best and worst: book adaptations

Hello, friends!

In honor of having finished The Summer I Turned Pretty fairly recently, I thought I should do a post about my favorite and least-favorite book adaptations – including to movie and TV. I read only the first book from TSITP, and I don’t have that many memories to judge if it was a good adaptation or not, but I certainly have a lot of feelings about some other ones.

BEST

Of course I have to start with Miss HEARTSTOPPER. This show is so good on its own, but as an adaptation, it’s even better. I love the fact that they were able to expand on relationships we see very little of in the comics, such as Tara x Darcy and Elle x Tao. PLUS, THE SOUNDTRACK!!!!!!! I will never shut up about this soundtrack, I’m sorry. It’s literally art.

Speaking of amazing soundtracks, we have to talk about TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE. I still remember when I was disappointed that Noah Centineo was casted as Peter K and now I can’t imagine a better fit. They captured the essence of the books so well, while still delivering something different enough that it feels unique on its own. Also, the scenes when Lara Jean is alone in her room and the boys show up as her inner monologue????? Royalty behavior.

I will not hear any LOVE, SIMON slander because this movie means too much to me, ok? I cry my eyeballs off every time I watch it and it really is one of the sweetest rom-coms ever. I remember not really enjoying the book and thinking it was very much meh. So when the movie came out, I didn’t care much for it, but my friends dragged me to theaters and I’m so glad they did because I was the one who loved it the most lol.

Another book I didn’t enjoy (because it was fatphobic as hell, hello) is EVERY DAY. But the movie was actually inclusive and diverse and everything the book should’ve been!!!!! It’s such a heartwarming one and I definitely feel like it deserves more hype. (Bonus: the soundtrack is really great too!!!!! Go listen to it!!!!!)

WORST

Let’s start with a classic, shall we? While I don’t think this is a bad movie and I was heavily entertained while watching The Lightning Thief (it was actually through the movie that I found out about the books), we can not deny it is a terrible adaptation. SEA OF MONSTERS, however, it’s both a bad movie and a bad adaptation. I cringe every time I think about it – the cast, the crappy CGI and Alexandra Daddario randomly having blonde hair for the sequel LMAOOOOO.

Having read (and not enjoyed) IF I STAY, I don’t know how much I can argue that the adaptation is better. Maybe the movie is bad because the book is too, you know? But what really annoys me in this movie is the amount of CGI. Plus, couldn’t they have toned down the slut-shaming for a sec? Jesus. I also don’t think Chloe Grace Moretz had the acting range to make me care for Mia that much. The songs by Shooting Star do slap, though.

I have actually read the Pretty Little Liars books and SARA SHEPARD WAS DOING IT OKAY. She was doing it like none other. The TV show then went along with all the inappropriate relationships and weird power imbalances, but a lot of the creepy characters actually die in the books. Also, the -A resolution is much better and less convoluted in the books.

Lastly, we have to talk about the travesty that is MAZE RUNNER: DEATH CURE. Is it true that I watched it on release date, while crying all over my pop corn and I am very very very very thankful to the cast for actually giving us this final installment, despite all the production issues. But oh my God this was terrible as an adaptation. They changed the whole plot, it became a chosen one plot for some reason and THE ENDGAME SHIP WAS NOT ENDGAME IN THE MOVIES?????/ Besties, this makes me so mad to this day I can’t even lol.

What is your favorite book to movie adaptation? Do you have a least favorite? Let me know in the comments!