The words flow into images as I read the beautiful words of the “Hunger Games.” My mind ran wild with colors and images, coming up with faces and experimenting with the way I could make them look. When I read a book, my imagination runs wild and never stops until I read the last page. When I watched the “Hunger Games” movie, there was a set cast and all I could see were the actors’ faces. It felt weird to see someone else take the role of a character I gave life to inside my head.

The books vs. movies debate has existed since movies were created. Book readers, like myself, tend to prefer the book over the movie. Purists claim that books that are turned into movies aren’t always the best. When I watched the “Hunger Games,” I compared it to the books, and concluded that the books were so much better. The movies didn’t give me the same character development as the books. With books, I could expand my imagination, whereas with the movie I felt like I could only believe that one storyline. 

While it is easier to watch the movie than read the book, you don’t get to read between the lines. Movies and books in the mystery genre are a good example of this. When reading a mystery book, you can read between the lines and possibly get to a solution faster. When watching a movie, it takes longer because you can’t see what each character is thinking and what they plan to do next. Movie characters are also sometimes predictable, whereas authors make sure they have your attention and you have to read farther to figure out what is going to happen.

Sophomore Kim Trieu has always grown up loving books, especially Harry Potter. “The movie changed or lost many details,” Trieu said,“I loved the book more and it is my second favorite [series]. The book drew me in, I loved the details and emotions.” In “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the book version had a song that was sung to the first years as they entered the great hall, just before they get sorted into their houses; however, the song was missing from the movie. 

Trieu expressed similar feelings about the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. “The Divergent movies left out details that were important,” Trieu said.  By removing pieces of the book from the movie, directors are risking a loss of viewers by disappointing them. Many popular book series, like “Harry Potter” and “Divergent” that get turned into movies get a lot of attention, but if the viewers notice missing pieces, it may result in a loss of money and bad press. 

Author Leigh Bardugo wrote another novel series called “Shadow and Bone” that includes a world of magic, revenge, and discovery that draws the attention of the younger generations. When COVID-19 caused schools to close,teenagers sought out Netflix and  other streaming services for comfort. Netflix released the show version of  “Shadow and Bone” in April of 2021. This drew the attention of many teens that needed new shows to watch during quarantine. 

The books were popular for a year or two before the show was announced, due to the series being connected to “Six of Crows”The books were also full of suspense, magic, and the discovery of new places. The books went into greater detail and you could almost feel the same emotions as the characters, therefore causing the books to be better overall.

If it was a book before the movie, the book is always better. To experience the flow of the words and the worlds they can help create through your imagination, the book is always the better option.