From Page to Screen ~ #2

This week's Page to Screen is another TV show... shocked yeah I know...

We are going to compare and contrast Pretty Little Liar's books vs. the show before the big premiere of the 5th season!!!!!

First off the book reviews: Here's the first one!

And the second in the series can be found here

And now the review of the show
Personally I am an addict with the freaking show. I admit to the full that I am a Haleb fan hardcore then he went and blew it in freaking Ravenswood (don't get me started on how he blew it) anywho. I also really enjoy Spoby ship as well.
Otherwise my mean complaints are the teacher/student relationship (send hate mail to my twitter) I just never felt comfortable with the relationship from the get go. Anytime you have to rely on everyone you know to lie on you to keep a secret about your relationship you know it is a BAD thing.
Any who for some reason I still felt sorry for the girls. I actually thought it was all about bullying and while the girls set themselves up a lot and I do mean a lot they were teenagers and those teenagers didn't know any better. So for the TV show I felt bad for everyone of the girls but the books EH I felt that each of them deserved it.
Also the parents in the show are by far a TON times better whereas in the books the parents are just as horrible as the girls if not worse. Man I just didn't know what to think about it. The girls are bad but not so bad that I think they deserve anything. That being said I think the first 2 books might still be in season 1 so as things progress in both the books and the show I might change my mind. Anyway at this time I would say that I prefer the show to the books by far.

Side related rant:
I do not understand why these girls have to kiss everyone as a thank you! Seriously between Aria and Hanna there is more random guy kissing then I've ever seen in everyday life. No one does that even with good friends.

What do you think? Do you prefer the book or the show? Who do you ship?

If you like Pretty Little Liars then you might check out The Lying Game

Page to Screen ~ #1

First off the book: The Returned by Jason Motts

You can read my full review here

I liked it. It wasn't great it was okay... I did enjoy reading it though and I thought it posed some great questions. I also thought it was meant to make people think of how they treat groups of people now. It did a great job showing how "civilization" would react and how fear can lead people to do some crazy things. Some things they would and do regret and something that are just frighteningly accurate.

The TV show based off of this review/book is Resurrection on ABC

The show and the book are so far apart it is just down right weird. I though the show started off good then quickly fell apart. It is very different from the book and in fact it is almost as if they are two different entities. In the book lots of returned have already returned so it was as surprise that Jacob came back, but not so much. In the show Jacob is the first returned. Harold and Lucille are older and they treat Jacob the same as they do the show. However, Lucille admits that Jacob is not her boy. That actually all Jacob did was bring life back in the home. In the book the "returned" are being forced into concentration camps and disappear off and on so while it is shocking all in all it isn't. The preacher on the show did leave his wife for a love but she was 16 years old in the book in the show she wasn't and in the show she turns out to be pregnant. Quite a bit of a difference. The government in the book is better organized and equipped to handle what is going on while in the show they have no idea what to do.
The doctor on the show isn't in the book at all. Fred is not the sheriff nor did he have a daughter in the book. And while the show is still on going, I think it got renewed) I can't say that I am actually enjoying the show at all. In fact I would be bold enough to say that I preferred the book and the show I kind of gave up on and walked away from by the finale.

Have you seen the first season of the show? What did you think?  There is some controversy surrounding the show and the book... I am not certain what it is other then the simple question the book and the show both ask... what would you do if your loved one returned? 

Review ~ The Returned by Jason Mott

TITLE: The Returned

AUTHOR: Jason Mott
COPYRIGHT: 2014
TYPE: contemporary fiction
PAGES: 352
SERIES:  no

REASON FOR READING: 

Saw the show and had to see what the book was about.

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

Harold and Lucille Hargrave's lives have been both joyful and sorrowful in the decades since their eight-year-old son, Jacob, died tragically in 1966. In their old age they've settled comfortably into life without him…. Until one day Jacob mysteriously appears on their doorstep—flesh and blood, still eight years old.

All over the world people's loved ones are returning from beyond. No one knows how or why, whether it's a miracle or a sign of the end. Not even Harold and Lucille can agree on whether the boy is real or a wondrous imitation. But as chaos erupts around the globe, the newly reunited family finds itself at the center of a community on the brink of collapse, forced to navigate a mysterious new reality.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

I was actually surprised by this book. I thought it was well written with enough tension to keep me hooked with this book. The show wasn’t as good but atlas I shall save that until a later review. Instead let’s focus on the book

THE PROBLEMS:

To many different POVs

Too many back stories that didn’t tie into the main story

I found it hard to really connect with anyone and just when I did we would switch POV

Never heard Bellemey’s side of the story until the end by then I no longer cared

Harold was too old to believe that he could be worth help and sick enough this shouldn’t have worked.

THE WINS

I enjoyed seeing the story from Lucille and Harold’s POV after all the main part of the story was about them until it was skipped around and around again to other POVs

The tension and the buildup was done nicely

The plot moved smoothly once one got the hang of the POV hopping

I enjoyed reading it and though it didn’t make me think too much it did make me question what would I do if I this situation actually started occurring

Are you keeping it or passing it on? I will pass it on simply not a re-read for me

Goodreads grade: 3 stars

Would you recommend this book? Yes I have to say that I would recommend this book solely based on the way it makes you question yourself. 

Page to Screen Meme

So I absoultely love this idea From Page to Screen and thought I would utilize it here. Mainly b/c I am a HUGE advocate of reading the book before seeing the movie or at least reading it at some point.

I found this meme at numerous places so here are a few that inspired me and I want to give credit to them...

Book Chick City whom I got the picture for
Tales Between the Pages whom I actually got the idea from and started researching it...
Moonlight Reader
Blood Sweat and Books

While those are all I could find doing this meme I'm sure other are. I am very excited about this one and can't wait to start it up in 5 weeks after graduation!!!!

Yes you read that right in 5 weeks I will not only have my Master's degree but I will be prepping for the national licence board!
Once all that's done I am hoping to hop back on this blog and make it rock again! Til then peace and ideas welcomed to do the new Meme

Ideas so far!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
HP series
PLL series (although I kind of do that in the book reviews themselves but eh we shall see)