I, personally, adored the book One Of Us Is Lying. It was suspenseful, kept you on the edge of your seat, and had that 'must read' feel, where you absolutely had to know what was going to happen next. While this book was a mystery, it was quite focused on the characters, with plot points sometimes being out of their control. This allowed the book to focus on what they thought, what they felt, who they were, and how they could get themselves out of the mess they were in. The show, however, is unable to meet any of the standards set by the book.
Like I said earlier, the book was mainly focused on the characters. Reading the book, you get to know everyone, from our main four to the side characters. The show is consistently fails on this front. From minor issues (the wardrobe of characters going completely against the majority of their character and characterisation, mainly noticeable in Nate and Bronwyn) to major personality changes, the characters don't quite seem like 3 dimensional people, and more like the archetypes that the book set out to subvert. I could talk for hours about this, but I'll try to be concise with a few examples.
Bronwyn - In the books, Bronwyn is smart, yes, but that is only a single facet of her personality. She's a bit snarky, knows who she is, and can be determined, even in the face of lots of stress. In the show, her character seems to be boiled down to simply a smart girl who had trouble in class and cheated a bit. She doesn't have much personality, and is far less compelling than the books.
Ashton - She was one of the biggest influencers in Addy's redemption arc. As Addy's older sister, she served as an example of what could go wrong by simply following their mother's plans, and had opinions about Addy and her life while still caring for her unconditionally. She was instrumental in Addy's breakup with Jake, encouraging her to tell him the truth, and then helping her reinvent herself after their ensuing breakup. She put the pressure on Addy to do better, to be herself, to reflect on what Jake was putting her through and whether or not that was healthy in any way. In the show, she does not exist, and I can't get over it.
Now, aside from the characters, the other main appeal of the book was the plot. It was enticing, confusing, and drew you in to the point where you had to know what happened next. The book revealed information in a very drawn out way, tugging on your imagination until finally flipping all your preconceptions on their heads. For example, Simon hasn't posted the week before his death. At all. No spoilers, none of that. Detention happens, he dies, and later, the police find the posts. In addition to that, the seeming confessions that plague our main four are not posted on About That, as that gives away far too much of the plot. No, they're posted on a non-descript tumblr blog, and emailed from a secure network anonymously to students. When the death happens, we don't think that it was necessarily a murder (well, aside from the entire book existing), simply just a mixup, a sordid accident that's no one's fault. When the secrets begin to come out, you're shocked, because it was unexpected - a twist that couldn't have reasonably been predicted. In the show, all of this suspense that builds with the revelations, and how they find their way into the world, is immediately cut off with Simon's earlier posts. It completely misses the point of the books, and prevents you from getting into them. If we can guess everyone's secrets from the offset, why bother watching? After all, we can guess what happens.
In other words, the show is a pale imitation of a brilliant book. Missing the point of the plot, missing the point of the characters, it seems to have been created as a cash grab with little-to-no appropriate knowledge of what happened in the book, or what made it great. While its not a bad series, I would say that reading the book is a far better idea if you're interested in a good story, compelling characters, or actual suspense. Still, I won't fault anyone for watching this - the premise is pretty classic, and echoes other stories that we know and love.
Like I said earlier, the book was mainly focused on the characters. Reading the book, you get to know everyone, from our main four to the side characters. The show is consistently fails on this front. From minor issues (the wardrobe of characters going completely against the majority of their character and characterisation, mainly noticeable in Nate and Bronwyn) to major personality changes, the characters don't quite seem like 3 dimensional people, and more like the archetypes that the book set out to subvert. I could talk for hours about this, but I'll try to be concise with a few examples.
Bronwyn - In the books, Bronwyn is smart, yes, but that is only a single facet of her personality. She's a bit snarky, knows who she is, and can be determined, even in the face of lots of stress. In the show, her character seems to be boiled down to simply a smart girl who had trouble in class and cheated a bit. She doesn't have much personality, and is far less compelling than the books.
Ashton - She was one of the biggest influencers in Addy's redemption arc. As Addy's older sister, she served as an example of what could go wrong by simply following their mother's plans, and had opinions about Addy and her life while still caring for her unconditionally. She was instrumental in Addy's breakup with Jake, encouraging her to tell him the truth, and then helping her reinvent herself after their ensuing breakup. She put the pressure on Addy to do better, to be herself, to reflect on what Jake was putting her through and whether or not that was healthy in any way. In the show, she does not exist, and I can't get over it.
Now, aside from the characters, the other main appeal of the book was the plot. It was enticing, confusing, and drew you in to the point where you had to know what happened next. The book revealed information in a very drawn out way, tugging on your imagination until finally flipping all your preconceptions on their heads. For example, Simon hasn't posted the week before his death. At all. No spoilers, none of that. Detention happens, he dies, and later, the police find the posts. In addition to that, the seeming confessions that plague our main four are not posted on About That, as that gives away far too much of the plot. No, they're posted on a non-descript tumblr blog, and emailed from a secure network anonymously to students. When the death happens, we don't think that it was necessarily a murder (well, aside from the entire book existing), simply just a mixup, a sordid accident that's no one's fault. When the secrets begin to come out, you're shocked, because it was unexpected - a twist that couldn't have reasonably been predicted. In the show, all of this suspense that builds with the revelations, and how they find their way into the world, is immediately cut off with Simon's earlier posts. It completely misses the point of the books, and prevents you from getting into them. If we can guess everyone's secrets from the offset, why bother watching? After all, we can guess what happens.
In other words, the show is a pale imitation of a brilliant book. Missing the point of the plot, missing the point of the characters, it seems to have been created as a cash grab with little-to-no appropriate knowledge of what happened in the book, or what made it great. While its not a bad series, I would say that reading the book is a far better idea if you're interested in a good story, compelling characters, or actual suspense. Still, I won't fault anyone for watching this - the premise is pretty classic, and echoes other stories that we know and love.