I loved Love, Simon. I read the book first, so of course, I had things to nitpick about the movie (like, sure, that [redacted] was heartwarming but it was inconsistent with one of the main values of the movie, arrrgh). Still, when I walked out of the movie theater, I immediately texted all my friends to go watch it.
As a result, I’ve got YA movie adaptations on the brain. I can’t wait for whatever’s next. It feels like there’s so much coming up…
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: This is the big one. The movie adaptation has a pretty star-studded cast (Amandla Stenberg, KJ Apa, Issa Rae, Anthony Mackie…), and all the behind-the-scenes photos look incredible. The issue of racism and police brutality remains as relevant as ever, and the world needs this movie. I haven’t checked the NYT Bestseller List, but I’m just going to assume The Hate U Give is at the top and is going to stay there forever.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: I’m pretty darn excited for this adaptation. A cute YA romance starring an Asian American actress? Yes, please. If you haven’t read this book (and its sequels!) yet, then you should get on it. This romance is the perfect spring/summer read.
IIRC, there are a few other YA books that might get their own movie adaptations. There’s Nicola Yoon’s novel The Sun Is Also a Star. And there’s Jason Reynolds’ book Long Way Down, which is being produced by John Legend, apparently (!!). I’ve recently started reading Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone, and, wow — within a few pages, you can tell that when it gets a movie, it’s going to be mind-blowingly amazing.
What YA movie adaptations are you looking forward to? Which books do you think deserve YA adaptations? Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, and Not Your Sidekick are high on my list. If any fancy movie-making people are reading this, you know what to do.