The Hunger Games Review

 

Title: The Hunger Games  
Series: Hunger Games Book 1

Author: Suzanne Collins

Pages: 384
 Publisher: Scholastic Press 

Publication Date: September 14, 2008 

My Edition: Hardback 

Reading Level: Young Adult 

Borrowed From: the Library 

Summary from Suzanne's website:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When her sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place. 

Review (*minor spoilers*):

Whoa, what a truly amazing book! Where should I even begin ... I really loved The Hunger Games and basically read the entire book in a sitting. (I couldn't go anywhere because there's more than 16 inches of snow on the ground!) It had a very unique story and very shocking twists. It's sci-fish but not over the top because it's set in a time not so far away. Also, there was the right amount of action and suspense even romance, but thankfully it doesn't go into much gruesome details about the competitor's death matches. I have never read anything like it and just love their unique names: Peeta, Katniss, Gale, Prim, and many others. The storyline is so original and intriguing, and who knows it could possibly happen someday. 

I love that the main character is a strong female who is tough and smart but yet she can't believe someone may not be acting; Peeta is really in love with her, but she can't see it's really true and not just an act. I really liked that the author added a little romance because it lightened up the mood of the book, and I now love Peeta. The Hunger Games is truly a page turner that will make you not want to stop reading. If you are one of the few people that haven't read it yet, go out and get it now because you will not be disappointed! I can't wait to go the library and read the sequel Catching Fire, to see what will happen next to the Hunger Game champions Katniss and Peeta. 

Rating:

Friday Firsts (10)

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.

• Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
• Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
• Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title and the author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)
• Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?

The book I'm currently reading is The Hunger Games by Suzane Collins. I just started it since I just finished my last book, so I'm only about 20 pages into it. The beginning is really good so far, and I can't wait to keep reading! Here is the first sentence:

"When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."

 

This a pretty good first sentence. It's intriguing, but not very informative. The next few lines explain more, so this a good first sentence. I have heard and read so many rave reviews about The Hunger Games, so I know it has to be good. I hope to finish it this weekend since I don't have swim practice at all, and it's going to be snowing!

What's your current book's first sentence?

Magic Study: Study Book 2 Review!

Title: Magic Study (Study Book 2) 
Author: Maria V. Snyder 
Publisher: Luna 
Publication Date: October 1, 2006
Pages: 392 
My Edition: Hardback 
Reading Level: Young Adult 
Where I got it: the Library 

Summary from Maria's website:

Yelena's new role as Soulfinder has made the Sitian Council uneasy. Worried that her new powers will corrupt her, the Council debates her fate. Yelena, though is trying to keep Sitia and Ixia from going to war. In the middle of political wrangling, Yelena receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by Ferde, the Soulstealer who murdered eleven girls and has escaped from prison with Cahil Ixia’s help. Cahil believes if he joins with the new Daviian Clan, he will have enough support to regain the Ixian throne. Testing the limit of her skills, Yelena becomes embroiled in the desperate fight to stop Ferde and the Daviian Clan from siphoning enough power to unleash a Fire Warper on the world. That would be worst than war between the northern and southern lands. Especially since, of all the powers Yelena possesses, she couldn't set fire to a candle wick if her life depended on it. And there is more at stake than just her life. 

Review:

Magic Study was a great sequel to Poison Study which by the way was amazing! It was a little slow at times, but at the end I couldn't stop reading. I kept flipping page after page to find out what action or trouble was going to happen next. I loved that my favorite Ixian characters (Ari, Janco, and Valek) were in the book even though Yelena wasn't in Ixia with them. The characters are so well written and described, it just makes me fall in love with the story. Yelena and Valek are a perfect together, and I really like reading about their troubles and their sweet & loving relationship. 

The books have the perfect amount of action, fantasy, adventure, mystery, and romance. The plot was very intriguing and surprising. I didn't expect much of what happened in the book, so it was very awesome to learn & read about Yelena's magic and finally read about her long-lost family. I now can not wait to get my hands on the next and I think final book of the series! I hope Fire Study will be as good as the first two and end nicely. On my next trip to the library, I definitely will be getting it!
 

Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (16)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus. Anastasia's debut book sounds great, and the cover is very awesome! It doesn't come out for a long time...July 10, 2010.

Shadow Hills
By: Anastasia Hopcus
Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

IMMB (17)

IMMB was started by The Story Siren. In My Mailbox is where I post the books I won, received for review, bought, or borrowed. The book titles are linked to their Amazon pages. These are the books I got this week:

 

WON:

The Cinderalla Society by Kay Cassidy (Won a signed ARC and bookmarks from her blog!)

Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski (Paperback redeemed with buzz bucks from RandomBuzzers)

 RECEIVED FOR REVIEW:

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (ARC won from LibraryThing to review) 

BOUGHT FROM AMAZON:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD (not pictured, but I was so excited to get it on the release date for less than ten dollars! I have already seen it twice.)

What great books did you get this week?

My Bookshelf Collection/Addiction!

Hey everyone, I thought I would share my addiction of collecting books and overflowing shelves with you guys : ) I now have really no more possible areas for books in my little room. Anyways, here are several pics of my books!:

My headboard over my bed full of mainly paperback books!

  

Closer up views

My little shelf full of my smaller sized books with Twilight and Harry Potter pictures surrounding it : D

Meg Cabot collection, Series of Unfortunate Events Books 1-12, and other random books!

My hardback collection with little ceramic knick knacks in front of them.

Twilight saga, Harry Potter books, and some other big hardbacks.