As a complete book nerd, I get a large sense of excitement and dread every time I hear that a book that I love is being made into a movie. Book-to-movie adaptations are either the best or the worst. There is absolutely no in between. Here are the best of the best young adult book-to-movie adaptations:
7. Harry Potter series
I have never been much of a Harry Potter person, but I have to admit that the world that the filmmakers involved in this series really made a fantasy world come alive in a way that’s truly incredible. They’ve turned the childhood stories of a generation into a reality on-screen. The theme park in Florida based off of the films also helped to make this world feel incredibly realistic. There’s a lot of movies, but they’re definitely worth marathoning.
6. Thirteen Reasons Why
Although this technically wasn’t a movie and was actually a Netflix series, it still deserves some recognition. I absolutely hated the book version of Thirteen Reasons Why. To me, it had the potential to have a great impact on the ways that teens interact with one another, but failed to follow through with the moral of the story. Instead, the book made me constantly annoyed with Hannah and made me question if her reasons were really all that valid. It was a single-perspective catastrophe. The series completely changed my opinion on the series. It really showed the impact that Hannah’s decision made on every single person that knew her and really drove home the message that Jay Asher missed the mark within the book. Definitely worth binge-watching this series before Season 2 comes out.
5. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
This movie was vastly crapped on by the masses, but remains one of my favorites. I enjoyed the book and thought that it wasn’t bad, but seeing this movie brought everything to life and made me love the world that Cassandra Clare created. The cast was perfect and absolutely spot on across the board (especially Simon). I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the entirety of the movie, even though I already knew everything that was going to happen. The tv show made afterward in lieu of a sequel is not worth any of your time, but this movie is definitely worth watching.
4. The Maze Runner
I. Hated. This. Book. I. Hated. This. Series. However, for some reason, my hatred did not stop me from reading every book in the series. I went into the movie skeptical as the day is long and was VERY pleasantly surprised. It was such a good movie. It made the slow-moving book fast-paced and exciting. I was so excited to watch them figure everything out (in the way I already knew they would). This is also a movie that you could absolutely watch without having to have any appreciation for the book and still vastly enjoy it. In a lot of ways, I think it’s even better than the book. Make sure to check these movies out before the next one comes out.
3. The Hunger Games
2. The Fault in Our Stars
The Fault in Our Stars has been my favorite book since I read it. I absolutely fell in love with the story and John Green’s style of writing. Since I was such a fan of the way it was written, I was nervously excited to see how it would play out on screen and I was so moved by it. I literally will probably never be able to watch this film without being moved in an entirely different way. The soundtrack captured the heart of the movie perfectly and it was so real and so touching. This movie absolutely did justice to a book that I didn’t ever think could get better. It does. Read the book and you’ll feel it. Watch the movie and you’ll live it.
1. The Perks of Being A Wallflower
This will forever be one of my absolute favorite movies of all time. The book is told by a series of letters written from Charlie to “friend.” As a result of this unique narrative style, this coming-of-age story has some limitations in the way that it can be told. When it made it to the big screen, all of those limitations were erased and this hopeful and beautiful story was told in a way that few other movies will ever achieve. This movie is perfect for anyone of any age and everyone can find a piece within it that reaches out and touches them.
