Top 10 Young Adult Book to Movie Adaptations of the 21st Century

Who says a movie is never as good as the book? Join MsMojo as we count down our picks for Top 10 Young Adult Book to Movie Adaptations of the 2000s.

For this list, we’ve picked ten of the best young adult book movie adaptations of the 2000s so far. We’ve chosen our entries based on a mix of the popularity of the books and the films, and how well the film was received by both audiences and critics.

Best known as the indie darling that won over the hearts of the Sundance crowd, this adaptation took home the prestigious U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and the Audience Award for U.S. Drama at the festival. The film version was able to stick to the heart of the novel because Jesse Andrews – the author – was also behind the screenplay, which is a rare occurrence in Hollywood. Both told the story of senior and self-proclaimed loner Greg Gaines, who befriends Rachel, a classmate dying of cancer. With the help of the titular Earl, the two boys set out to make one of their ridiculous films for Rachel. The result is a comedy-drama that’s funny and heartfelt, all while exploring a tough subject.

The film series may not be complete yet, but the book to movie adaptation has still managed to leave an impression on audiences with just 2 movies released in theaters as of 2016. Set in a dystopian world created by author James Dashner, “The Maze Runner” takes place in a brutal time where we’re initially led to believe only boys, ranging in age from preteen to teen, are left in existence. Led by Thomas, played by teen heartthrob Dylan O’Brien, the boys must find a way out of the mysterious maze they’re trapped in. As the world expands in the sequel “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials,” Thomas and the gang learn that they’re part of a bigger conspiracy. Watching them form a team to take down their enemy is what makes the movies both fun and nerve-wracking at the same time and makes us look forward to future installments.

Based on John Green’s novel, this movie is a modern tale of two star-crossed lovers, Hazel and Gus, two teens that are fighting cancer and that fall in love. The movie doesn’t dwell on their illness and both teens are portrayed as fully realized characters that are funny, complicated, and just trying to live their lives despite what life has dealt them. While there’s a great sense of teenage rebellion, as demonstrated by the act of egging houses, that’s paired with more romantic moments like their trip to Amsterdam, which will give you all the feels. The movie made an astonishing $307 million on a budget of $13 million. But watcher be warned: you can’t leave this one without bawling your eyes out.

We’re all used to seeing and reading about the ugly side of female friendship in high school, but this book and movie changed that. The Ann Brashares book-turned-movie tells the story of four best friends who find a pair of magical jeans – yes, the titular pants - that they can all wear despite differing body types and sizes. The pants hold the friends together while they are apart from each other for the summer. The film has a standout cast made up of Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, Blake Lively, and Amber Tamblyn, who were young up-and-comers at the time. It’s easy to see the chemistry between the young women as they portrayed characters falling in love for the first time, as well as learning what it means to grow up, so it’s not surprising that a sequel was made.

Starring Shailene Woodley, the current queen of Young Adult book to movie adaptations, the Divergent series sees her playing the kickass Tris, which is just another great notch in her belt. The Veronica Roth novels turned films brought to life a dystopian world in which people are sorted into factions based on dominant personality traits and life views. But with Tris, a mild-mannered Abnegation girl who chooses to join the fearless Dauntless, we learn that there’s more going on in this world, and see that not everyone fits into a box. The films are a great mix of action, adventure, sci-fi and romance and will surely turn viewers into fans, even if they didn’t read the books first.

Over the years, “Twilight” has received a lot of hate and been parodied endless times, but it can’t be denied that that the five films in the series made a huge impression on pop culture. They also showed how successful a young adult book adaptation could be. The films’ main plot follows the love story of human teenager Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, who were an off-screen real-life couple, made the on-screen couple spark and got us invested in the challenges that their coupling faced. Their world grew into more than just their love story as the films introduced tougher vampires than the “vegetarian” Cullens. The series made over $3.3 billion worldwide, which is a number even haters can’t snicker at.

Simple and understated, this small film made on a budget of only $2.5 million is one of the most sensitive portrayals of what it means to be in high school. Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter, the same screenwriting duo behind “The Fault in Our Stars,” really managed to capture the charisma of Sutter Keely, a high school senior with little ambition and a serious drinking problem, as he falls in love with Aimee Finicky, a quiet, unassuming girl. The film sees him influence her in both good and bad ways. Meanwhile, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley have an undeniable chemistry that’s captivating to watch and brings an authenticity to what it feels like to fall in love for the first time.

Though it was written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, the book’s author, there was still a thirteen-year gap between the book and the feature. Those thirteen years were worth the wait however, since the film gave us one of the most thoughtful and honest portrayals on the big screen of what it’s like to be a misfit in high school. The plot follows the life of Charlie, a loner freshman, who befriends two seniors, Sam and Patrick. Over the course of the comedy-drama, we see how their friendships bring Charlie out of his shell and we learn about the larger problems Charlie’s dealing with. The movie doesn’t trivialize Charlie’s issues, but instead gives a nuanced view, all while telling viewers that there is hope of getting better.

Jennifer Lawrence will make audiences fall in love with pretty much any character she plays, but she has yet to do this better than with her portrayal of Katniss Everdeen, the teenage protagonist of Suzanne Collins’ best-selling dystopian series. The world of the Hunger Games is rich, dark, and brutal – and one that sees district tributes being sent to the games to fight each other to death. We first see how much of a leader Katniss is when she volunteers to take her sister’s place in the games. Throughout the franchise, she becomes more of a rebel as she battles to protect those she loves and seeks justice. All of the movies are well-made, but “Catching Fire” is arguably the stand out for some of the series’ most memorable moments, such as Katniss’ dress lighting on fire.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

• “Holes” (2003)

• “A Walk to Remember” (2002)

• “Hugo” (2011)

• “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” (2005)

• “Stardust” (2007)

Of course, the boy wizard would take the number one spot, just as he did with all of our hearts. The Harry Potter films brought magic to our Muggle world starting with the 2001 release of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” with J. K. Rowling’s fantastical wizarding world giving us Hogwarts, the school we all wished we went to. Through the growth of Harry and his friends, the movies explored themes of fighting for what you believe in and the power of love and friendship. The movies then got better as Harry matured, with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part Two” as the series standout, as well as one of only 24 films to gross over $1 billion dollars to date. And overall, the series made a whopping $7.7 billion.

Do you agree with our list? Which young adult movie adaptation do you love? For more can’t miss Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.