The Fault in Our Stars Movie: My Thoughts

When I read the news tonight that The Fault in Our Stars movie has officially hired a director, I was at first ecstatic.

However, after thinking about it for awhile, I got worried.

I absolutely adore John Green and everything he does. I love his books first and foremost, and I will always be a fan. I adore his and Hank's Youtube channel. I also love Crash Course and his Swoodilypoopers videos. Basically, everything he and his brother do is amazing to me. So I am incredibly happy that The Fault in Our Stars will probably be made into a movie.

However, I know what happens when books become made into movies, and that's what has me worried.

The Fault in Our Stars is such a gem, and as a book it really functions to directly touch a readers' soul and inspire them. I know it has helped people through tough times, and people have a connection to that book that goes way deep.

How is that connection going to be translated into a movie?

Well, only time will tell. John seems thrilled about the director; he thinks that Josh Boone's close and personal connection with the book will translate well into the direction of the movie. However, I can't help but be skeptical.

I have a firm belief that what makes a good book is not what makes a good movie. I have always believed that, and that is why I am so accepting of movie adaptations that some of my friends might cast off as bad adaptations. However, a book like The Fault in Our Stars- which already has such a huge fan base with such a large amount of the readership having a personal connection with the story- might not translate well onto the big screen. I remain optimistic; I would love for this movie to be a huge success. However, I can't help but remain skeptical.

Which leads me to ask the question.... how do you feel about The Fault in Our Stars being made into a movie?

Jane

Pendragon: The Merchant of Death && The Lost City of Faar

Pendragon

Book One: The Merchant of Death, 2002

Book Two: The Lost City of Faar, 2003

D.J. MacHale

Reading Level: Middle Grade-YA

When I was younger, I was absolutely obsessed with this series. I compared it to Harry Potter and recommended it to all of my friends. After rereading the first two books in the series, I have to admit, I was wrong for comparing it to Harry Potter-- HP doesn't have the fan base it does for no reason-- but I would continue to recommend this series to my friends regardless.

The Pendragon series is not fantastically written. However, that can be explained by the premise of the books: they are written as journal entries from Bobby Pendragon, who is a 14-year-old Traveler. This means that he "flumes" through time and space to different Territories to try to bring peace and stop the nasty Saint Dane from wreaking havoc. That being said, it makes sense that the journal entries aren't high-quality literature. What makes these books wonderful is not that the writing is beautifully crafted, but rather that the story itself is crafted in such a way that pulls a reader in from the very first paragraph.

As previously stated, these books are told from Bobby's perspective, with chapters thrown in which are written in 3rd person showing what his friends Mark and Courtney are doing with Bobby's journals while he's living his adventures. MacHale does an excellent job of building suspense; the journals will end right when something exciting happens, which will make you read faster through the alternating chapters to get back to his story. The descriptions aren't perfect, but coming from Bobby's perspective you can see through his eyes what he's going through, and through his journals you can feel his frustration, anger, fear, and hurt as he travels.

I think readers of all ages will be swept away by Bobby's story. I would especially recommend these books to a young, reluctant reader- boys and girls can both find entertainment from them, and I can promise that once you're done with the first you'll be dying to know what happens next.