want to know what happens next.
HB: Ya me too. Especially because those were just introductory chapters and nothing's even really happened yet
QEB: But it's totally adorable.
HB: Yes, definitely.
So these were our impressions of the first 5 chapters of The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell. All in all, we're both pretty surprised about the difference between the book and the show, but I think we should have expected that, considering how these things usually go. But I do think the comparison between Maggie, Lali, The Mouse and Walt to Samantha, Charlotte, Miranda and Stamford is really interesting (and something that doesn't really exist between shows because of the lack of Laili). Carrie definitely changes between her teenage years and her adult years based on what we can tell so far, but there is something to be said of the similarity between the people she's friends with as a kid and the people she's friends with once she grows up. It's kind of reassuring and vaguely terrifying all at the same time, don't you think? But we'll see how those friends develop as the book goes on, I suppose.
To sum everything up, though: The book and the show are definitely different. It's not a bad different, we don't think. At least not yet. We'll just have to wait until the story picks up.
Did you read-along with us? What are your impressions? Were you as thrown as we were by the differences? I didn't read the Sex and the City books, even though I watched the show. Are there major differences there too? I have SO many questions, so if you have the answers, PLEASE help a girl out!
GIVEAWAY RULES:
~ To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. DO NOT enter using the comments.
~ You must be 18 years or older or have a guardian's permission to enter.
~ The winners will be chosen randomly. Once chosen, the winners will be emailed. They will then have 48 HOURS to respond, otherwise another winner will be chosen.
~ This give away is open to all countries the Book Depository ships to. Make sure you qualify before entering!
~ I reserve the right to disqualify anyone who tries to cheat the system. I WILL be checking the winning entries.
