The Hunger Games Movie Review

 

Released March 23, 2012

Rated PG-13

Directed by Gary Ross

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson

So this weekend I, and the rest of America, when and saw The Hunger Games.  I went into it like OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG! but I came out with mixed feelings.  I thought the movie was an very good interpretation of the book, but there were some aspects that didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Ok let's go over what I LOVED first, namely the costuming.  Yes the capitol was everything I wanted it to be (like Marie Antoinette had a baby with Lady Gaga), but I specifically wanted to give a shout out to the reaping scene in District 12.  I freaking loved the 1930s depression era style.  It was all just so West Virginia coal mining town a la October Sky.  The muted color palette made Effie really stand out and showed just how different the lives of the people in District 12 were from those in the Capitol.  My only complaint about the costumes is I wish I could have seen more of the other district's chariot costumes!  They were all awesome and the fish ones were hilarious, I just wish I could have seen more.

Another aspect that I loved was the acting in general, but Jennifer Lawrence in particular.  She was just fantastic.  I think she hit all of the right notes and really brought a lot to her character.  In particular I just loved her "dumb bitch be lighting a fire!" face.  That made me lol for real.  Other actors that I thought did a great job were Willow Shields as Prim (when she screams no at the reaping it just broke my heart), Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Woody Harrelson as Haymich, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, and Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket.  I thought the entire cast was more or less well done, but those were the stand out performances for me. 

There were a couple characters I didn't connect to very well.  I was not a big fan of Peeta or Gale.  Even though he didn't have a big part I don't think Liam Hemsworth is right for the role nor is he that great of an actor.  I saw him in The Last Song (he was bad in that too) but I tried to give him another chance, and he still let me down.  Peeta also didn't do much for me, but I think this was more of how the movie editors decided to portray him and not anything on Josh Hutcherson's acting.  I also didn't get a good emotional connection to Rue, but like with Peeta, I blame the choices made in telling her story, not Amandla's acting abilities.  I would have liked more time with Rue so I could have connected to her more and really felt the devastation Katniss feels when she is killed.  (And as a side note I'd just like to say that people who complained about the black actors in the movie need to 1) Learn to effing read and 2) STFU you racist a-holes.  kthanks.)

Now there were some major things that really bothered me about the movie.  The biggest complaint I have was on the shaky camera work.  I HATED it during the non-violence scenes, such as introducing district 12 and during the reaping.  I've heard arguments that the camera work made the action more realistic, but I disagree.  I think the reason this camera work was used in the fighting scenes was to mask the violence to help get a PG-13 rating.  I wish the MPAA didn't exist, because this story is a violent story and I wanted more violence and I wanted to feel that visceral reaction to seeing it and realizing just how terrible the games were.  The MPAA stunts artistic expression by forcing movie makers to fit into their "age appropriate" box.  It should be up to the parents to be aware and know what they're taking their children to and if The Hunger Games is appropriate for their 2nd grader.  Let the movie makers tell the story, and let the parents parent.  *end soapbox*

Ok whew, rant over, on to other aspects I didn't like.  There were some story telling aspects I would have done differently.  One major one is how they showed Peeta giving Katniss the bread.  That flashback didn't work because they never showed how Katniss was literally starving to death, she was just sitting in the rain like some depressed emo kid.  I would have shown the story before, how Katniss is digging through the trash looking for food.  I also would have made it more clear that Peeta burned the bread on purpose so he could give it to Katniss.  I think it wouldn't have taken much extra work and would have reinforced the idea that Katniss feels a debt to Peeta for saving her life.  She's not in love with him in this book, she feels like she owes him. 

That would have also helped show how Katniss is playing the game in the cave scene, which also fell really flat to me.  They almost had it, but I didn't think there was enough manipulation being shown. I would have liked to have seen more manipulation from the control room to make good tv, not just make it more difficult for the tributes.  I think if they had show the capitol citizens reacting to watching the games it would have not only shown how Katniss is manipulating the crowd, but it would have also shown how desensitized the capitol people are to the games and made them more of an antagonist.

Now I just want to address one thing they changed from the book that I feel was a super smart choice.  At the end of the movie when Cato is about to kill Peeta he says that it doesn't matter what happens to him, that he has to bring honor to his district and it's what he's been trained to do and it's all he knows.  I thought this was brilliant.  In my youtube video comparing The Hunger Games and Battle Royale I mentioned how in The Hunger Games we never get to see any of the other tributes as anything other than mindless, evil, killing machines.  I loved how we got to know Cato a little bit more and got to see why he is the way he is.  It made him human and much more sympathetic of a character. 

Overall I think the movie was an good adaptation of the book, but missed some opportunities to create a more compelling story.  The acting, costumes, and sets were fantastic, but with shaky camera work and some poor editing choices the movie didn't impact me as much as I had hoped.  However it was still thoroughly entertaining and I'll probably go see it again this weekend.

Rachel Hawkins Book Signing!

The Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins

OMG you guys I went to a Rachel Hawkins signing last night!!!!  It was so much fun!  For those of you who aren't familiar, Rachel Hawkins is the author of the Hex Hall series.  The first book was published in 2010, the second Demonglass was published in 2011, and the final book in the trilogy Spell Bound just came out March 13.  This was only the second author signing I've ever been too, and while it was a much smaller crowd it was still wonderfully entertaining.

The wonderful Rachel Hawkins

Ok so let me just say that Rachel Hawkins is fantasticly charming and lovely.  She talked about her path to being an author and then went on to talk about Hex Hall and how she was inspired to write it. 

• She started off as a hardcore Barbie player with complex subplots and character arcs
• Then she wrote stories for he friends during chemistry class 
• In college she studied English because there's never a job guarentee at the end of college, so you might as well enjoy your four years doing something awesome and cross the job bridge when you get to it. 
• For Hex Hall she loved the idea of a magical boarding school but she didn't want to seem like she was coyping Harry Potter.  So she thought "What if I go the opposite way and make the boarding school a bad place, a place of punishment?"
• She wrote Hex Hall in 4 months, had an agent 1 week after finishing the book, and a book deal with Hyperion 6 weeks later (WOW that's fast!)

In the works for Rachel  is a Hex Hall spin off based on one of the chracters in Spell Bound (won't tell you who but Rachel says it will be obvious) due out spring of 2013.  Also in the fall of 2013 is the first of a new series, Rebel Belle.  Rachel described it as not a paranormal book, but more of a super heros meets greek mythology.  Sounds awesome!

I'd like to thank Rachel for coming to Ohio and for signing my books.  It was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to read the Hex Hall series.  Also if you're interested in seeing Rachel on her tour there are still a few stops left, so be sure to check it out! 

MARCH 26: JACKSON, MS, Lemuria.

MARCH 27: OXFORD, MS, Square Books Jr.

MARCH 28: NASHVILLE, TN, Parnassus Books.

MARCH 30: BOSTON, MA, Wellesley Books.



So awesome!



Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: A Fractured Light

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat.  Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story.  I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal!  

Today we're going to talk about the covers for Jocelyn Davies's Beautiful Dark series.  I'll admit the cover for A Beautiful Dark is what drew me to the series in the first place, and the cover for A Fractured Light is no different.

These covers are stunning!  I know you can't tell in the pictures, but the covers also have an iridescent sheen to them that makes them extra beautiful.  I love the continuity of the covers and the text?  So pretty!  I also really love how the model on A Fractured Light is facing the camera straight on, we don't get to see that very often.  I'm not sure if the story will live up to the covers, but I have hope.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Published in 1999 by MTV Books and Pocket Books
4 stars


Goodreads Review


Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Review:  The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a teen classic.  It's paved the way for many novels with its take on drugs, sex, abuse, friendship, and growing up while told through the letters of a fifteen year old boy whose innocent view of the world charms the reader.  It's not so much that subject matter is unique, but the voice in which it is told is delightful.  It's Charlie's observations of the world, simple though it may be, that makes this story so intriguing and relateable.  


Yes there are certainly aspects of this book that may be difficult for some people to read, in particular the ending, but I think that these difficult elements all make Charlie the way he is, both the things that happened to him in the past and what he experiences over the course of the book.  


While I doubt I'll become one of the rabid fans that swear by this books genius, I still really enjoyed the story and would recommend it to kids in high school who might be feeling a little "uncool".  I know that I do wish I had read it when I was a freshman, I probably would have really loved it then.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower is already over 10 years old, but I still find it extremely relevant to today's young adults.  It is a timeless tale of finding yourself that all teens experience. 

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Published in 2006 by Atria
4 Stars


Goodreads Review
Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author’s tale of Gothic strangeness—featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.


Review:  The Thirteenth Tale is a book for bookish people.  I really enjoyed the literary feel that this book had and the reverence for books.  There's a great mystery that unravels at a comfortable pace.  I loved Vida, she is by far the most interesting character.  I enjoyed learning about her past and figuring out how much of her story was true and how much was fiction. 

My favorite scene in the book was probably when Margaret goes to explore the ruins of the house.  I love exploring ruins of old buildings and hoping to find hidden treasures long forgotten.  There is something magical about being in a place that has seen so much history and I think Setterfield does an excellent job of capturing that creepy wonder. 

There are some parts of The Thirteenth Tale that I didn't like.  Mostly it was the pacing of the non-mystery subplots.  The back story of Margaret was beautifully written, but extremely slow.  The characters in the present were very flat compared to the characters in Vida's flashbacks.  Then again, maybe that was intentional because Vida is supposed to be a fantastic writer and story teller.  I would have liked Margaret and charters surrounding her to be as compelling as the characters set in the past. 

The other part of the book I didn't like was that sometimes the writing would get a little pretentious (and I hate using that word to describe writing, but that's all I can came up with).  I mean, the author bio on the back of the book says "Diane Setterfield is a former academic, specializing in twentieth-century French literature".  *insert eye-roll here*  I understand it's supposed to be written in the Gothic style, and the flashbacks do this very well, but there are other times where the story just drags.

Overall I'd say The Thirteenth Tale is a great book for people who like elegant prose, lengthy descriptions, and a more abstract way of story telling.  The mystery in this book is fantastic and definitely had me guessing (and guessing wrong) the entire time. 

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

#1 in Kate Grable series
Published July 12, 2011 by Delacorte Press
4 Stars - DAC 2011


Goodreads Review
Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human.

Review:  Let me start off by saying I freaking LOVE zombies.  They're my favorite horror genre, and I am very protective of them.  I'll pretty much read or watch anything that has to do with zombies, but I'm also extremely critical.  With that said, Bad Taste in Boys is a super cute zombie read (how often do you get to say that?).  I'd say it's more of a middle grade book that is great for kids who want to read a zombie book but don't want to read anything too scary. 

There are lots of cliches and over-the-top dramatics, but I still really enjoyed this book.  I think if you go into Bad Taste in Boys wanting a serious and scientific book you will be sadly disappointed.  I'm surprised I liked it as much as I did because I am usually a huge stickler for proper science in a zombie novel.  I would recommend taking this book for what it is, fun and light hearted.  Don't try and read too much into it or think too hard about how ridiculous the science is.  Just go with it.

Overall Bad Taste in boys is a silly little zombie romp.  Definitely more Shaun of the Dead then Dawn of the Dead.  There are some great quotes from the book, and one of my favorites is “Excuse me if I feel skeptical,' I said. 'Coach's foot fell off. How exactly do you propose to cure that? Superglue?”.  LOL! 

Bad Taste in Boys is the first in a series, with the second book Bad Hair Day set to come out November 2012.  I will definitely be reading the next one!

Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: Light

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat.  Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story.  I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal!  

I haven't read any of Michael Grant's Gone series, but I have heard so much about it.  One thing that really draws me to this series, besides all of the rave reviews, are the covers.  The Sixth book in the series now has a cover! 

In particular I like the gray coloring and how it goes very well with the title.  I think it fits with the series very well, I'll have to start it soon!