The books took place in New York, not San Francisco.
Mia's father is not dead.
THIS IS HUGE. He’s alive, and that makes for a lot of strange conflict between the films and books. Also, in the movies, they make him seem like he was such a gem in life, but in the books, he’s like 68% a dick. Still worth a part in the movie.
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Mia ends up with Michael, NOT CHRIS PINE OR WHATEVER.
THIS WAS SO WRONG. Is it nice to see Chris Pine in a movie? Yes. But Mia and Michael are soulmates, and they don’t end up “just being friends.” They belong together, people.
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In the books, it's "Grandmere," not "Grandma."
"Grandmere" is quite harsh and judgmental, not reminiscent of Julie Andrews. Cabot didn’t make the crack at the Disney adaptation in her book for nothing.
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Mean girl Lana's last name is Weinberger, *not* Thomas.
IRL, the ~popular girl~ wouldn’t have a nice-sounding name that doesn’t make you lift an eyebrow. Sigh.
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23 Differences Between "The Princess Diaries" Books And Movies