I have read the whole series so I knew all the background details that this movie didn't share. My son & husband were totally lost so the ride home from the theater was spent asking and answering questions.
No, the movie is not the same as the books. It's not supposed to be. A lot of the parts were the same and the changes made to the movie helped move it for the screen. I loved the movie and I thought it was the best one made yet. I have already seen it once and made plans to go see it two more times within the next week or so.