The big debate of book versus screen adaptation is ever-present and the same holds true for My Life with the Walter Boys. The story began as a novel written by Ali Novak in 2014 (and continued into the recently published second book, My Return to the Walter Boys) and was adapted into a Netflix series nearly a decade later in December 2023. The show quickly skyrocketed, becoming the newest book-to-screen success.
While everyone is busy deciding whether they are Team Cole or Team Alex, fans of the novel are busy picking up on key differences between the written word and the filmed version. Major and minor changes were made in the transition, especially considering it was released 10 years after the book, slightly affecting the storyline but making for an even juicier plot.
To keep you satiated as you await Season 2 of the show, find out what five adjustments were made in the move from the page to the screen.
There are fewer Walter boys in the series
©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
One of the biggest differences between Season 1 and Book 1 is the number of Walter’s children. In the book, there are 11 Walter kids, including two sets of twin boys. In the show, that number is reduced to 10: Will (Johnny Link), twins Cole and Danny (Connor Stanhope), Nathan (Corey Fogelmanis), Alex, Isaac (Isaac Arellanes), Lee (Myles Vincent Perez), Jordan (Dean Petriw), Parker (Alix West Lefler) and 5-year-old Benny (Lennix James).
In the book, however, Jordan is also a twin, making the total count 11 instead of 10. But showrunner Melanie Halsall said the change is noticeable to the readers.
“The TV series takes off a little bit from the book — there are fewer boys in the family, for a start,” Halsall said. “Two of the twin sets became just one, and that’s quite a big change I think people will notice.”
Cole and Jackie’s kiss is earlier in the book
©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
If you binged the series the day it came out in December 2023, you’ll likely remember that you had to wait until the very last episode for Cole and Jackie to finally have their first kiss. But in the book, things unfolded a bit differently.
Novak wrote Jackie and Cole having their first kiss much earlier, taking place during a game of Truth or Dare, where Cole is dared to kiss her and he does. This scene also happens in the show, but the two never kiss. Instead, a drunk Jackie throws up on Cole and they go home.
Other characters are explored further
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Of course, the main storyline in both the book and the show revolves around Jackie’s love triangle with Cole and Alex. But in the series, Halsall was sure to explore the other characters and give a bit of insight into their lives as well.
For example, Katherine (Sarah Rafferty) gets more screen time as the show lets you see what she does for a living as a veterinarian. There is also a deeper dive into her marriage with George (Marc Blucas) and the financial struggles they face as parents to 10 kids.
Tara is not a book character
Tara, the high school guidance counselor and best friend to Will’s fiancée, Haley, didn’t exist in the books. On the show, however, she was given a fairly detailed storyline, showing the friendship and her blossoming romance with co-worker Nikil. Although that one didn’t exactly work out, the final episode shows Tara crushing on Jackie’s Uncle Richard, leaving room for more exploration of that in Season 2.
Cole and Alex get equal airtime
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
For any Cole fans out there, you might enjoy the book more seeing that it mostly focuses on the older brother. But for the show, Halsall made minor changes to even out the playing field between the two. The showrunner added bits to Alex’s character to make him more well-rounded and the choice between the brothers less obvious.
“We wanted to make sure that both boys have equal weighting,” Novak says. “And I think there is so much more to this story than just the love triangle.”