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#231 & 232 ~ The Hunger Games & Catching Fire
The Hunger Games
Published by: Scholastic Press
Published on: September 14, 2008
Page Count: 384
Genre: Young Adult / Dystopia
Format: Audiobook from Audible.com.
Availability: hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook
Catching Fire
Published by: Scholastic Press
Published on: September 1, 2009
Page Count: 400
Genre: Young Adult / Dystopia
Format: hardcover bought @ Target.
Availability: hardcover and audiobook
My Summary
Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Game Series tells the story of an America that has fallen apart. What once was the United States is now called Panem, a set of 13 districts held in a choke hold by the iron grip of the Capitol. The Capitol fears the rebellion of its districts so much that it requires the blood sacrifice of both a young boy and a young girl from each district each year. Although the children leave their districts alive, this is a blood sacrifice because they are forced to fight to the death in the Capitol’s Hunger Games. What is life or death to the people from the districts is a sporting event/red carpet-like parade for those living in the Capitol. This series begins with the Reaping, where the Tributes are announced. Katniss Everdeen, a scrappy young girl from District 12, is forced to volunteer to be the district’s female Tribute. District 12 is one of the poorest, hungriest districts in Panem. Does she even stand a chance at survival?
My Review
I could not possibly write a separate review for each of these books. I read them in quick succession, so one experience bled into the next. So, the following are my thoughts on both books with minimal spoilers for those who haven’t read either book:
- I listened to The Hunger Games on audio. When I finished it, I had to know what happened next. When I realized I didn’t have another Audible credit until the end of January, I knew I couldn’t wait that long. I checked my local library, but all copies of Catching Fire were loaned out. I simply couldn’t wait even long enough to sit on a waiting list. I bought my copy of Catching Fire less than 12 hours after finishing The Hunger Games. I finished Catching Fire within 24 hours.
- I listened to the novel in audio and Carolyn Mccormick’s voice just a wee bit irritating, mostly because she sounds much older than Katniss. Since the story is told from Katniss’ point of view, that was a disconnect for me. As a result, The Hunger Games started off slow for me. It most certainly picked up once Katniss and Peeta arrived in the Capitol, though.
- I found the terminology of the Games a little off-putting, which contributed to the slow beginning for The Hunger Games. The Reaping, really? Tracker Jackers, WTH*? I kept thinking, “Who named these things?” It all started to make more sense – or at least I became acclimated to it – once the Capitol came into focus, because that entire place is so very stylized. Although I was never completely comfortable with it, I didn’t think about it twice during Catching Fire.
- I don’t typically read science fiction (this may have something to do with my point above about the terminology), but I loved and adored these books.
- These books may be published by Scholastic for a young adult audience, but I did not feel like I was intruding in YA land for one second. There was nothing about these books that made them YA except that the main characters were teenagers. Also true there was no sex or language, but I didn’t miss them. I had no trouble connecting with Katniss because I’m (a little) more than twice her age.
- What I loved the most about these books was how realistic Katniss’ struggles were for a young woman her age forced first into taking care of her mother and younger sister by circumstance and second into fighting to the death with other teenagers in order to appease a government that will never be satisfied. Her paranoia, anger, fear and hope were all very true. When Suzanne Collins coupled that post-apocalyptic nightmare with with the confusion, insecurity, and unpredictable emotions typical of adolescence, she hit the mark.
- Of the two novels, Catching Fire was my favorite. If the third novel in this series, which isn’t published until August 24, 2010, is any better than Catching Fire, I will cry when it’s over. Guaranteed.
- I am most firmly on Team Peeta.
* Keeping my acronyms cleaner for the Young Adult audience, but y’all know what I really meant. LOL!
My Final Thoughts
Read these books! There’s something here for everyone.
About the Author
Suzanne Collins has worked as a writer for many Young Adult and children’s television programming such as Clarissa Explains it All, Little Bear, Oswald, and Clifford’s Puppy Days. It was children’s author James Proimos who encouraged her to become a novelist. The Hunger Games is not Collins’ first series. Previously, she wrote a five-part series called The Underland Chronicles. Collins currently lives in Connecticut with her family.
Scholastic’s website has some fun resources on Collins’ About the Author page. There is a link to an interview as well as her answers to a couple of reader’s burning questions. Scholastic’s website also has a countdown clock to the release of the third book for those who love the pain of being reminded of how far away August really is.
Other Voices
There is no way I could do any justice to listing all of the great reviews out there for these books. If you’d like to explore the opinions of other bloggers out there, check out the Book Blogs Search Engine created and maintained by Fyrefly. It’s a wonderful resource.
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#214 ~ Coraline
Coraline
Coraline, a vivacious and curious only child, has moved with her parents into a large old house that has been subdivided into four units. She has odd neighbors whom she occasionally visits, but she feels alone for the most part. Her parents, although home, seem always to be working, and there are no other children around. It is while following her father’s suggestion of counting windows and doors throughout the house that she discovers a little locked door in the one room in the house that is rarely used. Her mother finds the key, but it opens only to a brick wall separating sections of the house – or so Coraline thought at first. What Coraline later finds in the dark and without her parent’s knowledge is that this door leads to her other world. Coraline’s other world is ruled by her Other Mother. At first, she is charmed by her Other Mother and Father even though their eyes are simply black buttons. They take great interest in her and make true home-cooked meals. While she might enjoy the attention, she soon discovers how sinister Other Mother is and she is forced to save herself and her true parents from the world through that little door.
Coraline was a much different reading experience for me than The Graveyard Book or Neverwhere. While Other Mother is a creepy, evil character, she isn’t developed in the same way as Gaiman’s other villains. Her edge comes from her physical presence, while the ghouls or Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemaar make themselves apparent through their dialog. I found more delight in the Vandemaars and Bishops of Bath and Wells, but writing the Other Mother this way did bring spunky Coraline firmly front and center. What wasn’t there for me in the way of banter, Coraline made up with her bravery and ingenuity. She is not afraid to get up and chase a shadow through a strange house and, when push comes to shove, she puts others before herself. She takes responsibility for her own problems and throws a thrilling tea party, too. In those ways, she was very real to me.
Who can remember daydreaming about having the perfect parents? I most certainly can. The parents in this fantasy fluctuated from kings and queens to Luke and Laura (yeah, I’m dating myself here). While I never had a problem with my mother’s cooking like Coraline did, there were many things that my Other Mother would have done better and with more finesse. What Coraline points out so beautifully is that often the characteristics and actions we prescribe to our “perfect parents” would in fact prove detrimental to us, at least to some extent. One of the things I remember longing for in my parental dream team was the permission to stay up as late as I desired. Had my parents allowed me to do that, they wouldn’t have been parenting at all. There’s no possibility that I could have performed at my best at school if I was exhausted all of the time. Regardless, getting whatever you want eventually loses its luster precisely because it’s not what you really need. You need parents who love you, take care of you, and provide you with the discipline you need to lead your most healthy, productive life.
Coraline reaffirmed my preference for reading a novel before seeing the film. We rented and watched “Coraline” a couple of months ago. I enjoyed the movie a great deal and loved what Tim Burton did with the animation. However, there was a character in the movie that played a prominent role that did not exist in the book. I spent a third of the novel waiting for him to arrive on the scene only to realize that he would never come. It was a distraction and I wished that I had come to this novel with a clean slate. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this novel a great deal and read it in less than 24 hours. I look forward to the day when I can read this with my daughters – and not just to put the fear of the Other Mother in their hearts (hey, they probably think they’ve already got one… LOL!)
To enter for a chance to win the prizes for this theme month, leave a comment here and then go to the Neverwhere and Beyond page and use the following code: N&B-R3.
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I won my copy of this novel from a contest hosted by Bermudaonion’s Weblog. Thanks, Kathy!
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#211 ~ The Graveyard Book
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Bod, although named Nobody Owens, isn’t a nobody. Someone wants him dead. The Man Jack killed his parents and sister one dark night. Bod was just a toddler and narrowly escaped The Man Jack’s knife when he wandered off into the cemetery just across the way from his parent’s home. It was highly unprecedented, but Mr. and Mrs. Owens, both ghosts who have already lived in the graveyard for many years, agree to adopt Bod when the ghost of his mother begs Mrs. Owens to care for him. The graveyard as a whole did not agree to accept Bod and give him the freedom of the graveyard only after Silas also agrees to be his guardian. Silas, unlike the ghosts inhabiting the cemetery, has access to the world outside of the graveyard and can ensure that Bod is fed and educated. Thus begins Bod’s unconventional upbringing. Despite the circumstances, Bod is a typical boy and that often gets him into trouble. It is just that which teaches him what he needs to know to survive within and without the walls of the graveyard.
I had intended to read Neverwhere as my first Neil Gaiman novel, but when I found myself with a credit at Audible.com and noticed that the author himself narrated The Graveyard Book, I had to buy it. Once it was on my MP3 player, I couldn’t stop myself from listening to it. I couldn’t be more thrilled that book was my introduction. It was alive in place and character. I loved Bod, Silas, Mrs. Owens, Scarlett, and Liza. I even enjoyed the less savory characters Bod meets along the way. One of my favorite chapters was when he meets up with the ghouls. I loved the imagination that went into creating their existence, their means of transportation, and their names: The Duke of Westminster, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Lord High Mayor of London, and The 33rd President of the United States (poor President Truman – I had to look that up because I had to know). The dialog was equally delightful – not just with the ghouls, but with all of the characters. While I’m sure that the dialog would have stood out if I had read the print version of this book, Gaiman is fantastic in his narration and really brought out the interplay and poetry in his prose.
I cannot say enough about this book. I listened to it on audio as narrated by Neil Gaiman himself. I listened to Bod’s story on my way to and from work and whenever I got a chance in between. I was enthralled by the different worlds I got to explore along with Bod. It really captured my imagination. I looked forward to my time in the graveyard and was very impressed by the author’s narration. In many ways, I think that made the experience for me. To hear the accents of the ghouls, the Owens’, Silas, and Scarlett made them all come to life. I have a print version of this novel as well and I found myself going to it to reread what I had heard that day and getting excited all over again. The ending, in so many ways, was bittersweet for me. I miss Bod, all of his friends, and all of the things to see and explore in his adoptive home. I look forward to the day that my daughters are old enough to listen to this story along with me, not that I think I can wait that long to read The Graveyard Book again for myself.
To enter for a chance to win the prizes for this theme month, go to the Neverwhere and Beyond page and use the following code: N&B-R1.
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I read the audio version of this book through a purchase on Audible.com.
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#210 ~ Ruined
Ruined: A Ghost Story
Rebecca is a typical high school sophomore. She is active in her school and is extremely upset and resentful when her father uproots her from her New York City home to live with a friend and her daughter in New Orleans. She doesn’t understand why her father sends her to live with the woman she calls Aunt Claudia because they don’t know each other well. New Orleans, especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, is small peanuts compared to NYC and Rebecca finds that she doesn’t fit in as well amidst the children sent to the Temple Mead Academy by New Orleans society families. About the only thing that interests her about her surroundings is the Lafayette Cemetery. When Aunt Claudia strictly forbids her from going there, she is determined to do just that. It is there where she runs into her first friend, Lisette, who just happens to be a ghost.
I really enjoyed Ruined. Despite part of the story being predictable, I grew to care for Rebecca and Lisette. I wanted to know Lisette’s story and see what Rebecca would do with it. While I think that young adults may relate better to Rebecca than I did at first, I didn’t feel that this novel was directed specifically at younger readers. There was much to enjoy. I found the information about New Orleans’ history and race relations, the role and place of the city’s grand and established families in modern society, and the background on the city’s Mardi Gras parades very interesting. Most importantly, Rebecca and Lisette are interesting characters and strong at heart. I was never scared while reading this book, but I was always entertained. I would strongly suggest Rebecca and Lisette’s story to the young and the young at heart alike.
+++++
This is my third review for the R.I.P. Challenge.
*****
I want to thank Dina from Big Honcho Media for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel
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Book Blogger Con
Have you heard about the 1st Annual Book Blogger Convention that will be held in NYC during the BEA? You should check it out. I know it will be a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to family obligations, but I'll be trolling blogs for up to the minute news.
WE Magazine’s A Woman Blogger to Watch
Literate Challenges
What's in a Name? 3
Random Reading Challenge
