Sometimes the best source material of teen films comes straight from books. While the popularity of movies offered a box office revenue and fanbase, there was also a huge fanbase in teen novels and book series. A majority of teen film storylines originate from novels by popular authors that have thousands of print sales.
It wouldn’t be surprising if googling a popular teen film revealed that it was first popular in the pages of a book. Using books as source material also somewhat guarantees a big audience who wants to see their favorite characters come to life. But this doesn’t guarantee a good rating. Let’s take a look a what teen novels were translated into the big screen and just how well they did.
Twilight (5.2)
Twilight is an obvious example of a popular teen book series that created a cult phenomenon amongst audiences. Despite its rise to fame, it only received a 5.2 rating on IMDb. When it comes to this franchise, its stardom outweighs its ranking. Stephenie Meyer wrote a total of five books that were all made into films.
The first film skyrocketed the main cast to fame as actors and developed a huge fanbase that resulted in successful merchandise sales. There’s no denying that the Twilight franchise is one of the most successful on-screen adaptations of a teen book. The storyline of a teenage girl falling in love with a vampire created a shift in the genre of the late 2000s.
Everything, Everything (6.4)
Browsing the rows of books in the teen section of a bookstore, there are many short novels that readers have enjoyed. One of them is the novel by Nicole Yoon, Everything, Everything. It was produced into a film in 2017. It followed the story of a young girl who suffers from an immune disorder that keeps her sheltered in her home.
She meets a neighborhood boy who she starts to have feelings for. As the story progresses, he shows her how to experience a life she hasn’t had. For those who watched the film, they had good reviews for its portrayal of young love tied with a threatening illness. It closely resembled the written story in the novel.
If I Stay (6.7)
If I Stay is one of those films you decided to watch one night and ultimately made you shed some tears. Before the film made audiences cry, it first did the job as a novel by Gayle Forman. The romantic drama centers around a teenage girl who sees flashbacks of her life while being in the hospital after a tragic car accident.
The story details her whole life, the relationships she makes, the decisions on what school to go to, and the small moments. The main crux of the film is her deciding whether or not to let go. Audiences had high praise for the film for its drama and heart-wrenching story while some critics felt the film lacked acting chops in certain areas.
Divergent (6.7)
The highly popular film franchise Divergent was also a popular book series by Veronica Roth. The first film premiered in 2014 and involved a dystopian future set in Chicago. It received considerable ratings but it still managed to create a fanbase that led to the following sequels.
Tris (Shailene Woodley) is of age to make the decision to which of the five factions of society she will commit to. But when she goes through trials and chooses, she learns she is Divergent. She must keep her true identity hidden in a looming factions’ war. The film franchise became a hit and even had critics comparing it to The Hunger Games.
The Maze Runner (6.8)
Fans of teen drama shows and those who watched Teen Wolf would remember one of the main actors, Dylan O’Brien, who played Stiles. After the show, he became the lead in the film adaptation of James Dashner’s 2009 novel, The Maze Runner. The dystopian science fiction film is intense in the storyline.
A 16-year-old finds himself void of his memories and stuck in the middle of a haunting maze alongside others. They must find their way out of the intricate labyrinth while trying to function as a society within themselves. The first film was followed by two more installments before it was called quits.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (7.1)
Netflix created a highly talked about film amongst young audiences called To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. It was based on Jenny Han’s 2014 novel of the same name. The film was a hit and even made way for Han’s following book to be made into a sequel film.
Both the book and film follow a teenage girl named Lara Jean (Lana Condor) who finds herself in a pickle when her love letter to previously crushes are delivered to them. Audiences fell in love with their quirky and cute story. Many reviews rave about the film’s relatability even with its bizarre circumstances. As well as the actors’ strong portrayal of the main character.
The Hunger Games (7.2)
The Hunger Games film franchise was just as much a major hit amongst fans as Twilight was but on the other end of the genre spectrum. The series of young adult novels were written by author Suzanne Collins. Set in a dystopian future, it follows the brave acts of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) when she volunteers herself in the brutal Hunger Games in place of her sister.
The film and the following sequels follow Katniss’s uprising as a revolutionary leader who wants to take down the social hierarchy and eradicate the Hunger Games. The film franchise was an immense success that created a following and was a box office hit. Lawrence is often praised for bringing to life the popular book character.
Harry Potter Series (7.6)
Harry Potter doesn’t really need an introduction seeing as it became the number one best young adult film adaptations of the popular book series. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first adaptation that premiered in 2001 and continued to follow the story of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends in the books by J.K. Rowling.
It became the most successful franchise to date and its unlikely that there will be a teen book or film that could top its grand success. The films led to box office hits that can total past 1 billion in revenue and even more. Many fans have grown up with the franchise and the books and grew attached to its characters. It’s the most popular book series and films in the world.
The Fault In Our Stars (7.7)
The Fault In Our Stars was a teen romance film that enamored audiences with its life defying portrayal of young love. John Green is a popular writer in the teen genre that has many popular novels like Looking For Alaska and Paper Towns. The film got mixed reviews from critics who applauded the story of the young couple but had ill feelings towards the life/death premise.
Young audiences loved the film for its characters as well as its outlook on life. It also has a good plot twist. The film follows a teenage girl with lung cancer as she meets a boy at a support group. They start a friendship despite the looming fear of death that then turns into young love.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (8)
Most teenagers in 2012 would recall the hype behind the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It resonated with a lot of teen audiences for its outlook on social life and not exactly fitting in. Before being a film, it was a novel by Stephen Chbosky. The film had an immense ensemble cast of young actors including Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller in the lead roles.
Lerman played the role of Charlie who chronicles his struggles and tribulations in his first year of high school. All while unknowingly dealing with PTSD. It tells the story of Charlie making two new friends and trying to figure out life. The film received several accolades and nominations for its emotional display of teen life.
