Summary:
The final book in the Hunter Games series, Mockingjay keeps the action going. At the end of Catching Fire, Katniss is pulled out of the arena from her second Hunger Games to find out there is a whole revolution already happening in Panem. She finds herself in District 13, the district that the rest of the country thought was long gone, and she's in the midst of the revolutionaries' camp. She is asked to be the face of the revolution, the Mockingjay, the person to inspire Panem's people to fight against President Snow and the Capitol's forces. This final installment in the series watches Katniss try to find her place in the world, and figure out who she wants to have at her side in the end.
Thoughts:
This series is a good one. There is a lot of hype about it for a reason. Is it the next Twilight or Harry Potter? Maybe or maybe not, but the writing is definitely on par with Rowling's. (Stephanie Meyer's writing is no where near the same caliber, so I refuse to acknowledge her popularity further.) The concluding book is bittersweet for sure, and watching the deaths of some of the characters in this one are hard to handle, for sure. The problem with this book is that it flies through the story so quickly that you don't have time to really mourn anyone, as much as you'd like. One death in particular is so shocking, not even Katniss really deals with it. I understand that the plan was always to have a trilogy, but this particular piece could have used a good fifty to one hundred extra pages of exposition. The ending is what I would have wanted to see, but hardly brushes the surface of the joy and happiness it should have. It could have been worse, certainly, but it really could have been better.
Book 28 of 50
Pages: 400
Genre: Post-apocalyptic teen lit, with touches of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yes, but read the first two first!
Showing posts with label Collins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Collins. Show all posts
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
Another special post, since this series is so popular right now!
Summary:
The second in the ridiculously popular Hunger Games series, this episode finds Katniss dealing with the aftermath of her victory at the Games. She has to deal with how she feels about Peeta, her fellow victor, and Gale, the boy she left home while she played up a love story for the Hunger Games cameras. But much more importantly, the country of Panem is reeling after Katniss defied the Capitol with her ending of the Games. There are uprisings threatening in several districts, and President Snow, president of Panem, forces Katniss to play up the romance between herself and Peeta once again during the Victor's Tour. But what happens just before the next Hunger Games sends Katniss into a tailspin, and she's got a whole new set of worries to deal with.
Thoughts:
First things first, I'm trying to not spoil anything from the original book or this one. It's tough, but enough people haven't gotten there that want to read the books. So I'll do my best. Now, I hate how this book ends. It is abrupt and very clearly a ploy to get readers to pick up the next book tomorrow. I despise authors who find the need to do this. If your book is interesting enough, or thrilling or endearing or enjoyable or imaginative enough, people will go get the sequel. Take Evanovich and Rowling for example. There are clearly defined endings with their work. Harry finishes year one. Stephanie brings her big score in and solves the case. In this book, Katniss barely clings to life, and the book ends. There are at least half a dozen major, disgustingly wide open plot holes that have yet to be looked at, let alone sewn up. At least with the original, The Hunger Games, there was a clear finality to the end of the book. This book ends with a shocking declaration. Are you kidding? I digress. I really enjoyed the book. It's thrilling and inventive, and I couldn't put the damn thing down, just like its predecessor. I couldn't wait to see how things played out. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, and I liked it like that. The writing is good (save the ridiculously abrupt ending) and the characters are well built. But damn, girl. End a book with an ending, not a middle.
Book 26 of 50
Pages: 391, read as an e-book
Genre: Post-apocalyptic teen-lit
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Read the first one, because everything in this hinges on what happened in the first book. But yes. It's a great book. Read it.
The second in the ridiculously popular Hunger Games series, this episode finds Katniss dealing with the aftermath of her victory at the Games. She has to deal with how she feels about Peeta, her fellow victor, and Gale, the boy she left home while she played up a love story for the Hunger Games cameras. But much more importantly, the country of Panem is reeling after Katniss defied the Capitol with her ending of the Games. There are uprisings threatening in several districts, and President Snow, president of Panem, forces Katniss to play up the romance between herself and Peeta once again during the Victor's Tour. But what happens just before the next Hunger Games sends Katniss into a tailspin, and she's got a whole new set of worries to deal with.
Thoughts:
First things first, I'm trying to not spoil anything from the original book or this one. It's tough, but enough people haven't gotten there that want to read the books. So I'll do my best. Now, I hate how this book ends. It is abrupt and very clearly a ploy to get readers to pick up the next book tomorrow. I despise authors who find the need to do this. If your book is interesting enough, or thrilling or endearing or enjoyable or imaginative enough, people will go get the sequel. Take Evanovich and Rowling for example. There are clearly defined endings with their work. Harry finishes year one. Stephanie brings her big score in and solves the case. In this book, Katniss barely clings to life, and the book ends. There are at least half a dozen major, disgustingly wide open plot holes that have yet to be looked at, let alone sewn up. At least with the original, The Hunger Games, there was a clear finality to the end of the book. This book ends with a shocking declaration. Are you kidding? I digress. I really enjoyed the book. It's thrilling and inventive, and I couldn't put the damn thing down, just like its predecessor. I couldn't wait to see how things played out. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, and I liked it like that. The writing is good (save the ridiculously abrupt ending) and the characters are well built. But damn, girl. End a book with an ending, not a middle.
Book 26 of 50
Pages: 391, read as an e-book
Genre: Post-apocalyptic teen-lit
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Yes. Read the first one, because everything in this hinges on what happened in the first book. But yes. It's a great book. Read it.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
This is a special post, brought on because the Hunger Games is huge right now. From time to time, if I find something that's great and that I want to share right away, I'll make a special Wednesday post to keep you up to date. The book number (22 of 50) is out of order from the rest of the books posted on Sundays because I'm really far ahead on my reading this year.
Summary:
The Hunger Games is about a post-apocalyptic country called Panem, which sits where the United States once did. The thirteen districts revolted against the Capitol, and now the twelve remaining districts have to suffer through the Hunger Games as punishment. Every year, one boy and one girl from each district fight to the death in an arena near the Capitol, and video of the whole ordeal is broadcast throughout the country for everyone to watch. The Tributes' names are drawn by lots, though anyone can volunteer if they so choose. Katniss Everdeen hates the Capitol for this violent practice, but she volunteers for the Games to save her little sister's life. Now she must fight her way through the Games, fending off the craziest of competitors, in the hopes that she might actually return to District Twelve.
Thoughts:
What a disturbing plot line for a piece of teen literature. But it works. You feel offended by the gall of the Panem government, and you hurt for Katniss as she fights to stay alive, and does everything she can to do so. The characters are so well built, they take hold of your mind and don't let go. It's not often that I find something that has as much a hold on me as this book does. I couldn't put the book down, even during the more tedious parts (of which there are very, very few), and finished the book in about three days' time. It's an incredible book, and well worth the read. Sure, this book is trendy and cool right now, and you might want to roll your eyes at all the hipsters that are carrying around well-worn copies of it, and the rest of the series, like badges of honor or something. But they're not wrong about the impressiveness of the book. It's well plotted, very well written, and completely intriguing. Highly suggested, and honestly, probably one of the best books I've read all year, so far. Hop on the Hunger Games train if you haven't already. You won't be sorry. As an aside, I went to the movie last week, and the movie is fairly spot-on. There were a few discrepancies (Prim isn't the one that gave Katniss the mocking jay pin, it was another girl Katniss went to school with, and Peeta's actor doesn't feel like Peeta to anyone I've spoken with about it) but for the most part, it's a very well-done movie adaptation. I think an added bonus was how much Ms. Collins was involved with the making of the movie. I saw her name on two different lines when the credits rolled, more than just "Based on a novel by..." I highly suggest the movie, but only after having read the book, because there are things that will just shock the heck out of you if you don't know they're coming, and you might wind up bawling like a baby as you watch the movie unknowingly. Watch this space for a review of the following books in the series. It'll come as soon as I get my hands on the books.
Book 22 of 50
Pages: 384
Genre: teen lit, post-apocalyptic
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Yes, with great aplomb. Read it. Trust.
The Hunger Games is about a post-apocalyptic country called Panem, which sits where the United States once did. The thirteen districts revolted against the Capitol, and now the twelve remaining districts have to suffer through the Hunger Games as punishment. Every year, one boy and one girl from each district fight to the death in an arena near the Capitol, and video of the whole ordeal is broadcast throughout the country for everyone to watch. The Tributes' names are drawn by lots, though anyone can volunteer if they so choose. Katniss Everdeen hates the Capitol for this violent practice, but she volunteers for the Games to save her little sister's life. Now she must fight her way through the Games, fending off the craziest of competitors, in the hopes that she might actually return to District Twelve.
Thoughts:
What a disturbing plot line for a piece of teen literature. But it works. You feel offended by the gall of the Panem government, and you hurt for Katniss as she fights to stay alive, and does everything she can to do so. The characters are so well built, they take hold of your mind and don't let go. It's not often that I find something that has as much a hold on me as this book does. I couldn't put the book down, even during the more tedious parts (of which there are very, very few), and finished the book in about three days' time. It's an incredible book, and well worth the read. Sure, this book is trendy and cool right now, and you might want to roll your eyes at all the hipsters that are carrying around well-worn copies of it, and the rest of the series, like badges of honor or something. But they're not wrong about the impressiveness of the book. It's well plotted, very well written, and completely intriguing. Highly suggested, and honestly, probably one of the best books I've read all year, so far. Hop on the Hunger Games train if you haven't already. You won't be sorry. As an aside, I went to the movie last week, and the movie is fairly spot-on. There were a few discrepancies (Prim isn't the one that gave Katniss the mocking jay pin, it was another girl Katniss went to school with, and Peeta's actor doesn't feel like Peeta to anyone I've spoken with about it) but for the most part, it's a very well-done movie adaptation. I think an added bonus was how much Ms. Collins was involved with the making of the movie. I saw her name on two different lines when the credits rolled, more than just "Based on a novel by..." I highly suggest the movie, but only after having read the book, because there are things that will just shock the heck out of you if you don't know they're coming, and you might wind up bawling like a baby as you watch the movie unknowingly. Watch this space for a review of the following books in the series. It'll come as soon as I get my hands on the books.
Book 22 of 50
Pages: 384
Genre: teen lit, post-apocalyptic
Grade: A+
Would I Recommend?: Yes, with great aplomb. Read it. Trust.
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