“Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson

Maybe I've gone about this in the wrong order, but I much prefer the film adaptation. The novel is fine, a leisurely stroll through coming-of-age tropes that arguably does a better job of subtly hinting at its late twist than the film does, but the film has the advantage of putting faces on these walking tropes, which makes it easier for them to be felt for than the sparse writing provides. Also, the novel is 160 pages of buildup to the twist and 20 pages of fallout, and that gives little time for it to land. Not bad, just underwhelming in comparison.

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