I was rereading the Coco novelization and there’s an odd detail I noticed- while Elena is referred to as Miguel’s Abuela, her husband Franco isn’t referred to as his Abuelo, just Papá Franco

I read the Coco novelization and I must say I loved it! I especially liked the chapters about the Rivera family past, like about Coco dancing secretly and her meeting Julio and stuff like that. Pepita was present throughout the story as a cat in the Land of the Living, which I thought was a nice touch, because she’s supposed to be a spirit guide whose job is to be there for the person it guides. 

There were some parts that expanded the scenes in the movie, like when the Riveras looked for Miguel. In the novelization they went to Shantytown, and to Frida’s studio (where Rosita and Victoria learned to operate backstage equipment, a skill they later use to record Ernesto’s confession. I mean in the movie, they just randomly know how to do that.) 

Hector, my poor Hector. They mention some of his schemes to get across the Marygold Bridge, and Miguel thought he was “falling apart emotionally and physically”, and he just can’t catch a break to the very end of the book (well, like in the movie). As for Imelda, her story was full of pain too. It was always mentioned how music brought her pain, and it was just unbearable imagining how much she must’ve hurt all these years while alive and dead, but had no other option but to be strong and bear it. She was so eager to feel regret and forgive Hector in the end. There was a lot of insight into her emotional state and thoughts when she learned about what really happened to Hector, and after that scene when she sang for Miguel. 

I must admit that I cried again reading two scenes, just like in the movie: The scene in the cave Miguel and Hector got tossed into, and that whole scene with Coco and Miguel in the end T_T These scenes, I just can’t...

Too bad they didn’t explain why Coco never put up Hector’s photo if she had it all this time. I guess because of the ban. But it was so cute when she compared baby Miguel to her father, and when she sang to him, despite the music ban! 

HA

The first picture also took place in the movie, but the other two didn't.

I know a lot of people headcanon Miguel looking a lot like Héctor when he grows up, but I think this - the fact that Coco confuses Miguel for Julio, whom she may have known as a boy, and how Rosita and Julio remark on his resemblance to the latter - is proof that Miguel actually looks quite like his great-grandfather.