Orange is the new black - Piper Kerman

Before you read this book (and I recommend that you should), you need to forget all about the TV show. Don’t be expecting Alex Vause to appear in a washing machine with her long black hair and glasses. Don’t expect Lorna Morello’s complicated love life to crop up. Just don’t expect most of the things from the TV show to be also in the book. But if you haven’t seen the TV show then lucky you.

The problem I have with books based on films or TV shows is that I compare them too much. The Orange is the new black TV show is very over dramatic, there are some similar characters in the book but in the TV show they are exaggerated. The TV show also concentrates heavily on lesbian relationships and sex in prison, whereas there is no mention of this in the book. So it annoyed me a bit that the TV show changed most of the true story. Despite this I’ll still watch it when it comes out and can’t wait.

The book is very much about Piper Kerman and doesn't focus a lot of other characters. It’s more about her feelings and emotions throughout prison and how she manages to mentally cope with it, rather than her physical experiences. There are often some quite spiritual parts when she talks about yoga and towards the end of the book where she summarises how prison will always be a part of her life. I love how she describes how she learnt more about herself and even changed whilst she was at prison, despite her short sentence. It’s quite sad in parts when she talks about missing important parts of her life that are happening at home.

I think however it did get slightly repetitive, which could have been a symbol of how prison life is, but it was slightly dull in those parts. I think there should have been more of a focus on her and Larry’s relationship whilst she was at prison.

But it was a New York Times Bestseller and I can’t think of another negative point to make. Maybe the fact that I wish it was longer because I read it way too quickly. 

Sophie x