nikkibee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ellatownn's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
abomine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's not great literature, and it's not supposed to be. It's fast-paced, gives us <i>some</i> context and backstory for the characters that only a book can offer, and it's a good advertisement for the film (the only Monsterverse movie I haven't seen yet, oddly enough). King Kong is one of my favorite movie monsters, and this book (and presumably this movie) certainly did him justice.
acitygirlsthoughts's review
5.0
Kong: Skull Island may sound like a fun, action-packed, family film but Tim Lebbon weaves a deeper story of man's constant yearning to outdo and prove to each other who is worthy of respect. Bill Randa, a scientist who's looking to "make his mark," needs money to launch an investigation into giant creatures living on an uninhabited island formed by evolution that have never been seen by humans. His team, MONARCH, are interested in this type of research but need government funds and military personnel to launch an investigation.
" 'This is a satellite photo of an uncharted island in the South Pacific, east of Kiribati,' Randa said. "It has remained unexplored, and virtually unheard of, until now. Rumours of it persist through history...Spanish explorers called it Isla de Craneo. Skull Island. There are also writings referring to it as 'the island where God did not finish creation' ".
I haven't seen this movie but Lebbon gives us ample insight and detail into each character and their struggle to show the people they know how worthy they are. I'm glad Lebbon touches on the veterans' mental health, guiding us discreetly through their point of views and inner struggle to hold on to their sanity. I loved Conrad's and Weaver's insight, including Conrad's slow-burning attraction to Weaver. Their are six point of views but they all tied into the plot without confusion, so I didn't have to re-read certain parts to make sure I understood what's happening. Just like how book-to-movie/TV adaptions slightly differ, so does movie/TV-to-book adaptions.
Some other parts have been changed, but for me this was an entertaining end-of-summer read. My full review is up on my blog, if you want to check it out (link in bio)!
" 'This is a satellite photo of an uncharted island in the South Pacific, east of Kiribati,' Randa said. "It has remained unexplored, and virtually unheard of, until now. Rumours of it persist through history...Spanish explorers called it Isla de Craneo. Skull Island. There are also writings referring to it as 'the island where God did not finish creation' ".
I haven't seen this movie but Lebbon gives us ample insight and detail into each character and their struggle to show the people they know how worthy they are. I'm glad Lebbon touches on the veterans' mental health, guiding us discreetly through their point of views and inner struggle to hold on to their sanity. I loved Conrad's and Weaver's insight, including Conrad's slow-burning attraction to Weaver. Their are six point of views but they all tied into the plot without confusion, so I didn't have to re-read certain parts to make sure I understood what's happening. Just like how book-to-movie/TV adaptions slightly differ, so does movie/TV-to-book adaptions.
Some other parts have been changed, but for me this was an entertaining end-of-summer read. My full review is up on my blog, if you want to check it out (link in bio)!
askirmishofwit's review against another edition
3.0
If you've seen the film, this novelisation isn't mind blowing or derivative. However if you've seen the film, enjoyed it, but wished you'd had longer in characters' heads to explore their motivations, then this book goes some way towards that goal. Insight into the backstories of Weaver and Conrad in particular are (unsurprisingly) a feature of the novelisation, and help to answer a few more niggling doubts I had about their characterisation during the film. Look, at the end of the day, the writing isn't amazing, but it's perfectly passable and readable and compelling, especially during the action scenes which can be hard to translate from a very visual medium to a page. Overall, though my experience of them is limited, I'd say it's a pretty solid novelisation, and worth a (quick) read if you enjoyed the film itself.
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