That Controversial 'Off Campus' Book Change Makes For A Better Show

"In Kennedy's first Off Campus novel, the pair's third-act breakup happens under false pretenses. Hannah tells Garrett she wants to see other people, when in reality, his dad forced her to walk away, or else he'd cut off his son financially. Garrett (correctly) intuits that Hannah is not being truthful about wanting to end things. So he spreads word that no one else is to date her - explaining, once Hannah finds out, that he knew she'd regret being with anyone else and wanted to "spare [her] all that pain and suffering.""

"On screen, Garrett ends things for real - he fears that he's like his dad, and thus all wrong for Hannah - and doesn't make up any kind of hands-off rule, even though a rumor that he'll beat up potential suitors spreads anyway. "I never said any of that ... I would never tell anyone to stay away from you," he says. "You should be with whoever you want to be with.""

"It's a big departure, but a worthwhile one. In both the book and the series, Hannah is upset when Garrett attacks a hockey opponent connected to the trauma she's been working through since high school. Seeing Garrett lash out and put his hockey career on the line - even for a valiant reason - reminds her of the way her family was impacted by standing by her side as a teen. For Garrett to use brute force (or the threat of it) a second time by enacting the hands-off l"

The screen adaptation removes Garrett’s “hands-off law” from the original story. In the novel, Hannah claims she wants to see other people, but Garrett learns her father forced the breakup through financial threats. Garrett then spreads a rule that no one should date Hannah, framing it as sparing her from pain. In the series, Garrett ends things for real because he fears he is like his father and is wrong for Hannah. He does not create a hands-off rule, even as rumors spread that he will beat potential suitors. Hannah’s reaction to Garrett attacking a hockey opponent remains tied to her trauma and family history, reinforcing their emotional connection.

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