The Hunger Games

Today's Review: The Hunger Games

Katniss Everdeen belongs to a poor, under-privileged family. That's pretty common, but she lives in the future land of Panem in the 12th out of 12 districts that surround the Capitol. Each year a male and a female called tributes, are chosen to go to the Capitol to compete in a blood thirsty televised show called the Hunger Games. To lose is to die, to win is untold riches.

At the reaping, where the tributes are chosen, Katniss ends up being picked but not in the way you might expect. See, the tributes are chosen much like a number is chosen for Bingo or the lottery. Her little 12 year old sister is drawn and Katniss goes for her.

When Katniss arrives in the Capitol with fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark. She learns that the games might not just be kill or be killed.

Life, Love, Lies.

Death.

The story is told in Katniss's POV.

My Opinion

-Idea becoming used

-Well built characters

-too focused on Peeta and Katniss

-Gets you VERY involved

-Written with wonderful context and vocab.

-The land is described with extremely detailed descriptions, makes you feel like you should be worrying about the next reaping.

Other Books

(#2) Catching Fire (Not published: releases Sept. 1st)

Unannounced Title (#3)

Other Info

Movie releases 2010

author's website:http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Today's book review is: Percy Jackson.

Percy Jackson starts with the Lightning Thief. Percy Jackson is: a 12 year old dyslexic, ADHD, 6th grader who has been expelled form every school he's ever gone to. Percy Jackson sounds like one of those dumb educational books that our mom or dad makes us read. Honestly though the Greek Mythology is worked in quite well and the way it is narrated keeps it fresh and young.

Percy finds out he is the son of a Greek god and is accused of grand theft. No, he didn't steal a car, he stole a very, very powerful weapon from one of the Big Three: Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades. Percy goes on a quest to save his father's pride and to clear his name.

On the quest Percy is faced by many monsters from mythology. He has two friends Annabeth, a smart mouthed, know it all daughter of Athena (Hermione, basically) and Grover, a nature loving half goat man, who happens to be a wimp.

As the series goes on we meet many other complicated characters while Percy Jackson battles Kronos, a titan who is out to destroy the gods and a friend who betrayed Percy is the host of Kronos's soul.

Eventually there's a big show down at the end of the last book. The author nicely keeps it from being too predictable (or I'm easy to surprise).

My Opinion:
-The first book is incredible
-The language is child like
-It's easy to read
-much like Harry Potter
-I dislike Annabeth
-All the characters have flaws :D

Other Books
#1 The Lightning Thief
#2 Sea of Monsters
#3 Titan's Curse
#4 Battle of the Labyrinth
#5 The Last Olympian

Companions
the Demigod Files
Monsters and Demigods (or something like that)

Other Info
Second Camp Halblood Series expected
Movie comes out February 2010
see the author's blog at rickriordan.blogspot.com