*The Hunger Games* - Stuffed With Genius

THE HUNGER GAMES - Stuffed With Genius   

The first time I saw the flashy, gold & black dust jacket of The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, was on a regular old bookshelf in Borders. Not the one where they highlight the books Borders' staff thinks you'll like, simply a normal one next to “Clare” and “Cast.” It looked interesting, so I took it home. This was before any of the hype. I remember I expected something incredibly depressing and slightly fantastical. I wasn't disappointed on either account. The dark dystopic America I entered was not one I could soon forget about: Katniss Everdeen and the other tributes in the Gladiator-like “Hunger Games” haunted my thoughts for quite some time after reading.

Collins transforms the America we know into a frightening, hostile place known as “Panem.” The government keeps control by randomly selecting children ages 12-18 to participate in a survival bloodbath known as the “Hunger Games,” where the only way to get out alive is to kill every other child. The fierce and dramatic Games are televised throughout Panem, where the citizens are forced to watch. Katniss Everdeen winds up volunteering in her sister's stead only to find herself lost in the political intrigue and stirrings of rebellion that surround the Games. The suspense in The Hunger Games is expertly drawn out by Collins, and the reader is left hungrily flipping each page to find out what Katniss will do next. With romance, action, socio-political commentary, and a dark underlying message, The Hunger Games is a fine addition to anyone's bookshelf.

I have practically no complaints about this book. I've reread it multiple times, and am still awed by the beautiful dystopia Suzanne Collins portrays so masterfully. My only complaint is aimed at the fans. In any forum, or discussion, someone will blurt out “Team Peeta!” (the male tribute Katniss pretends to be in love with) or “Team Gale!” (her hunting partner back home.) That in itself doesn't bother me; shipping wars are as old as time. The only thing that gets to me is when some whiny person rants about how this is “not Twilight.” Every time I see this I have the same reaction: What? I'm sorry, since when is Twilight the only book to ever have a love triangle? Last time I heard, it's a pretty overused plot device, and of course people will pick sides. Stop bringing Twilight into a wonderful book. Here I am, connecting the two of them again. Ew.

Anyway – if you like young adult, writing of epic proportions, and a story that will leave you aching for more, I highly recommend this book. Please, go read it right now, and enjoy the headstrong Katniss, sweet and loving Peeta, and the plot that will have you thinking on it for days.

Originality - 9/10
Prose - 9/10
Fanbase - 5/10

-BookendGirl

P.S. For future reference, a review with stars around the title means I recommend it. 

Summer Update

It's been a summer full of adventure on my part – and not just in the books I've been reading, though trust me, there's been plenty there as well. I spent a week and a half in Sweden. I greatly enjoyed Uppsala and Stockholm, and seeing the crown princess' wedding procession. I then spent 4 weeks working at camps, and then finally got back to home sweet home. As such, I can now stretch my fingers, and get back to shredding up some literature! So far over my summer I have read...

• 
  
  Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
• 
  
  Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• The Sword of Truth, Phantom, and Chainfire by Terry Goodkind
• Epic by Conor Kostick
• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
• 
  
  and others...

Currently I am reading a Nicholas Sparks novel and The Reader. I hope to enjoy/hate these enough to be able to write a review. As such, I am working on a positive shredding – Ender's Game. I am also working on The Sword of Truth, and an either/or review: The Bell Jar. Gotta love Sylvia Plath, but she can also be a bit... well, you'll see.

I'll leave you with a quick little blurb about my DeviantArt Group about the art of publishing. It's called Publish-Write. If you are a writer, reader, artist, or art enthusiast, you need to check out Deviantart.com, which is a wonderful site for sharing and appreciating art. I have an account; on deviantArt I am Prosaic-Scriptor.

The group is namely about answering questions people have about publishing – you can join either to pose questions or answer them, it doesn't matter. We will hold weekly FAQ sessions, and other such things to help edit, revise, and review work so it could be published. We're helping people through the publishing process with tutorials and advice. :)

If you have any interest in joining, please do, and I desperately need administrator help/moderator help. It's a hard job to tackle on my own.

Well, I'll have a review up soon – I hope you can wait a little while. I've been working on a nice snarky shredding; you will definitely enjoy, I'm sure.

-BookendGirl