I thoroughly enjoyed watching this first season with my nephew (11). He just read the books and it was fun for him and I to point out the similarities/differences and why we think they were done that way. With any adaptation there are sacrifices, but the main spirit is there especially in the casted trio. If the next seasons build upon the strong characters and stay as true to the source material, then we have a lot to look forward to! If anything, I hope we get more and longer episodes!
I have kept up with all of Rick's books, and I am extremely hopeful that a whole universe will be kicked off!