Dexter (season one)

I couldn't make up my mind on this book. It was good at drawing me in, moving along the plot. But in places it seemed like it was written by a 4th-grader. I'm not sure if we are supposed to feel sympathy for Dexter, but his 'Code' is somewhat admirable.

There are some major differences between the book (book #1 in an 8-part series) and the first season of the television show. In the book, the character of LaGuerta dies in the book, but lives in the series. Also, LaGuerta is a much more sympathetic character on TV. The book has her as basically a bumbling kiss-ass. She makes mistake in the adaptation, but in the end, she is moral and sharp.

Another major difference is that the TV show kills off Dexter's brother at the end of the first season. In the book, Dexter allows him to escape. Also, on TV, the brother dates Debra, Dexter's sister. This made the plot much more interesting. However, the novel is very short, basically a novella, so it makes sense that plot points had to be added for a 12-episode season.

Dexter's girlfriend is a much richer character on the television show. And her determination to no longer play the victim is admirable.