Water for elephants - Book and movie review

During the last months I heard a lot about "Water for elephants",especially the movie. The cast was great and the story seemed unusual, so of course I had to watch it. When I found out there was a book, I decided I should read it first.Usually after I watched a movie, the book it was based upon seemed to me pretty boring, because I knew all the things that were going to happen.
The book by Sara Gruen promissed a lot and I really felt like enjoying what she wrote. It wasn't a common boy-meets-girl story, but a nice one worth it to be told. Anyway, it left me with a bitter taste and I couldn't find a reason for it. I read the book in 3 days, which should have shown I really liked it. But I don't know why I had the feeling something was not being told there.
The story of both the book and the movie it's the same: a young student joins the circus after his parents' death. He falls in love, finds friends and enemies and gets pretty attached of an elefant. The action is pretty dramatic and even though the ending is happy, I kind of felt sorry for the main characters.
Maybe I regeret a little that I din't watch the movie first because I have the impression I could have enjoyed it more. However, I'm pleased I read the book and that I got to know better a world I wasn't aware of,the circus.
I could advise anyone to read and watch it. I'm sure they would learn something out of it.
Final thought: You don't know with what kind of adventure life puts you in front with.
Evaluation:
Story: 5
Characters: 4,5
Way it was written/produced: 4 for the book, 4,5 for the movie
Entertainment: 4,5
Overall effect: 4
Score: 88% - book , 90% - movie