OH. MY. GOSH.

*happy dance* I can't wait!!! Ohhhh how I can't wait!!!!! It's going to be sooo stinkin epic! So dramatic!!! I'm so ready, Katniss! Bring it on!

And may the odds be ever in your favor.

10 Things I Heart about the Hunger Games (in no particular order)

1.) Peeta- *sigh* Enough said.

2.) Cinna- He was so calming and stable, especially for Katniss when she was about to go into the arena for the first time. He always did what was best for her, even if she didn’t know it at the time. I hated it that he had to die.

3.) Prim- She was so innocent and young in the first two books, but she seemed so mature in Mockingjay. It was like the effects of the war had made her old before her time. She was so, so sweet and caring.

 4.) Katniss’ fiery spirit J

5.) The non-stop action

6.) The uniqueness of each arena and the mysterious trials they hold

7.) Haymitch-you gotta admit, he’s pretty hilarious sometimes (that is, when he’s sober)!

8.)Effie Trinket- Prissy, utter clean, loud, and downright annoying. But I loved her because she has a sweetness about her that Katniss had probably never experienced before.

9.) The one time during training (for the 1^st Hunger Games) when Katniss shot her arrow at the Gamemakers. I didn’t stop laughing for a solid 5 minutes, at least.

10.) Mags. Especially in the 2^nd Hunger Games, when she realized that one of them, either Katniss, Finnick, Peeta, or herself were going to have to die by the fog. She just calmly walked in, bravely facing her death straight in the face. And yeah, I cried.

Book Review for Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 390  

My rating: 4/5

Warning: Spoilers in Quick Content Review

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire. Survived the Hunger Games. Twice. Still alive. And still rebelling.

Katniss has been transported to District 13 after her second time in the arena. Peeta is in the Capital. Yes, with Snow. Who is doing who knows what to him to get Katniss to crack. The rebellion still rages, and it’s stronger than ever now, with 13’s nuclear power and built-up strength on its side. But it’s missing one thing. A hero. A figure head. Someone to lead them. And Katniss is that person. Will she agree? Will she put aside her feelings, her doubts, to become their Mockingjay?

I was more than a little scared to read Mockingjay. I had heard all bad things about it, and didn’t want it to ruin my view of this trilogy. And now after I’ve read it, I have mixed feelings about it. It definitely wasn’t as good as THG or CF, and took way more effort to read. Some parts seemed to drag on and on and on. But there were some parts I loved and could barely put the book down. Like at the beginning, before Katniss was sent off to the Capital. Some parts, like those, were mind-blowing. Mrs. Collins teased us by making Gale more caring, almost romantic, making our minds flirt with the idea of Katniss + Gale. And in 13, she makes you decide which side Coin is really on.  After Peeta’s hijacking, I questioned whether he was really himself (I know you’re thinking, “Duh, Shelby, he OBVIOUSLY wasn’t himself!”) or whether Snow had made some ballistic, blood-thirsty clone out of him. Those parts just ignited me with anger for the Capital. Towards the middle of the book, I really didn’t feel anything. I didn’t have any opinion about what was going on. It was strange. I just kept zombie- reading. Then Katniss was sent to the Capital. And the war truly began for both me and her. It was so different, in the Capital…everything was so much more extreme. I had always pictured the Capital, even at war time, as a happy place with lots of flowers. Even if the happiness was just a cover for the real maliciousness going on there. But it was not alike that at all. It was worse than in the Districts. It was pure war. Almost sickening, the way they tried to trap Katniss and her team, to kill them in miserable ways. So many different, creative ways of killing people. It was nauseating.

Those were the parts I didn’t like. They drained me. Depressed me. I could feel the weight of the war, the heavy tension, the constant action, the constant fear.  Death was so…prevalent in those parts. And Boggs. Oh goodness. If I was one to cry over books, I’m sure the pages would have been wet. He was so brave. And he died in such a horrible way.  It was like WW3…maybe worse.  Mockingjay was definitely more violent than THG or CF. It’s more of a darker story. And the deaths…they stung so much more.

So now, after saying that, you wouldn’t think that I would say I wished for a more dramatic ending. Yes. I did. I feel like I ( and Katniss, consequentially) missed out on “the last battle.” She’s hanging off a light pole, watching…well, since some of you haven’t read it, I won’t give it away…let’s just say she was watching Prim, then the next minute she’s unconscious. She wakes up on a hospital bed. And it’s all over. The Capital fell while Katniss was out. And after two books and a lot of fighting, she missed it. *sigh* It was quite disappointing. Even for me.

Also, after Katniss wakes up, she doesn’t seem like herself. I didn’t like that at all. I mean, I know she was grieving (who? Oh, you’ll have to read and find out… J) but she doesn’t seem like the type who would go hide in a closet after the Capital was overthrown.

Another thing. I wished I had seen more romance between Peeta and Katniss at the end. They seemed so cold. It was like, “Oh, well, everyone else is either dead or disinterested, so why don’t we get together?” I mean, if they finally realized they truly loved each other and all that, why didn’t we see it? That was another big disappointment for me.

One more disappointment/confusion:  1.) I didn’t like then ending. Have I mentioned that already? It didn’t wrap up the book series very well, and it felt completely dead to me. It wasn’t exciting, it wasn’t romantic, it was just dead.    2.) Did anyone besides me miss the climax? I mean, WHERE WAS THE CLIMAX?!?!? Think about it. It totally wasn’t there. Someone enlighten me please, if you know where it was, because I’m hopelessly lost on that matter.

To sum it up, there was the good, there was the bad, and there was the ugly. Do you want me to be honest with you? The bad outweighed the good. The war seemed much more violent to me in Mockingjay than it was in THG or CF. It was like a futuristic holocaust. I pretty much loathed Mrs. Collins with my whole being after finishing Mockingjay. I wanted to scream in her face, “Why get us all so attached and emotionally invested in all these beautiful characters, then kill them off???” I kept thinking, “How can she do this to us?!” I was waiting for them to come back from the dead or something. But I’m sure she had her reasons for them dying…I still don’t see them, but I’m accepting. J Also, it wasn’t as fast paced as the last two books. It seemed slower to me. But it wasn’t all bad, though. Mockingjay had its awesome parts. J Let me just say, it did change my perspective of what this trilogy is about. I thought it was a story of freedom, rebellion, revenge, and taking back what’s rightfully yours, but no- it’s a story of hurt, death, and healing.

I loved this trilogy to death and will never forget the fight that Katniss, Peeta, and Gale went though. Real or not real?

                                                                 Real.

 P.S.- And I can’t believe it’s finally over!! I could keep the story of Katniss, Gale, and Peeta going in my head, changing the plot, make it end like I want it to, or never end at all. Like a game. J “But there are much worse games to play.”

 Quick Content Review:

Profanity: None

Violence: Heavy (I want to be honest with you. There was more violence in Mockingjay than there was in THG or CF. Districts get blown up, a hospital collapses on the invalids inside, a character steps on a land mine and gets blown up (mention of blood and pieces of flesh everywhere), a character gets caught in a barbed net and dies, character are tortured (no description, just mentions), Katniss shoots people, Katniss gets shot once, you get my gist. Lots of violence- it is about war, so you must expect that. But I can’t tell you not to read this series because of the violence. It’s an amazing trilogy- one of the best I’ve ever read, if not the best. Don’t let the violent content scare you away. But please use your judgment and discretion, though. I don’t suggest that anyone younger than 15 or 16 read The Hunger Games because of the violence. )

Sexual: Mild (Katniss and Gale kiss once or twice, and Peeta and Katniss might kiss once; I don’t remember. Finnick tells about what the Capital did to him after his Hunger Games in order to keep him under control. He was forced to be a prostitute and says he was “paid with secrets” (about Snow and the Capital). He mentions something about Snow’s odd sexual preferences. Nothing explicit.)



The Hunger Games Movie!

I know, I know. It's all I can talk about. =)

So if you haven't heard, which is highly improbable if you love the Hunger Games as much as me, next year, on March 23rd exactly (yes, I'm counting the days; why aren't you?!?!) the Hunger Games movie will come out. Starring:

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss- yeah, I had the same first reaction. "Whoever hired Barbie doll for this role was not sane at the time!"

Liam Hemsworth as Gale- I was like, "He's blonde!" but thankfully, they colored his hair...

And...Josh Hutcherson as Peeta! It's kind of funny...they had to color Liam's hair brown and Josh's blonde...

But here's the big news...they're filming the movie in NC! In Charlotte and Concord, to be exact. I was so excited to hear that they're filming like 30 minutes away from my house. I had to freak out a little after I heard that. =) I read something about needing about 50 extras in August, but I'm not sure if that's legit info or not. Besides, if it is legit, the article said that the extras would pretty much be allowing the hair designers free reign of their heads...meaning you might walk away from the set with pink hair, orange hair, or not hair at all. Um, no thank you. Even I wouldn't go to that extreme to be in the movie.

Here's a really bad quality movie poster of Jennifer Lawrence aka Katniss... phew, no more Barbie. =)

And here's the guys as Peeta and Gale...they nailed Peeta's look, but Gale just looks so plain. So ordinary. From the books, I imagined Gale a bit more handsome. Not as handsome as Peeta, but good looking.

And Katniss again...looking a bit more beat up and a lot less Barbie-ish. =) The way it's supposed to be.

If you want to see who was casted for other roles, here's a link to the movie page at IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/

I'm can't wait for the movie!!

Book Review for Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Reading Level: Young Adult

Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2009

Pages: 391

Author’s website: http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

My Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Time: 6 days?

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. [Amazon Product Description]

My Review:

            Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. When I finished the first book in the series, The Hunger Games, I wasn’t looking forward to reading Catching Fire. I was a little scared to. I had a feeling that it was going to ruin my opinion of the first book. Of the whole series. The first book was so amazing, I couldn’t imagine anything that could beat it. But mind you, that was BEFORE I read Catching Fire. J

            Catching Fire is definitely the perfect sequel to The Hunger Games. It takes every aspect of the first book and magnifies it. Makes it so much better. The unimaginable, unexpected twists and turns just blow your mind. At some parts, I was like, “Is that even possible? Is that even allowed???” But remember, anything and everything is allowed in your imagination! I can assure you, I have never read a book before that takes hold of me like this one does. It never lets go all throughout the time you’re reading it. When I wasn’t reading it, it was haunting my thoughts and dreams. I know my poor family got quite tired of hearing me sing its praises.  The whole time I was reading Catching Fire, I felt like I was in a trance. That I lived in Panem. That I was rebelling the Capital with Katniss, Gale, and Peeta. All day long, I did my best to escape the chores and seemingly endless tasks my mom would pile on me so I could go back into Panem, to a stressed and troubled Katniss, to a world enslaved by the Capital. It usually didn’t last for long before I was summoned again. Each night after dinner, I tried relentlessly to ignore the dishes, the distractions. When I finally got to bed, I was lost for hours in the pages of Catching Fire. They engulfed me (yes, like flames!). It took every ounce of will-power for me to turn off my flashlight and go to sleep each night. But even after that, I would lay there awake for a while, worrying about Katniss’ dilemma, practically reliving her torment. In short, the book put me in chains. It was horrible and oppressive and completely lovely.

            It’s not always that a book has the power to bind you. J But it’s pretty freaking awesome when one does.

Warning: I’m gonna gush now. This book is so gush worthy, I can’t write a review without gushing a bit. So if you don’t want any spoilers, I suggest you stop here. I can’t promise there won’t be any in the following rant. J

            Kat’s torment in this book was way worse than in The Hunger Games. Way. Worse. But that made it all the more enslaving. You would feel inhuman if you didn’t finish the book and find out how it ended. You would feel like you left Katniss hanging, like her torment and angst would never end. But I was kind to her, and finished the book. J

            Was it just me, or did you realize the whole ancient Roman scheme going on here? I noted in my review for The Hunger Games that all of Kat’s prep team had Roman names. In this book, I noticed that at the party in the Capital, people would…um, puke…so they could eat more food. That’s what the ancient Romans did too. It’s not really important, but I find it interesting. Mrs. Collins must have a thing for ancient Romans.

Here it comes. You knew it would, one way or another. *swoon* Peeta! He charms me more and more every time! How can people NOT be Team Peeta? I must admit, I was about to be Team Gale after he got whipped, when I saw how tender and close Gale and Katniss were. But really? Do you think that Mrs. Collins is gonna put Katnissa and Gale together after we’ve all gotten to know Peeta so well through the Games? What do we really know about Gale? She has put the spotlight on Peeta so much more than Gale. And that’s why Katniss and Peeta are gonna be together at the end…and because I want them to. J

            I’m gonna be a total fan girl now and quote some favorite Peeta moments:

 “Peeta, who spends much of the night roaming the train, hears me screaming as I struggle to break out of the haze of drugs that merely prolong the horrible dreams. He manages to wake me and calm me down. Then he climbs into bed to hold me until I fall back to sleep. After that, I refuse the pills. But every night I let him into my bed. We manage the darkness as we did in the arena, wrapped in each other’s arms, guarding against dangers that can ascend at any moment.” (page 72)

“You could live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve him, you know.” – Haymitch, page 178 (We know, Haymitch, we know… J)

“So before he can talk, I stop his lips with a kiss. This time, there is nothing but us to interrupt us. And after a few attempts, Peeta gives up on talking. The sensation inside me grows warmer and spreads out from my chest, down through my body, out along my arms and legs, to the tips of my being. Instead of satisfying me, the kisses have the opposite effect, of making my need greater. I thought I was something of an expert on hunger, but this is an entirely new kind.” (pages 352-353)

            Enough about Peeta. I wasn’t sure what to think of Finnick at first…he seemed like such a shallow flirt. But he turned out to be really brave and trustworthy. Johanna, even though she was on Kat’s “side,” she still annoyed me every time she opened her snarky mouth. I loved Mags. I knew from the time the she volunteered for the Games that she wasn’t going to make it through. But I wasn’t expecting her death to be so…voluntary. I wasn’t looking forward to reading about a bloody death for her, so I’m glad she died “peacefully.”

            I felt so many emotions as I neared the back of the book. I wanted to keep reading, to finish it and find out the end. But I didn’t want to endure a horrendous cliff hanger (BTW-thanks for making that nightmare come true, Mrs. Collins). I was scared for Peeta and his life but eager for something to happen at the same time. Then at the end…well, I just wanted to cry. It was one of those moments when the character usually shouts, “Noooooooooooo!!!!!!” But it wasn’t Katniss screaming, it was me.

Quick Content Review:

Profanity: None

Violence: Mild- Heavy (Like I said in the quick content review for The Hunger Games, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be. There is less violence in this book than in the first one, but still…Gale’s whipping is pretty sickening. Beware, you who are squeamish. J)

Sexual: Minor (As you already know, Katniss and Peeta kiss a couple times in this book. Nothing bad- purely innocent. Katniss and Peeta sleep in the same bed a couple times, but nothing happens. It’s not because they want to have sex- it’s merely because they both suffer from horrible nightmares from being in the arena and need comforting.)