Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Review 6- The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins


In the distant future the land knows as North America is gone. In it's place is the Capitol city Panem and where 13 Districts once stood, now only 12 remain. Every year 2 teens from each district are chosen to fight in The Hunger Games. A brutal winner takes all fight to the death. The "tribute" left standing receives riches for themselves and their family. Enough food for their District.

Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen year old girl, hunts illegally outside of the District fence with her best friend Gale (who is an 18 year old Male), to make sure there is enough food for their families . She barters and trades the meat, fruits, nuts, and plants she gets for the other things they might need to survive. She lives with her mother and 12 year old sister Prim.

The day the tributes are to be picked is tense and filled with dread, and the unimaginable happens. Out of all of the girls Prim is chosen to be the tribute for District 12, Katniss immediately steps in and takes her sisters place. The male picked is Peeta Mellark, the son of the Districts Baker.

The story follows them from District 12, to the Capitol where the games are held. It is action packed and amazing. You meet the other tributes and learn to hate some, and you fall in love with a few. I can actually say that I laughed, and I cried, and I plain ol' got pissed off.

It is an amazing story. So just read it!

The next book in this trilogy is called Catching Fire. The Conclusion is called Mockingjay and comes out in August.

Review 5- Beastly by Alex Flinn


Beastly is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Set in Modern Day New York, it begins with the handsome, charming "Prince". Rich, beautiful and someone everyone wants to be Kyle Kingsbury has everything he could ever want or need, except his famous fathers love. He has the most popular girl in school as his girlfriend, tons of friends, and the world as his playground.

Enter Kendra Hilferty. Labeled a freak just because she's different. Over weight, bad skin and teeth, has a green tinge to her hair, and dressed all in black. She takes a stand against Kyle in their English class as the ballots for Dance Royalty are filled out. He gets back at her with harsh words, and later a fake act of pity and asks her to be his date to the dance. She asks for a white rose as her corsage, nothing more. His real date, his girlfriend Sloan, wants an Orchid. Kyle leaves the task to their house keeper and all the housekeeper produces is a single white rose. Sloan of course doesn't accept it and in one act of kindness he gives the flower unselfishly to the girl selling tickets.

Kyle of course stands Kendra up and with Sloan by his side they try to make a fool out of Kendra. Instead expecting this course of action from him, she tells him "I hoped you wouldn't make my decision so easy." "What decision?" he asks of her, and her only reply so low only he could hear is "You'll see."

The events that happen after this you can guess if you have read or seen any other adaptation of BATB. Alex Flinn brings in wonderful characters in Magda, the housekeeper, and Will Kyles blind tutor. These two people become everything to Kyle in his life, until he finds comfort in his rose garden. Until the fateful night something happens that brings him Lindy.

I have a soft spot for BATB, so I loved this story. It was a quick read and definately one I'll read again.