This book club had it's monthly meeting last night and I missed it!Steve and I had a hot date. But I tried to catch up this morning and there were 400+ comments on the review post! Wow everyone! That is awesome. So now that we are all out in the open about the book, I am happy to get my feelings about it off my chest. I have been anxiously waiting this moment. And if you haven't read the book and plan to, I recommend you do not read further.
The book was:
I read the book in just a couple of days during my girls trip. I got through almost a third of the book just traveling to Emily's. It was a real page turner. It was intense. It was emotional. It was extremely well written. I did notice immediately how abrupt Suzanne Collins writing was. What a contrast to Stephenie Meyer! I loved that it was written in the first person. I loved that she didn't waste words. I loved that she just said what was needed to be said and didn't waste any of my time. I loved how quickly it moved. It was a great story.However, it made me feel weird. Has anyone seen this movie?
If you have, you will completely understand how I felt while reading this book. So pretend it's a Saturday afternoon and you have nothing to do. You are trapped at home alone. Then you are flipping TV channels and you have no cable. But you find on one channel this old movie playing. You watch it because there is nothing better to do. (This is what happened to me many many years ago.) Come to find out it's a movie about the earth being inhabited by apes. You watch the movie with a sense of awkward captivation. Then Bam! at the end you find out it was really all about how the human race fell and apes took over America; and after sitting there for 2 hours thinking the movie was about the past, you find out it was really about the future. Then it abruptly ends. You sit there feeling sick and zapped of all energy, strength and desire to live. You take a look outside and it's still sunny and clear skies. You find yourself surprised because it feels like an entire day has passed and it was night outside or something. You finally see people out on the street and it seems strange to you as well, because you forgot how a normal life looked. This is what I call "Saturday Matinee Syndrome" or SMS.
So The Hunger Games was not quite like that, but that is how I felt... kind of. The story was sad! I took it personally or something. "Hey!" I was saying to myself. "This can't be! This could never happen. How could a government really get away with crap like this? Those poor kids. Those crazy adults..."
The whole stage for the book was sad wasn't it? But there were parts of it I loved. I loved when Peeta first admitted his love to Katniss on stage during his interview. That was beautiful! I adore Peeta. I thought his whole character and all he did was perfection. And Katniss was a pretty amazing chick herself. Although she was stupid about Peeta, she was amazing otherwise. I like Suzanne Collins writing. But I am confident from reading this book she's a reality TV junkie. I hardly got into the book before I was picturing her studying endless past shows of "Survivor" as research for her book.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, but I would let them know it is gonna be kind of sad.
Will I read the rest of the books in the series? Absolutely.
Would I recommend this book club to anyone. ShaYES!!! It is rockin. And that is where the real discussion is. Or was. It's "totally non-exclusive" and anyone can join. Can't wait for the next book.
The end.
6 comments:
I'm so glad you liked it! I haven't not seen Planet of the Apes but I'm shore as heck gonna see it now.
PS Hot dates with hubbies you see all the time does not take priority over book club. That's rule #1 of book club.
I was wondering where you were last night...you seemed so anxious to talk about it before. Glad you likes it! But don't tell people it is sad cuz they might not read it then.
The book sounds intriguing, even if it is sad. I've read books like that before, books of bleakness and I always feel so empty and dazed afterwards. That's what makes such a great author - one that makes you really feel. I think I'll add The Hunger Games to my list of books to read.
I LOOOOOOVE Planet of the Apes (the Mark Wahlberg version--Helena Bonham Carter was brilliant in it!). So, I guess that means I will like this book?!.....
Glad you liked my t-shirt. I designed them....for the club....like I said I am way too big of a dork! If you ever care to spend a few pointless hours attempting to crack a code--and succeed-- you could be in the club and get a t-shirt too :)! (or maybe I'll just send you one of them one of these days!)
I'm so glad you liked it! The discussion was fast and furious and kind of sickening in a car sick kind of way. I agree with everything you said, except the SMS thing (which I call LMNS or "Lifetime Movie Network Syndrome"). I didn't feel depressed or sad at the end, just sort of lost in that world, and I wanted to be lost in that world, despite it's bleakness, because the "poor people" had made a small move against the government. Peeta and Katniss had manipulated the game. It was hopeful at the end, like a future government overthrow was possible. I LOVE that part when Peeta announced his crush on the stage. Sigh.
I am so excited to read the next books. I can't wait!
Great review Amanda. I agree with a lot of your analysis. It definitely had some interesting parallels to Planet of the Apes.
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