Brand new Netflix series Pieces of Her arrived on the streamer today, with the likes of Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, Omari Hardwick and Jessica Barden starring in this eight part thriller.
The show opens up with Laura Oliver (Collette) and her daughter Andy (Heathcote) celebrating the latter’s 30th birthday in a diner when a man walks in and begins firing on the customers. When Laura intervenes and eliminates the threat, her dark past soon comes back to haunt her and Andy begins to learn that her mother isn’t who she says she is.
If you’ve already started watching the series, you may be wondering whether Pieces of Her is based on a book and if so, how does it differ from the source material? Well you’re in luck as we have all the answers for you.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Pieces of Her book, including how to buy it.
Is Pieces of Her based on a book?
Yes – Pieces of Her is based on Karin Slaughter’s novel of the same name, which was published back in 2018.
The book, which received positive reviews at the time, differs slightly to the plot of the Netflix series, with the novel beginning with Andy celebrating her 31st birthday (and not her 30th as is shown in the series).
As Andy and her mother Laura are celebrating her birth in a diner, a mentally ill man comes into the restaurant with a gun and kills his former girlfriend and her mother before Laura confronts him. He tries to stab her but he blocks it with her hand before appearing to intentionally kill him.
You can buy Karin Slaughter’s Pieces of Her on Amazon.
How does the book differ from the series?
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**Spoilers ahead for both Karin Slaughter’s Pieces of Her and the Netflix adaptation**
There are a few subtle differences between the book and the series – for example, the woman who kills Martin Queller is named Laura Juneau in the book, while in the series she is called Grace Juno.
Laura/Jane’s backstory in the book is also different in that she is raped, beaten and belittled by her father throughout her childhood, whereas this plot point is left out of the TV series.
As for Andrew’s death, in the series, he dies after Nick refuses to take him to the hospital to treat a gunshot wound he suffered whilst running from the police. However, in the book, Andrew is diagnosed with AIDS and dies as Nick won’t take him to hospital. Nick gives Jane an ultimatum – to take care of Andrew or stay with Nick, but she chooses Andrew and Nick almost kills her as a result. She then takes Andrew to hospital for treatment and confesses to her crimes, stopping the group from detonating a bomb as a result.
The TV show also deviates massively from the book’s ending, which sees Jane’s nemesis in the cult Paula Kunde shoot and kidnap Andy before her mother comes to her rescue. In the Netflix series, Paula Kunde plays a much smaller role in the storyline, with the former cult member serving time in jail for her crimes. Andy goes to visit her in prison to find out more about her mother early on in the show, but that is the last we see of her. It ends up being Nick, Andy’s father and the former head of the cult, who kidnaps Andy in the drama.
Pieces of Her arrives on Netflix on 4th March. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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