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Readers` Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
ankita gogoi
The movie makes more sense now! There are scenes in the book that I wish were in the movie. I did not find anything that I disliked. It was well written and did take away from the movie but added to it. I would recommend this book to any Star Wars fan.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
jagdeep
I loved the movie so I pre-ordered the book as soon as I could. I love reading books for a movie because of the added information you get. Even though I wish there was, even more, I think that is a good feeling to have since we have IX still coming.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
barbzor
Oh I know Star Wars is so much more than that but with my usual ridiculous busy schedule, I’m glad I made the time to curl up and read about the continuing saga of my most favorite story of all time.
The Dragon King (The Kings Book 12) :: The Vampire King (The Kings Book 1) :: The Nightmare King (The Kings Book 11) :: The Shifter King (The Kings Book 10) :: Darth Maul, Shadow Hunter (Star Wars - Star Wars
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
seajohn
This book was faithful to the movie, but missed the emotions that the actors portrayed in the movie. In particular, the emotionally charged moments between Kylo Ren and Rey. In the book, he expresses envious anger towards her in the end, but he did not do this in the movie. The book focuses on Snoke as the creator of their Force connection. However, their connection seemed to start in the Force awakens..Rey's Force visions when she claims Luke's light saber, and the fact that Kylo acknowledged to Rey when he interrogated her that he felt it too, the thread between them. He also seems pretty poleaxed by her presence every time he sees her in the Force Awakens. It seems more likely that Snoke capitalized on a connection that was already there, and that he would have been aware of that connection after Kylo was defeated by Rey. Additionally, Kylo is the one who tells him that Rey is strong in the Force. If in fact, if he can so easily enter Kylo' s mind, it is more likely that the idea of linking them presented itself after Kylo reported to him after being rescued from the planet. Also, Snoke would have to have believed that Rey would care enough about Kylo to risk her life and save him from the dark side. By the same token, Rey having been linked to Kylo had to have been aware of his sympathetic emotions towards her, his longing even, to think that her mere presence would cause him to turn away from the dark side. And she wasn't completely wrong. Kylo killed Snoke rather than kill her and then he asks, not demands, that she join him. While he doesn't beg, there was definitely a pleading quality to his request. Their last Force connection in the movie shows him alone, defeated, and quite sad when he looks at Rey in the movie. She appears very angry at him and when the hatch door slams shut, Kylo jumps. He's not angry at her as the book portrays. He is in despair. The examination of Luke's mindset was very Interesting and did a lot to redeem his character in the book. The movie Like was quite broken, but I suppose that's to be expected when you thought to murder your Own nephew.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
abigail
This book really got into the character's heads to explain what they were feeling/thinking. It is an amazing compliment to TLJ movie. It also contains information about deleted scenes. Well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
syarah
Jason Fry did an AMAZING job adding to the movie. He was able to make the story progress and have good dialogue. I really hope that LucasFilm adds him to a regular list of authors for the Star Wars Universe. I really like his writing style. Not too much redundant descriptive passages that go on and on. Watching the director's commentary of this movie has made it one of my favorite Star Wars movies of all time. The director was able to move an epic movie to a new direction in an awesome way. No longer am I watching Star Wars to remember my childhood days, but now I am watching for good new content! This book made the new content even better! It helps you understand Luke and his decisions without 20 pages of telling you why. Jason Fry knows what to edit to make a book flow. This is one author that does not use fluff to fill the pages. I can't wait to check out his other stuff!

THANKS FOR A GREAT STORY AND ADDING TO THE MOVIE!!!

Erik S. Smith
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
lauren deville
A good movie shows you what its characters do. A good novelization of a movie shows you what those characters were thinking. I really enjoyed Star Wars: The Last Jedi (the movie). This book is touted as “the expanded edition,” but it wasn’t the additional scenes and moments that brought it to life for me. It was the way Jason Fry took the opportunity to highlight the inner lives of the characters. Fry impressed me with an earlier Star Wars book, the first in the Servants of the Empire series. He not only crafted a compelling story for younger readers about minor characters from Star Wars Rebels that kept me on the edge of my seat, but also managed to keep me interested in what was essentially a sports story. Don’t get me wrong; the extra stuff is nice. But for fans of the movie, there’s so much more to enjoy about this novelization.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
soo mi park
I loved the novel. It expanded and improved upon the movie plot. This novel is far better than TFA novelization. I devoured it in a day, and I cannot wait to read it again. It arrived the day of the release (I preordered it). It is a fairly easy read, but I enjoyed every paragraph.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sella marsyeila
Coming off the stellar Revenge of the Sith novelization, I was bound to be disappointed. The Last Jedi doesn't add much new in the manner RotS did, but tells a perfectly adequate tale and does expand slightly on Snoke's mystery. It's worth a read.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
sezza
For anyone expecting this to shed more light on the film, prepare to be disappointed, at least somewhat. It does, in some ways illuminate some of the more problematic choices Rian Johnson made for this film, but it doesn't go far enough in explaining them to justify them, in my opinion.
It does dive at least a little deeper into Ren's motivations, and that alone does shed light on other characters, seeing them from his point of view.

What bothers me most about his audiobook, as with The Force Awakens, is Marc Thompson's narration. He's far too drastic at times and that easily pulled me out of the story. His strained efforts almost seem campy at times and it's distracting. That though, seems to be his style from every book I've listened to him preform, so if you can look past it, that'll help.

All in all, I can't say I was pleased with The Last Jedi, and I hoped this novel would better explain some important things, but it doesn't really. I know it can't really go too far into canon, because we still have another installment yet to see, but Revenge of the Sith was a novel that totally makes the film worth seeing and I think maybe they could've taken a page from that book.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
lieke
The Last Jedi has amazing insight where the movie can’t fulfill. It’s great to jump into the different characters’ heads to get a glimpse from their perspective. A great read. Now I have to see the movie again.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
kyria
I absolutely love this story in all its forms. The book has different details than the movie, but it really does a better job capturing the character of Kylo Ren and Rey. The first novel didn’t seem like it captured the characters. But this one did! And I love the explanation as to why Leia was able to use the force to get back to the Raddus.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
gytis raciukaitis
I read the Kindle edition of this book.

If you are looking at reviews for The Last Jedi, I'm going to assume you've seen the movie. I liked the movie, although there are some serious cringe worthy parts (Leia's George Reeves Superman scene for one). If you didn't like the movie, this book is unlikely to change that, although it does include character thoughts which explain things better than the movie can. I definitely got a better sense of why Luke turned hermit than the movie gave.

Jason Fry is an accomplished author. The book is well written, with enough detail to get a good image of the scene. Although not branded as a teen book, the writing is approachable by the masses.

Its worth reading for the Star Wars fan that liked TLJ.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
ed stafford
First off I'd like to say that this book was well written, but if you were looking for any real in-depth look into what most of the characters were feeling in many critical moments in the film you may be a touch dissapointed, as I was. I also felt many vital moments of character growth for both Rey and kylo were vastly skimmed over often reduced to a mere paragraph or little more. It's a good book, but I don't think it gave me what I was hoping it would.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
tahnie
I would recommend reading this. For 99% of the book you are left wondering why Luke Skywalker is in this book. You do learn a little more about what happened to him but there is still more backstory to be told. It would have been nice if the writers had treated Luke Skywalkers the same as Han Solo. Both abandoned their families but Han came back was involved in the missions and died a hero. Luke Skywalker does not train Rey, does not confront Snoke, does not defeat Kylo or bring Ben back from the dark side. He has a very short battle at the end of the movie and dies. Maybe he will show up in the next movie and they will treat him better.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
tato gurgenidze
I had the pleasure of reading this book for both work and my own personal enjoyment. Jason Fry added depth and beauty to what has become one of my favorite Star Wars films. I cannot wait to read more by him.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
leisa
This is a fantastic novelization of The Last Jedi, with the extra work Jason Fry and Rian Johnson did coordinating really shining through. The scenes and dialogue added to what is present in the movie mesh well and feel like a natural part of the story. The extra POV scenes from Rose, Hux, and BB-8 are all wonderful and fill in those characters nicely. The addition of scenes to the novelization beyond just deleted scenes from the DVD extras that was a nice touch that allowed us to explore some unexpected areas of the story. The novelization truly lives up to the "expanded edition" label.

Truthfully I would give this novelization 4.5 stars, but am limited by the store's rating system. A few scenes are depicted rather literally from the movie which makes them come across less exciting than they should. Something I felt was missing from the book is that there is not much added to the POV of either Rey or Kylo during their interactions, which is disappointing. However, this is also understandable due to their story being ambiguous going into Episode IX. I know the author had to stay within the parameters outlined by Lucasfilm and I feel he probably did the best job he could given the limitations that were likely laid out.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
joe ziegenfuss
I always enjoy the novelizations of the movies. I think all the authors have done a nice job in their own way. Strangely, I still think that 'The Phantom Menace' is the best novelization effort (Terry Brooks). But it was great to get a little more background on things (Snoke!) and context for others.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
laura mccaskill
Listening to the Audible version now. First, I skimmed through the chapters to hear my favorite parts. I was not disappointed. Now I am starting from the beginning. The extra details and additions to the story are wonderful. I highly recommend the book for all TLJ fans.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
kirsten taylor
I have never seen something so unprofessional from a professionally published novel! Duplicate paragraphs randomly thrown onto a page, fourth grade grammar mistakes. The author is very fond of the word "howled." Seems like everyone is howling in the Star Wars galaxy. Maybe they are really werewolves? I could go on but I don't want to be mean. I'm just shaking my head in disappointment.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
melanie gogerly
The book is a great read until for some reason it's goes into a completely different story. I think my copy had a binding error because there a few pages missing and the pages that were there had nothing to do with The Last Jedi. Other then that if you like the ship Reylo and classic Star Wars check it out.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
deborah inman
The book really helped to flesh out the movie more. It gave you some answers to some of the scenes that did not go into detail much in the movie. Jason Fry is always a good writer when it comes to any Star Wars book. He seems to understand the Star Wars univers and its characters. Over all a great read, and enhances the movie its based on.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
renee m
I have never seen something so unprofessional from a professionally published novel! Duplicate paragraphs randomly thrown onto a page, fourth grade grammar mistakes. The author is very fond of the word "howled." Seems like everyone is howling in the Star Wars galaxy. Maybe they are really werewolves? I could go on but I don't want to be mean. I'm just shaking my head in disappointment.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
ephraim chaney
The book is a great read until for some reason it's goes into a completely different story. I think my copy had a binding error because there a few pages missing and the pages that were there had nothing to do with The Last Jedi. Other then that if you like the ship Reylo and classic Star Wars check it out.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
beyza
The book really helped to flesh out the movie more. It gave you some answers to some of the scenes that did not go into detail much in the movie. Jason Fry is always a good writer when it comes to any Star Wars book. He seems to understand the Star Wars univers and its characters. Over all a great read, and enhances the movie its based on.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
nicswenson
It's fine. Off the bat, I'm a TLJ fan, just so you know. I was ticked that I had to wait 3 months for this book to come out. The TFA book came out the same day as the film, and I actually read the book before seeing the film the same evening. Having to wait so long for a TLJ book, I expected copious extra content. No spoilers: you get a scene here and there -- people will talk about the first 2 and a half chapters -- but there isn't any deep dive extra info. There's maybe one sentence about Snoke. Likewise, it was expensive.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
jason williams
Fantastic novelization. Once again, Jason Fry proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he knows Star Wars inside and out. The characters, already well written, become fully realized here in this fine addition to Star Wars canon. Additionally, the inclusion of that wonderful prologue was just aces! It immediately transported me back to late 1976 when I first read the first Star Wars novelization - bringing Camie back into the fold was pretty much everything I could have ever hoped for. Well done, sir.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
kelly gagne
It is always hit and miss when you go to see a new Star Wars movie, I being a Star Wars nut of old, have collected and read most of the Expanded Universe, and I have been to see all of Midnight Sessions of the New Releases, but always with an open mind. Obviously annoyed at Episodes 1, 2 and mostly at 3, I was somewhat relieved at Episode VII, but it still had its misgivings. Rogue One was a good effort, but again, could have been better.
So I was fascinated to see what Rian Johnson would do with the next evolution.
I have to say that when I first left the movie cinema, I was left with wondering if I had enjoyed it or not, if I was happy with the outcomes of the movie or not, or if something was not right. It took me some time to puzzle over the various aspects and come to the realisation that I had actually gone in with some expectations, and because they hadn’t been fulfilled, I was feeling a bit disappointed. But, I wasn’t disappointed, because I was actually happier with what Johnson had put together. With a few exceptions.
The thing is, as with even the Original Movies, there are parts in every Star Wars movie that you look at and think ‘I could have done without that’, or it would have been good if they had done this... All the Ewok stuff in Return of the Jedi for example. The Last Jedi was for me (and I know that everyone has their own point of view), a lot like one of the originals, fast paced, full of action, decent characters, but with a few hiccups.
I thought they messed up the Finn and Rose scenes and the entire Canto Bight bit, and I was a bit disappointed with Poe’s character in this movie.
So I was really looking forward to reading the book. Books are always meant to be better than the Movie right?
And for the most part Star Wars has done pretty good with its books (there have been some BAD ones, The Courtship of Princess Leia comes to mind, that was reason enough to delete the EU, and more recently, I was very disappointed with ‘The Legends of Luke Skywalker’), but a fair percentage of the rest have been pretty good. The Thrawn series is still one of the best ever.
This book promised to expand on the Movie, adding extra material, which was a good reason for any fan to get it.
Largely, the book follows the movie, however, Fry has given us the thought processes running through the characters heads, their motivations and feelings at the time, and this adds to a lot of different scenes, providing some depth that you just don’t get from the movie. Conversely, some of the action scenes, although described well enough, lose their impact in the book, as opposed to being displayed on the big screen.
Fry has had the opportunity to expand on some areas with extra scenes from Johnson and other areas, giving us some material that would have been fantastic if it had been included in the film. The opening scene of the book would have made for a fascinating start to the movie, giving a completely different feel to the movie had they decided to go down that path. I only hope it is on the deleted scenes of the Blu-Ray release.
Of course, there were some disappointing aspects to the book, and I am not sure if this was limitations placed on Fry himself, or he just didn’t do it, but (sorry, minor spoilers here), there was no real in-depth look at the Kylo Ren character again from within the book. Each of the other characters was given the opportunity to be explored somewhat within the book, adding some extra depth and insight to their characters and the part they have in the story, especially Luke, but there was this black void that was the Kylo Ren character.
The other major disappointment was Snoke. He was both a major disappointment in the movie, failure again to explore the Who, How, Why, When, Where and What of his character? Unfortunately, the book does nothing to satisfy any of these needs/wants either.
One thing the book did do well, and I hinted at this earlier, was look at various relationships. As such, the relationships between Finn and Rose, and their entire piece of the movie, which for me was kind of pointless, was far better in the book, expanded, given more focus, explored more, and their feelings towards each other allowed to be explored more. It was really well don’t.
Other relationships that seemed somewhat sharp in the movie, such as Poe and Holdo where again given a bit more depth in the book, and Poe and Leia’s relationship was explored with greater depth.
Several other characters and their motivations, such as Hux and even some of the other First Order commanders were given some time and explored also – although Captain Phasma continued to be about as useless as a chrome kettle without a wall socket. Talk about the most under rated character in a Star Wars movie ever (well since Boba Fett, and at least he got to feed a Sarlacc, all she did was look like a Robocop wanna be and then fall to her death after being beaten down ‘twice’ by a lesser trained underling, So Sad….
Speaking of Characters, the book also gives us a bit more insight into Luke, the Last Jedi, and for me, what he says about the order, the Force, the Jedi, and his teachings, actually made a lot of sense, especially within the context of this book.
Overall, I am sure that the book will polarise audiences the same as the Movie did, however, I think it was pretty well done, and it definitely adds to the movie rather than detracting from it.
For Star Wars Fans, you will definitely enjoy it, being one, I know that I did. If you hated the movie and have been on that band wagon since the movie came out, well, you will probably not enjoy the book much, but then again, what do you expect? Rian Johnson did a good job, and Jason Fry has kept to it, expanding on it, and giving it an edge, apart from those few small complaints.
At the end of the day, take the story for what it is, enjoy it, and in the words of our beloved Princess – May the Force be with you…..
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
ardita
I haven't seen the movie yet and after reading this book I'm not sure if I want to. I've read all the star wars novels and this one just doesn't fit with the story line. Killing off the characters I've spent thousands of pages with for dramatic affect is rather flippant and weak. I'm very disappointed because I thought I was going to read a STAR WARS novel. The force is weak with this one.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
meghandetore
I am a little bit into it but I am loving the additional content. I love reading the book after seeing the movie as it gives more insight as to what is going on and what each character is thinking. I do wish this would have came out when the movie did but it was worth the wait.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
jody evenson
When authors set out to write novelizations of film, they're often in a tight spot. They must capture the story shown on screen, while infusing it with their own ideas and content. They must translate the visual language of film into the written word, all while being careful to honor the meaning and ideas of the original material. When, as is the case for Jason Fry, you're also given license to build on the narrative presented in the film, the challenge becomes even more complicated. Although I had seen other positive reviews of the novelization, I was hesitant to read this one.

I feel like Fry ultimately succeeded in his task. The novel retains the feel of the film, and the new scenes work well. These additions often also help provide more context to scenes in the film, and highlight how the characters have changed over the course of the franchise. While none of these are so groundbreaking that those who don't read the book will be lost in the next film, they do help draw out motivations and relationships more clearly. This is particularly evident around the characters of Hux, Snoke, and Luke.

Unfortunately, this also leads Fry into something of a trap. By adding more depth and richness to these characters, some other characters feel underdeveloped by comparison. Whether this is a decision by Fry or a reflection of Lucasfilm priorities, the effect is the same - Finn, Phasma, and Holdo all feel a little one dimensional in contrast to their costars. I found myself torn with the portrayal of Rose. The greater attention to her feelings about losing her sister and her gradual understanding of Finn as someone who is learning to care about the larger universe are well developed, but make her feel like a less hopeful character than seen on screen. It also ends up casting Rose more in terms of her contrast with other characters rather than her relationship with them. I ultimately enjoyed it, but I feel like there's another layer to be told still.

My favorite part of this book was the way Fry crafts references and parallels to other Star Wars properties, both written and filmed. Whether through overt references or well crafted parallels, they help ground the book in the Star Wars universe in ways the film's focus on individual characters sometimes obscured.

This is an example of what a good film novelization can look like, and I look forward to investigating Fry's other writings!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
renee
Star Wars fan here who grew up in the 70s worshiping Star Wars. For many years, Empire Strikes Back was my favorite episode--the conflict, the tension, the drama, the meeting between Darth Vader and Luke, one of cinema's great moments (no hyperbole!). The second act, the meat of the original trilogy was where it became a franchise.

After a few viewings of The Last Jedi, I almost have a new favorite.

I admit: I walked out of the theater on opening weekend puzzled and disappointed. Sprawling, the longest episode so far, The Last Jedi has at least 3 fairly long sequences that should either be cut or completely re-thought. There are certainly holes in the plot. The second time I saw the film I brought my parents who wanted to see it and with whom I've seen all the episodes throughout my life. I was convinced that they'd hate it, but wanted to keep the tradition alive. When the end credits came up, my mom turned to me so excited, she said to me that seeing it made her year. And I was equally enthralled with my second viewing. Not to discredit the originals, which will always be sacred to me, there was something so refreshing about characters who had always been on the one-dimensional side--either good or evil. Sure they evolve and they become more complex, but TLJ takes the depth to new levels. Life doesn't work out the way we think it will, and neither does this movie. My parents and I had a tough year and it was refreshing to see our heroes also in dark situations.

The Last Jedi has the tension, the drama, and an unexpected depth. It's Star Wars for grown-ups who have made some amends with uncertainty and appreciate twists and turns. It's big a visually beautiful. The relationship between Kylo and Rey is what got me. Personally, I really like what they did with Luke. In all honesty, Luke's progression as a character is why I love this episode and put it up there with Empire. Don't give in to the hate--there is some beauty to this film. Give it a few viewings.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
nazanin
I thought the writing was really good in this. I enjoyed having some insight into the events of the movie and getting into the heads of some of the characters. I was disappointed a little that we didn't get to see a lot of Kylo Ren's thoughts, but I understand that they can't give too much away about him because he's kind of the wild card as to how things will turn out in the next movie. Overall, I really liked it and would recommend it to anyone who wants a little more than what the movie provided. I also thought it was really easy to read and follow for anyone who is a newbie to reading SW books.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
adarsh rao
I liked the movie - but I felt the movie didn't explain a lot of the WHYs behind the characters. I was really looking forward to the book because they can get deeper into what a character is thinking. Either all of the actors in The Last Jedi were incredible and conveyed all emotions on screen or this book did not add a lot to the narrative.

One part of the book I did think was great and added details that would be hard to put in a movie was the throne room scene with Snoke. Getting into his head and knowing what the outcome would be added to the story.

I gave it a 3 starts but that is probably more because it didn't meet my (unrealistic?) expectations. Guess I'm just going to have to be more patient for other books to fill in what happened with the First Order and Luke between ROTS and TFA. Read the book to enjoy it but don't expect too much "expanded".
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
brian jones
I liked how the book, filled holes in the film's plot, such as what happened to the rest of the New Republic Military after the destruction of Hosnan Prime. I also liked the details about the island Luke stayed on and its caretakers. The conflicts between old imperial officers and Hux was both interesting and funny. I liked the reference to Disney canon Star Wars novels in Snoke's inner monologue about his rise to power, although I wished we got more information on that rise to power. I also, wish the novel include more glances at the alternate universe Luke dreams or has visions about where Luke stayed on Tatooine and the Empire was still in power.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
jo gilley
Great novelization for Episode VIII. Gives additional details that only a novelization could, so it supplements the film nicely.

I personally enjoyed the film immensely, but understand that many fans had issues with it. I think the additional details and background information provided by the novelization help to address many of the critiques about the film. For example, it explains Rey's rise to power in a way that makes it seem less abrupt than it was in the film.

An easy read, highly recommended for any Star Wars fan!
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
lynne perednia
I love the story but the writing is terrible. Did nobody proofread this?

"May for Force be with you." (Finn to Rose, when they first meet)
Seriously??? That is one of the key lines in EVERY SINGLE MOVIE. How do you mess that one up?? This book was rushed, unedited and quite frankly a sloppy attempt. When does the "revised edition" come out?
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
coloradopar
This novelization is really good! Its wonderful because you can see the movie play out in your head while reading new information/thoughts from other characters. My favorite scenes are between Leia & Kylo, and her memories about Han. Also, I think it does a fair job at exploring what the characters are thinking: ex) Rose’s feelings about fin, Rey’s interactions with Luke & Kylo, Poe & Fin’s realization on what’s really important. Jason Fry did an amazing job with this novel.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
leelas
I'm a fan of Star Wars and really wanted to like this movie. I've given most of the SW films grace but this one was just a fail. I scratch my head on the idea that people find any originality or creativity in this horrible hack of a movie. All the male characters were weak, a reflection of the pounding that masculinity is taking in today's age. Let it go, both the feminine and masculine are important to our society people!! The acting was horrid, the comedy was poorly delivered. Original? Really? The hack on Hoth, the 'I've got to make everything so much bigger idea (walkers)", the hackneyed social injustice messages, a poorly developed lando hack? I hate to say it but the prequels, though poorly received, were truly original. I expected so much more from Johnson....
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
vidhi malkan
Enjoyed this much more than the movie. In this version we had multiple viewpoints of all the characters, some extra scenes to bridge gaps, and we were able to understand the way the characters were thinking and feeling during the book. I especially enjoyed the BB-8 point of view. And it was nice to see what Kylo was thinking during the book. Overall it was much more enjoyable than the movie. I did not like the price of this book though, it isn’t worth $20
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
micah sherman
I have been open minded. There’s just nothing powerful enough to compensate for flushing over 3 decades of story telling that followed marriages for both Han and Leia, but also for Luke and Mara Jade. The Solo children, twins Jacen and Jaina, then Anakin, grew up as major parts of the storylines. Luke’s son, Ben (yes, Ben is Luke’s son who does not go to the dark side), though he has his moments. The movies would have been so much better if they based them on material from the original Star Wars universe. There are dozens of blockbuster movies waiting to be written based on series after series that have been written covering the very night after the second Death Star was destroyed, all the way through three decades of marriages, kids, Wars, Luke slowly rebuilding the Jedi and finding their place in the universe. Most interesting is how the new Jedi Order struggles to find its purpose based on lessons learned from the orders beliefs and mandates leading up to Order 66.

It’s just very hard to watch the new movies and pretend this is the “real” Star Wars. For millions of fans it is amounting to a knock off.

Disney needed George Lucas’ vision and guidance, and it’s clear they didn’t benefit from this (due to their own poor treatment of Lucas).
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
susie frischkorn
I enjoyed this - Fry adds details that are either lacking in the film or out-right missing - but The Last Jedi is your typical movie-to-book adaptation and too much is lost in translation. The actors just gave certain vocal intonations or facial expressions that are better served on film.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sabina
I was wary about buying this book because I was a fan of the movie. However, Jason Fry's mastery of detail and background on each character and situation enriched the story to a point of thorough enjoyment! Every part of the movie that was weak was resolved with great craft and thought. The prologue and epilogue nicely set up the lore of the jedi and journey the force has taken. I highly recommend reading this book!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
josh sands
Good stuff - a graceful novelization that provides quite a bit of material that didn't make it on screen - but of course preserves all the quips and one-liners, and of course the action and stakes, which made the movie such a delight.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
kathy johnson
Unfortunately a disappointing movie leads to a disappointing book. If you loved the movie this doesn't add much the deleted scenes won't have in the Blu-ray. If you were disappointed and hoped for more insight into character motives save your money.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
francesca matteini
It’s not a good sign when a novelization needs so much additional content to fix the flaws of a movie. Unfortunately this just further compounds the flaws of TLJ and adds brand new ones. I didn’t think this could be worse than the movie, but it is.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
caitlin h
Someone left this book on top of a recycling trash-bin in Grand Central Station and after reading one chapter, I dont blame the person. The movie is horrible and the book pretty much continues the assassination of George Lucas' Star Wars. The menstrual cramps that the movie left the original fan base, somehow get worse with this bloated mess of words. I will be real surprised if Ren and Rey don't end up together at the end of this Disney princess story arc. [Charles Barkley voice] "it's terraaaable."
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
lucy gibson
I thought this was fanfiction at first, because that’s the level of writing here. This reads like it was written for middle school aged kids. It’s like “Twilight” but somehow worse. How did this get made?
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
roberta sievers
The protagonist of the original saga is character-assassinated so that the new Mary Sue can be perfect with no effort. Meanwhile, unfunny and irrelevant hijinx go on against an unimaginative background.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
olav
A novel to try to fix a horrible movie. Bad story, bad acting, poor characters, grotesque humor. Coarse feminism. Complete lack of respect towards our most beloved Star Wars classic heroes: Luke, Leia, R2D2, C3PO, Chewie, Admiral Ackbar. Rey is a Mary Sue. Countless plotholes. Star Wars is dead and was killed by Kathleen Kenedy and Ruin Johnson.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
gamaliel
If you thought this book might expand or make the movie better, sorry its horrible. The LAST JEDI is pretty much the worst star wars every made. This book does nothing to improve on the horrible movie. Old characters are treaty poorly and without any respect. I would avoid this book at all costs.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
mary dunn
This book was touted as an expansion of the movie - supposedly fleshing out Snokes backstory and more color as to internal thinking driving characters and events. I found this completely false...no additional mysteries were revealed of any sort. Save your money.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
talia
Didn't think it could be worse than the movie, but being it adds next to nothing ,and took longer to get through, it is far worse.

Only hope is that in the next one , Finn wakes up from a bad force dream, and none of this really happen.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
melisa ika puspita
This book is poorly written story plot, lazy writing, story-line just as bad, the vocabulary in the book is for eight grade level. If you disliked the Last Jedi you will hate the book more, if you loved the Last Jedi you will love the book. This book is for SJW/Reylo crowed.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
caci
Click “Look inside” and read the “Prologue”.
If you are a Star Wars fan and have seen the movies and read the books, you will notice immediately that this is not a Star Wars book.

The events reminisced by Luke Skywalker, written after the phrase below 100% incorrect.
“His mind went back to the long-ago days he kept telling himself not to think about. The droids, and the message—a holographic fragment in which a regal young woman pleaded for Obi-Wan Kenobi to help her.”

The rest of the book, just like the movie: 100% incorrect.
This is a well written figment of someone’s imagination that has nothing to do with the previous Star Wars movies or books. Consider it the harbinger of “The Death of Star Wars”.
[The phrase quoted in this review copied from “Fry, Jason. The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition (Star Wars) (p. 6). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.”]
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
mona encyclopedia
I can go on and on about the lazy writing in the movie, poor character development and choices as well as,well, don't get me started. This book is written for 10 to 17 yo little girls that want to hear about Ray and Kylo's secret attraction or the cute relationship between Finn and Rose, I won't support Star Wars until they reboot this entire trilogy.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
whitey
If you're hoping the book will somehow make sense of inconsistencies between the two films, it won't. A valiant effort by Fry to save a disaster of a narrative built around ham-fisted messages instead of continuing a saga, but it isn't enough. If I want to read hundreds of pages of Kylo Ren worship, I know plenty of websites where that can be done for free. Just as disappointed in this as I was in the film, if not more. If you liked the film, you'll like the book, if you thought the film was a slap in the face, the novel is a follow up sucker-punch to the gut. I say this as someone who loved The Force Awakens and wasn't into the originals at all until two years ago. Thank you for making me hate something I never thought I could stop loving.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
john ford milton
There is nothing that can ever redeem this dumpster fire of a movie. No book can correct the deep rooted flaws. Flush it and start over. I would rather watch Howard the Duck on loop while recovering from eating razor blades before watching it again.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
leksa
Honestly, head-hopping in scenes was a little irritating—especially because simple rewording and refocusing in the scene could have fixed that. But, the novelization filled in any gaps you would have missed if you haven’t seen the deleted scenes, and it was a new way to relive this masterpiece and brilliant story. Done very well, overall!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
afrojapchick
This was an amazing novel adaptation of the Last Jedi film. To me, a truly great adaptation should bring more and explain things that may not have been apparent in the film. This book definitely does both. The extra scenes and masterful storytelling truly enhance the film's basic story. So much more makes sense as a result. Here we have wonderful extras like Leia's memorial for Han, some of Snoke's background and insight into the connection between Rey and Kylo just to name a few. I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the incredible audio book. Marc Thompson is amazing as usual and gives life to the story with his exceptional vocal gifts. A must read for Star Wars fans, many of whom had questions about the film.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sanfranannie
It is always hit and miss when you go to see a new Star Wars movie, I being a Star Wars nut of old, have collected and read most of the Expanded Universe, and I have been to see all of Midnight Sessions of the New Releases, but always with an open mind. Obviously annoyed at Episodes 1, 2 and mostly at 3, I was somewhat relieved at Episode VII, but it still had its misgivings. Rogue One was a good effort, but again, could have been better.
So I was fascinated to see what Rian Johnson would do with the next evolution.
I have to say that when I first left the movie cinema, I was left with wondering if I had enjoyed it or not, if I was happy with the outcomes of the movie or not, or if something was not right. It took me some time to puzzle over the various aspects and come to the realisation that I had actually gone in with some expectations, and because they hadn’t been fulfilled, I was feeling a bit disappointed. But, I wasn’t disappointed, because I was actually happier with what Johnson had put together. With a few exceptions.
The thing is, as with even the Original Movies, there are parts in every Star Wars movie that you look at and think ‘I could have done without that’, or it would have been good if they had done this... All the Ewok stuff in Return of the Jedi for example. The Last Jedi was for me (and I know that everyone has their own point of view), a lot like one of the originals, fast paced, full of action, decent characters, but with a few hiccups.
I thought they messed up the Finn and Rose scenes and the entire Canto Bight bit, and I was a bit disappointed with Poe’s character in this movie.
So I was really looking forward to reading the book. Books are always meant to be better than the Movie right?
And for the most part Star Wars has done pretty good with its books (there have been some BAD ones, The Courtship of Princess Leia comes to mind, that was reason enough to delete the EU, and more recently, I was very disappointed with ‘The Legends of Luke Skywalker’), but a fair percentage of the rest have been pretty good. The Thrawn series is still one of the best ever.
This book promised to expand on the Movie, adding extra material, which was a good reason for any fan to get it.
Largely, the book follows the movie, however, Fry has given us the thought processes running through the characters heads, their motivations and feelings at the time, and this adds to a lot of different scenes, providing some depth that you just don’t get from the movie. Conversely, some of the action scenes, although described well enough, lose their impact in the book, as opposed to being displayed on the big screen.
Fry has had the opportunity to expand on some areas with extra scenes from Johnson and other areas, giving us some material that would have been fantastic if it had been included in the film. The opening scene of the book would have made for a fascinating start to the movie, giving a completely different feel to the movie had they decided to go down that path. I only hope it is on the deleted scenes of the Blu-Ray release.
Of course, there were some disappointing aspects to the book, and I am not sure if this was limitations placed on Fry himself, or he just didn’t do it, but (sorry, minor spoilers here), there was no real in-depth look at the Kylo Ren character again from within the book. Each of the other characters was given the opportunity to be explored somewhat within the book, adding some extra depth and insight to their characters and the part they have in the story, especially Luke, but there was this black void that was the Kylo Ren character.
The other major disappointment was Snoke. He was both a major disappointment in the movie, failure again to explore the Who, How, Why, When, Where and What of his character? Unfortunately, the book does nothing to satisfy any of these needs/wants either.
One thing the book did do well, and I hinted at this earlier, was look at various relationships. As such, the relationships between Finn and Rose, and their entire piece of the movie, which for me was kind of pointless, was far better in the book, expanded, given more focus, explored more, and their feelings towards each other allowed to be explored more. It was really well don’t.
Other relationships that seemed somewhat sharp in the movie, such as Poe and Holdo where again given a bit more depth in the book, and Poe and Leia’s relationship was explored with greater depth.
Several other characters and their motivations, such as Hux and even some of the other First Order commanders were given some time and explored also – although Captain Phasma continued to be about as useless as a chrome kettle without a wall socket. Talk about the most under rated character in a Star Wars movie ever (well since Boba Fett, and at least he got to feed a Sarlacc, all she did was look like a Robocop wanna be and then fall to her death after being beaten down ‘twice’ by a lesser trained underling, So Sad….
Speaking of Characters, the book also gives us a bit more insight into Luke, the Last Jedi, and for me, what he says about the order, the Force, the Jedi, and his teachings, actually made a lot of sense, especially within the context of this book.
Overall, I am sure that the book will polarise audiences the same as the Movie did, however, I think it was pretty well done, and it definitely adds to the movie rather than detracting from it.
For Star Wars Fans, you will definitely enjoy it, being one, I know that I did. If you hated the movie and have been on that band wagon since the movie came out, well, you will probably not enjoy the book much, but then again, what do you expect? Rian Johnson did a good job, and Jason Fry has kept to it, expanding on it, and giving it an edge, apart from those few small complaints.
At the end of the day, take the story for what it is, enjoy it, and in the words of our beloved Princess – May the Force be with you…..
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
tom grattan
I have been open minded. There’s just nothing powerful enough to compensate for flushing over 3 decades of story telling that followed marriages for both Han and Leia, but also for Luke and Mara Jade. The Solo children, twins Jacen and Jaina, then Anakin, grew up as major parts of the storylines. Luke’s son, Ben (yes, Ben is Luke’s son who does not go to the dark side), though he has his moments. The movies would have been so much better if they based them on material from the original Star Wars universe. There are dozens of blockbuster movies waiting to be written based on series after series that have been written covering the very night after the second Death Star was destroyed, all the way through three decades of marriages, kids, Wars, Luke slowly rebuilding the Jedi and finding their place in the universe. Most interesting is how the new Jedi Order struggles to find its purpose based on lessons learned from the orders beliefs and mandates leading up to Order 66.

It’s just very hard to watch the new movies and pretend this is the “real” Star Wars. For millions of fans it is amounting to a knock off.

Disney needed George Lucas’ vision and guidance, and it’s clear they didn’t benefit from this (due to their own poor treatment of Lucas).
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