*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. 

NaNoWriMo

It's almost a week into National Novel Writing Month - yes, it's that time of the year. I participated last year, and won with a decent 53K word count. I'm still in the midst of rewriting and editing. This year, I'm more than 10K in and right on track. I peruse the forums occasionally, though my genre, Young Adult, is populated by juvenile youngsters trying to publish their horrendous writing. It's even worse when people state "I hate Twilight", and then have a vampire YA book that they're writing. I have nothing against vamp. YA. But the type of stuff these authors are spewing is just not okay to be shared with the world.

I'm trying out two different things today, by the suggestion of Dragonchilde, the forums moderator over at NaNoWriMo.com. One is Liquid Story Binder - 30 tries free, and 50% off this month, for NaNo participants. Also trying out Dropbox, a back-up software. We'll see how it goes; I'll keep you posted.

I'll be reviewing a series next week, The Hunger Games, and its sequel, Catching Fire. That, along with Kristin Cashore's two books, Graceling and Fire, should be a shred-less event. But don't worry, more blood and gore is coming.

Look out, P.C. & Kristin Cast. I'm coming for you next.

-BookendGirl