"May the odds be ever in your favor!"

This is what the person in charge of the ceremony of drawing names for the Hunger Games says.  And do the participants need positive odds....

As I mentioned in my last post, I've read "The Hunger Games" series, by Suzanne Collins.  It's geared towards "young adults," or teenagers, so I'm a little out of range, so to speak.  (Then again, so is Twilight...)  But I still enjoyed it.  There are three books in the series: "The Hunger Games," "Catching Fire," and "Mockingjay". 

What I enjoyed the most was that Collins really draws you into the opposite worlds of the much poorer districts (twelve of them) and the opulent conditions of the Capitol.  The story takes place in the Appalachian region of the U.S., years after what seems to be a nuclear war (not much is said about it, though). You really care about the characters (well, the good ones, at least), and are sorry when they "depart."  And there are a lot of them that are killed off.  As punishment for one now-extinct district trying to fight it some years ago, the Capitol (in charge of the other districts), created these "Hunger Games," in which teenagers fight against each other to win. 

If you win, you become rich.  If you lose... you lose.  And there is only one winner.

Think: "Survivor" meeting your worst nightmare.  

As I've mentioned before, there's a lot of rich descriptions of the environments.There's plenty of action.   Katniss, the main character, is very likable.  There are a number of other likable characters.  The action tapered off slightly right after the Games' beginning, but soon picks up again.  There are violent sequences, so readers/parents/etc. may have trouble with this aspect, as well as the ethical implications that come along with this story.  (Probably good discussion starters for parents/teachers, etc.)

The ending of "HG" left me wanting more, so I started "Catching Fire" soon after.  I had trouble getting into the second installment, so I'll have to read it again.  The reason being that the contender conditions seemed slightly unrealistic for me.  The middle of "CF" (the actual games) seemed to lag for me, but the ending is worth it, practically making you go out to buy (borrow, download, etc.) "Mockingjay." 

"Mockingjay" is a different world that Collins brings us into.  Katniss is thrust into it along with us, kicking and screaming.  [Spoiler: she lives through all three books, don't worry.]  I really liked this book.  It's here that Katniss comes into her own and shines.  The other elements of the previous books are still here: action, conflict, and loss.  The ending was slightly different from what I thought it was going to be. 

I started to gain interest in the books after I'd seen the trailer for the upcoming film.  Now I'm really excited for the movie. 

So... "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"  And use that bow and arrow wisely. 

Breaking Dawn- the DVD

So last Friday night Breaking Dawn arrived on DVD.  I couldn't go to my local Target because they weren't doing anything special. (Grrr.)  But I had a backup.  The whole event was pretty low-key, but nice.  I had to give credit to the employee who was hosting the little party; they were a very good sport.  We got Breaking Dawn cleaning cloths- those microfiber ones.  I won't be using mine. Ha ha.  There was a drawing for a gift card (no I wasn't the winner).  And there was cake and cupcakes.  Strangely, everyone was going for the cupcakes. 

After that, we all went to wait in line for about an hour and a half in the electronics department.  They were showing little featurettes on the Twilight Saga and Breaking Dawn.  I was about # 5 or 6.  With a half-hour or so before midnight, there were seventeen people in line.  By the time I got my DVD, there were over thirty.  You got a cute "souvenir" with it.  I went to Target later on and got their copy. 

And would you believe it- I did not watch it that night.  Seriously, I would have regretted it.  I watched it the next night.  The special features are great.  Can't wait 'til part 2. :)

Cereal Games

Hey.  This will be another odds-and-ends post. 

I like the new rash of General Mills cereals that's come out: peanut butter Cheerios, but I haven't tried the frosted Cinnamon Toast Crunch- although I picked up a box today.  The Cheerios could use some chocolate cheerios mixed in, I suppose.  I have yet to try the Krave stuff. 

Book-wise.... I finally got into The Hunger Games.  I can barely put the first one down, and I'm almost done with that.  Got the second one, "Catching Fire" all set to go.  I'm really looking forward to the movie. 

I've started on Pinterest, and I sort of like tumblr.  Pinterest is fun.

And we all know what DVD's coming out on the 11th. :)