My Thoughts on Adaptations
Welcome back to another post! I’m excited for this one, because today I’ll be talking (more like yapping) about book adaptations! More specifically, my favorite ones, ones I’d like to see, and some that aren’t my favorite.
I think my favorite one would be The Hunger Games movies. The essence of the books were captured so well and the setting was immaculate. I do wish Peeta had more sass like he did in the books, but I still really enjoyed it. I read The Hunger Games for the first time in the fifth grade, in 2019. I went as Katniss that year for Halloween (it was more like a medieval huntress but it's the effort that counts). It was one of the first books that were more young adult than middle grade so it was a bit confusing, but nonetheless I loved it. I reread it in middle school and my obsession was only reignited.
We all knew the second one I would mention would be Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It was surreal seeing the books come to life. There were some things that I wish were different, such as the pacing and the fact that the gang just knew all the obstacles before they were in trouble, but overall I loved it. I’m so excited for season two. The first time I heard of Percy Jackson, I think I was in third grade and my mom wanted to put on the audiobook, and I hate audiobooks (I’m sorry, I have ADHD and cannot focus on them). Because of that, I adamantly refused to like it. But, of course, I listened because it was awesome (although I’d never admit that to my mom at the time) and I ended up reading the physical copy a month or two later. That sucked me into the Rick Riordan rabbit hole. During the pandemic, I reread the entire series (Percy Jackson and then Heroes of Olympus).
Shadow and Bone is high up there as well. I’m so mad they cancelled it. I need more of the crows and Alina’s gang. I love them so much. The characters were casted perfectly and embodied their roles. Their off-screen interactions were so funny and sweet. I read the Six of Crows duology first, in seventh grade, completely unaware that it was part of a larger saga. When I discovered that, I read the Shadow and Bone trilogy. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would, compared to the SOC. I really liked the way Leigh Bardugo wrote SOC and I was hoping for something similar to it in SAB. I ended up getting bored halfway through the second book. I ended up loving how Alina’s story was written in the show, and I liked it a lot more than the book (shocker).
Next up, adaptations I’m looking forward to! Number one is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. I love murder mysteries, and this series stole my heart. I don’t have the streaming platform it will be on, but I guess that’s a sign to get it. I’m looking forward to (in a nervous, scared way) to the new Harry Potter HBO reboot. Its so early to remake the original movies. Let the movies be a classic for a few more decades. Speaking of, the Harry Potter books were what got me into reading. I started reading them with my parents at around six or seven, and ended up finishing the series, reading independently by the time I was eleven. It’s such a big part of my childhood (note: I do not support JKR’s homophobic/transphobic views. She’s disgusting) yet there were so many plot points and character arcs they could have done much better (ahem: Ginny and Ron). Nonetheless, I still enjoy the movies, despite its flaws. Hogwarts was my childhood.
I appreciate you listening to me go on and obsess over my favorite books (you’re a real one). Thank you for reading and see you next week!
