Every Year After Show vs Book Every Summer After: Difference

Fans of Carly Fortune’s beloved book Every Summer After may notice some changes to the storyline of Prime Video’s drama Every Year After.

The story begins with Percy (Sadie Sauveall) returning to Barry’s Bay after learning of the death of his ex-Sam’s (Matt Cornett) mother and dealing with his feelings for his ex-lover. Both the show and the book are set in dual timelines and begin to unravel what went wrong with Percy and Sam’s past romance, and how his brother Charlie (Michael Bradway) plays a role in the aftermath.

Although there have been some changes to the storyline (keep reading for a breakdown of the biggest moments), the cast of Every Year After ensured that the essence of the book remained the same.

“I think there’s not much that changes and a lot that’s added. But I think we get the actual gist of the book and the love story. I think the themes and tone are all the same,” Aurora Perrineau, who plays Percy’s friend Chantal in the series, told us exclusively.

Scroll down to see more of the biggest changes to the show and books.

Sam doesn’t know about Charlie and Percy’s past

Perhaps Page’s biggest change for the film adaptation is that Sam doesn’t know about Percy’s past one-night stands with Charlie. Percy does not believe that Sam knows the truth in the book, but later admits that Charlie told him.

“When I was writing the book, I knew from the beginning why Percy and Sam had a falling out, but it wasn’t until I started writing the scenes where Sam and Percy confronted each other that I realized that Sam had been known for so long,” Fortune explained in an exclusive interview with Us. “It felt so heartbreaking and beautiful and sad even though it had been so many years. So he spent a lot of time grappling with it.”

However, in the series, viewers will witness a heartbreaking scene in which Percy informs Sam of his brief encounter with Charlie, throwing an even deeper wedge into their current relationship.

“I think what was important for Amy was to show Sam’s reaction to the news. You want to see things on TV. You want to see him face this,” Fortune said. “In the second season, we’ll be spending time with Sam while he’s still grappling with this information. I think that makes for good drama on screen. I could definitely see that.”

The Tavern of It All

Apart from Percy and Sam’s second love story, another major storyline in the series revolves around Sue (Elisha Cuthbert) leaving the tavern shop to an unexpected person. The brothers believe the restaurant is bequeathed to them (Charlie also plans to sell the tavern to Delilah, played by Abigail Cowen), but a reading of the will reveals Percy as the new owner.

“I was really shocked that Percy got a bar. It took my breath away. I wasn’t expecting that,” Fortune said of the change. “When I was reading the script, it felt like the episode was going to end with that reveal, and there was no next script. I remember writing a letter to[showrunner]Amy[B. Harris]and saying, ‘What’s going to happen?'” That was a huge shock to me. ”

Although initially surprised, Fortune explained that the change “made a lot of sense” to turn the book into a show.

“It creates a lot of tension in Sam and Charlie and Percy’s relationships,” she said. “So I could see why that made sense for this version of the story.”

Despite initially not wanting to become the new owner of the tavern, Percy eventually decides to keep the tavern and renovates the restaurant. In Every Summer After, none of these events unfold.

Chantal and Geordi’s romance

Although the story primarily revolves around Sam and Percy, viewers will also learn more about the stories of other characters and the romance that develops between them. Percy’s friend Chantal (Perrineau) is initially engaged, but eventually breaks off the relationship and pursues a relationship with Sam’s friend Geordi (Joseph Chiu).

“I think the expansion of the character was important to the longevity of the show. It just gave the character more of an outlet. For Percy to have someone who’s like a rock to come to Barry’s Bay with, as opposed to just talking on the phone, I think is really the biggest change for Chantal in this book,” Perrineau exclusively told us. “But yeah, I think it’s important to be more involved in Sam’s best friend’s life while he’s going through these things.”

In this book, Chantal does not come to Barry’s Bay. Therefore, he does not pursue a romance with Geordie.

Delilah’s Teenage Pregnancy and Abortion

Another story line that affects the main characters is Delilah’s unexpected pregnancy as a teenager and her abortion after learning the news. There is nothing like that in this book.

Suggestion (and lack thereof)

Readers of the book know that Sam is about to propose to Percy when they are young, but that doesn’t happen in the drama. Instead, Percy finds a ring for Sam’s girlfriend, Taylor (Loan Curtis). However, Sam does not accept the proposal and eventually breaks up with Taylor.

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charlie cliffhanger

The book ends with Sam, Percy, and Charlie scattering Sue’s ashes, but the show quickly moves into Charlie’s story. In one of the final scenes, Charlie is seen seemingly suffering from a health emergency after discovering a photo of the three of them displayed in his office. Fans of Fortune’s novels know that this photo was taken by Alice, Charlie’s girlfriend in The Golden Summer.

“I would really like to see a second season of this show. I think it makes a lot of sense because they’re not there yet and Sam is still figuring out what happened,” Fortune said of the ending. “I love that the show ends with a very clear set-up to lead ‘One Golden Summer’ into its second season. That’s what I’m most looking forward to.”

“Every Year After” is available on Prime Video.