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People We Meet on Vacation: Book vs. Movie
Book-to-screen adaptations always involve change, but People We Meet on Vacation made more changes than I expected. Some worked surprisingly well, while others removed some of the emotional depth that made the novel memorable.
Ironically, I actually enjoyed the movie more than the book. That probably says more about how much I struggled with the novel than how incredible the adaptation was, but seeing the characters’ emotions on screen made the story land better for me.
Here’s how the two versions compare.
What Stayed the Same
Despite the changes, the movie keeps the heart of Emily Henry’s story intact.
Alex and Poppy’s Friendship
At its core, both versions follow Alex and Poppy’s decade-long friendship built around annual summer vacations together after they meet in college.
The Friends-to-Lovers Romance
The central romance doesn’t change. Both versions revolve around two best friends who have been in love with each other for years but never admit it until after one disastrous vacation changes everything.
The Dual Timeline
Both the novel and the film alternate between the present day and previous vacations, slowly revealing what happened to end their friendship.
Poppy’s Burnout
Although it’s explored differently, both stories ultimately become less about travel and more about Poppy realizing she’s exhausted from constantly running toward the next destination instead of figuring out what actually makes her happy.
The Biggest Differences
The Opening Changes Everything
One of my biggest disappointments was the opening.
The novel begins at a bar, immediately capturing Alex and Poppy’s chemistry and personalities. The movie skips this entirely, and I think it loses some of what makes their friendship feel so effortless from the beginning.
They Meet Differently
Instead of attending the University of Chicago and meeting during orientation like they do in the book, the movie moves everything to Boston.
They still end up carpooling back to Ohio together, but the film expands this section significantly. Their road trip goes badly enough that they have to spend the night in a motel with only one bed—a classic romance trope that doesn’t happen during that road trip in the novel.
Watching the movie, I honestly struggled to believe Alex would fall for Poppy so quickly. She came across as much more annoying on that first trip than I remembered from the book.
Half the Vacations Disappear
The biggest structural change is that the movie only shows about half of the vacations.
The novel includes ten trips, while the film focuses on only a handful.
Even the vacations that remain often feel rushed. Entire storylines that span chapters in the book are reduced to only a few minutes on screen. Alex taking care of Poppy when she’s sick, for example, is over almost as quickly as it begins.
Palm Springs Becomes Barcelona
This is probably the adaptation’s biggest change.
In the Book:
- Alex invites Poppy on a Palm Springs vacation surrounding his brother’s wedding activities.
- Poppy tries to convince her travel magazine to cover the trip, but is unsuccessful, so takes it as PTO.
- She lies to Alex and says it’s already a work assignment.
- They stay together in a rental house with one bed and no air conditioning.
- Much of the story comes from Poppy dragging Alex to quirky tourist attractions in the miserable summer heat, forcing them to spend time together.
In the Movie:
- The destination changes completely to Barcelona.
- Alex’s brother invites Poppy directly.
- Poppy does convince her travel magazine to cover the trip, but still lies to Alex about it being a work trip before it was approved.
- She stays in her own apartment.
- The wedding becomes the primary focus instead of reconnecting during the vacation.
- Aside from the broken air conditioning, very little of the original trip remains.
Changing the destination also changes the entire feeling of the story. The Palm Springs trip is intentionally uncomfortable and awkward, while Barcelona becomes more about the wedding than the vacation itself.
The Family Dynamics Are Simplified
The movie removes a surprising number of family members.
In the Book:
- Alex has three younger brothers.
- Poppy has two older brothers.
- Alex’s relationship with his late mother and grieving father receives much more attention.
The movie trims nearly all of this away, making the story feel much more centered on Poppy alone.
The Big Fight Happens Completely Differently
This may be the biggest plot change.
In the Book:
- The friendship falls apart in Croatia after Alex and Poppy drunkenly kiss but fail to admit how they really feel.
- Alex never proposes to Sarah because he realizes beforehand that he’s in love with Poppy.
In the Movie:
- Everything shifts to Tuscany.
- Poppy thinks she might be pregnant, which Alex helps her with buying the test.
- This does also happen in the book during the Tuscany trip, but Alex catches her with the test when he goes out on a morning run, so it’s accidental that he finds out about her pregnancy scare.
- After that scare, Alex and Poppy nearly kiss.
- The next day he proposes to Sarah instead.
- Poppy accuses him of settling, leading to the argument that ends their friendship.
I actually preferred the book’s version here. The emotional misunderstanding felt much more believable than Alex proposing immediately after nearly kissing Poppy.
Sarah’s Character Changes
Sarah also receives a different role. In the book she’s a teacher working alongside Alex at the high school in Ohio. In the movie she’s a flight attendant. Both versions end with Poppy apologizing to Sarah, but the conversations feel very different.
The novel places much more responsibility on Poppy for interfering in Alex and Sarah’s relationship, while the movie makes it clear that Sarah already knew their relationship wasn’t going to last.
Poppy’s Character Growth
This was the change I liked the least.
In the novel, after the wedding Poppy spends months rebuilding herself.
She:
- goes to therapy
- quits her job
- reflects on what actually makes her happy
- starts writing a more meaningful travel column
- slowly realizes she’s been running away from herself
The movie skips almost all of that. Instead, Poppy immediately quits her job after the wedding and flies to Ohio to chase down Alex. The emotional journey feels much shorter, making her transformation less satisfying.
The Ending
The endings arrive at the same destination but take different paths.
In the Book:
- Poppy finds Alex at a local bar.
- She confesses her feelings.
- Alex initially pushes her away because he’s afraid of losing her.
- Eventually, they finally get together.
- The epilogue shows them splitting time between New York and Ohio while deciding where they truly belong.
In the Movie:
- Poppy literally chases Alex through town before confessing her love in the middle of a crosswalk.
- The movie then jumps ahead to show them happily living together in New York with a dog.
It’s a sweeter, more cinematic ending, but I preferred the slower emotional payoff in the novel.
Which One Is Better?
This is one of those rare cases where I actually preferred the movie, and that’s not because it’s a perfect adaptation, because it definitely isn’t.
The film rushes several vacations, removes much of Alex’s perspective, and glosses over Poppy’s emotional growth. It also changes several major story beats that I think worked better in the novel.
However, I found the movie more emotionally engaging overall. Watching the actors portray Alex’s heartbreak and years of quiet longing made me sympathize with him far more than I did while reading the book.
I still don’t love the friends-to-lovers trope here because, in my opinion, they were never really “just friends.” Both characters had feelings for each other almost from the beginning, which makes many of their relationships with other people feel unfair. But seeing those emotions on screen helped me appreciate the story more than I expected.
If you’ve already read the book, I still think the movie is worth watching. Just be prepared for a much faster-paced adaptation that focuses almost entirely on Poppy’s journey.
If you haven’t experienced Emily Henry’s ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ yet, consider purchasing it through Bookshop.org. Supporting this link helps sustain independent bookstores and keeps this blog thriving.
Other Posts to Check Out:
Book vs. Movie: Project Hail Mary
Book vs. Movie: Mickey 7 vs. Mickey 17
Book Review: People We Meet on Vacation
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