"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow, nothing but wow. This story takes place in a dark future where the United States no longer exist. Many people are starving, and each year the "districts" must send two "tributes" (one girl and one boy, between the age of 12 and 18) to the capital to fight to the death. 24 children enter the arena, only one can come out.


I tend to shy away from the killing everyone, violent, depressing stories. However, this book spent a lot of time on the best seller list and, as a writer, I felt the need to see what the fuss was all about. It didn't take but a few pages to find out. Collins creates a main character the reader can't help liking and pulling for surrounded by other characters that feel real.


From the prospective of a writer, the story is amazing. Collins chose first person, present tense for this story. It is very difficult for me to write anything in present tense, but the story grabs you from the very beginning. After you love Katniss, the author throws her in to fight for her life.


I loved watching the love story develop and wonder where it will go in book two. The fighting wasn't my favorite, but the children truly have no choice other than to die. The reader feels the wrongness in the way the districts are treated by the capital and hopes Katniss can somehow right the wrong. Yet, we have to realize not all wrongs can be righted by one person. Due to the strict government, in this story there doesn't appear to be much hope of the district ever gaining freedom. But there are two more books.


Another aspect of writing Collins demonstrates beautifully is not giving the reader too much information. Although the story takes place in a fictional setting, the reader gains information through what is happening instead of having a block of information dumped.


This book was wonderful. While I am not ready for my son to read it yet, I would recommend it to older children and adults. But give yourself some time, it is nearly impossible to put down.


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Catching Up

I have gotten behind and not been able to catch for weeks. I can finally see the light and the storm clouds. The house is about clean, I've read all of the books by my bed, my son is busy with his school work, and I am trying to start a new writing project.

For any parents interested, I found the coolest website last week. Sea World has teachers guides online. There are some awesome lessons. http://www.seaworld.org/just-for-teachers/guides/index.htm

These are the books I read last week:

The Wish by Gail Carson Levine

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Levine always adds a little magic to her books and that is part of what makes them fun. I liked this book. The characters were real and likeable. The hardest part of middle school is fitting in. The only issue I had with the story is the ending not being very satisfying. I felt as thought the main character didn't really learn much from her experience. She still wanted to use magic to change her life instead of dealing with her problems herself. Of course, she is young. This is a book I would recommend to a friend, but probably not read over and over.


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Coraline by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I liked "The Graveyard Book" better than this one. However, that is just my opinion. The book is well written with great characters and an interesting plot. It was too scary for me. I love the idea of a little girl wanting an adventure. Kids get bored. But that other mother made me uncomfortable. The button eyes and whatnot were a little too much for me. I wouldn't want my child to read this yet.


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Jinx by Meg Cabot

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved this book. The main character is lovable and in a mess. She takes responsibility for her actions and learns from her mistakes. I would enjoy a sequel. The minor characters are interesting too. I liked the treatment of magic and the rivalry between the cousins. As always, I am a sucker for a love story. I'd read this book again and recommend it to my friends.


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What have you been reading? Any great websites or articles?