When They Mean Unauthorized...

(Or, "How to really write a guide.")

I guess they really mean it. 

About a week or so ago, I picked up a book called "The Hunger Games Companion" by Lois H. Gresh. Subtitled "The unauthorized guide to the series."  "Unauthorized" meaning it isn't sanctioned by The-Publisher-Powers-That-Be.  It can also mean that it doesn't really hit the mark when you're in the mood to read something about your favorite series.  "Unauthorized" was the key word.  And I knew it.  I thought I'd give it the old college try. (ha-ha)  You can't say I wasn't warned. 

It could have been worse.  I mean, I know there's only so much you can do when you don't have the permission from the author or original publishing company.  But it could have been way better. 

The book provides a lot of possible historical inspirations for the books.  At the end of each chapter, descriptions of doomsday predictions are provided.  It is my opinion that they are entirely unnecessary; THG [The Hunger Games] doesn't even talk about apocalyptic events. 

However, it discusses many historical events thoroughly.  The Roman Empire is given a lot of air time; it's very in-depth, to the point of surpassing the violence level of THG.  That part is good, considering what you sometimes get in history class might not be all that great.  She gives descriptions of technological advances in the book and speculates how close we could be to developing them now.  The weapons descriptions are interesting.   

The author gets kind of preachy at times: if we don't do this, that will happen.  There's nothing really that new.  She doesn't really connect history to the events in the books very well, leaving you with a detached feeling.  You understand that these events have happened in the world, but how did they inspire the book? 

The book may get very boring very quickly for its' intended audience.  Basically, one of the few things I got from it was why Katniss does away with a main character near the end of "Mockingjay." 

For a good guide, take a page (har-har) from the Twilight Guide.  Pictures would have been good, and a timeline, for example.  You would just have to go back and forth between each book in the series to make it.  Or, I'll just say it: Ms. Collins, please write one fast.  There's supposed to be some sort of book coming out the same week as the movie.

I might as well just write one.