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.

Hold Still - Nina LaCour

Just yesterday, Ingrid seemed fine. She laughed and hung out with her best friend Caitlin at an abandoned movie theatre. But last night, she killed herself. Caitlin is immobilized with mourning, intentionally failing her photography class out of spite. But then she finds a new friend in Dylan, the new girl; and soon after discovers Ingrid's personal journal underneath her bed. The journal is less of a diary and more a collection of letters to friends and family during Ingrid's last days. Caitlin had thought Ingrid was fine. Sure, she had a few bad days, but everyone does, right? Wrong. Ingrid's deep depression surfaces, helping Caitlin realize and cope with Ingrid's suicide. These notes are Caitlin's final link to her best friend, so she indulges in them slowly, keeping them a secret from everyone.

Hold Still was a poetic portrait of loss, love, and recovery. Ingrid's letters are full of heart and the struggle to be happy, despite intense pain. And Caitlin's prose and artistic talent help her bring her friend back to life somewhat, if not entirely.

The centerpiece of the novel is photography, which is a huge passion in my life, so I could definitely relate to Caitlin's love for the art, and it was extremely easy to become frustrated with the character when she was being stubborn. Nina LaCour did a wonderful job creating characters that stand for themselves and automatically take a step into your life and pull at your heartstrings.

The entire novel, I embodied myself in Caitlin and Ingrid became my best friend. It left me with so many questions, some answered by the quiet yet explosive ending, some not.

The one thing that disappointed me about Hold Still was the fact that there is no afternote or forward explaining the intense ties of emotion to suicide, both affecting the suicide and the aftermath. There's no note at the end recommending you talk to a trusted adult if you are concerned about a friend or yourself in relation to suicide. I definitely believe that if a novel contains disputable and/or controversial material, there needs to be a disclaimer somewhere in there that explains the actions/beliefs/quotations are not the personal philosophy of the author, and if it relates to suicide or such subject matter, that there should be a couple websites and/or phone numbers given to aid the person in the rare case that they have such thoughts.

Otherwise, Hold Still was not only a great time waster for when you're bored, but a deep, reflectional novel that makes you think, "what if."

P.S. Sorry, guys. I am definitely back, I had a little bit of pressure due to finals at school. Today's my Sweet 16 Bday, and I just got my driver's permit, so I decided to do a celebratory post (or two - or three).

So...where'd you go?

Sorry, everyone.

My computer crashed. So I bought a new one - a MAC!

Uhm...I really have nothing to say, except that I will be reviewing The First Part Last and Cut A.S.A.P.

Which means, not very soon (unless babysitting tomorrow proves fruitful).

School is hectic, and though I've been reading as much as I can, I've only recently finished 3 or 4 books. BAD LINDSEY.

But I promise you all, YDHIFM isn't going to disappear into the unreachable void of dead-book-blogs.

I've been thinking about adding some new memes that I can do quickly, so readers will have something to look at, and I won't feel so darned guilty.

So, I now present: SO, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? - ON SUNDAY! (unofficial meme, just wanted to let you all know how busy I've been!)

1. I got a Mac. You knew this from my mentioning it WAY UP THERE. But I have to say, it is brilliant. I've been watching episodes of House and Desperate Housewives on it, editing my beautiful photography, and pretty much spending every waking second attached to Safari. Computers, how I've missed you!

2. My new nephew was born 8 days ago. He celebrated his week-birthday on HALLOWEEN!!!! :) His name is Kaden, and he is the cutest thing to ever bless me with his presence.

3. I got 4 new pet cows. My official one, tagged #17, is named Sunshine! We also have 3 others that "belong" to my mom, dad, and grandparents. But, secretly, they're ALL MINE. *insert evil laugh*.

4. I was a Leopard for Halloween. Here I am with my puppy. He seems to not mind that a vicious cat is holding him.

**Pictures will be uploaded later, as Blogger is being slow. Sorry :(

Ellen Hopkins - Joseph Beth Booksellers, September 28

It was 7:02 when Ellen Hopkins took the stage, greeted by applause and shouting girls who felt two minutes was too long.

I was one of them. :)

Ellen Hopkins is very down-home and nice in person. You can immediately tell that she could be angry and annoyed by her hardships, instead she just makes the choice to change peoples' lives. She's definitely an author that you'd want to call "Mrs. Hopkins" instead of by her first and last name.

The first topic of the evening was how a town in Oklahoma wants to prevent her from talking at schools in the area. The "grown-ups" want to ban her books because of the sexual content/drug addiction contained within the binding.

This made me very angry, seeing as Ellen Hopkins is pretty much the sweetest woman you will ever meet, and she's just trying to help people with her novels. They all contain little afterwords in the back that all but beg you to get help if you are addicted to drugs/thinking of suicide/a teenage prostitute.

After the short little explanation, she gave a brief summary of her newest book, Tricks (which I have already reviewed.) She took about a half hour of questions, and by then the crowd was worn out.

Most of the questions were things I already knew (because I stalk really like Ellen Hopkins.)

Is Crank really about your daughter?

What books do you have planned for the near future?

How did you come up with the idea for _____?

And the like.

By the time we got to the signing, I was super-excited. I was also in the B Section, so I got to get my book signed without waiting too long.

ACK! I also got a picture!

Before I left, I asked one last question that Tricks-virgin ears would not have wanted to overhear. And I got the ANSWER! :DDDD

When I walked away and opened my book, I noticed she wrote "Dream!" on the inside.

So Ellen Hopkins basically made my day. :) If you ever notice she's coming to do an event in your town or somewhere near, go!!

Seacrest, uhrm, Lindsey, out!

P.S. I'm really sorry this is a day late and I haven't reviewed anything lately. Don't worry - I'm still alive and plan to review a lot of books very soon. Right now, though, I'm working hard on midterms before Fall Break. Wish me luck!