Welcome back to Go/No-Go, Tosche Station’s regular feature where we offer our spoiler-free opinion as to whether or not you should spend your hard-earned money on a book, film, or other entertainment. Today on the launch pad: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the novelization that is! Some of us *coughNancicough* have been very eagerly awaiting this book especially since it’s Star Wars veteran Jason Fry’s first adult novel. What did we think once we actually read it? To mission control for the verdict!

Bria: Good news! The Last Jedi is way better than The Force Awakens when it comes to novelizations which, if we’re being honest, isn’t saying much. It never quite hits the level of Revenge of the Sith or Rogue One for me but it’s still rather good especially when Fry dives into the heads of the characters like Ackbar, Rose, Hux, BB-8, and even Snoke. These are the points where the novelization really shines. And that prologue… That prologue is something special. The other stand out section for me is one with Finn towards the latter half of the book. I was blown away by the prose and promise you’ll know it when you see it. I also really appreciated all of the tie-ins and nods to other Star Wars stories. They’re most just little nods here and there but they help the galaxy feel a little more cohesive and connected. I wish we’d gotten more of Holdo’s point of view but also know that Fry said he wanted to try and preserve the surprise regarding her plan. Oh! And I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that he writes a pretty darn good Armitage Hux. (That’s high praise from me.) Overall, it’s a really solidly enjoyable novelization that I think plenty of fans will get something out of. The Last Jedi gets a GO from me.

Nanci: The Last Jedi is not perfect, but it’s as close as you can get with a novelization for me. (I haven’t read a Star Wars novelization since The Phantom Menace. Yes, that includes Revenge of the Sith; I’m not a big fan of novelizations, period. But for Jason Fry and Luke Skywalker, I made an exception.) While I’m not a huge fan of third person omniscient point of view, it works well for a movie novelization. There were several scenes in the novel that read as perfunctory, where dialogue from the film was written verbatim without much description or motivation, and I wouldn’t have minded if this novel had been a hundred pages longer. It’s extremely hard to capture such visual moments as Rey in the cave, the Holdo maneuver, and the Force projection reveal, but Jason Fry does his best with the medium. Those are really the only negatives I can find, and they’re no fault of the writing. Fry shines in elaborating on expanding scenes, creating entirely new scenes, and getting into characters’ heads in ways the movie cannot. I felt the novelization handled the Poe and Holdo subplot with better care than the film. It’s a lot easier to understand where Poe is coming from, and Holdo’s plan is made a lot clearer (after the fact, but this reflects Poe’s realization). I really enjoyed getting the POVs of the First Order characters, especially Hux and Snoke, and I love the way the former Imperials reminisce about the good old days and roll their eyes at the young kids ruining everything. And it was a delight getting to dive into “characters” like BB-8, Black One, the Millennium Falcon, C-3PO, and even the Force itself. The novel broke my heart in several places, mostly dealing with Luke. As previously mentioned by Bria, the prologue is exceptional and the kind of writing that makes Star Wars novels worth delving into. And there were three words in the last chapter that made me literally wail. I love Jason Fry’s previous Star Wars novels and am thrilled he was able to tackle such a daunting project as The Last Jedi novelization. I hope to see him writing future Del Rey novels, especially any dealing with Luke Skywalker. If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for? Go! 

 Amanda: As most of the readers here at Tosche Station already know, and as I announced proudly on stage at Emerald City Comic Con last weekend: I am a single issue voter and that issue is Leia Organa. Her story and perspective in The Last Jedi novelization were beautiful. My first tears came on her behalf on page fifteen and I thoroughly enjoyed aching along with her for the rest of the story. There was one moment near the end of the book that I had been waiting for since The Force Awakens. As a fan of Jason Fry’s previous Leia-centric story (Moving Target  co-authored with Cecil Castellucci), I was confident he’d do right by my favorite Princess-turned-General, and he absolutely did. Other characters were treated with equal care in this book. Poe Dameron in particular is easier to understand now that I’ve read this lovely book. And yes, as previously mentioned, Hux is portrayed excellently (although I lost a bet on his motivation in the throne room). From the masterful, heart-wrenching prologue, to the tear-and-hope filled ending, The Last Jedi  gets a definite GO from me.

Flight Director’s Ruling: The Last Jedi is a GO for launch!