Young Adult Books Upstage the Modern Films Adaptations

Check out the original books of the following film adaptations for even more detail on your favorite stories. Photo Courtesy / Stroud Courier Archives Check out the original books of the following film adaptations for even more detail on your favorite stories. Photo Courtesy / Stroud Courier Archives
Check out the original books of the following film adaptations for even more detail on your favorite stories. Photo Courtesy / Stroud Courier Archives
Check out the original books of the following film adaptations for even more detail on your favorite stories.
Photo Courtesy / Stroud Courier Archives

Alexa Stephens
Staff Writer

The best ranked teen movies that were even better young adult books first:

“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green

This Young Adult (YA) book hit shelves only two years before its on screen debut in 2014.
Although the script, soundtrack and actors all brought this movie to life, the book is definitely worth the read considering the mastermind behind it.

It is the witty and heartbreaking story of two cancer patients trying to come to terms with the lives they live and the inevitable deaths they face. The movie is entertaining, hilarious, beautifully written and tear-provoking.

The book is that, just 10 times better.

“Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson

Originally published in 1999, this book was not recreated until 2004, staring actress Kristin Stewart. This coming-of-age story follows Melinda, a high school student who basically stops speaking after she is raped by an older student.

The film was an independent adaptation that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and therefore did not receive a lot of hype.

However, if you happened to watch the movie without reading the book, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. You definitely will not regret it.

“The Giver” by Lois Lowry

With more than two decades in between the book release and movie premiere, it does not come as a shock that people have missed either one or the other. This dystopian/utopian style story revolves around a young teenager who is chosen to be the carrier of his community’s oldest memories that will exist only in his mind.

The more he learns about his world’s past, the more he realizes these memories should have stayed within the minds of all. The book follows his journey of self-discovery and his fight for memories to be returned to his dystopian society.

Majority opinion is that the movie fails in bringing to life the details of the book. So, get to reading if you want the full experience.

“It’s Kind Of A Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini

This 2010 film was based directly from the book that was published in 2006. It follows a clinically depressed teenager who checks himself into a mental-health clinic and is forced to spend his five days in the adult wing.

This story of self-discovery was pretty similar in both film and book versions. The written copy gives more detail and depth to the characters and their situations, and the movie brings more humor to the script. If you have seen the movie and liked it, give the book a try.

“Warm Bodies” by Isaac Marion

Very few people know that this 2013 paranormal romantic comedy was first a book published in 2010. This hilarious story of a zombie looking for love is a twist on the normal apocalyptic flick.

Told through the perspective of a zombie named R, this book focuses on a developing relationship between him and a living human. It is both funny and romantic, and although the movie does a fantastic job at bringing the book to life, there are some changes that make the reading totally worthwhile.

Email Alexa at:
astephens@live.esu