Alita: Battle Angel: The Official Movie Novelization

Very much anime.

Alita: Battle Angel: The Official Movie Novelization
by Pat Cadigan
Based from the movie of the same name by filmmakers James Cameron (Avatar) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City).

This book is such a heartfelt story about a cyborg, friendship, trust, what is a family, belonging, and duty.
This is in the year 2600+ and it's been 300 years since the war with the Martians.

A cyborg surgeon, Ido, fixes up people in Iron Town. A dirty place full of crime and corruption. There is one last Sky city and that is only for the rich and flawless. Ido finds a partial body that has a head and working heart. He fixes her up and names her Alita. He knows she is special. She can't remember a thing.

From here develops an amazing journey into a strange world, new wonders, and nightmares. She gets glimpses of her past. She moves and fights like no one has seen before. Her friend encourages her to try the Roller Ball. A vicious sport but only the champions of the game are allowed in the Sky city.

There are so many twists and turns in here! Wow! It's non-stop action and suspense! I was so impressed with this book I had to find the movie. Amazon had it to buy at a reasonable price. It was awesome!

You can also get the Audible version free if you have a membership. It's in the Plus category. Well worth it!
This is originally from an anime comic series. Some of this stays true. I must say, I am not a re-reader but I do on occasions when I really like a book. This one I will have to listen to! Maybe watch again too!

Fairly Exact Novelization
Review of the Audible Audio edition (Feb. 2019) of the Titan Books original (July 2018)

This 2018 novelization by veteran cyberpunk author Pat Cadigan follows the 2019 film screenplay by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis (itself based on the manga Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro) quite closely, but there are a few variations. Cadigan likely had access to the original screenplay and the early cuts of the film which had been slated for release in July 2018 before being pushed back to February 2019. The final cut of the film likely made for the changes that are the difference. These are fairly minor though so you are still getting the same essential story without any huge amount of background information.

The scene change that stuck out for me was that in the novel's Kansas Bar fight scene, the re-modelled Grewishka cyborg enters the bar together with Chiren, whereas in the movie Chiren is there briefly only at the scene's end. Her overt alliance with Grewishka makes her more villainous though and that was likely cut to increase the audience sympathy for her. Similarly, the novel has more explicit sex scenes of Chiren with the villain Vector which I don't remember at all in the film. Those were likely cut for a PG-13 film rating.

The narration by Brian Nishii was well done in all voices.

Alita: Battle Angel was an Audible Daily Deal on August 16, 2019.

Feels a little like Cadigan is just painting by numbers with this one.