Star Wars Book Roundup: “Finn’s Story” and “Rey’s Story”
As part of the novelization series for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Disney released several young reader books that are perfect for Jedis-in-training (or a grown-up super fan).
“Finn’s Story” by Jesse J. Holland
“Finn’s Story” tells “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” from Finn’s point-of-view. Written for early to middle elementary readers, this book does a good job of diving into Finn’s perspective and giving its audience an idea of what he’s thinking. This book would be especially good for a younger audience that might have trouble following some of the fast action sequences (especially the first scene of the movie on Jakku), and helps to spell out some of the emotions and subtexts that aren’t stated explicitly in the movie. While targeted at ages 6-8, some older super-fans might get a kick out of reading “Finn’s Story.” Holland gives some background for the other Stormtroopers working for Kylo Ren, and starts the narrative a bit before the movie begins to give readers an idea of Finn’s life. There are also a few Easter eggs that you wouldn’t get from just watching the movie (like what the beast at the water trough in Jakku is called).
“Rey’s Story” by Elizabeth Schaefer
“Rey’s Story” follows the same format as “Finn’s Story.” Schaefer provides a prologue that gives some background on Rey’s skills as a pilot. She also expands on some scenes from the movies, adding dialogue or filling in gaps where “The Force Awakens” turns its attention to other storylines. In particular, “Rey’s Story” builds a nice foundation for the relationship between BB-8 and Rey, and spends some time developing their rapport. Again, “Rey’s Story” is written for an elementary audience, but still contains some extra facts and scenes that older fans might enjoy. For those who are particularly interested in Rey’s mysterious background and family, the novel could provide some hints for your investigation.
“Finn’s Story” and “Rey’s Story” also include full page illustrated renditions of screenshots from the movie. Both are clearly written and good supplements for elementary aged Star Wars fans who might not catch every detail from just watching “The Force Awakens.”
