The Hunger Game Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

The success of The Hunger Games Trilogy is taking our society by storm. With the release of the first movie this week, the media is a buzz about all things Hunger Games. What a perfect time to give my views of not only the first, but all three books.

The first time I picked up the book The Hunger Games and read the back cover, I thought it sounded trite and boring. Dystopian society? Been there. Read that. Reality TV in book form? Eh, no thanks. It's only now that I've actually read the book that I've discovered a something Scholastic Publishing overlooked: the person who wrote the back of The Hunger Games sucks. Seriously, they need to fire that guy.

The book itself sets up the complexities of an unfair, horrid, hierchical society beautifully. Collins writing immediately captures my emotions and draws me into District 12 with the overbearing Capitol and the strong-willed heroine. Being a bit strong-willed myslef, its easy to relate to Katniss Everdeen. The plot progresses quickly and it's not long before I found myself thrust into the impossible predicament of the Games with Katniss and Peeta. In the games, full of nightmarish horrors, there can only be one survivor.

****SPOILER ALERT****
Collins does an exceptional job setting up the reality of the situation and then squashing it completely. Katniss' impromptu action defies the premise of the games allowing both Katniss and Peeta to win. Confusing to even Katniss herself are her motivations. Did she defy the Capitol because she didn't want to play their game anymore? Did she do it out of love for Peeta? We've all been in situations where we made rash choices and then contemplated the motivations for our impetuousness. Collins captures the reality of that pondering so perfectly. Of course, in the end, the motivations don't matter - its the action that seals Katnisses fate.
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Danielle's View: Read it now. Jump into the hype with both feet and enjoy the ride before too much gets leaked and the story becomes stale.

I didn't even wait until the next day to start the second in the trilogy, Catching Fire. Luckily, this book picks up almost right where the last one leaves off. I join Katniss in her new fame and delve into her love life dismay. Then suddenly, an announcement from the Capitol shakes everything up. This years Hunger Games will be special - unlike any of the games before it.

It's here that I get excited because really, Collins writing is best when her characteres are in the Games. She describes action and the continuous presence of overbearing evil in a way that keeps me on my toes, craving for more. So, it's really too bad for the characters that there's another Hunger Games but great for us readers to discover the next round of combat Collins has dreamed up.

****SPOILER ALERT****
These games find Katniss and Peeta back in the arena with other winning tributes. Now that I knew Collins would break the rules of the reality she created, it wasn't too hard to figure out where the story was going. I figured out, pretty early, that there would be some sort of joint uprising. Even though I was right, the ingenuity of the characters and the small twists and turns kept me entertained. I found it similar to watching the #1 Baylor Bears Ladies Basketball Team play. While im watching them, I'm pretty sure they're gonna win, but they make it enjoyable to watch with the unintentional turnovers and unexpected half court shots.

The implications of the tribute uprising are pretty obvious to an intuitive reader. I easily guess where the story is going: to war. But, not until the third book.
****SPOILER COMPLETE****

Danielle's View: Don't stop if you've read the first one. Have it ready to read after you finish The Hunger Games. No, really. You are not even going to want to wait for it to download.

I started the third in the trilogy, Mockingjay ready for Katniss to return to her spunky self and jump into the fight. Unfortunately, it takes longer than I have patience for. First, Collins heals her and has Katniss acclimate somewhat to her new home. The plot slows here after the breakneck, fight or flight pacing of the last two books. Finally, things pick up and I find myslef on the front lines with Katniss fighting the same war in a different way. However, the Katniss here is not the same as was in the games. It creates an uncomfortableness, like looking at myself in a fun house mirror. It's me, but not really.

****SPOILER ALERT****
Collins seems to spend the entire book breaking down Katniss. She throws one thing after another at her - Peeta the killing machine, the death of her comrades, the decimation of her sister, the decision to keep or stop the Hunger Games. I see a glimmer of the old Katniss when she assissanates Coin (and I whooped loudly). Even after her unexpected heroism, she tries to kill herself. Again she is broken and her brokenness filled my heart with sadness. I respect the parallels Collins draws between Katniss and the real soldiers who have to come back to a less gruesome reality and somehow have to find their place in it. The description of broken Katniss is just too extreme. Then, after I've spent the majority of the book with this shadow of the character I loved and respected, Collins tries to show how Katniss is moving on. But, it's not enough to wash away the fresh wounds of the reader. Katniss gets years to deal with her emotions and only becomes somewhat functional as a member of the society she helped create. I get minutes between the last knife twist in the heart and the news that it's all okay. After spending so many pages on Katniss' broken spirit, there's just not enough about rebuilding her life to make me believe she's alright. It leaves me feeling bitter and disheartened. I don't believe every story has to have a happy ending but this one is just plain depressing - worse even because it's trying not to be.
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Danielle's View: If you're like me, you'll have to read it out of compulsion. I mean, who can read two books of a trilogy and not the third? But, be ready for some big disappointments and if you're able to resist, don't read it at all. If you need some closure then read to the bottom of page 345 and then create your own ending. I assure you it will be better than the one written.

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson

James Patterson is an author I know best from his Alex Cross detective series and, of course, from his creepy book commercials. Seriously, James. Stop the commercials. Watching an author talk about his book doesn't make me want to read it. It makes me think you need to hire a better advertising company. But, I digress.

Patterson has broken out of his typical murder mystery role in the last years. Oh, he's continued to extend his murder repertoire but he's also dabbled in romance with The Lake House and adventure for teens with Maximum Ride. Which brings us to the book at hand, Witch & Wizard.

This teen novel, the first of a series, touts itself as a cross between Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Let's stop there and ponder that for a moment. This book is supposed to join the 10 billion dollar empire Rowling created with a young adult series that's popularity has spanned the age gap to create a frenzy the media hasn't seen since Twilight. Wow. I'm expecting this book to be epic. Unfortunately, it does not live up to its grandiose boasting.

I had trouble with the story from the very beginning because honestly, the set up is terrible. Immediately, I meet Whit and Wisty, brother and sister, whose home is being raided in the middle of the night by the new totalitarian government that this family has no knowledge of existing. This raises several questions: When did this government take over? How new are they? Is this the first thing they do when they enter power? As I learn more, the harder it becomes to choke down the original premise. Apparently, the siblings are turned in by an informant. So, this government has been around long enough to create a spy network. I also learn the government has established facilities and propaganda littering the streets, yet this family is clueless to their existence. I can get behind a literary dystopia, but one whose existence the main characters are completely unaware of? Come on. That's ridiculous.

Not only are the siblings ignorant of the new regime, they are also ignorant of their own magic, the reason they are being arrested in the first place. Apparently, they are, as the title suggests, a witch and wizard. Strangely, both Whit and Wisty have a hard time accepting this fact. They don't reminisce about times they made things happen accidentally or find clues in their pasts about this sudden revelation. Nope. They just start being magical. I love a good fantasy but these characters aren't small children. I'm really supposed to believe Whit has lived for 18 years and Wisty for 16 without any signs of magic and then poof! Now they've got powers.

I decide to ignore these glaring plot holes so I can continue reading the book in its entirety. Told in first person, the needlessly short chapters constantly remind me that this is a book intended for teenagers with short attention spans. The story becomes choppy and frenzied even when the plot isn't progressing.

****SPOILER ALERT****

The first 160 pages are spent in jail. That's a lot of pages in jail and it feels long. Finally, they are broken out of jail by a ghost and led to the resistance, an army of children fighting against the corrupt adults. Wait a minute. Did I just enter the plot of The Newsies? Yes, but without the fun song and dance numbers to keep me entertained. Then comes the 6 part prophesy which, you know, basically outlined the plots of the next books. And, really? A six part prophesy? Harry Potter only had one prophesy to deal with and that took him seven books. How many books will this series last if it has to fulfill six prophesies. Yikes.

****SPOILER COMPLETE****

Patterson does do a good job of developing Whit and Wisty. I care that they survive just not enough to continue the journey with them.

DANIELLE'S VIEW: Skip it. If you want a cross between Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, read them simultaneously, switching books at each chapter.

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