The Force Awakens

When word got out that Disney had purchased Star Wars, I was skeptical. Basically, I envisioned a reprise of Star Wars: Episodes I and II, with tons of annoying side-kicks, annoying children, and annoying romance, with cheesy sets and way too much drama. I should have known better. Say what you like about Disney being corporate evil incarnate (I've been reading too much S.J. Maas, clearly, I keep thinking of that word, incarnate), they know how to spin a story that will appeal to the masses, and The Force Awakens is no exception. Okay, it's very similar to the plot of A New Hope (in fact, Dorkly actually did a hilarious video called 6 Star Wars Characters Meet Their New Equivalents, which is a must-watch if you're a Star Wars fan), with one key exception: the hero of this franchise is a girl named Rey, who is tech-savvy, strong, vulnerable, powerful, and interesting.I am always defending my love for Jupiter Ascending, another female-fronted space opera movie, because critics really took the piss out of it - unjustly, I feel. It's basically a Disney princess movie set in space (although not Disney-made, it has many wonderful parallels, and I often like to describe it as Brave meets Tangled in space - with a werewolf-angel love interest, soylent Phoenix Down, and magic rollerblades). Jupiter Ascending is cheesy, but it's also vastly entertaining, beautifully shot, and has a compelling story with a female protagonist who is kick-butt while also still retaining that touch of uncertainty and reluctance that I think most people being called to being defenders of the galaxy would feel.Part of the reason I love this new Star Wars franchise so much is because it gave me exactly what I wanted: characters from all walks of life who are complex and interesting, and not just a bunch of white dudes hashing it out in space. Leia, you could argue, was a strong character, but she was also very much a love interest and grossly sexualized in the second movie. Rey, on the other hand, has the makings of a romantic character but her agency and her power are separate from her sexuality. Likewise, we also get some diversity in these movies - Finn is black and Poe is Latino and I totally ship both of them together, or with Rey, or whatever, because all of these characters are just beautiful, developed people with great on-screen chemistry, and I don't care if it's sexual or platonic, I just want more of them, together. (Also, for those of you arguing that there have been black people in the Star Wars franchise before, so Finn is not a #BigDeal, I beg to differ: Mace Windu was not a main character, unlike Finn who is the hero. All people remember about Mace Windu was that he had a cool purple lightsaber and was played by Samuel L. Jackson. And yes, that is cool, but it is also not the same as having a person of color play a lead role in a hit franchise. Not all rep is equally significant.)But I think the biggest reason I love this new Star Wars franchise is #Reylo. I'm a sucker for villain love interests, okay? Leia and Han, maybe. I personally didn't think they had that much chemistry (and I couldn't quite forget that she kissed her brother first, ew). Kylo Ren and Rey? Chemistry everywhere. They didn't even kiss in this movie, and it was scorching hot. 90% of the reason I bought this book was because I was hoping for some insights into the scenes between Kylo and Rey, and Alan Dean Foster did not disappoint. The man understands a fan's need to ship, and he didn't just hint (if by hint, you mean, beat you over the head with a ship) that there was chemistry and desire between Kylo and Rey, he also hinted at the chemistry between Poe and Finn, and also the chemistry between Finn and Rey. He also makes the Han/Leia relationship much cuter and poignant than it ever was in the movies. I'm not kidding - there's one scene in here where I legitimately teared up.If you've watched the movie, you're going to know the plot of this book already (and if you haven't, I don't want to spoil it for you). This is a novelization so much of it is the same, although Foster has taken liberties with the dialogue, curiously omitting some lines while adding others. I think the creativity comes in with the scenery descriptions (he manages to do "tech talk" really well), the psychology of the characters, and the exploration of some of the nuances that were subtle in the films. I have seen the movie and I still really enjoyed the book, and now I want to check out more of Foster's works because he has an impressive vocabulary and did a good job of keeping this from being some dialed-in movie script with just a few extra scenery directions.#ReyloForever #Dont@Me4 out of 5 stars

The author of this book... just wow. The descriptions of things are ridiculous, repeated references to a person based on what they've previously done up to that moment. Writing out BeeBee-Ate when characters are talking to BB-8, but writing BB-8 when writing from the droids' POV. Omg. It's like another reviewer said, the author used a thesaurus and reading this book is like a chore. The only reason I want to read it is to get additional information not provided by the movie. This is going to be a loooonnnggg read.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the novelization of the 2015 film, and was authored by the legendary Alan Dean Foster. A great choice for the novelization, Foster also authored the very first Star Wars novelization way back in 1977. Although that original novelization bore (and still bears) the name of George Lucas as author, it was in fact penned by Foster, who had met Lucas while they were both students at UCLA. How fantastic it is to see the "original" Star Wars author back in the universe he helped create! "The Force Awakens" (TFA) adheres quite closely to what you will see in the final product of the film, albeit with some small additional scenes and added dialogue. It's these little added snippets that really make the novel interesting and worth the read. There are some enticing details revealed in the novel that you will not get in the film, and since the film is lean on backstory, Star Wars aficionados will want all the additional information they can get.Although the novelization adds some content that you won't see in the film, the book is still tightly written and moves at a good clip. While some novelizations are hampered by the fact they are slave to a film script, "TFA" doesn't have that feel at all. It can very much stand on its own as a great novel, a testament to the skill of its author. Alan Dean Foster's masterful writing is both elegant and effective, while being charming and easy to read. What could otherwise be a humdrum novelization is made into something very entertaining. Characterization is also handled well; the reader will enjoy being able to peek into the minds of their favorite onscreen characters.Movie novelizations are a mixed bag, but Alan Dean Foster has proven once again that they can be great books that are worth the read independently of the film. "The Force Awakens" is well-written fare that takes what is great about the film, while adding its own content, and the result is something you will not want to miss!

Good writing hampered by a weak plot with too much plot armor. The characters are ok, but needed more background and depth. Phasma was a wasted effort. Rey was played well by Daisy Ridley in the film, but her character had a weak backstory. Finn’s story of rebelling against the First Order made little sense. Kylo was the most poorly constructed major character of all. Snoke was barely mentioned, and Hux was barely one dimensional.Most of the major events of this story were impossibly geared towards allowing the “good” guys to win. If you are about 7 years old, that will be ok with you. An ok Star Wars story, but rather poor for science fiction or science fantasy. It did read quickly, and it had it’s moments. Felt like a quick conversion of a story/screenplay into a book. I still respect the author and his skills, though. Must have gotten a reasonable paycheck for his time.

There's no point really going into details of the story here as you won't be reading this book unless you're a Star Wars fan so I'm sure you've seen it. I like reading the novelisations as long as they add something to the film. The prequel ones are great examples of this (especially episode 3), they added to the story and actually made the films better in some ways. They put in some extra scenes and characterisation that enhanced films that are sometimes lacking in this.Unfortunately this book is more like the original trilogy novelisations that are basically just the movie in prose form. I was hoping for more internal thoughts from Rey and Kylo in particular, but the story had very little internal dialogue which was disappointing. I was also hoping for a bit more emotional punch from that scene but again it didn't really deliver.There's nothing wrong with the writing but it was just functional and doesn't really add anything to it. The actions scenes were well done but honestly I wasn't reading it for them, I've seen them already. There were a few details that were different and I presume that was due to some last minute changes in the movie that weren't able to be incorporated in this as they were released at around the same time.It's a short book so doesn't take long to read but yeah this book is kind of pointless. I've marked it this high because though I was disappointed I didn't dislike it either, it was just lacking.2.5 stars.

Set 30 years after the events of “Return Of The Jedi”, Luke Skywalker has vanished after a pupil of his turned to the Dark Side. In his absence, the First Order has risen from the ashes of the Empire and is intent on finding him. General Leia Organa, leader of the Resistance, has learned from an old ally that there might be a clue to Luke’s whereabouts and she sends her best pilot, Poe Dameron, to retrieve it.To set my stall from the off, I am a huge “Star Wars” fan and my first introduction to the work of Alan Dean Foster was his novelisation for the original film in 1977 though I haven’t read that for a while (but I’m tempted to go back now). Sticking fairly close to the script (with some nice additions), Foster does a good job of dealing with all of the various locales, easing older characters back into the action (and it’s nice to see Han & Leia interact again) but also doing well with the new characters and his work with Rey on Jakku is particularly good, capturing her sense of loneliness well. Kylo Ren also comes across more clearly here, his inner struggle well realised - and the professional jealousy he & Hux share - and Leader Snoke casts a more chilling presence too.The novel makes good use of location, especially Starkiller Base and Foster’s a sure hand at dealing with technology, giving the reader just enough to picture the item and then treating it as though it’s been around forever. He also does a good job with the dialogue - one of my highlights from the film was the verbal interplay between the characters and it’s captured well here, reading as funny as it did on screen. It also has that wonderful sense, of time having passed and adventures moving into history - “Luke Skywalker?” asks Rey, “I thought he was just a myth.” On the Falcon, Finn knows Solo as a Rebellion General but Rey knows him as a smuggler and when she mistakes the time the ship made the Kessel Run (she says fourteen), he sharply corrects her to twelve.Foster also includes a few sequences that, although they were probably deleted from the film for timing reasons, work well. Beyond the opening sequence with Leia, the first new part is Poe’s escape from Jakku, an adventure with Naka Iit which is good fun. There’s a sequence with Korr Sella (an aide of Leia) who’s sent on a mission to the Hosnian system just before it’s wiped out by Starkiller (she’s in the film but we don’t find out her name) and, wonderfully, Chewie finally gets to rip someone’s arm off at Maz Katana’s place. The last key sequence is on Starkiller, which features a speeder chase between Rey & Finn and a load of troopers which is exciting and explains why they’re so far above Han and Chewie for the final showdown with Kylo Ren.Well written (though I got the curious sense that Foster was under-writing and certainly not creating something as lush and deep as the original novelisation), well realised and full of pace, this does the film proud and I would highly recommend it.

Excellent accompaniment to the movie which was already thrilling to watch, this hardcover comes with a beautiful sleeve cover and an aesthetic minimalistic black with gold detailed spine inner cover too (for those days when you're feeling a little more discreet). Special feature of a few colour pages in the centrefold pages with a short description of each major character too, which captures the feel of the movie and adds to the book's story further. Was semi-hoping for a feature of an unmasked Kylo Ren but alas I shall wait for those moments in the next instalment of the series during "The Last Jedi"!

I usually avoid film tie-ins (or in this case, perhaps, TIE-ins!) but am very glad I decided to get this novelisation of the seventh Star Wars film. Alan Dean Foster has great credentials for taking on the task, having been the ghost writer behind the 1977 novelisation of the very first film of the series.So, why is the book so valuable? For me, the main reason is that many films today intentionally move very fast, with short scenes and little exposition. Although the viewer can infer some things - especially after more than one viewing - there is a limit to this, and that is where the book comes in. For example, you find out more about the motivations of the various characters, what they are thinking about, and why they perform many of the actions they do.If you enjoyed the film, you'll enjoy the book. And if you were ambivalent about the film, you might find you have a more positive view of it after reading the book.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a strong return to the Star Wars mythos. Alan Dean Foster's novelisation of the movie is an enjoyable read. Going by the actual text, and the content of the film proper, it can only be assumed that he was working for the latest version of the script with each scene as there are only a few lines of difference here or there that can easily be explained at changes on the day.As a novel? Well, it stands fairly well, if a bit average on the writing side. Foster has a talent for reusing older narration styles for sci-fi that, while fitting in well with the general feel of Star Wars does tend to make feel like it is sticking out a bit to an audience used to a different writing style the generally seems to come with the genre these days. However, Foster's style does help to convey the moment of humour that worked perfectly in visual, because he describes things very well, meaning that some of the most laugh out loud moments from the movie are recaptured perfectly.(Admitedly one isn't, but that one was more down to the delivery of the lines, rather than anything else)Overall, it's a good book, and serves as a fantastic read who those who wanted just that little more detail to the movie. And yes, that is all you're getting as a review because spoilers, sweetie.