Category: Book to Movie Reviews

Excellent Adaptations: Crazy Rich Asians (with Book Review) + To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Posted August 23, 2018 / Book Reviews, Book to Movie Reviews / 6 Comments
Excellent Adaptations: Crazy Rich Asians (with Book Review) + To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

I have been #blessed with some amazing movie adaptations lately. Both involve Asian or Asian American casts and/or main characters, which provides some excellent representation, and both are amazing romantic comedies. I’ve already reviewed To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on the blog (and the sequels here and here), so I won’t review it again, but I will be sharing my book review for Crazy Rich Asians as well since I haven’t yet. Crazy Rich Asians   Thoughts on the movie: Phew, this movie was a whirlwind. I took Chris to see it because I was sure he would love it, and I happened to be right! The man who doesn’t like rom-coms was totally smitten with this movie. We were in a super packed theater on a Tuesday night and it was made up of probably 80% Asian patrons. He thought it was really powerful to share the experience and laugh about some of the cultural pieces with other people. (REPRESENTATION IS SO NECESSARY.) I can’t speak too much about his experience, but those were some points he hammered home for the rest of the night. He thought the movie was well-done, funny, and deeper than a “normal rom-com.” I kept getting slightly annoyed when things differed from the book, but it truly didn’t ruin my experience of the movie at all. The biggest differences I noticed were with the ending and with Peik Lin’s family. Her personality (and her family overall) was kicked up about 100 notches. I […]

Book and Movie Review: Me Before You

Book and Movie Review: Me Before You

On the book So, I’m surprised to say I had kind of mixed feelings upon finishing this book. I fully expected to bawl my eyes out. Honestly on any other day I might have, but I had an extremely emotional day for some other reasons and maybe by brain was too tired to cry more. In any case, big surprise. My Goodreads review sums up everything perfectly to get things started: It’s been an extremely emotional day for me in general and tears have come easily for other reasons… So I have to say I’m utterly baffled by the fact that this book didn’t make me cry. At all. I loved the slow burn, banter-filled story because that is my JAM. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the characters, but am kind of underwhelmed by the ending? I think that, as usual, because it’s an all-time favorite of some people, I just held it to too high of a standard. I am suuuuuper ready for the movie this weekend! Soooo kinda mixed feelings although not really because I liked it a lot?? I’m going to break it down in a few different ways so fully explain my feelings. I liked the vast majority of things about this book, but there are some that left a bit to be desired for me. Characters and romance I LOVED both Will and Lou. Their story was amazingly slow-burn and full of banter. The whole hate (at least on one side) to love trope is […]

Book to Movie Review: The Scorch Trials

Posted October 10, 2015 / Book to Movie Reviews / 6 Comments
Book to Movie Review: The Scorch Trials

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 […]

Book to Movie Review: If I Stay

Posted March 14, 2015 / Book to Movie Reviews / 5 Comments
Book to Movie Review: If I Stay

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 […]

Book to Movie Review: The Maze Runner

Posted January 16, 2015 / Book to Movie Reviews / 7 Comments
Book to Movie Review: The Maze Runner

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 […]

Book to Movie Review: Gone Girl

Posted October 17, 2014 / Book to Movie Reviews / 11 Comments
Book to Movie Review: Gone Girl

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 […]