26 ways Netflix's 'Dash and Lily' is totally different from the book

Erin AjelloNov 10, 2020, 20:26 IST

Netflix's "Dash and Lily" debuted on Tuesday.Photo courtesy of Netflix

Netflix's romantic holiday series "Dash and Lily" premiered on Tuesday.
The show is based on Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's novel "Dash and Lily's Book of Dares."
Many of the dares and subplots are totally different in the book.
Unlike on the show, the book's ending involves police officers and a giant dog.
The show also gives Edgar and Sofia much bigger roles.

Netflix's holiday rom-com series "Dash and Lily" debuted on Tuesday, but its source material has been out for a decade.

Starring Austin Abrams and Midori Francis as Dash and Lily, respectively, the series is based on Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's 2010 novel "Dash and Lily's Book of Dares."

Although the show kept the fun tone of the book and its perspective-switching format, it changed some main plotlines, character arcs, and other details.

Read on to learn about the major ways the series is different from the book.

Warning: Spoilers for the show and book ahead.

The original Strand dare and message didn't involve Christmas or singing.

Austin Abrams as Dash. Netflix

Lily and Dash are younger in the book.

Lily and Dash at Priya's holiday party. Netflix

The book's timeline is a bit more sped up.

The show slowly builds up to Christmas, but the book doesn't. Netflix

Lily's caroling group has different members in the book.

But some of the characters remain the same. Netflix

In the book, Dash asks Lily to see a movie she hates as a dare.

"Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" appears in the book and on the show. Netflix

Lily enjoys baking in the book but she isn't shown baking on the show.

Dash makes mochi, though. Netflix

Boomer meets Lily quite a bit later in the book.

Lily and Boomer spoke at the pizzeria. Netflix

Lily doesn't make her own clothing in the book.

Lily's style is colorful and unique in both the show and the book. Netflix

The red boots have a different backstory in the book.

The boots play a larger role on the show. Netflix

In the book, Dash doesn't see "Collation" alone.

"Collation" is a fictional movie within the show and book. Netflix

The dares in the book send Dash to more than one tourist attraction.

On the show and in the book, Dash was sent to Macy's. Netflix

Dash's dream of owning a specific book is completely cut from the show.

In the book, Dash often speaks about the Oxford English Dictionary. Netflix

The show never mentions Lily's cruel nickname, which is heavily featured in the book.

In the books, people call her "Shrilly." Netflix

Snarl was a larger part of the book.

Snarl got left behind in the book. Netflix

Lily's grandfather doesn't have a cat on the show.

In the book, Lily's grandfather has a cat named Grunt. Netflix

Dash never spends time with his dad in the book.

On the show, Dash got dinner with his dad and his dad's girlfriend. Netflix

Lily's nightmare sequence only happens on the show.

Lily's nightmare involves laughter and masks. Netflix

The first time Lily and Edgar run into each other in the book isn't at the Hanukkah party.

Edgar has a smaller role in the book. Netflix

Dash and Lily don't meet at Priya's party in the book.

On the show, Lily attended Priya's party with Edgar. Netflix

Sofia doesn't try to get back together with Dash in the book.

Austin Abrams and Keana Marie on "Dash and Lily." Netflix

Edgar and Lily never kiss in the book.

On the show, Edgar and Lily kiss in a bar. Netflix

Dash and Boomer don't have a big argument in the book.

There's no concert in the book. Netflix

The ManhattanMommies app in the show is an altered version of a mommy blog from the book, which posts about Dash.

The book also has a mom-centric sort of group. Netflix

In the book, Lily saves a baby's life and ends up in police custody with Dash.

On the show, Lily's family surprises her by coming home. Netflix

In the book, Lily's dream of getting a dog comes true.

In the book, Lily really wants a pet. Netflix

Dash and Lily's New Year's Eve date goes differently in the book.

On the show, their romantic date is in The Strand and involves snacks and ornaments. Netflix

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