I bought this novelization of Serenity back in 2005, not long after watching the movie in theaters. I had recently been introduced to Firefly by friends and fell in love with it, possibly because there was so little of it: the fact it had been prematurely cut short meant it was left to my imagination how amazing the conclusion COULD have been. It's one of very few TV shows that I've watched more than once, and I hold onto an extreme nostalgic fondness for the characters and the world.

It was interesting to re-read this book in 2020, with a much fuller knowledge of Whedon's unsavory behavior, and also during a period in which JKR's evolution into a full, loud TERF has caused me to spend a lot of time reflecting on how much or little of an author's problematic beliefs can be seen in their work. Part of what drew me to the Firefly crew was the fact that 4 of the 9 main characters are women, each one interestingly different from the others. As a high schooler, this near gender parity in a sci-fi ensemble show delighted me. Reading the book through much older eyes, I noticed that each of these unique women are completely defined by their relationships with men. This aspect of the story is probably more emphasized in the novelization because of the added internal narration. The dialogue in this book is exactly the same as the film, but the author gives thoughts to these women that I didn't always agree with or love. Still, it was fun to revisit this story, and I think there is still value in reading a flawed book, especially if it inspires some good thoughts or conversations.