I'm halfway through the book and the movie changed everything. But for the better
I think the movie did justice to the book. The book way was kinda plotless? Like the whole Pearl finding in the movie was not even in the book, but it created a plot for the movie and they wanted to reach out to the audience.
For people who haven't read the book wouldn't have liked it if it was like the book way. So props to that, but reading the book it's way different. I feel this is why they changed a lot of things in Cirque Du Freak too. The book way was just not fit for the audience. They want to expand their fanbase not only to the fans.