The Last Jedi

Let me just start by saying that this rating is in no way due to the overly disliked TLJ
(I love The Last Jedi)

2 stars? 2.5 stars?

When I saw expanded edition I was excited. Especially when I started my SW Disney canon journey in 2018 I bought so many of them in one big chunk. However, after reading the novelization for TFA that included BONUS content, I realized this was just Disney's way of publishing a book that wasn't fully edited. And this novelization is even worse.

It's important to say I don't think this is any fault of the author. My aim is not to bash the writing in any way, it's more of a disappointment in content.

It's really cool to me that the extended novelizations include the deleted scenes and have additional thoughts and fears and ideas from characters—that is exactly why I read them as well as watch them. But added stuff to Canto Bight that isn't a deleted scene? WHY

Reading this felt like Disney allowed the author to use like the 3rd to last edited Rian Johnson script. The dialogue was off or longer or completely lacking the actors intonations and finesse (ie. DJ practically having no personality??) The climax of the film had Kylo and Luke saying things that weren't 100% from the finished film? To me that ruins my experience as that is not then a novelization? I am of the purist sort that want everything exact, rather than receiving something that feels more like a dramatization.

I will also note that out of all the ones I've read this had the highest number of typos... what the hell Del Ray?

I truly think this was the most unbearable out of the 47 (?) SW canon novels I've finished so far.

I have read all of the Star Wars movie novels to date, and this was the least exciting so far.

NERD ALERT! T-85 X-wing with cloaking device. NERD ALERT!

It probably isn't until the final third of the novel that I started to enjoy Fry's adaptation of the film. Little things like filling in the last-ditch speeder plan on Krait (take out the cables used to tug the canon) are what make novelizations of the films' enjoyable.

My only wish is that there was more of this throughout the novel. Much like all the other post OT novels in the Disney era, the opportunity to flesh out canon is rarely taken up for fear of stepping on the toes of the next movie. Ironically, this wasn't the case during the prequel movie period when you actually had the sense that writers were given ancillary characters and topics to fully flesh out.

It's a shame that Fry didn't really get the leash removed as he probably could have done an even better job filling in the blanks for hardcore fans.

The additional scenes did not add anything or really provide any useful insight over the movie.