Darth Pedant

When movies are made from books, the book is almost always better. When books are made from movies, it's generally the movies that come out on top. And that pretty well sums up my feelings for this book. The movie was much better.

 

Alan Dean Foster's writing just doesn't float my boat, which is why this Awakening darn near put me to sleep on several occasions. I did appreciate the few character insights offered, and it was interesting to note the differences between the script Foster was given to work from and the final cut of the movie. In the world of canon, where books and movies differ the movies win, so I'm very curious as to whether that will be reflected in Episode VIII's novelization. There's at least one difference that may be hard to ignore.

 

For my fellow pedants, I only noticed two typos, which is pretty phenomenal, but I also noticed two little continuity errors, and I don't mean of the "that's not how it happened in the movie" variety. Details under the spoiler tag:

 

 

1. Poe takes his jacket off when he's getting settled into the TIE fighter he and Finn are about to steal. (Second paragraph of Chapter IV.) Later, he remembers struggling out of the jacket while trying to get away from the crashed TIE because it's caught on something. (Middle of Chapter X.) There's no mention in between of him putting the jacket back on, and really, when would he have had the time?

 

2. When Rey Force Persuades the stormtrooper to release her restraints and leave (Ch. XV), there's a line that says: When he spoke again, there was a notable alteration in his voice. It then goes on to detail the alteration . . . except that there's nothing to compare to because this is the first time he's spoken.

(show spoiler)