4) The Force Awakens (Novelization)
You might assume the Force Awakens novelization can be skipped, as it’s more or less a transcript of the film. But you’d be wrong; the novel is full of incredible detail and features several concrete answers to the movie’s mysteries.
On a basic level, it’s pretty much just the movie in book form, but the way certain scenes are described adds so much to the experience. It’s as if we’re watching a three-hour director’s cut where J.J. Abrams stops key sequences to articulate what he had in mind.
Rey’s vision sequence is a must read, and there are even a few moments in it that were not in the movie itself. In one scene that all theorists should take into account, Rey finds herself in the midst of a battle when a voice from behind her says, “I’ll come back, sweetheart. I promise.” Hmm…
Outside of that, there are explanations of certain The Force Awakens components that hardcore fans had been nitpicking. How does the First Order maintain control over the stormtroopers? How exactly does the Starkiller Base function? How did Poe get off of Jakku? Does Kylo Ren know about Vader’s turn to the light side? These questions are so minor that exploring them would destroy a film’s pacing, but a novel has time for all of it.
Like Before the Awakening, the Force Awakens novelization is a quick read, coming in at 272 pages, so for those wanting to relive the movie from a new perspective, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.