The Hunger Games (movie)

So, I finally got around to watching The Hunger Games movie. I don't usually write movie reviews because...it's kind of hard to explain. Although I generally enjoy movies, I don't really care about them. Not enough to review them. I imagine you can see where this review is going.

I felt I should write a quick review for this movie since I wrote such gushing reviews of the books. So here it is.

I'm not going to get into great detail on the differences between the book and the movie. Was it missing things from the book I wish were in the movie? Of course (Haymitch falling off the stage?). It was made up for by adding in things that made the movie work better than how it would have without them. So I'm cool with the differences.

Now, lets talk about casting for just a second. Whoever did the casting did a fantastic job. Even the people that didn't look like I imagined them worked really well. And most of them..well, they were all pretty close to how I saw them in my head. Rue and Effie? They were PERFECT. Casting was well done. Very well done.

My biggest complaint about the whole thing is that there weren't enough extremes. The people of District 12 were poor, but weren't portrayed as epicly poor. And the capitol was extravagant and kind of weird, but not as over the top as they should have been. Haymitch had a few drinks, but wasn't a horrible drunk. The Games themselves were awful, but were not near as barbaric as they were in the books. The extremes are what made the books so compelling. They were what I missed most when watching the movie.

I think I would have liked the movie a lot more had I never read the books. But if I'd watched the movie first I never would have read the books. It was good, but not great. I enjoyed it but...meh.

Mockingjay (book three of The Hunger Games Trilogy)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

In less then a week, I have finished all three books in The Hunger Games Trilogy. Mockingjay was an incredible end to an incredible trilogy.


Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. -Amazon.com

 Read my review of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.

Now this book is what I expected of Catching Fire: aftermath, rebellion and fallout from The Hunger Games. That's not to say it wasn't fantastic, just a little more predictable the the first two books. Even so, it still managed to be surprising, eventful and filled with suspense. The ending was a mixture of happy endings and horrifying loss. In a word - perfect.

On a scale from Totally Awesome to Horrifically Awful, I'd give it a Just Awesome. Although a perfect wrap-up after the first two books, I loved it less then I love them.

Catching Fire (book two of The Hunger Games Trilogy)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
When I finished reading The Hunger Games, I knew I'd enjoy the second book. Good story, well written, characters I love and care about. But, after the first book, I didn't think Catching Fire would be anywhere close to as awesome as the first book. I mean, really, what could match the incredibleness of the arena at The Hunger Games?

So, here's the book description from Amazon.com: 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.

So, you can imagine what I pictured: all rebellion and aftermath. But HOLY CRAP. No spoilers, I promise, but if you don't know what's coming, it's a huge surprise. Insanity. Complete and pure insanity.

I loved this book as much as the first. On a scale from Totally Awesome to Horrifically Awful, I'd give it a Totally Awesome. As soon as I'm done typing, I'm starting Mockingjay. I'm expect it to be all the things I believed Catching Fire was going to be. I hope to be surprised again.

The Hunger Games

So, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is a book with a lot of hype surrounding it. So, let me start with this: Holy Crap. I now completely understand what the big deal is.

"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed." - From Amazon.com

I'm a big dystopian future fan. I'm also a fan of strong, kick ass female leads. Those two things alone made me love this book. But it also has suspense, plot twists, surprises and more. If I'd had the time, I would have read the whole book in one sitting. I didn't though, but I did stay up an hour pasted my bedtime to finish it, and woke up an hour early the next morning, wanting nothing more the to start book 2, Catching Fire.

On a scale from Totally Awesome to Horrifically Awful, I'd give it a Totally Awesome. Yes, it really is that good.