Mulan Live Action Novelization

by Elizabeth Rudnick (Adapter)

A thrilling novelization that will take readers back inside the world of the upcoming Walt Disney Studios' live action Mulan film to relive the adventures with their favorite characters, old and new.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Action, Middle Grade

281 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

his is the part I'm always the worst at—talking about myself! So as you've figured out, my name is Elizabeth Rudnick and I'm a young adult author. I'm also a Senior Editor at Disney Press in New York City. I've edited books based on movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and Prince of Persia as well as Miley Cyrus's memoir, Miles to Go, which was a New York Times bestseller (imagine if Tweet Heart was too!) and a total blast to work on.

When I'm not working, I live in Connecticut with a big mutt named Jack Dyson (because he has the ability to suck up anything in his way) and have a habit of watching hours of mindless television. I like to think of it as research!

Reviews

[Books.and.brews_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Rudnick has provided a fun and easy to read, middle grade adaption to the original movie and has done an excellent job!

We follow Mulan's story from thinking she has shamed her entire family and town to being an epic piece of the emperors army under the disguise of being a man. Mulan is an excellent tale of accepting who you are, the rewards of determination and motivation and also the importance of family.

If you're a fan of the original movie or Disney in general, then I recommend picking this one up :)

[Blue · Rating 1 out of 5]

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Thank you Scholastic for this book in exchange for an honest review

Nope. Didn’t like it.
If this is play for play what the movie will be then I’m sorry to say – I ain’t going to watch it.
Not only does this book not include the great characters that made the animation this also was forced as a fast paced page turner. This means that pretty much all the situations are thrown at you and you don’t get a chance to take in information about the world, the characters of anything else. It’s pretty much the plot punching you in the face yelling “I am fast paced dammit.”
There was no chance for the characters to shine through (or what remains of them since all the fun ones were taken out) and besides a few comments here and there the book could have realistically fitted into any world, past or present.
Honestly gave it one star as a thank you for pre-warning me not to watch the movie.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This version of Mulan is fairly different from Disney’s animated movie version. I can understand how live action dragons might look a little cheesy. :) I’m glad I’m going into the new movie having read this book though because not having Mushu (spelling?) is sad. Mulan does have a protective spirit animal - it’s just different. That’s the key descriptor for comparing the original animated movie to this book: different. I enjoyed it for sure. Once I accepted that it wouldn’t be the same. It’s a fun story! An exciting adventure every little (and big) girl will enjoy.

[Meredith Spidel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I really enjoy reading the book adaptations of movies together, and this Mulan tale doesn't disappoint! It's told so well and allows us to enjoy and explore the story beyond the movie and is a super fit for middle-grade readers (they could read on their own as well). Thanks for sending us a copy for review, Disney Books!

[Lou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Algo que me gusta de la versión animada es que Mulán pasa de ser una chica casi normal a una guerrera; y todo gracias a su esfuerzo y tenacidad. Y aunque recibe ayuda supernatural de Mushu, es ella quien hace todos los actos heróicos. Sin embargo, en esta adaptación, Mulán es una más del cliché: la elegida que siempre tuvo poderes y que solo podía liberarlos en un tiempo determinado. Eso minimiza el esfuerzo y trabajo duro que, para mí, era lo que más resaltaba del personaje.

La esencia de Mulán no está. Fue reemplazada por un poder que ella solo tenía que liberar. No podrían haber elegido un peor giro en la trama.

[Zeina (Taylor's Version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mulan is such an inspiring story and I really love the characters and the story is written really well.

[Mourning_elf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still like the original work not the live action one hahaha. How I missed Mushu :(

[Kyera Brewer · Rating 1 out of 5]

bad writing quality. it was like they were just summarizing the movie, which is kinda what they were doing I guess.

[Elliot Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Rudnick's Mulan stands on its own as a worthy adaption of the original source material despite being a novelization of a movie.

While the plot is set by the script and therefore outside the author's control, Elizabeth Rudnick sets a high bar for the screenwriters to live up too in every aspect of the book she has control over. In particular, her usage of thoughts develops the cast and adds depth to the story in ways the movie cannot.

The humor she adds to the book lives up to that in Disney's movies. Lines like, "Your hair is like you, Mulan. Impossible to control," is one of many amusing thoughts in the book that it will be a shame if they aren't also in the movie. In addition, while Disney decided not to bring back Mushu, the book--and presumably the movie--substitutes a bird that follows Mulan, representing a guardian phoenix. It does not talk, which leaves Rudnick the opportunity to build through Mulan's thoughts an amusing interplay between the bird and Mulan that measures up well against Mulan and Mushu's iconic interplay.

Overall, this is a novelization that tells a story on par with original middle grade novels and is entertaining to read irrespective of the movie.

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the first page, we are thrown into Mulans world, full speed ahead. The pacing starts off so quickly that pages are turning just as fast as Mulan is chasing that pesky chicken around her village.

Mulan, The Live-action Novelisation, is incredibly easy to read, this revamped tale has so many twists alongside the original plot, that it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

You don't need to have any knowledge of the Mulan original story to enjoy this book. You don't even need to have seen the Live Action adaptation. This book reads as a stand alone, more than a tie in novelisation. Meeting Mulan in this new way, brings life to her original tale and tells it in a new way for the younger generations.

This book is filled with non-stop action. Characters that make you smile and the courage and bravery of a young woman.
Mulan: The Live Action Novelization, is fast paced, easy to read and will sweep you up in the traditions of China.

Thank you to Scholastic for sending me a review copy of this title.

For my full review, please pop to my blog www.bookishintoxicationwrites.com

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved Mulan and I enjoyed this. Don't like all the old ideas at the beginning of submissive women, women looking perfect, being quiet, etc. Like come on..."They say that when a wife serves her husband, she must be silent. She must be invisible."....🤮🤬 makes me wanna puke and start breaking things lol. But I tried to ignore it to get to the good part of Mulan's story lol

Oh no! This line was in the book......."she let out the breath she had been holding." 😲🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤣🤣

I so wish that Jamie Chung had played Mulan in the movie. She was so great in Once Upon a Time that she'll always b the only Mulan in my mind. But I was super excited to see that 'The Dragon' from Once Upon a Time was Mulan's father!!

[Maria Ignacia Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si bien nada se compararía con la película de Mulan de Disney, este libro le da una nueva mirada, a una historia magnífica cómo es la de Mulan, todos estamos familiarizados con su historia, y en la película se le da una mirada más dulce guerrera, pero en este libro se presenta como una mujer inadaptada para su tiempo y como su personaje se va desenvolviendo en un mundo en donde una mujer no puede sino ser sometida, la tachan de hechicera, en esta historia Mulan representa a un pueblo reprimido y todo el género de mujeres que no "caben en su molde" y tienen que salir en búsqueda de algo más, algo que le dé las respuestas que necesitan.
A mí parecer este libro está muy bien escrito y tiene unos personajes mejor desarrollados que en la película de Disney ya que se ve una historia más apegada a la cultura y problemáticas de China, dándole un toque fantástico.

[Bookreader1953 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5 Sterne

[Luz Verónica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted so much to like this, but it was just too boring. It doesn’t stay true to the movie, and the pacing drags. The movie is much better, though I feel a rewrite could give this some potential.

[Dianne Hadap · Rating 4 out of 5]

watched the movie first before reading this.
i wouldn't have read it but i was so frustrated and confused at the movie bc the character motivations weren't clear and had no build-ups. everything went fast and didn't make sense a lot of times.
but everything makes so much sense now. if the movie took the time to develop the relationships and the characters.. maybe it would've been good.
because i actually like this better than the 1998 version. even with the "chi" thing. in this, having strong chi just gave mulan the potential to be the best warrior. she still had to build everything from scratch. she still had to work harder than anybody else. we see her struggles and internal conflicts as a daughter, a young girl, and a woman parading as a soldier. in the movie, she was already a skilled soldier and drawn to fighting, she just needed to tap her chi and connect to her true self. her sacrifice wasnt that profound because she had a jump start and she liked being a warrior. but in this book, we can see the 1998 version of mulan, a clumsy, clever, resourceful, and brave girl who went to war to save her father. and in the process, saved china.
also, mushu was clearly here. only disguised as the phoenix.
sooo.. yeah. 4/5 stars because she brought honor to us all.

[Mojca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it's written for a younger audience, this book offers a deeper insight into the workings of Mulan's mind than the movie did. While in the movie she was expressionless (either an acting choice or lack of facial expression on the actress' part), this book at least gives us a glimpse into her inner thoughts and feelings, her doubts and feelings metaphorically represented in her guardian bird, the Phoenix that starts off as scraggly and featherless, but as Mulan grows in her ability, strength and confidence, the Phoenix also changes into a beautiful colorful bird.

Unfortunately, the story doesn't flow the way it could and should've, slowing down to a plodding pace more than once, and the scenes which were cut from the movie (for obvious reasons) do nothing to pick up the pace.

Still, an easy, quick read benefiting from the aforementioned deeper insight.

[Happy Reading Watching · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌸Happy Mulan Day!!🌸
Have you seen the new Mulan on @disneyplus?
We have a busy weekend so we woke up at 5am to watch it together. Let me tell you it was worth it!!! This was a beautiful film and I'm kind of obsessed😍
Also a new character played by @itsjunyu was a cinnamon roll and must be perfected at all cost!! Loved his character and he has become a new favorite.
Honestly I'll be watching this one over and over again!!! Thank You to everyone who was involved in the making of Mulan and for bring some light in 2020. ❤❤❤

#mulan #disneyplus #familyfriendly #legend #disneymulan #supportmulan

[Megan Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 in a half stars

[Samantha Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already know that there is a movie to this book which I am pretty sure everyone has watched but comparing the remake Mulan movie and the book of the remake movie I prefer the book. Usually I know for sure that I am not the type of person that would chose the book over the movie but this book is not exactly like the movie like I thought it would be even though that's usually the case with movies that have books. This book is so effective, powerful, and beautiful and I'm not just saying that because I have seen both Mulan movies but honestly speaking, this book speaks for itself. If the book version of Mulan every gets a sequel and becomes a part of a series I would most definitely read it and continue. When it comes to books I don't believe in the strengths and weakness in a book so I don't think that there is one more than the other in this book. I think that 100% all readers thinking of reading this book would love it and not only love it but also learn a little something from it. This book is not that different from the remake movie but in my opinion it does have a little bit of difference which is why I prefer the book over the movie.

[Angela Jones-Cuéllar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining story (of course) and a quick read. This particular novelization is based on the live action Disney movie of the story of Mulan (which, if you didn't know, differs from the Disney animated version so no comedic relief animated animal pals, etc. but still plenty of action). I liked this book, but take my rating with a grain of salt because it reflects more my personal reading preferences than the book itself and by that I mean this book is written for the younger end of "Young Adult" almost into middle grade level which for me made it difficult to get into and stick with but I can totally see younger readers loving and devouring it.

Overall, not bad but the movie was a lot better. (If you're curious what I thought about the movie, the live action was different and epic and solid in its own right so long as you go into it without negativity and constant comparisons, but the animated remains a fave).

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Seu cabelo é como você, difícil de controlar”
Lealdade. Coragem. Verdade. Devoção à família.
Sou suspeita de falar qualquer coisa sobre a Mulan. Ela é e sempre foi minha "princesa" favorita. Desde sempre, Mulan foi um exemplo e inspiração para mim e muitas outras meninas que cresceram assistindo filmes em que a mocinha precisa ser salva pelo cavalheiro, eles se casam e vivem felizes para sempre. Mulan é Mulan. Feminista. Forte. Dedicada.
Mas, deixando de lado o fato dessa personagem ser perfeita, o livro não é diferente. A edição é simplesmente maravilhosa. Ilustrações, pequenas mudanças para que a tradição chinesa esteja em destaque, romance no finalzinho, não atrapalhando no desenvolvimento da personagem, sem falar na leitura leve e rápida.
Não tenho palavras pra expressar a experiência. Marquei mais de 30 frases e já estou doida pra reler. Próximo passo: assistir o live action. Sei que não vou me decepcionar.
Livro favoritado. Primeiro do ano.
Tempo de leitura: 2 dias

[Lara Vehar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - I really, really loved this book.

Don't get me wrong, i love the original animated movie but I loved this one more. It's fast paced, full of action, there is a love story weaved in there but it isn't overpowering, there is a sympathetic villain that you just cannot help but feel bad for and are happy when she is redeemed, the other villain is this looming scary presence throughout the entire book and his defeat felt insanely satisfying to read, the entire battle was epic, fast paced and great, the new characters are interesting to read about and as much as I love Mushu I am kind of glad that he isn't in this but Phoenix is there instead. I loved that she wasn't a comedic relief either, she was just this silent companion helping Mulan when she needed her. Overall, great, fast paced, quick read.

[Livvy Nicklaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

he delay of this movie is sad but at least I have the book to read. I knew that it was going to be quite different from the original Disney cartoon version. The change in side characters and the lack of romance subplot actually made the story better to me. Nothing can ever replace Mushu but the fierce focus on Mulan as the protagonist, trying to save her father, her family, then her country was a brilliantly engaging story. I loved the way the author used the characters thoughts to add depth to the story, it also added some humor. Overall very impressed with this retelling and I fully encourage all Disney and middlegrade fans to read it. A well earned 4.5 stars!

Thank you Scholastic Australia for this copy in exchange for my honest and independent review.

[Janet Azucena · Rating 4 out of 5]

En ésta edición, Elizabeth Rudnick se da a conocer la versión novela de la película homónima.

Quienes han leído el texto original, como las diferentes versiones de la misma: (Película animada o Live action) presenta variantes como los personajes secundarios pero aún conserva parte de la versión de Disney: impresionar a la casamentera, sustituir a su padre en la guerra y con la búsqueda de saber en qué lugar pertenece.

Quiénes se quedaron Tristes por la suspensión del estreno de la película por cuestiones del COVID, el libro es una excelente opción para no quedarse con esa curiosidad y quizás, en la narrativa donde se habla del entrenamiento, podrá llegar a su memoria la canción "Hombres de Acción".

[Susi · Rating 2 out of 5]

En mi opinión, le doy esta puntuación porque me he sentido engañada y traicionada con esta novela. No es la historia de Mulán que yo conocía de la versión de Disney, es otra muy distinta que esta llena de cambios y faltas imprescindibles de detalles y hechos de la fantástica historia que todos conocíamos como Mulán. He leído varias novelas de Disney y lamento decir que esta es la única que no volvería a releer por lo cambiada que está.
Por otra parte, tengo que decir que a mi la historia me ha gustado, pero me ha decepcionado que la vendan basándose en una historia (creo que para muchos muy importante en nuestra vida o infancia) que no tiene nada que ver, si no fuera por eso mi puntuación a este libro seria muy diferente.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished reading this with my daughter at bedtime, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! We bought it after Covid-19 pushed back what had been an eagerly-awaited release date at the cinema- and we just desperately wanted to read the story.

Some may be disappointed by the changes to the animated movie, but I feel pretty confident from the beautiful descriptions and the plot that we will enjoy this film. Mulan’s character growth was hard fought for, and a great example to my daughter.

We also loved the cover design, and are happy to have this on the bookshelf.

[Lizz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disney’s Mulan is a novelization of the new(ish) live action movie. I will say if you wanted to read this in the hopes of it being similar to the animated movie most of us know and enjoyed then this is not it.

With that being said I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was fast paced, there wasn’t a moment where it slowed or had huge character growth but Mulan proving herself as a strong female and refusing to be put in a already made mould of who she should be is there.

Overall the love action novelization of Mulan is a great middle grade read for a younger audience who enjoyed the animated series and wanted a different take on the story, or one who hasn’t before.


Thank you to the team at Scholastic Australia for sending me a copy in exchange for review.

[Britt Meter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the movie of Mulan (the 1998 film in cartoon) Mulan reminded me of Joan of Arc where also she disguises herself as a man and fought for what she believed in no matter what gender she was. Mulan was brave, loyal and struggled with being true to herself that she is a woman but she can also do things that men do. Easily for me this book and the movie (if it comes out some time this year) is a 5 star read for me.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not get into the story as much as i wanted to especially with the way magic is portrayed and with me looking into Chinese culture and finding out that the shape shifting witch had nothing to do with Chinese culture and i know that they wanted to show how strong women are in a man's world but they could have done something so much better to personify that and make Mulan that high focal point but no it's a witch......I still love it though nonetheless.

[Iain Hawkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's get down to business.
And review this book.
I saw it on the library shelf.
Thought I'd take a look.

It's not the dullest thing I've ever read.
But I only just made it through.
Still don't know what Disney was trying to do.

Based on a live-action remake.
That no-one asked for.
Yes, it's a little darker.
But no sense of real war.

It's barely historical fiction.
To setting, little clue.
Sorry Disney, can't make this better.
For you.