The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Before I launch into a rant about Mockingjay, I will first tingle your spidey senses with the brilliance of the first two books.
I first stumbled upon The Hunger Games when it was released. I read the teaser on a website and knew it was going on my "To Read" list on Shelfari.

However, I didn't get an opportunity to read it until about this time last year. I walked into my school's library - urm, media center, and there it was - a shiny, new hardcover copy of The Hunger Games! True, I had to wait an entire year to gain access to it, but once it was safe in my hands, I devoured it faster than I'd ever read any book in my life.

Cover: The cover shows the mockingjay pin that Katniss receives as a gift from Madge before she leaves for the Hunger Games. It's not a very impressive cover, but it does have a symbolic touch to it.

Story: The Hunger Games follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives with her mother and little sister, Prim, in the Seam. The Seam is akin to the Bronx, in a country called Panem. Panem is made up of 12 Districts that surround the luxurious Capitol. There once were 13, but after a rebellion, it was destroyed beyond repair and now, to remind the districts that the Capitol is in control, 24 tributes (two from every district) is sent every year to fight to the death on live television.

When Prim's name is called, Katniss doesn't think twice about stepping up to save her sister. Before she even knows what's happening, she's shuttled off to the Capitol with the warm-hearted baker's boy, Peeta (named after a type of bread, punny eh?) and their drunk, slurring mentor (a former victor.)

Review: The Hunger Games is an exciting, edge-of-your-seat novel, and has a little something for everyone: it is a thriller, a romance, and full of action.

Suzanne Collins is a descriptive, talented writer who captures the reader's attention. The author has a talent that is hard to come by these days, when bland, unimaginative authors such as Stephanie Meyer are considered #1. Collins explores the themes of freedom, punishment, dystopia, and the topic of self-preservation, and what people will do to survive.

The Hunger Games is reminiscent of another great series: The Giver Trilogy, which also explores utopian and dystopian societies.

When deciding to pick up this book (and you should!) make sure it's a day where you have nothing else to do, because you won't be able to put it down until you finish it!

And may the odds be ever in your favor!

Fringe (Graphic Novel)

Cover: I've always been a fan of the odd Fringe glyphs. In case you aren't clued in, one of 26 symbols will appear on commercial break for the show, each with a yellow dot appearing in a different location - signaling a different letter. These are a type of secret message to the viewer. However, on the cover of the Fringe miniseries collection, the three characters do not add up to anything in particular.

The single issue collection has a code. Each symbol added up builds this: S-R-E-N-. The butterfly with a dot on the inside is not an original glyph. This leads me to believe that the creative minds either chose random glyphs, or developed a new code for the comic miniseries. Until news of the latter is released, I'm rather disappointed that I didn't get to decode anything. :(

Story: Two crazy scientists pushing the boundaries of ethics and science, a man who mysteriously wakes up in prison, a news reporter investigating Massive Dynamic, a boy poisonous to the touch - and HITLER IN THE MESOZOIC ERA?!

When William Bell encounters bossy, hot-tempered Walter Bishop, he adds a softer blur to Bishop's edgy experiments. Years later, as odd occurrences start popping up, a strange blonde appears at a mental hospital, asking for the now-institutionalized Bishop.

*There is a prequel to this, and it serves to explore The Pattern even more.

Review: I was mildly upset that this miniseries was not focused on the usual characters, rather it jumped around from Walter and Bell's happenings, to some experiments gone awry, to ONE appearance of Olivia. Some of the stories were rather funny and gave a nice background, but I was hoping for something more linear to the show, which was what I thought I was getting when I opened to the story of Bishop and Bell meeting for the first time. The stories weren't very well connected, nor were they answered - but I guess you can't expect that with Fringe.

Hopefully the creators will make a continuing series of Walter and Bell's old experiments, focusing primarily on the project involving Olivia. Even some new storylines could be revealed.

It was nice to see more of Belly's personality revealed -- it had never occurred to me that he may have been the gentle counterpart to Walter's crazy science fantasies.

On the whole, it was a nice start - but if no other comics are made from this, it has been in vain.

Rating: 3/5. A little better than the X-Files miniseries.

Fables Book 1: Legends in Exile

Cover: I thought this cover was extremely witty and appealing. It provides the setting for the story, and gives insight into the comedic writing of the series.

Story: A common enemy known as the Adversary has forced the inhabitants of

fairytales and fables into exile - smack dab into the hustle and bustle of New York City. There, they try to blend in with society and hide their secret in a luxurious apartment building known as Fabletown. Things seem to be going great - or as great as they can be for former characters of folklore.

But then Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, disa

ppears. It's up to the Big Bad Wolf to play detective and determine if the guilty party is Bluebeard or Jack (of Beanstalk-climbing fame.)

Will the mystery be solved so Fabletown can move on peacefully, or will Snow White's incessant interference cause everything to be "Happily Never After?"

Review: I've always been a fan of alternate universes for stories we already know from heart (hint: BIG Superman review coming up on that!) Fables takes the characters we already know and love from childhood, and puts a grown-up spin on them. The humor is sarcastic, clever, and sometimes mature. Add to that the fact that Legends in Exile is a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and you've got one big party. I will definitely be continuing the series.

Rating: 5/5

whoops.

I haven't posted in a while, apparently reviews just aren't my thing, when I'm trying to write a book, do AP Language homework, and get situated in my new job. In May, the last book I wrote a review on became even more real. I lost a friend to suicide, and since haven't really done anything noteworthy. But I promise, I still want to share the joy of reading, along with working on my various writing projects.

From time to time, I'll let you in on what book I'm reading, and whether or not I like it. To tide you over, here's a few graphic novels I've been reading since I started working at the comic store:

The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone Bye is a breath of fresh air in a long line of zombies (okay, zombies aren't fresh.) I will definitely be finishing the rest of the series. The Walking Dead is about Rick, a small-town cop from Kentucky, who awakes from a coma to find the world he used to know gone. When he realizes a zombie apocalypse has taken place, he embarks on a mission to find his wife in Atlanta - and what waits for him there is no pretty sight. RATING: 4/5.


While the art was dead-on with a Scully and Mulder we know and love, I was disappointed. The X-Files graphic novel did NOT live up to the show's standards. A recent string of possessions have Scully trying to rationalize, and Mulder trying to find the evil responsible, as always. Although the plot was interesting enough, I just felt it didn't give me the classic feeling of, "I Want to Believe." :( RATING: 2/5.

Y: The Last Man Volume 1: Unmanned is about the last man on Earth, literally! When all the men in the world suddenly drop dead, young Yorick is left standing with a disconnected phone call with his would-be fiancee. First item on his long list: find her. Erm, maybe he'll find his mom first. Interesting concept, excellent follow-through. Y: The Last Man, leads you in with just enough action and mystery to put you on the edge of your seat. From gun-toting Republican wives, to the question of, "What is going on here?!", you will be begging for more. Plus, the monkey is a cute touch. I will be finishing these. RATING: 4/5.