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Many things can be said about Leah Bardugo’s Six of Crows but the first thing that comes to mind is: unforgettable.

Everyone has their opinions on which genre is their favorite, it’s a very subjective thing. In my case, fantasy is my absolute least favorite. I’ve never enjoyed it, it took too long to get into, the story is stilted due to the need for world building. This cannot be said for Six of Crows.

The story jumps right in, as if this is the universe we live in, we know these characters and what these unfamiliar words mean. It does not pause to set up the universe nor put the plot on hold to do so. When things are brought up, it’s naturally.

Other things I love about this book are it’s characterization. You have moments like this,

Kaz leaned back. “What’s the easiest way to steal a mans wallet?”

“Knife to the throat?” asked Inej.

“Gun to the back?” said Jesper.

“Poison in his cup?” suggested Nina.

“You’re all horrible,” said Matthias

that give us a clear example of what values to them and how they see the world. But you also have moments like this,

“Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, Im going to get Wylan’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.”

Brekker’s lips quirked. “I’ll just hire Matthias’ ghost to kick your ghost’s ass.”

“My ghost won’t associate with your ghost,” Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.

that keeps this characterization of these people, shows us how they see things in a more subtle way, while simultaneously reminding us that these characters are still just children, they make jokes and laugh with each other.

Each character is also driven by their own motivations and move forward in ways that are easy to understand and make sense with the complexities of their characters.

As most know, book to movie adaptations normally don’t live up to expectations. The films simply aren’t able to capture the characters feels or motivations, which is a let down for book fans.

This is not the case with The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Personally, I think the movie was as good, if not better, than the book.

The book is entirely composed in letters, giving us insight to Charlie’s perspective. Not many direct quotes are used and while you understand Charlie’s personality and his thoughts, you do not get to see as much of Patrick’s or Sam’s. In the movie, you get a better understanding of Charlie’s friends. Who they are, how they act. It makes the characters more relatable and feel more alive. While there are scenes in the book I wish would have been in the movie, I think the scenes included were just as good, and the entire cast did a fantastic job at bringing the characters alive. Not knowing much about Charlie’s friends fits the formatting of the book, when writing a letter, you rarely quote direct things said to you, instead describing the events and paraphrasing, so the development of the characters is not an issue with the book or the writing, it’s very fitting for the book. However, I personally find things more enjoyable when I can find a character I relate to, and it wasn’t Charlie for me.

Both the book and movie are great stories despite the differences and it’s a rare occasion for me to give both the book and it’s adaptation five stars.