People may disagree with me, but I think this was one of those rare instances where I found that the movie was actually more interesting than the book.

I had heard of the book before it started catching hype, and I remember picking it up at a bookstore and skimming a few pages of it.  The format reminded me a lot of the Dear America books that I feel like almost every girl has grown up reading.  I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve grown out of that format or because something was just lacking for me in the reading experience, but I just couldn’t seem to immerse myself into the story.

I think the movie was pretty well done.  There were a handful of scenes that seemed a bit over the top, but overall there seemed to be a good balance between the funny scenes and the more serious elements.  For the most part I found the characters to be likable.  It was my first time seeing Emma Watson outside of the Harry Potter franchise, and I think she transitioned wonderfully.

For those who have never experienced a childhood trauma or difficulties “fitting in,” the characters may not really be ones you can relate to, but I do think that it’s easier to sympathize with each of the characters in the movie compared to the book.  I will also give the movie credit in that it follows the book very closely, only leaving out maybe a few of the details.

Overall I think that the book and movie complemented each other.  I found that it was one of those things where some aspects of the book were stronger than the movie and vice versa.  If you are a huge fan of the book, I would recommend the movie as I don’t think you will be disappointed.  For those who decide to watch the movie first, I’d still give the book a chance, as it does have some details that the movie didn’t cover.  I personally found that I appreciated the book a little more reading it for the second time after I watched the film.

FINAL VERDICT: B+