The Basics The Scorch Trials by James Dashner Read my review of the book here. True to Book:  Casting:  Enjoyability:  Overall Score:  Goodreads Book Plot Summary: Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch. There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die. The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them. Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off. There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive. My Thoughts This was a really action-packed and entertaining movie. I certainly enjoyed watching it in a dine-in theater with a milkshake in front of me, but it was nothing like the book. Surprise, surprise. True to the Book I sort of LOL when I think about this category. These movies are really just so not like the books at all. I don’t even know where to begin and I won’t bother listing how different they are (I already did that for the Maze Runner adaptation). It’s funny because I remember talking about how boring the book was, but this movie had a lot of action and running around. There’s not a lot of similarity between the books and […]

If I Stay by Gayle Forman Read my review of the book here. True to Book:  Casting:  Enjoyability:  Overall Score:  Goodreads Book Plot Summary: Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind? Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters. If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make. This was such a great adaptation! I’m super impressed overall. I think there were a few areas where it could have been better, but definitely nothing major. I totally cried on numerous occasions. True to the Book I can’t give this aspect a full five stars for some reason, but this was really spot-on to the book. (As far as I can remember!)  I actually didn’t like the book as much as I had hoped, but knew it had the potential to be a great movie. I’m trying to think of actual places where the book and the movie diverged, but there aren’t too many. The only thing that bugged me a bit was that the movie was focused mostly on Adam. It showed why she should stay a little more than why she should go. I feel like one thing the book did […]

The Maze Runner by James Dashner Read my review of the book here. True to Book:  Casting:  Enjoyability:  Overall Score:  Goodreads Book Plot Summary: If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human. When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone. Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade. Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive. Everything is going to change. Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. Remember. Survive. Run. I’m not happy. Aside from the general outline of the plot, this was nothing like the book. The way events transpired was just…not the same. I’m okay with creative liberties being taken when needed, but it just makes a movie very hard to watch when you’re literally taking notes on what is different from the book. Be cautious with reading this review if you haven’t read the book yet. Mild spoilers ahead. True to the Book Just no. Not at all. Some things may seem nitpicky, but I really wanted to record everything so that I could show just how many differences there were. Here are all the ways (that I could remember!) the movie failed compared to the book: Movie: Thomas didn’t remember his name until he randomly starts fighting with Galley. Book: Galley and him didn’t tussle […]

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Read my review of the Gone Girl book here. True to Book:  Casting:  Enjoyability:  Overall Score:  On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media–as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents–the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter–but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? Wow! That movie did not disappoint. Overall, I think the adaptation did a great job of choosing the important characters and parts of the book and consolidating it into a manageable timeframe. It missed a few people and made Nick seem like a hero more than it should have, but otherwise […]