Marvel's Captain America: Civil War Special Edition Junior Novelisation product reviews

My husband and children are huge marvel fans, and when it comes to the Avengers, and S.H.I.E.L.D, it seems they know every little detail, and expect me to know too. Unfortunately, I do not follow any of this as closely as they do, and often find myself asking who is that? How does that superhero fit? If they are not an old fashion hero like Captain America or Iron Man then it is guaranteed I do not know who they are haha

It was great to be able to get some insight into the large number of characters, and to finally have some understanding. Possibly not enough to carry off an adult conversation, but definitely enough to understand what my kids are talking about, instead of constantly drawing a blank. As books go, this one started off as easy to read, but then it began to get a bit confusing and, unfortunately, a bit boring. We are all used to the excitement that comes with Marvel movies or kids shows, and sadly the book can not compete with that. However, at just $10 rrp, and for any die hard fan it would be perfectly fine.

The book is a standard novel style, so other than the 8 page spread of photos right in the middle there is no other real artwork. But I did like the photos, it made it clearer for me to understand who is who, and younger readers would probably prefer to skip the rest of the book and just read the photo spread. If you are new to marvel this part alone is a valuable piece, well it was for me.

To be perfectly honest, I think this is best suited for die hard marvel fans more than folk like myself who do not have a great understanding or are not huge followers. All in all though it was ok. My teenage son thoroughly enjoyed it, and it gave him something to read and keep himself occupied while in hospital which was fantastic.

When I first started reading this book, I was pleased to see that the Prelude was a recap of the background to the formation and development of the Avengers and the S.H.I.E.L.D organisation. This was useful reference material for anyone who was new to the series as the sheer number of different characters could have otherwise been quite confusing. I also thought that it was a good idea to tailor a book for younger readers so that they could get an overview of the story.

However, as I continued reading, I found the style uneven in places and sometimes difficult to follow. The plot has been simplified to the point that it reads as an expanded summary rather than a proper story, and this detracts from the interest value. It follows the plot of the 2016 movie, including the action and some of the dialogue, but does not provide enough in-depth description to fill in the gaps. The result is rather stilted and occasionally boring - it lacks the excitement and fast pace of the movie.

Having said that, I do think it does serve as a reminder of the main threads of the movie, and it would be useful to read it again just before the next instalment hits the big screen. It is often difficult to pick up the threads of a story, even more so if you have not seen the previous instalment, so I do plan to revisit the book in preparation for that time!

My preference would have been to see Marvel use the graphic novel format to present the junior novel edition. Graphic novels have the advantage of being able to use minimal text while filling in the background information through illustrations. This combination makes the production of a condensed or simplified version far more accessible to young readers and sophisticated language is easier to follow in this context.

However there were some really good aspects to this book. The introductory segment was helpful, and the eight-page photo spread in the middle of the book was clearly set out and very easy to follow. It provides a much clearer plot outline than the rest of the book, and also helps readers to visualise the main characters and place them in context. Assuming that most children who read the book will have already have seen the movie and have purchased the book (or had it bought for them) because they enjoyed the story, the pictures provide a useful linking technique.