Reviews

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander Freed

solveigmr's review

5.0

" In a kinder universe, she would have walked away from Scarif.
I cannot imagine who she would have become, but I think she would
have been extraordinary.
I am grateful I knew her, no matter how short the time."

rosofthewords's review against another edition

5.0

Man... I need a minute

moonflyer's review

4.0

I listened to the audiobook and the performance by Jonathan Davis was great as usual. My only complaint is Delray/Lucasfilm need to update their music agreement to include films from the Disney era. This movie has a great soundtrack and the audio performance should have the same!

eltropenguin's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

blooddragon's review

adventurous emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

cyris_reads's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

xyranys's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

claireviolet's review

5.0

the collection of the last thoughts always makes me sob like a baby. and my heart will always ache for jyn. how many times can a person become an orphan?

sevskywalker's review

5.0

Oh..The feels... I'm drowning in them and devastated. If you have watched or read Rogue One, you know what I'm talking about.

This is the best Novelization ever.. I couldn't be more satisfied ever after reading a movie turned to book.

I came to understand our ragtag group of characters a bit more than we could in the movie and this brings the much needed connection that we should have made with these characters(in the movie), which a lot of people criticised that the movie lacked( partly true, but I disagree, which might be because I'm Star Wars trash and am just biased).

I'm not saying that the book is better than the movie, but it does makes the overall experience a lot more deserved and satisfying, not completely eliminating the flaws overall-as they are still present-but maybe succeeded a little bit more in making them less obviously glaring

P.S.: If you read the prequel novel to Rogue One- Catalyst: A Rogue One novel- by James Luceno, you are more aware of the impact that the whole Erso family brings to the galaxy of the Star Wars universe and also,you know and care more about Galen and Lyra Erso and ironically, Orson( so called "antagonist" of this story) Krennic too which, if you have only watched the movie may find that all their characters are lacking.

It seems that every Star Wars book I read, every Star Wars movie I watch only makes me love the whole galaxy far far away more and more.
- Sudeep

careydnelson's review

3.0

I had two reasons to partake of my second novelization:

1. Alexander Freed has an intriguing looking book coming out this summer (Alphabet Squadron), and I wanted some sort of assurance it will be good.

2. If you search your feelings you know it to be true that Rogue One is in the top three best Star Wars movies ever (Empire is #1--this is incontestable truth).

My difficulty in reviewing novelizations stems from my desire to want them to stand on their own. Therefore I'm not an objective critic because I have seen the movie. . . I bet it would be fine though. Yeah, it'd be great, and if it's not, someone tell me.

But really, the bones of the movie are good; it's up to Mr. Freed to mess them up. Most of the time he is more than up to the task, but there are one or two niggles that prevented me from awarding a full five stars.

1. There are some wordy affectations here.

"In her dream Jyn was five. Maybe she was four. Maybe she was six. . . "

This is the only one that comes to mind now, but my reaction throughout was to assume the author was trying too hard to writ gud. Writing is hard, but relax a bit, Buddy. You're doing fine.

2. I loved what was added for the characters. The voice throughout the book switches perspectives among characters. Bodhi Rook, Orson Krennic, and to a lesser extent Baze Malbus are given plenty of time to allow us to get to know them and their struggles more than in the movie. However, while this is an ensemble piece, I wanted much more from the two leads, Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor. We are given some new tidbits about Jyn's life with Saw Gerrera. Really, that is all that is new for Jyn. If you are a Cassian fan though there is nothing here for you. Just watch the movie again. Oh, Cassian. I wanted more for you! I wanted more dialogue to imagine in that beautiful, beautiful accent! I wanted to know about how you lived the rebellion since you were six years old! I wanted -

Ahem. Excuse me.

Rogue One is an excellent ensemble Star Wars adventure chronicling a pivotal moment that leads directly into the events of the first Star Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope (previously known simply as "Star Wars" when it was released in 1977). There are no lightsabers here, but

"I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.
I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.
I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."

And the robot will make you laugh.




P.S. R2-D2 > K-2SO > Any other droid, it doesn't matter.