“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Season 2 was released on December 10, 2025, and, much like the first season, fans immediately started comparing it to the books. Based on “The Sea of Monsters,” by Rick Riordan, the series raises the same questions: can the books ever beat the original? And is it better to experience a story by reading or watching it?
In my opinion, the Percy Jackson books work because the reader is inside Percy’s mind the whole time. One does not just see what he does, but also the thoughts behind these actions. Through the access to the character’s thoughts, one can clearly and easily shape how one feels about him. Although the series is closer to the books than the older movie adaptations. Riordian himself acknowledges that adaptations often involve trade-offs. Translating a book into a show “is always going to be a compromise,” according to Goodreads. Explaining why some fans still feel certain moments from the book are missing or different in the series. At the same time, the series brings creatures, gods, monsters and battles to life — things that only used to exist in one’s imagination. Personally, I find the books better because even though the show offers sight that can only take the characters themselves so far.
This debate is not unique to the Percy Jackson series. Many books read by students at Poly Prep have been made into movies or TV shows.
The “Harry Potter” movies are some of the most popular and widely-acknowledged classics. For many people, Hogwarts existed on a screen before it ever did in a book. But readers often say important details were left out, and certain aspects, even the characters, feel more developed in the books. For example, many readers felt characters such as Ronald (Ron) and Ginny Weasley were more complex in the books than in the movies.
“The Hunger Games” is another popular book series turned into movies. According to Goodreads, “The Hunger Games” is number two on the book-made-into-really-good-movies list. Deeming it one of the better book-to-film transitions. Still, many readers believe the books are better. The leading heroine, Katniss Everdeen, is 16 and lives in a society where one boy and one girl are chosen to compete in the “Hunger Games,” a televised fight to the death. Everdeen’s thoughts shape her actions and choices much like Percy Jackson, and the reader can understand all her fears and reasoning. Without her inner voice, she feels more distant and colder than the character is meant to feel. The movies are still made well, but it still feels slightly different.
The “How to Train Your Dragon” series, released in 2010 by Cressida Cowell, shows that a movie can be very different from a book and still be loved. Protagonist Hiccup Haddock is a Viking who struggles to fit into his village, where everyone despises dragons. He goes against his village’s beliefs and forms an unexpected bond with a dragon named Toothless. The film focuses more on Haddock’s growth, while the series leans more into the humor of it all. They tell very similar stories in completely different ways, but many will agree that both are just as enjoyable.
Based on “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery, “Anne with an E” is an example of how older books can incorporate modern views to appeal to newer generations and remain successful. The books follow Anne Shirley, an imaginative orphan who is sent to live with siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. The Netflix series keeps the basic storyline but expands on deeper themes. According to an interview orchestrated by Collider, Showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett explains the incorporation of these themes, “The conversations in the world that pertain to Anne, I should say. Conversations like feminism, bullying, gender parity and equality and prejudice against those who come from away, and it felt incredibly timely.” Which reflects themes modern viewers, including myself, can easily connect with.
So, why does this debate never really end? It depends on what people value in a story. Those who like in-depth descriptions and being inside a character’s mind often find books much more meaningful. Those drawn more to visual action and fast-paced storytelling might believe movies or shows are stronger. I find books better because they stay with me longer than any adaptation ever has; they seem to pass by because you know a new one will come. One that still won’t compare. In the end, neither is necessarily better; they just offer very different experiences.
