The Hunger Games - Book 2

Back in April , I read the first book of the series - The Hunger Games.

It really did freak me out back then and I never did see the movie.
But as with most things that "shock" me -- I thought over it and decided to continue with the series.

Thus, I continued with Book 2 - Catching Fire.
A rebellion among the Districts vs the Capital has started, and the duo - Katniss and Peeta must once again compete in the Hunger Games.

In this book - the people are once again forced to enter an arena to fight - however , in this book, I think the "shock" value came with the satire it fell on society. I felt the satire was on how people of the Capital were made fun of.

Some examples include -
During a party - people binge eat even to the point where they swallow a "drink" to help them purge so they can continue to eat. Meanwhile, people in the Districts continue to starve.
Or when there is a competition of which wedding dress Katniss should wear on her wedding day - and it's based off of reality voting shows.

Again, sounds eerily familiar...   

The Hunger Games - Book

"Fantastic" - "Great!"

Before diving into the book, all I heard were rave reviews.

"A real page turner" - someone else told me.

After finishing the book last weekend, it makes me wonder if I really care to even go see the movie. Do I even want to help contribute to the "mega" sales by watching this movie?

I'm real disappointed.

I do believe I am an advocate for Free Literature. Meaning - you should read whatever you want. Books shouldn't be banned. Yet... this book disturbs me.

No one truly shared with me the whole purpose of the book.

In a nutshell - children in a totalitarian state are forced to fight each other - for their life, all while being televised.

2 kids from 12 different Districts are put into an arena, to kill each other.

Then, the victor proceeds to live a wonderful life.

(How truly wonderful could it be, knowing that 23 others had to die for you to live?)

Oh, and there's a love story in there as well.

Well, like I said, I don't think books should be banned. However, I would be a very concerned parent sending my kid to see the movie or even reading the book. I can't imagine "Young Adults" reading this. Kids have to much to deal with already, from bullying at school to school shootings, from screaming to anxiety attacks in the local Mall, they have to much on their mind.

I think it's scary because - well, as Americans, we almost are always hooked to some form of media - either it being televised, YouTube , or social media on Facebook, Twitter... etc, so we're basically broadcasting our lives every hour. We continuously look at topics that are "unbelievable." Stories with a shock value are seen the most , so what's truly frightening is - is that the society that they portray, could become real. Or could it already be here?

March Reading

Join us in reading The Hunger Games for the month of March!
We'll be back soon with our Reviews!

December Reading

Tis the season to be jolly,

fa la la la la, la la la , laaaaaaa

Since November's reading was a total Opt-Out, Sarah and I have chosen to go ahead and choose a new book. Perhaps something a little more fun. We based the selection on the season - yes, the Christmas season, and therefore, we are going with one of my all time favorite movies - Christmas with the Kranks - but the book --- Skipping Christmas, by J. Grisham!!

Happy holidays and Happy Reading!!

Join us in Mid-December for the reviews!

The Imperfectionists Review (or Not)

I started to read The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman, and then stopped.



I was not intrigued. Granted, I only got through the first chapter, and then quit due to life issues (i.e. the start of a new job). Therefore, I'm not going to review this book.





~ Sarah, what's your excuse? ~ hehe

November Reading

The book chosen for November is
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

Image source: google.com/images

Undressing the Moon Review

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - therefore, we thought a novel related to this topic would be appropriate. (Just like next month, we're looking for a good-feel Fall novel).

In this novel, Piper, a 30 year old is coming to terms with her past, her illness, and upcoming death. As she reviews her life, we are taken back to when she was fourteen. Fourteen was a pivotal moment in her life, when her life is shattered. Although she tries to piece together her life, at the age of 30, her life breaks with her diagnosis, and she's put into a situation of reflection.

I like to see the themes and imagery when reading novels. Here are my top viewpoints.

Coming of Age
We first meet Piper when she is a child and turning into teenager, her artistic mother is her "everything" - her beauty in a dark childhood that is surrounded by the poverty they live in.
Her life changes when her mother abandons her, then the following of her father's departure. She has the company of her brother and her Aunt. She meets her "first love" - a boy who takes advantage of her. Her life is broken at a most pivotal moment when she needs the most support. She finds that support with a teacher, who encouraged her, who fell in love with her, and later, who she turns against.

Glass
The novel is written similar to like a mirror -- the author jumps back and forth from her adult life to her childhood/teens almost every other chapter. As one fragment in her life is revealed, it makes Piper reflect to a situation in her childhood/teens.

The strongest imagery of the glass was when Piper and her mother found a beautiful red vase. At first glance, they think it is perfect, and can be sold for a large sum of money. However, on further inspection, they see a small crack. As her mother grabs a hammer - she breaks it. This vase and shards of glass represent Piper's life. At one point she is seen as whole, but her mother's departure (the crack) leads to those glass shards (the broken pieces) - her loss childhood, loss of virginity, and loss of health.

Seasons
A smaller theme throughout the novel. Mainly to share the passing of time. I love the different seasons and always enjoy the imagery of time passing by. The author made a really good visual when Piper was a teen, and we see the summer's being filled with tourists, where winter her brother's attention was focused on skiing, and spring brought the muddy slush. Piper is very observant with the seasons, even in her later stages of life, when she watches the time pass by through the young, carefree girls at the park.

Friendship
A strong bond of friendship. Lasting friendship. The one person who had stayed with Piper her whole life - Becca. An amazing friend who not only supported her friend, but forgave her when needed. Becca was the one constant in her life, the one who helped her when needed. The one who was always there. She gave up her own ambitions to stay with Piper and support her at the end of her life.

Health / Life & Death
Health
From a medical perspective, I felt the author did a good job representing the illness, however at the same time, the author did not dive into it as deeply as I thought she would have. Guessing the time frame, it took place at the start of Breast Cancer Awareness, when many trials were starting. The symbolism of the illness was tied very closely to glass - where it was another "broken piece" in her life.
To note, the author also briefly mentioned other health issues separate from Breast Cancer.
We have depression with the mother and the father's addiction later in life (to cocaine)...

Life & Death
Her brother's wife pregnant, at a time when death (due to her illness) is looming over her.

Bites (ex: food)
Not much food was represented in the novel. What a pity. I really wanted to incorporate that with the book club.


In my personal opinion, this book was good. It was hard at first to grab my attention, and sometimes it was depressing. However, once reading more and understanding the style of writing, I enjoyed it, and the more I think of the themes, I really think they were well-represented.
~Patricia~