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Post by Lord Lovrina on Nov 14, 2010 3:01:16 GMT -8
It seems like everyone in my year is reading these books. Could someone explain to me why they're so likable? It sounds like a book I'd usually enjoy reading, but I just get this 'meh' feeling from it. Maybe its the fact that my year obssessed over Twilight, so I'm a little wary. I'm finding it really creative and how the world building technique was used. I'm a fan of dark fiction, and I'm finding the premise to be really good compared to Twilight. Stuff happens in the Hunger Games at a faster rate than the action in Twilight. I'm not sure on how most Twilighters would like it. There's very little romance in it.
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Trueblade
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She's in this bus. You might as well switch lanes. She's crazy.[Mo0:10]
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Post by Trueblade on Nov 14, 2010 10:51:19 GMT -8
^ I'm guessing it's because it's a relatively easy read and doesn't require that much thought to understand what's going on.
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Post by Treasure Cat on Nov 14, 2010 12:23:15 GMT -8
^ I'm guessing it's because it's a relatively easy read and doesn't require that much thought to understand what's going on. Pretty much. Also, despite it's flaws, it is significantly better written than Twilight and the characters are mostly intruiging and likeable.
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Post by Lord Lovrina on Nov 14, 2010 20:01:42 GMT -8
^ I'm guessing it's because it's a relatively easy read and doesn't require that much thought to understand what's going on. Pretty much. Also, despite it's flaws, it is significantly better written than Twilight and the characters are mostly intruiging and likeable. I agree. I liked the action in it. I love dark and science fiction, and this filled a void. I kind of liked Katniss to be honest.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2010 21:23:23 GMT -8
Well, there's Peeta being all romantic, and there's a love triangle, and thee's the really hot guy who falls in love with a unstable girl, so yeah. The resemblance pretty much ends there though.
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Post by Lord Lovrina on Nov 15, 2010 5:59:43 GMT -8
Well, there's Peeta being all romantic, and there's a love triangle, and thee's the really hot guy who falls in love with a unstable girl, so yeah. The resemblance pretty much ends there though. I'm just getting to that part in the first book. It's not at the level of romantic conflict as Twilight.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2010 14:54:58 GMT -8
The conflict increases slightly, but Katniss pretty much has more to worry about than who she loves more as the whole country is at war.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2010 15:08:47 GMT -8
So, who re your favorite characters?
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Post by Lord Lovrina on Nov 19, 2010 15:44:15 GMT -8
So, who re your favorite characters? I liked Katniss a lot actually. I liked the fact that she was strong, even though she was starting to have feelings for Peeta. She had to be strong to survive the Games.
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Post by Treasure Cat on Nov 20, 2010 12:11:13 GMT -8
So, who re your favorite characters? Peeta, hands down and round the block. Personally I feel that of all the characters he reacts the most realistically in all situations. He's brave, smart and stronger than he looks. I also think he has a healthy attitude to Katniss. He loves her and wants to protect her but is fully aware that she is her own person and is actually stronger than him in many ways. Also, I don't know why but I got really fond of Wiress. I think she was a fascinating insane genius kind of character and I wish there had been more of her. Since I'm posting I'd quite like to voice a thought I had that maybe you guys can comment on? I've finished Catching Fire now and in relation to the bit at the end when Haymitch tells Katniss that they didn't save Peeta and she goes batshit: was her reaction too extreme? I understand that she was angry, and Im not really talking about her raking at Haymitch's face because that is understandable spur of the moment anger, I'm more talking about her going into mental shutdown and not eating and them having to drug her. When I read it at first it smelled distinctly of Bedward New Moon behaviour. I, personally, think that level of reaction was unecessary and out of character for Katniss. Does anybody else have an opinion?
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Post by 47 on Nov 21, 2010 5:45:25 GMT -8
Okay, Mark's first review of Hunger Games should be up at markreads.net within the week. I got my copy at an indie bookstore that is somehow neither New Age nor porn, and I'm ready to roll!
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Post by Lord Lovrina on Nov 21, 2010 11:31:13 GMT -8
I can't wait to get Catching Fire and Mockingjay for Christmas. I already reviewed it on my livejournal.
Does the next two books get darker?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2010 11:35:05 GMT -8
^Waaaaaay darker. Like you wouldn't believe. Lots of people die, and it's hard to remember who re the good guys. Like a real war.
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Post by Treasure Cat on Nov 21, 2010 12:36:59 GMT -8
^Waaaaaay darker. Like you wouldn't believe. Lots of people die, and it's hard to remember who re the good guys. Like a real war. I kind of disagree. Im totally with you on the point that it's difficult to tell who the good guys are, and the transition from life --> war is done subtly and nicely, but I don't think they're darker than the first book at all. There is a definite sense of lost innocence, particularly from about halfway through Catching Fire onwards, but I wouldn't label that as darker per say. Maybe I havent reached it yet (Im 6 chapters in to Mockingjay) but personally I find the level of gore and death pretty even over all the books so far.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2010 12:50:44 GMT -8
Keep reading. I think you'll see what I mean.
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Post by 47 on Nov 22, 2010 14:22:47 GMT -8
Done with the first two chapters. I will try and keep exactly one step ahead of Mark's posts, but that's already becoming a challenge.
I can see why people I've barely glanced over trying not to get spoiled in this thread like Peeta. The Love Interest klaxons are spinning to a blur, but I don't actually mind, given that I like both characters in question. And, you know, the whole gladiator thing.
Can't wait for Mark to post that chapter two review. I am not made of cliffhanger-resisting adamantite the way he is.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2010 14:33:24 GMT -8
^That was a great review. Seriously, I expected Katniss to get chosen but it's fucking PRIM.
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Post by Treasure Cat on Nov 23, 2010 11:07:34 GMT -8
Do you guys comment on his posts? I'd love to keep an eye out for your comments if you do. Im Treasure Cat
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2010 15:26:38 GMT -8
Not yet, but I might start! I'd probably have the same user name.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2010 6:45:58 GMT -8
Can't wait until he posts chapter three.
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Post by Treasure Cat on Nov 27, 2010 13:36:03 GMT -8
Ok, I've finished the series, so I'm going to offload on you lot my giant summarising my thoughts post ;D THIS WILL CONTAIN MANY SPOILERS JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, SO IF YOU HAVENT READ IT AND DONT WANT TO KNOW, SKIP MY ENTIRE POST. Fair warning.
The Hunger Games
First impression: As I posted in this thread, I wan't overly impressed with the beginning of this book, and honestly reading it again along with Mark has only cemented my views. The writing is pretty poor and I don't like the Katniss that is presented in the beginning, I don't like how her being so gritty and special is shoved down our throats. I also hate the way she treats her mother, but don't get me started on that.
Midpoint: By the middle I was into the story and I'd stopped noticing the writing so much. I also warmed up to Katniss when we got into the Games and properly started loving Peeta and developed a crush on him. I thought the plot events were clever, the pacing was good and had my first little tear up when Rue was killed.
The end: I have some issues with the berries thing, I maintain it isn't enough to encite full scale rebellion of humanity, not when there were no other triggering events. I find it odd though that it had such an open ending when it was originally not meant to be a trilogy, didn't Collins write it as a standalone book and then decided to carry on? I may be wrong though.
Overrall impression: The writing bothered me, as did some aspects of Katniss' character, but the other characters and the must-read-more plot left me satisfied with this book. I really enjoyed it.
Catching Fire
First impression + midpoint: I'm combining these two because the first half of this book was so goddamn slow. I didn't dislike it necessarily, but I found some of the good pacing from the first book was lacking. I liked Katniss' character better in this book though, she was less annoying, despite the ~difficult decision~ between Gale and Peeta she was facing which I didnt buy at all, I maintain she didnt really love either of them. President Snow was sufficiently creepy as the villain of the piece, even if the fact he smelled like blood was a bit of a stretch to me. Something I loved though was Katniss' reaction to having to go back to the Games, it was so raw and so real and it blew me away how this amazing piece of characterisation and writing turned up in the middle of everything. Just her screaming until she couldnt scream any more because of how terrifying the arena really is, it was perfect.
Second half and the end: Back in the Games and the writing again got a whole lot better, I really think this is Collins' forte. I loved the idea of the clock, and I loved that Wiress figured it out. I dont know why I got so attached to her character but I really did, and although her death didnt make me tear up, the line that preceeded it gave me chills, "Our canary had stopped singing." One thing that I really didnt like was the whole 'Katniss is pregnant' thing. It was introduced yet it was never made into a big deal by any of the characters, which it should have been, and then in Mockingjay the whole thing just petered out (no pun intended rofl) in a really unsatisfactory manner. I was more than disappointed by this little subplot, it made me annoyed that something that should have been so big was taken so lightly. I also didnt like how Cinna wasnt executed directly in front of Katniss, he was just beaten up. I think it would have made a better plot point had they just shot him in the head as she was about to go into the arena, rather than have him die ~offscreen as it were. Something good though, Finnick. I liked him a lot more than I thought I would when he was first introduced. I like that he wields a fucking badass trident motherfuckers, he's like neptune king of the fucking sea. Lol yeah I really liked him.
Overrall impression: I liked it just as much as the first book, I contiue to like the characters and have some issues with the writing and some shaky plot points, but generally also enjoyed this book.
Mockingjay
Ok here's when things start to go wrong. I...didn't like this book as much as the other two. I have numerous issues. As Mark says, time to make a list:
1. Start it off easy, the pregnancy point I mentioned before. 'Yeah she just had a miscarriage' is not an acceptable resolution for me.
2. By the third book I got pretty sick of Collins using drugs and blacking out as scene changes, then waking up in a hospital. It's a valid technique once or twice maximum, not multiple times per book for three books in a row. Learn something new.
3. The lack of explanation of what happens to characters. Hey Collins, I understand you've just introduced this new district and whole bunch of new people, but I'd like to know about the old ones too. Haymitch is barely mentioned unless he is specifically needed for a plot point, Peeta doesnt get nearly enough time spent on him considering what he's gone through and what he's supposed to mean to Katniss. I hate how Effie is just completely ignored until she turns up right at the end apparently no worse for wear, its so unbelievable.
4. I think Collins lost her touch with character death a little in this book. When Finnick died I felt nothing, I knew I should be sad, should be tearing up, but I didn't. Abrupt character death, even ~offscreen character death) can still be hugely emotional and move someone to tears (see: any death from HP&theDH), but in this book I didn't feel much emotion at all until the very end.
5. Wtf was going on with the ending? I mean seriously, I was all geared up for Katniss to be doing some assassinating of Snow, she made it all the way through the city, and then she sees Prim get killed and...and...everything goes out like a damp squib. Her killing Coin makes up for it a little, but I was so disappointed there wasnt some big dramatic face off between her and Snow.
5 and a half. Because it still involves the ending. I hated how she just rejected Gale and decided she loved Peeta, absolutely hated it. I understand how she would never be sure if Gale was the one who had inadvertently killed Prim, but a lifetime of friendship just thrown away with almost no attention given to the emotion behind it by Collins. It was lazy and it was horrible. The whole thing stank of how she wanted Peeta with Katniss at the end, but was too lazy to write it properly. And I thought it was despicable how Katniss voted yes to having a last Hunger Games, it was OOC and it was ridiculous. ALSO (I'll finish in a minute I promise XD) I think Katniss having kids just to please Peeta when she didnt really want them was a horrible way to end as well. All in all it was a really lazy, negative ending that let down the whole series.
(I may come back and add to these btw, but Im trying to finish this now because my brain is hurting and Im tired XD)
Good things:
1. I liked that we saw more of Prim, I liked that her character developed and was forced to mature because of the war. Tbh I like her better than Katniss :/
2. I like Katniss' descent into madness. The way she's exploited by both sides, what she has to deal with in this book and in the past, its only reasonable that it would drive someone mad and I like the way that is portrayed.
3. Finnick and Annie <3 Heart forever.
4. My Peeta being hijacked made me want to hug him and love him and make him better *coughs*
4. The only bit of the book that made me truly emotional and got tears out of me, when Buttercup turned up in 12 at the end and looked after Katniss. It really got to me how he just sensed she needed guarding and sat there with her while she finally properly grieved for Prim.
Overrall impressions: This was my least favourite book of the three by far and I was generally disappointed by the ending. It had its moments though, and the writing style didnt bother me nearly as much this time.
Final thoughts on the series, aka. tl;dr Despite its flaws it was a good series and I enjoyed reading it, Collins knows how to think up a good story and draw the reader in and I would like to reread it in the not too distant future. Katniss as a heroine isn't my favourite Ive ever read but I think I respected her by the end, even if I didnt love her. I loved Peeta though, I really did <3
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2010 15:41:19 GMT -8
I don't believe that. She decided literally at the last second to kill Coin. She was going to kill Snow. Treasure Cat: Is Finnick awesome or what? FinnickAnnie <3 Did anyone else tear up when it's revealed Finnick was a prostitute?
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Post by Treasure Cat on Nov 28, 2010 2:19:57 GMT -8
I don't believe that. She decided literally at the last second to kill Coin. She was going to kill Snow. Treasure Cat: Is Finnick awesome or what? FinnickAnnie <3 Did anyone else tear up when it's revealed Finnick was a prostitute? To each their own. I only cried during Rue's death in book one and Prim's deathy. Finding out Finnick was a prostitute made more more angry than sad. Anyone else didn't like the inclusion of the hanging tree song? Goddamn nightmare fuel. I agree with phoenicity, that explanation mostly makes sense but I dont believe it. The prostitution thing definitely tugged at my heart strings, and I never saw it coming. I liked that there was this concrete explanation of the way Finnick was portrayed before Katniss' knew him, and how that was so different from the guy she came to know. I'm not sure how I felt about the inclusion of the song. I...kinda liked it? I made up my own little tune for it so I can sing it in my head, and it was very poignant, but I don't think it illustrated the points Collins tried to use it for as much as she hoped. It seemed almost...accessory, if that makes sense, it was nice and everything but it wasnt entirely necessary.
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Post by Lovely Kiss on Nov 28, 2010 23:11:06 GMT -8
I've actually skipped through all this due to possible spoilers, but I've never read it. I've been told it's a really good series, but do you all recommend it? I've been kinda wanting to try it out.
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Post by Treasure Cat on Nov 29, 2010 12:09:01 GMT -8
^ Yes, I do. It's not the best thing you'll ever read, but despite it's flaws its a great concept for a story and generally pretty well told. I'm glad I read it.
Also, your sig is hypnotising me. Eric plz stop licking yourself all ~seductive~ like or Ill start dribbling on myself >.>
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2010 11:46:01 GMT -8
About the Hanging Tree song, what was it supposed to symbolize? I didn't really get t, it was a bit clumsy.
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Post by 47 on Dec 10, 2010 3:03:04 GMT -8
So I have no self-control and am now starting the second book. Just finished the chapter with the ball at the Capitol. Erm, how does Katniss not know what the gentleman with the pocketwatch is about? Seriously, if I immediately recognize the signs of "hey let's go to a secret rebel meeting", odds are it was very, very clearly conveyed. Though given who he is, it might be just as well that she is as dense as lead, because it's pretty likely to be a trap. Predictions at this point: I bet the people in places like District 8 completely buy into Katniss's act. All that means is that instead of bucking the system because the system is wrong, she bucked the system so that she didn't have to shoot the love of her life in the heart. Seriously, how does that not inspire a rebellion? And what is President Snow to not realize this - Lord Voldemort?
Also, Katniss is being pretty damn naive if she thinks the Capitol will let her loved ones live long enough for her to get to them. I'm guessing her mother and Prim are already dead. Gale will probably have managed to escape, but Katniss will have no way of knowing that. When he does show up again, it may throw a wrench into the rebellion; see the previous paragraph.
One thing that may give the rebellion a fighting chance: I don't get the impression that the Capitol trusts its Peacekeepers much more than it trusts the people of the Districts. Hence, they have plain ol' guns instead of all the Capitol's toys. Still, though: District 12 isn't trusted with a general knowledge of freaking shortbows, so guns... are a pretty damn significant edge.
Given that Katniss and Peeta's loved ones are probably dead, maybe there's going to be an uprising in District 12 when Katniss gets back... That should be interesting. Horrific, more likely. EDIT: Well, that's what I get for reading the last four pages of that chapter in like a minute because my work break was nearly over. Reading Comprehension R Good.
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Post by Treasure Cat on Dec 10, 2010 13:07:33 GMT -8
Erm, how does Katniss not know what the gentleman with the pocketwatch is about? Seriously, if I immediately recognize the signs of "hey let's go to a secret rebel meeting", odds are it was very, very clearly conveyed. Though given who he is, it might be just as well that she is as dense as lead, because it's pretty likely to be a trap. In regards to this point I see two possibilities: 1. Collins fails at subtle foreshadowing. It could be that she is trying to be subtle here, and Katniss isn't supposed to understand him, except her writing is so poor that is is obvious to us and just makes Kat look slightly dim. 2. It has been established in book one that Kat is fairly bad at recognising obvious things. She completely misses the fact that Peeta loves her and is trying to protect her, and has it pointed out to her by Rue how obvious it is. This could just be another example of that character trait. Unfortunately, because the technical aspect of Collins writing isn't the best, I don't know which of these two it is more likely to be.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2010 15:14:17 GMT -8
So ether Collins is a poor writer, or Katniss is just oblivious? I can see either way actually. Being pretty damn oblivious myself.
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Post by 47 on Dec 11, 2010 6:45:12 GMT -8
WAY TO END THE SECOND BOOK, COLLINS. D:
I'm sore tempted to blow another eighteen dollars on the last book, gah - but I guess Mockingjay should be less prey to Mark-related demand than Hunger Games.
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