I usually don't watch movies that are based on books before reading the book. But, I watched Precious years ago, as a child, not knowing that it was based on a book until I got older.

I've read this book before, in 2020, but didn't really read it with the intention of comparing it with the movie. This time around, however, I did just that.

Push goes more in depth about Precious and what she went through than the movie Precious ever did. We hear more about her childhood trauma, her mother's (possible) trauma, and even her classmates'. 

Here are some things I didn't like:

This book can be hard to read (aside from the subject matter) if you're a fluent reader because Precious

is severely illiterate

, so a lot of the paragraphs can be tough to decipher. Context clues and a basic understanding of phonics can help you somewhat make sense of it, though. 

Also, in the book, Ms. Rain is described as a dark-skinned woman with long dreads. In the movie, however, she's portrayed by Paula Patton, a light-skinned mixed woman with loose, wavy hair. I didn't really enjoy how they changed her.

Finally, Precious' neighbor, Miss West, was fully aware of what Precious was going through, yet didn't seem to care enough to call the cops. What kind of mess was that? 

Since I've seen Precious multiple times and know how much it's had an impact on me, I expected the book to be amazing. But, I didn't really vibe with it like I thought I would.