JOhn Green – Book Journey

Its been a long time since I have had a lazy day where I have spent a Saturday morning or afternoon watching movies, but that is what I did today. Granted a miserable head/sinus cold, fever, and drowsy feeling helped. So me, a couple of books to movies (Paper Towns an Scorch Trials), hot tea, Kleenex, and I was set.

Paper Towns is a book by John Green. When I first started reading John Green I was told that your first John Green book will be your favorite. I never was able to test that theory because my first John Green was Fault In Our Stars and yes, it is my favorite.

Paper Towns the movie was actually better than I thought it as going to be. I had forgotten about the great friendships displayed in this book. I also really enjoyed the lead roles of Margo and Quentin, it was a good fit from the book to the movie.

Looking over my review today of Paper Towns I found I had the same thoughts about the movie that I did about the book. Margo frustrated me then and she does now. I think I understand why she does what she does but at the same time her ability to disconnect from everyone baffles me. As in my review, I found the friendships in the movie to sustain me and leaving me enjoying both.

Overall movie thoughts? Yes, rent it. Its a good story and in the end, while it is not the end I would have hoped for…. it still leaves a good impression and message.

Certainly by now you must have heard of The Fault In Our Stars by Author John Green. And if not the book, surely the movie. I was told that whatever the first John Green book I read would be my favorite. I will never know if that is true because my first John Green book was The Fault In Our Star and is my favorite. And while I have read all of his books (and enjoyed them), I can not imagine that if I had read any of the others first that they would have trumped my experience with this book.

I can not even put into words where this book took me… to attempt to understand, you would have to read my review of the book from April of this year; or my review of the book from July 2012. Yes I have read and reviewed it twice. I liked it THAT MUCH. 🙂

This week, on June 6th the movie was released (SQQQUUEEE!!!) and myself and my wonderful friend Amy went to see it:

I…

loved it.

Shailene Woodley who plays Hazel (and also plays Beatrice in Divergent!) is fantastic. She is witty and sickly and plays her role well. Ansel Algort (also in Divergent!) makes for a wonderful Augustus as well. Truly, these two just make a wonderful team.

IMO, the movie played close to the book. There are some lines that just made my heart leap because I knew them from the book. Of course, as in all book to movie renditions, there are always slight changes or leaving out, and I sadly missed a scene from the book where Hazel and Isaac are playing the video game at the end after Isaac can no longer see and the voice commands they shout at the game.

My thoughts? See the movie but read the book first. The book is of course where you fall in love with these amazing damaged characters; the movie… will just reinforce your love.

Our book club is reading this book now and will be reviewing this week. I look forward to hearing their thoughts on the book and yes, even though I have reviewed it twice here, I will review it again from a Book Club perspective.

Movie up people… do not miss out on this one.