I knew the books existed back then, but I was younger and the television series was still airing. I assumed I would be annoyed if the books remotely deviated from the onscreen story, and I didn't particularly desire to purchase a book from the teen section. So I departed Borders (remember that book store?) and continued to enjoy POPULAR as it aired on The WB from the fall of 1999 to the spring of 2001.
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| The first season was nearly television perfection. |
I thought of the books when the two seasons of POPULAR were (finally) released on DVD in 2004 and 2005. I even made the effort to search for them online and off. I discovered the author's name (Nancy Krulik) and noticed a book or two for sale online, but I wasn't convinced that I would enjoy them or even really wanted them. After all, I could pop in the series anytime to relive the satirically dramatic high school angst found in the hallways of Kennedy High.
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| The second season was great but had too much "realistic" teen drama. |
Then came 2016 and I suddenly decided that I was ready to read one of the books based on one of my favorite television series. Having remembered the author's name, I quickly found four titles on Amazon. I noticed the books were numbered and even though I am typically strict about reading series (or sequels) in order, I ordered the one that sounded the most interesting. My choice may or may not have been influenced by the character of Mary Cherry (as brilliantly portrayed by Leslie Grossman) being prominently displayed on the cover.
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| The book...Number 3 in the series! |
So, after very nearly two decades, I (finally) read a POPULAR book, and I wasn't disappointed. I found it extremely entertaining. Sure, there were moments that seemed off and unlikely to occur within the television series, but overall the characters were captured well. As for the story, I was surprised and surprisingly pleased that the author retained respect and some loyalty for the onscreen storylines while creating her own continuing story arcs.
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| In case you were curious of the plot of the book. |
That being said, I suspect I would have been far more critical of the book while the series was still on the air, so I'm glad I waited. Now I may have to slowly but surely order the other three books available to see what I missed back then.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. For more posts on other books I have enjoyed, please click...
Awesome blog, John! Enjoyed it!!
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