23LaQueen

I read the book and watched the movie, so I'll try to keep my opinion mainly centered on how the movie did, before comparing to the book. The movie was nice, straightforward . . . Rushed. The point came across in a very simplistic way. The was no emotions, no love for any of the characters. It was a story that just told the story; no added details. Instead of feeling empathy for Lily, Ryle, and Atlas, I felt pity. Instead of me being happy of younger Lily and Atlas becoming great friends, it was more like "yeah yeah I understand they had a past, next!" There was no happiness of Lily and Ryle falling in love, before everything else happened, so when the "crash" came, it didn't inflict anything on me as the viewer. It just was. The moment where Ryle comes to the realization, in the hospital, was the closest it came to an emotional scene, but it still wasn't quite there. Now comparing to the book. I fell in love with all of the characters. I felt like I had a teenage romance with Atlas, and was devastated when he had to leave, but so happy he was finding a better life situation for himself. Lily, I felt when she felt. We fell in love together with Atlas and later Ryle. We became best friends with Alyssa. We trusted Marshall. When Atlas came back we were happy, nostalgic and curious of what became of him after he left. When Ryle did what he did, we were blindsided, confused, hurt, but we couldn't let go completely; that we still loved him, and was angry at ourselves because of it. We understood what Mom went through, and partially why she stayed with Dad. Lily and I (while reading the book) did some self reflecting of our past and our present. There was character development. The book raised awareness, and understanding for the victims of DV. It let us in on why so many people stay past "what they should", because there is no time line, no real time line, for failing out of love. I wish the conversation Lily had with her mother in the book, about "accepting this act, because it wasn't as bad as last time". Was in the movie. That conversation; it is what brought the whole story together. Especially the conversation Ryle and Lily had at the beginning of story. "Some times good people do bad things". It doesn't excuse their actions, it doesn't mean to stay and tolerate the behavior, but it allows us to see everyone's viewpoints, to emphasize with another human. The movie missed that. It missed the heart of the story. My love and respect goes out to everyone who is in a DV relationship/situation past, or present. Please reach to the respective telephone numbers to seek help when most appropriate for you and your family. - With love.

I honestly hate this movie, but I am bias since I read the books (many times) before the movie came out. The movie is way too fast paced and this takes away some of the seriousness of certain situations; with it being downplayed it will take away from importance to everything later in the series. The casting is awful, no one looks the way they are suppose to in the books (where's the muscles? the pale faces of the Mori?) I would mention the actors acting in detail, but I feel the movie was rushed too much for them to have a chance to do well in their roles. The actor for Ms. Karp did very well though. I'd love to see this "Book Series" as a TV series. With a different director as well, more like the director from Blade, Vampire Diaries, hell I'd even accept the director from Twilight. With these people being trained killers, they sure seem really weak, do the actors even know real martial arts? ugh I hate this movie.