Is People We Meet on Vacation Movie (2026) Actually The Best Booktok Book to Screen Adaptation? My Review & Thoughts

The year is already blessed with the best book to screen adaptation aka The People we meet on Vacation Movie!!

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You know the feeling when you read a few pages of a new book and realize it’s a 5 star read already? The same happened with me when I read the book and now right from the first scene of People We Meet on Vacation Movie.

And, the only thing I will say to sum up my review will be its the best book to movie adaptation of 2026 even though we are only on the first month of the year. I know some really good booktok books are being adapted to movies and TV shows but the year already had a kickstart with this one.

What is People We Meet on Vacation Movie About ?

After being forced to share a long car ride to Ohio from college in their freshman year, Poppy and Alex have been the best of friends, even though it was a bumpy start as they are polar opposites. But fast forward to the next 12 years they become best friends who travel the world together. Every year, one vacation together till one summer something happens and everything is changed forever.

But after 2 years of no contact poppy gets the invitation to Alex’s brother’s wedding and they are forced to meet again and probably one last chance to rekindle old flames and maybe fall in love.

This book is tender, old-fashioned, and heart breaking in the most silent manner or we can say classic emily henry manner. It is the book that had everyone on BookTok shedding tears in public and also convincing them to grab a travel buddy and explore the world.

The People We Meet on Vacation movie is based on this book with some slight changes.

My Review on People We Meet on Vacation Movie

Let’s start with the characters, beloved party girl Poppy Wright and Alexander the great Alex Nilsen.

The opening scene of the People We Meet on Vacation Movie focused on poppy, her chaotic fun personality, travelling and doing what she does for a living. It was perfect if you have not read the book and for a romcom movie. But as a reader I was expecting a bit more of a mix of poppy and alex. Maybe a flashback or a present time where we see both of them. Which we did eventually as the main theme and transition of the movie followed the books multiple timeline. In the book we go back and forth of 10 summers and every chapter went from 3 summers ago to this summer.

And I am so happy the People We Meet on Vacation movie also followed this. I also think it would have been better if it was made into a series like the summer i turned pretty. We would have gotten a more detailed summer episode titled each summer with the country and vacations they took.

Now we have the meet cute!! My favorite part of any rom com book and movie, but they changed it? But it’s good??? Not exactly changed it but in the book they met before their first road trip. In their orientation. But it was good either way. We get the perfect chaotic poppy personality. While the calm and collected alex stays shooketh not getting a chance to say a word. Too stunned to speak.

“Your an hour late
Didn’t you say 8ish?? ”

This scene reminded me so much of luke and lorelai and then I slowly realised they are actually very grumpy x sunshine coded. But I thought book alex wasn’t grumpy at all and less calm then he movie alex. Well movie and book have to be different duhh.

The first roadtrip to Linfield Ohio where poppy can’t shut up and we see Alex getting so annoyed and slowly liking her. The beginning of. I loved the fact they kept the hot sauce scene. Telling everything they love and hate.

Also the car road trip scene reminded me of when Harry met Sally and later the motel scene felt exactly like the summer i turned pretty motel scene from season 2. If I didn’t read the book or had no idea about anything I would have said it’s already a 5 star movie for me. The scene, poppy slowly telling why she actually hates Linfield was so pure and beautiful. Then the breakfast scene where they finally became friends and Alex revealed he might love traveling, it was everything.

The 8 summers ago scene was sooo funny and cutee, also reminded me of to all the boys I have loved before. Especially the scheme from the first movie when Lara Jean. The trip by bus, camping, burning marshmallows, art market it was soo pretty. I cant believe they got that huge souvenir statue thingy.

The water taxi part was fun too, we got a peep of fun alex like the. The mcBab Creek camping scene reminded me one of my favorite bollywood movies Yeh Jawani Hey Dewaani. Surprisingly some ofThe themes and tropes gave off the same vibes. Like their trips, the camping scene, destination wedding, yearning of years, ruin the friendship the parallels were so good. 

The way I screamed when genesis started playing. It’s one of my favorite songs and never in a million years did I think they would use this scene. But it made it so much better. Actually each and every song in the movie’s soundtrack is so good and right fitting. Almost all of them describe certain scenes and situations so perfectly. 

The New Orleans scene was soo fun, beautiful and pure. The on theme reference from the book, pretending to be married, the dance and poppy confessing to Alex how she feels about love and showing a more vulnerable side. Also it was one of the first bts pictures I saw and I’ve been obsessed ever since. 

”I am just returning my favor for the norway trip, One of my favorite trips”

Same alex sam. As painful alex looked in the back spasm scene it was one of my favorite scenes of the movie and book along with the transition of poppy getting sick and them missing their norway trip.

Then we have a Taylor Swift song?? As a swiftie if a romcom has a taylor swift song its already a good one. But August? Especially how it goes with the present poppy and alex scene??

Whispers? Are you sure?

Never Have I Ever Beforeee = IMPLYING poppy being unsure yet going to David’s wedding and hoping for one last chance of fixing their friendship

But i can see us lost in the memory – the trip they have taken over the course of a decade, the memories and nostalgia, 

I feel like I’d start a debate saying I didn’t like the two summers ago in the Tuscany scene, it just felt a bit out of place. Didn’t go according to the book, included a major part and changed some things which was the main reason people like me liked it. I don’t wanna say much but this is where I felt disappointed as it was one of my favorite parts of the book and I had better expectations. But the cinematography was beautiful and the only part I liked about this scene. 

Now we have every literature rom com lovers favorite trope, aka angry love confession in the rain, it was a thousand times better with the ruin the friendship trope of 10 years of slow burn and yearning.

The wedding scene was also very beautiful and went so well with the theme. The cinematography made it a lot better. 

“You are not a vacation to me Alex, You are home.”

And the movie is my home with the collection of all my favorite Emily Henry books. I am so happy with the People We Meet on Vacation movie and I am so excited for all the Emily Henry books to screen adaptations!! I just hope all of them are as good as the People We Meet on Vacation Movie.