I Finally Watched The Hunger Games

I have finally joined the post-March 23rd space-time continuum as regards books and movies. In laymen's terms, I FINALLY WATCHED THE HUNGER GAMES MOVIE.

*dances*

The story behind my five-weeks-delayed inaugural viewing of The Hunger Games is, in short, simply that China, which last November had agreed to let The Hunger Games play in Chinese cinemas as one of only 20 films allowed into China this year, rescinded their offer, or something like that, so that it's no longer being released in China. The government probably realized the series' plot revolves around the people rising up to topple an overly controlling government. Heh, heh. (Ugh.)

Anyway, this weekend I was on a business trip to Shenzhen, which is literally one metro ride away from Hong Kong. I thought, with all the free time I have on this trip, why not go into Hong Kong for an afternoon and an evening, and take advantage of the fact that Hong Kong is, in many ways, a scion of Western culture on the Asian continent.

The view from Avenue of Stars (venere.com)

The movie was fantastic! I admit to trepidation at the movie adaptation of the next big YA series after Twilight, considering, well, how melodramatic and insipid those films were. The Jennifer Lawrence was the perfect Katniss, and such a talented actress. She captured the complexities of Katniss' character excellently, so that even someone who hadn't read the books (the person I saw the movie with) could get a glimpse into what she was thinking throughout the story. I also think that the people in charge of the movie's sound editing should get an Oscar nomination, it just complemented the story so well. I was less impressed by Gale and Peeta, but whatever. The Hunger Games was always and forever Katniss' story.

So, who wants to talk about the movie with me now?

It's hard for me to pick a favorite part of the movie, but this was definitely one of the most powerful scenes. (panempropaganda.com)

Suzanne Collins signing

Yesterday I went to one of Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay tour stops, at Children's Book World in Haverford. I kind of had to go because, uh, at the midnight release party they threw last month, I nonchalantly threw my name into the raffle they were having, first prize being first place in line to meet Suzanne Collins at her signing. The next day at lunch, I get a phone call along the lines of this:

CBW: Hi, is this Stephanie?

Me: Yes, speaking.

CBW: Hi, this is Children's Book World in Haverford, calling to say... you won the raffle!

Me: Wahhh?!? Ohhh whoaaaa!

CBW: You get to be first in line to meet Suzanne Collins on September 22!

Me: Bluhbluhbluh how cool! Oh man, oh goodness, oh whoa!!!

So yesterday, I and my friend whom I had gotten hooked on the trilogy a week before Mockingjay's release date and who came with me to the midnight release party got into my car and drove the half hour or so to Children's Book World. We turned onto the street where the store was located, only to see a sleek black car parked in front, and a familiar wavy blond head getting out of the car and into the store. Suzanne Collins has arrived!

We got there half an hour early, and there was already a dozen or so people in line. So I felt kind of bad mentioning to the store worker that I was the one who won the raffle, and them exclaiming and telling me to stand in front of two middle school boys who looked a little like they had camped out there for days. (Well, okay, not days. Just maybe hours on a hot, humid afternoon.) My friend promptly sat down to do work--such is the life of a Swattie--and I chatted a bit with a grandmother who had been passing by. She was intrigued by the crowd, and after my exuberant praises of the book, called up her granddaughter to see if she had heard of the series and if she'd be interested in getting a signed copy. Turns out that her granddaughter not only read the books already, but she had actually met Suzanne Collins earlier on her tour! I kind of wanted to speak to this 13-year-old girl and be like, YES! YOU ROCK!

A little before 6, they announced that Suzanne Collins was going to read for us! This was unplanned and so I was super excited. We gathered round the little stage inside the store, which was backed by shelves and shelves of Mockingjay:

Suzanne then appeared and read from two places: the part in Catching Fire where Katniss talks to Caesar Flickerman in Cinna's dress, and the first chapter of Mockingjay. She read in the voice she hears Katniss speaking to her in, which she describes as a kind of futuristic Appalachian accent. She is a marvelous reader, and I felt almost hypnotized into Katniss' world, and when she spoke in President Snow's words (think high and deceptively soft, like Voldemort) goosebumps burst out all over my arms, it was that eerie.

She's super photogenic because she is the embodiment of kindness.

Afterwards we all went back outside the store again and lined up in order. The signing/stamping part went pretty fast, since, well, my friend and I were first. I found I had nothing to say, of course *moron*, but just watched her as she carefully stamped my book and then told the photographer that she'd be able to pose for pictures. So I got pictures!

Isn't she wonderful? Sighhhhhh. In the end, I was really happy I went. It was totally worth it to listen to her read.

The Hunger Games paperback giveaway!

This is exciting! Big Honcho Media has allowed me to host a giveaway to celebrate the paperback release of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. THREE (3) winners will receive a copy of The Hunger Games in paperback. Check out the press release below if you haven't had the chance to read this amazing book yet:

Coming to paperback on July 6th!

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capital surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capital is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor to his or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capital wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rules.

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 impoverished district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Bestselling writer Suzanne Collins delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this stunning novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.

Praise for The Hunger Games:

· #1 New York Times Bestseller
· USA Today Bestseller
· A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
· A Horn Book Fanfare
· A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2008
· A School Library Journal Best Book of 2008
· A Booklist Editors’ Choice
· A New York Times Notable Book of 2008
· A Kirkus Best Book of 2008
· A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice

“I couldn't stop reading."
-Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly

“I was so obsessed with this book.”
-Stephenie Meyer, www.stepheniemeyer.com

Suzanne Collins named to the 2010 TIME 100 list (April 29, 2010)

Read the first chapter of The Hunger Games at http://www.hungergamespaperback.com/ for free, or check out the book trailer below:



To enter, fill out the form below! This giveaway is open to US only, and ends Friday, July 23, 2010. Good luck!

THE ETERNAL DEBATE...

...Which is:

Team Peeta vs. Team Gale?

Oh, you thought it would be something more substantial and serious? Well, TOO BAD for you! Hah! YA authors Heidi Kling and Josh Berk are hosting a Smoochies Award for the Best YA Kiss of 2009. Sound hot already, right? You should check it out, and nominate by February 13!

Anyway, tangential to that, I started reading other people's nominations, being as this is a topic that I am very curious about *shifty eyes*. I noticed that quite a number of people mentioned the Gale/Katniss kiss, which prompted me to post on Twitter:

lmao reading Smoochie nominations. Did Gale & Katniss even kiss? I forget: that's how uneventful it was to me.

Which, of course, promptly got me into some "trouble" with some tweeters. Jessica of Chick Lit Teens and I ended up going back and forth about this. To summarize, she's Team Gale, while I'm Team Peeta. BUT! We are both moderate in our positions, and can be swayed. (In fact, I'm more of a Team Katniss gal. I remember Heather Zundel asking on my "Best Romance" 2009 book list something along the lines of why I hadn't included Catching Fire on that list. To which my answer is: because it isn't ROMANCE. It's a dystopian novel and that's the best and main thing about it. Bah.)

For logic's (and sanity's) sake, I will compile a list of Team Gale vs. Team Peeta. Please note that I am trying to be as fair as possible to both sides. I quite enjoyed the thing that occurred on Chelsea the Page Flipper's blog a few months ago, during which lots of people weighed in one which team they were on. But... but... I like both! And here's why:

Oh yeah, WARNING: Don't read this if you haven't read the first two books, or if you don't care to know about my theories for what will happen in Book Three. Thx.

Why I Like Peeta

1. He's nice. Nice boys don't get enough credit in YA lit--or, really, life.
2. He's been sweet on Katniss for a long time; only class differences prevented them from getting to know one another. (Hey, it happened all the time in the nineteenth century. Just because Elizabeth Bennett ended up with Mr. Darcy doesn't mean it happened that way for every lower middle-class girl.)
3. He takes/puts up with things for Katniss' sake. Like being punished for the burnt bread. And going along with the Careers in Book One, for the eventual purpose of protecting Katniss.
4. Their history. Dude. They survived the Hunger Games together. Psych studies show that men and women find their preferred sex more attractive when their adrenaline is up. Even if you don't especially like a person, surviving the Hunger Games with him or her has got to count for something, right?

Why I Can't Rule Out Gale

1. He's hot. He's got the resourceful, dangerous, tough-and-wild-boy thing going on. Automatic train of thought: resourcefulness = hot. Life has been hard on him, but he's survived despite everything.
2. He'd make a great family man. He's already good at taking risks to protect his mother and sisters, and he takes care of Katniss and her family as well. I have no doubt he'd be good to Katniss if they end up together.
3. He's solid. Physically and tangibly. Even his presence on the page is soothing.
4. He's passionate about making a difference. I recently reread the first few pages of The Hunger Games for a meme that you will see probably later this week, and I realized that the seeds of his rebelliousness and determination to right the government's wrongs were already apparent. Unlike either Katniss or Peeta, Gale REALLY wants to do something about their dystopia.

Why It Might Not Be Peeta

1. Katniss is unsure about him. Even after all they've been through together, Katniss still can't sort out whether or not her feelings for him are real, or just a result of having to put on the show to convince the government. Stop stringing the guy along already, and let him find someone who will be good to him and recognize his worth.
2. The "Tragic Ending." Peeta survived two Hunger Games. That's two more than most people do. Don't quote me on this, but I think his luck might be running out... and I had a pretty good track record of predicting what was going to happen in Book Two. Plus, it would be, as Anne Shirley would put it, the "most tragical of tragic" endings. And thus it would be perfect in its bittersweetness. Here's the sweet guy whom we've gotten to know over the course of two/three books. Here's the guy who would do anything for Katniss. If an important character has to die in the last book, it'll most likely be him. It resolves the love triangle, and yet permanently ensues our sympathies for him.
3. He's too ideal for the real world. Peeta is actually in his element most in the Games; outside of the arena, we readers hardly ever see him as a fully functioning and capable character. That means that, while he'd make the sweetest and most perfect boyfriend for Katniss, it probably won't happen, because the object of Book 3 is to resolve all the conflicts that Katniss and her Mockingjay rebel crew have stirred up with the government. Peeta belongs to that government-constructed world of terror and killing, much like his idealness is a manifestation of our characters of the "dream guy." When the government topples, it makes sense that he, too, will fall.

Why Gale Annoys Me

1. He's selfish. How can one declare one's love for one's longtime best friend after the best friend goes through hell and back, and expect her to be the same person she was before everything happened? Things change. You must change with them. Gale has trouble remembering that a lot of times.
2. He's barely there. I know it's not his fault that most of the story takes place somewhere where he can't go. But honestly, the little on-page-time he's had so far has not done enough to recommend him to me. I need to see him actually do something substantial to prove how much he cares for Katniss, otherwise I'm not able to want her to be with him.
3. They're too similar. Katniss needs a sweet and constantly caring guy, because she's too bull-headed and independent to be able to be a good match for a guy with the same personality as her (believe me, I'd know).

Now you've heard my thoughts on the matter, and now you even--if you read it--know what I think might happen to this love triangle in Book 3. What else would you guys add to any of these lists? Is there anything that you disagree with me on? What do you think will happen in the final book? I'd love to hear!

Catching Fire GIVEAWAY!

Scholastic and Dina of Big Honco Media have given me this amazing opportunity of hosting an amazing CATCHING FIRE GIVEAWAY! Seriously, if I weren't myself, I'd totally enter my own contest. Because look at what you can get!

Three (3) lucky winners will receive:

• very limited edition promotional T-shirt (only 300 made!)
• collectible gold mocking jay pin
• copy of Catching Fire

If you're a visual kind of person, check out the book trailer:

And here are some more visuals you'll want to see: the beautiful cover of Catching Fire (which you could own!!) and that t-shirt.

Oh man. That t-shirt. It's gorgeous. I want that t-shirt.

If you've been living under a rock for the past year, check out the official Hunger Games website for more information, as well as to read the first chapter of Catching Fire.

To enter: Just leave your email address, and preferably something interesting/funny/relevant/rip-roaringly unique to keep me entertained. :)

Open to: The Catching Fire book promotion is open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if you have a friend in the States who can accept your prizes by mail!). Entrants under age 13 must have parent or guardian permission to enter.

Ends: Friday, September 25, 2009

Good luck!

Review: Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Book One in the Underland Chronicles

Tags: middle grade, adventure, war, series

Eleven-year-old Gregor thought he was going to spend his whole summer sweltering in his NYC apartment babysitting his two-year-old sister Boots and his deranged grandmother. But when he and Boots fall through a chute in his laundry room, they end up in the Underland, a scary world filled with huge, creepy critters, he doesn't realize that life as he knows it is going to completely change.

For the royal human family in the Underland thinks he is the long-awaited "Overland" warrior from a vague prophecy. The prophecy insists that Gregor--along with an odd assortment of allies that includes members of the royal family, spiders, cockroaches, bats, and even the dread rats--embark on a quest that may determine the survival of them all.

Even though he doesn't think he is the warrior, Gregor has a personal motive for going along with the prophecy: it's one way he can possibly discover what happened to his father, who disappeared years ago. That, and the thought of keeping Boots safe and getting back home to New York City, keeps Gregor along the path of mortal danger, and causes him to make decisions he never knew he was ready to make.

GREGOR THE OVERLANDER marks the beginning of a remarkably well-written fantasy adventure series for nine- to twelve-year-olds. It's been a while since I've read anything in this genre, so maybe I can't justifiably say that I thought characterization slightly lacking and the ending all too suden. Because I found tears pricking at my eyes at many touching moments in the book. Gregor is an admirable protagonist who grows throughout his adventure, and all of the supporting characters are interesting and unique in their own respects. Middle-school boys and girls alike will want to pick this book up, and for the rest of us who are anxiously awaiting the release of Collins' Catching Fire (the sequel to The Hunger Games), this is a great series that will engross us in the meantime.

Similar Authors

Margaret Peterson Haddix

Jeanne DuPrau (City of Ember)

Nancy Farmer (The Ear, The Eye, and the Arm)

Rick Riordan

Rating: 4 out of 5