The Best Of: Book To Screen Adaptations

Nothing makes me happier than hearing that one of my favourite books is going to be adapted into a TV show or film. Although there is always that worry that whoever is adapting it is going to get it wrong.

I’m not too sure if there have been any adaptations that I really didn’t like, I need to have a good think about this. However, I want to keep this a positive post as I know a lot of people really hate adaptations with the classic line ‘the book was better’. Yes of course it was better the book is the original idea and came straight from the author, what did you expect?

The first post in this series is just TV shows as I did a post similar to this a couple of years ago but forgot it existed so, I’ve revamped the original post as a starting point. Future posts will be about both films and TV shows!

Shadowhunters (Netflix) – The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

I was so scared for this to come out as it is one of my all-time favourite series, well the whole Shadowhunter chronicles are. But I genuinely really enjoyed this series and thought that a lot of the casting was pretty spot on. My dream cast would be film Jace, Clary, Simon (sorry Alberto, I do really like you, but I adore Robert Sheehan) and Valentine mixed with the show’s cast. Matthew Daddario as Alec Lightwood will always hit and I really loved Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle.

The biggest issue people had with this series was that it was almost nothing like the book. I was also quite annoyed about this at the time, but looking back I kinda like that they changed it. I think it actually made the show more interesting as even if you have read the entire series and knew every little detail (like myself) you never really knew what was coming next.

I will say that they definitely messed up the ending and I really was not happy with it. I won’t spoil it in case anyone hasn’t seen it, but oh my was it a rollercoaster.

Netflix did a pretty good job with this show, it wasn’t phenomenal but it was ok. It’s a real shame it got cancelled.

Synopsis: On her birthday, Clary Fray discovers a surprise concerning her life. The teenager is not who she thinks she is — she comes from a long line of human-angel hybrids, called Shadowhunters, who hunt demons. After her mother is kidnapped, Clary is thrust into the world of demon-hunting. Clary relies on mysterious Jace and fellow hunters Isabelle and Alec to help her navigate the dark world. While living in this new world among creatures like vampires and werewolves, Clary’s best friend Simon helps her uncover answers that could help her find her mother. The fantasy show is based on a series of young adult books by Cassandra Clare.

Looking For Alaska (Hulu) – Looking For Alaska by John Green

I really did not think I would like this show when I first heard about it. I somewhat enjoyed the book when I read it way back in 2014, however now I am much older I wasn’t sure if I would still like it. The fact that I liked John Green’s books when I was a teen makes me shudder to this day.

It is by no means a perfect show and honestly, I read the book so long ago that I can’t remember if they’ve got every little detail or not. However, this is the type of show that leaves you thinking after each episode. It has this weird atmosphere to it where you’re never really sure what you are feeling.

You can always sense that something bad is going to happen as there is a strange tension created by the dialogue and camera work. This is actually something I quite enjoy about the show, even though I know what’s going to happen I can still feel everything building up.

I actually haven’t watched all of the episodes still, even though I started watching this so long ago. There isn’t anything wrong with the show, it is really good, just that other things caught my attention and it’s quite a heavy show to watch. I can already tell that the finale will be an emotional one. Hulu did a great job of adapting Looking For Alaska as a TV show. I personally don’t think this would have worked at all as a film.

Synopsis: Miles “Pudge” Halter wants to gain a deeper perspective on life, so he enrols in boarding school. While he’s there, he gains a group of loyal friends and falls in love with Alaska Young. When an unexpected tragedy strikes, the close-knit group of friends try to make sense of what they have been through.