Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Book 2)
By Suzanne Collins

Published: 2009

Synopsis: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster children for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol...

WARNING: This review will most likely contain spoilers from book one.




So as I mentioned in my review of The Hunger Games I enjoyed this series, and absolutely devoured it. Now I've heard from other people that they think it lost a little steam after the first book, but perhaps because of the familiarity I felt with the first book, I actually really loved this book, perhaps even more than book one.

After book one I had a basic idea of where the next book would head. But book two went in a completely opposite direction than I had ever thought possible. At first everything seems to be OK, Katniss is living in her old home and still hunting, her family no longer has to worry about food or keeping warm, and life seems to be moving on at a more regular pace. Things are awkward (read: non-existent) with Peeta thanks to her admission on the train at the end of book one, and she has the district tours to struggle through, but really, what's there to complain/worry about? Well it seems everything. It appears that the rebellious actions of Peeta and Katniss in the last games have acted as a war cry for people in the Districts to rally behind, and the president has made it very clear that if Katniss can't convince the districts that she loves Peeta and that she's not for a rebellion, then everyone she loves will...disappear.

In the first Hunger Games Suzanne Collins documented an awful aspect of the Panem dystopian society. Horrific as it is for you and me, it was, by all accounts, fairly standard for their games. 24 children fight to the death, all while people watch, cheer, bet, and get sucked up in the excitement of it all. However, in Catching Fire it deviates from the norm. They're not used to this kind of frenzy, or level of admiration or push for a rebellion, and Peeta and Katniss are punished over and over again for their role in it all.

(SPOILER)
If you had told me that book two would take place, once again, in the Hunger Games arena, I probably would have scrunched up my nose and groaned. But I actually thought the way it was handled, as one of the quarter anniversary twists, and as a way to easily kill off two annoyances, was intriguing and smart. Not only does the president get what he wants, but he firmly demonstrates to the rest of the districts how much power he has, and how stupid it is to act out from what he deems appropriate. It wasn't perfect and I felt like some of the deception and secrets were a little sloppy, but I liked that the games introduced a new group of wiser and less obedient characters and that it acted as a method to inspire more rebellion in the districts.
(END SPOILER)

It was during this book that the love triangle between Gale, Peeta and Katniss was further developed. Personally I found the triangle a little lacking, because Gale truly seemed more like an older brother than a potential lover, but I did enjoy it for a different reason. Gale, to Katniss, has always been a symbol of rebellion. He was the guy who hunted with her illegally and who constantly spoke out against The Capitol. Peeta on the other hand, even if he was a saviour to Katniss early in life, is and will forever be connected to the Hunger Games. In book one he manipulated hundreds and thousands of people by constructing the love interest between him and Katniss, essentially saving their lives, but also acting in a very Capitol way. So the love triangle, to me, is less about which of the two boys is more her type, or more deserving of her love. Instead it's a matter of Katniss choosing the direction of her future, will she comply with the Capitol and be with Peeta, or will she rebel, and perhaps start a better life with Gale?

This book played havoc with my emotions, I was up, down, all over the place! Unlike book one, I had no clear idea where this book was heading, so I was taken on the roller-coaster of emotion and action that Suzanne Collins intended. This book was the perfect book to travel between the youth and naivety of the first book, and the balls to the wall rebellion that will occur in the final instalment. A great follow up.

Monday Links

*Are book stores going anywhere? Hear what BISG and Sallie Butler believe. (via Arts Hub)

*Book art created with surgical tools. (Via Karan Arora's Posterous)

*The 2012 Dundee International book contest is now open! Why not give it a shot? (Via Dundee Book Prize)

*The Booktopia Book Giru interviewed famed Australian author Peter Carey about all kinds of wonderful things. (Via Booktopia)

*Ever wondered what it feels like to an author when their book is turned into a film? Why not find out! (Via The Independent)

*This game is addictive! Proke is a quick word/typing game that'll get your brain working overtime. (Via Kongregate)

Film Reviews: Crestfallen, Contact and Drool.

Short films, like short stories, are infinitely more difficult to create than full length features. When done well,  they result in stories that have had every inch of fat and extraneous detail removed, culminating in films that not only make a firm impact on me, but tend to stand the test of time. Drool, Contact and Crestfallen are three short films directed by Jeremiah Kipp. Because of their lengths, and subject matter, I've decided to review each of them in short reviews only. All three films are visually sensational and rich in symbolism and metaphor, and as such, I don't want to spend too much time on my interpretation, because I'd hate for it to cloud your judgement when/if you decide to view them for yourself. So without further ado....

Drool is a four minute highly experimental film. If you decide to view it, please don't make the same mistake as I and attempt to eat your lunch while you watch it! Featuring two actors, the combination of experimental film techniques with the movements of the actors reminded me greatly of a contemporary dance piece. It's a little gross (take the title literally) but beautifully shot, edited and put together.

Contact depicts the highs and lows of drug experimentation. At eleven minutes this film managed to fit in far more substance than I think some "blockbuster" full-length films have managed. The female lead embarks upon a drug adventure with her boyfriend, and what starts off well soon descends into a violent and turbulent hallucinogenic nightmare. The acting is high quality, and the editing and sound phenomenal, but what makes this film stand out is the unbelievable makeup and special effects. Without destroying the effect for anyone, the mouth tunnel and subsequent tear, (see inserted screenshot) were realistic and horrific and had my heart pounding. An outstanding short film.

At six minutes Crestfallen is perhaps my favourite of the three. The cinematography is beautiful, heart-melting eye-achingly so, and the subject matter, acting and composition complement the visuals perfectly. Taking on the tough subject of suicide, the film focuses on the event itself, while showcasing the protagonist's (played by Deneen Melody) life up to that point, and the cause of her suicide attempt. The film takes on a very voyeuristic appearance, as though we're witnessing her life flash before her eyes in the moments before death. The music swells with the growing emotion of the film, and there is a very religious feel to it. Not in a Christian way, but the lighting of the woman in the bath as she takes her life, reminds me of the lighting used in the renaissance paintings that bathed religious figures in light from the heavens. A stunning film, one that will haunt me for some time.

Fanart Friday: Harry Potter edition #4 -Hagrid

Rubeus Hagrid... Need I expand on why this hirsute gentlemen deserves his very own Fanart post? From his first mention in Harry Potter I fell head over heels in love with Hagrid, and not once in seven books did he let me down. He's kind, thoughtful, loving, loyal, funny, protective, strong, intelligent (in his own way) and terrible at keeping secrets. From his hairy suit, to his dustpan sized hands I adore this BF(half)G and am happy to share some of the most remarkable art featuring him on Deviant Art. For the love of Hagrid, be sure to click through the links and check out the rest of the work by these talented HP enthusiasts!

Hagrid and Fluffy by Webmyrcury

Hagrid and Norbert by JamesDu

Hagrid by Deuz (Muenchgesang)

Carry Harry by Lorna

Hagrid's Beardly Bestiary by Miranda

Review: Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk

Lullaby 
By Chuck Palahniuk

Published: 2002

Synopsis: Carl Streader is a reporter investigating Sudden Infant Death Syndrome for a soft-news feature. After responding to several calls with paramedics, he notices that all the dead children were read the same poem from the same library book the night before they died. It's a "culling song" - an ancient African spell for euthenising sick or old people. Researching it, he meets a woman who killed her own child with it accidentally. He himself accidentally killed his own wife and child with the same poem 20 years earlier. Together, the man and the woman must find and destroy all copies of this book, and try not to kill every rude sonofabitch that gets in their way.

I decided to read this book during the "winter" readathon thinking it was a Chuck Palahniuk book that I hadn't read yet. After the first chapter I recognised that I had at least started it before, and it soon became clear that I had actually finished the book...I just didn't remember reading it. Take that as you will, although you should probably take it to mean that I found this book MEH.

I adore Palahniuk, he has a writing style that is uniquely his, and while this book was definitely a "Palahniuk book" it just didn't hit the same heights as the other books of his I've read. Part of the problem is the synopsis. It's a little misleading, or at least, it was to me. It lead me to believe the story would be more detective-y, and even though they state quite clearly that the cause of the deaths is the culling song, I thought there'd be more of a journey to discover that. Instead the majority of the story follows Carl's cross country trips, accompanied by Helen (the woman mentioned in the synopsis) and their two pseudo-children (Oyster and Mona - Helen's assistant), to find and destroy all the copies of the culling song, and the grimoire that originally held the song. And even this is a small part of the story, the stronger focus is the conflicts between Carl, Helen, Oyster and Mona, all who have very, very different views on the world, and all desire the grimoire for different reasons. Carl just wants to destroy it, Helen wants it so she can restore a life that's lost, while Mona and Oyster want it so they can "better" the world with their various brands of eco-terrorism.

I think the characters were the real problem for me. I just felt like the book rushed from event to event so quickly that I never really got a chance to get to know who they are. Instead they were a series of quirks, habits, or mannerisms. I didn't feel like there was any depth to the characters or the events of the novel. There were so many little things going on (in quite a short novel) that they just didn't have the space to grow and flourish. There was an inkling of interest that began to form about the generation gap between the two older adults (Carl and Helen) and the younger two (Mona and Oyster) but just as I was getting into it the book finished.

So not a winner for me unfortunately. The basic concept of words having the power to kill (or bring people back to life, or make animals talk etc) has great potential but it just fell by the wayside in this book. It's well written, but it just couldn't capture my attention as I read it, and obviously wasn't iconic enough for me to even remember reading it! Read with caution!

Monday Links

*The best bookmarks ever (via The Fancy)

*The problem with sex education in Australia. Not book related, but it's by one of my favourite Aus writer/journalists and is incredibly well written. (via The Drum)

*Lending realism to the paranomal. (via Mystery Writing Is Murder)

*Dark River Press has 4 dark and creepy stories free for you to read. (Via Dark River Press)

*An article on the beauty of the printed book to promote "The Printed Book: A Visual History" exhibit showing at the University of Amsterdam. (Via The New York Times)