Why 'People We Meet on Vacation' Should Have Stayed a Book
Emily Henry's celebrated novel People We Meet on Vacation presents readers with the timeless friends-to-lovers trope, but elevates it through a deeply nuanced exploration of friendship, interiority, and emotional accumulation. The story follows Alex and Poppy, two polar opposites whose decade-long friendship gradually blossoms into a yearning romance filled with road trips, second chances, and slow-burn chemistry.
The Foundation of Friendship
At its core, the novel understands that romance built on friendship feels earned rather than contrived. Poppy, a vibrant travel journalist, embodies wanderlust and curiosity, while Alex is restrained, ethical, and shaped by responsibility. Their contrasting personalities—Poppy's loud desire versus Alex's quiet stability—create a dynamic where love develops organically through shared experiences.
The friendship between Alex and Poppy is not merely a prelude to romance; it is the emotional infrastructure upon which their entire relationship rests. Through back-and-forth narratives across summers, readers witness their growth, retreats, and the accumulation of small intimacies: inside jokes, shared silences, and moments of vulnerability. This gradual build-up makes the eventual romantic realization feel inevitable rather than like a plot twist.
Where the Film Adaptation Falls Short
The movie adaptation, unfortunately, fails to capture the emotional depth that makes the novel so compelling. By rushing from meet-cute to vacation buddies to misunderstandings and reconciliation, the film overlooks the decade-long history that defines Alex and Poppy's connection. What gets lost is the nuanced portrayal of their contrasting upbringings—Alex's early responsibility after family tragedy and Poppy's noisy yet lonely childhood—which explains their adult behaviors and desires.
Without this foundational friendship, the film struggles to convey why these characters belong together. The shared history, awkward in-betweens, and supporting characters like Rachel (Poppy's friend who acts as a mirror and catalyst) are largely absent, diminishing the story's emotional resonance.
Exploring Loneliness and Millennial Ennui
Beneath the fun summers and romantic tension, People We Meet on Vacation quietly addresses themes of loneliness and millennial dissatisfaction. Poppy's restlessness and compulsive movement reflect a refusal to confront her inner emptiness, while Alex's careful actions stem from similar feelings of isolation. Their summer trips become temporary havens where they can be vulnerable and find relief from loneliness.
The novel also engages with millennial ennui—the exhaustion that persists even after achieving professional success. Poppy's Instagrammable life and dream job leave her profoundly unsatisfied, highlighting the gap between expectations and reality. This emotional depth is what the film adaptation misses, reducing complex characters to superficial rom-com archetypes.
The Power of Slow-Burn Storytelling
Emily Henry's masterful use of slow-burn romance allows chemistry to build through repetition rather than grand gestures. The "Shark Jumping" game Poppy plays with her brothers symbolizes the novel's playful yet meaningful tone, emphasizing storytelling and truth. Ultimately, the book invites readers to reflect on what they are running toward or away from in their own lives.
By choosing each other, leaving, returning, and finally taking that long-awaited vacation together, Alex and Poppy demonstrate that intimacy grows from consistently showing up. This emotional accumulation is why People We Meet on Vacation resonates so deeply as a novel—and why it should have remained one.
