Title: Mockingjay: The Final Book of the Hunger Games Author: Suzanne Collins Publisher: Scholastic Published: August 24, 2010 Format: Hardcover ($19.99CDN) Age Group: Adult Other Books in the Series: The Hunger Games & Catching Fire My Copy: Purchased
Synopsis:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
My Review:
Despite this being a fictional novel Mockinjay came alive for me in a way that extended past the pages of the book. We may not live in the dystopic society that is an every day reality for Katniss Everdeen and her family but I can see our own failings mirrored in the pages of Mockinjay. I can see it in our capitalistic society that is obsessed with material goods and is driven by consumption, in the genocides that have happened in our past and that go unnoticed by many in our present and the starvation that is a reality for many across the world. As I reconnected with the characters of this novel and experienced with them the horror of their reality I was humbled and became grateful for all that I have.
In each novel of The Hunger Games series it is Katniss's selflessness that stood out to me and her willingness to do anything to protect those she loves. The narration of this novel is very morose but it is occasionally peppered with stories of hope, moments of laughter and touches of kindness. While Mockinjay is not a book with constant action like the first two novels in this series, each moment was well written and I found the change in pace to add to the story rather then take away from it.
Suzanne Collins did not present her readers with a happily ever after story where after accomplishing the goals set out in the novel Katniss catches the man she loves and lives out her life a happy utopian society. This is a novel with pages filled with horror, pain, death, sacrifice and situations I have no name for. This novel is genuine and believable but in a twisted way that had me gasping in horror, clutching the pages in suspense and angry at the author for writing such a emotionally charged novel. With that said Suzanne Collins delivered a novel with a beginning, middle and end that paid tribute to the main characters of the novel without diminishing the sacrifices they had made to bring about a worldwide revolution.
However excellent I feel the book was, in the end it was a simple moment when a mangy cat with a name that does not reflect his disposition reduced me tears and had me unable to fall asleep as I replayed the book in my head. If you haven’t read this series yet I highly recommend you look into purchasing or borrowing a copy of The Hunger Games. This entire series is emotionally charged and it provides the reader with a fictional example of how to have hope when your situation seems hopeless, have courage despite being terrified and how to never give up even when you think you can no longer go on.
Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves
Author: Carrie Ryan
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: March 9, 2010
Format: Hardcover ($22.99 CDN)
0385736843
9780385736848
From the Publisher:
Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves.
My Review: I had very high expectations for this novel and they were met, for the most part. Carrie Ryan's descriptive writing style once again got it's hooks into subconscious turning every meow of my cat, creek of my house, and and hum of my furnace into the moan of the undead. Having left Mary still a teenager at the end of the first book, The Forest Of Hands And Teeth, I found it hard to re-connect with the grown up Mary in the beginning of the novel. I found the new protagonist, Mary's daughter Gabry, likable despite her insecurities and indecisiveness and I really enjoyed reading as Gabry made choices and worked through difficult life-altering decisions. I felt that this was a bit of a coming of age story set in a horrific world of oppression, desperation, and isolation where humans cling to hope, love, and companionship in unimaginable circumstances. I found the first half of the novel to be satisfying but I wasn't as engrossed as I was with the first novel. In the latter half of the book when Gabry enters the same forest her mother fought to get out of in the first novel things really began to heat up. I found myself reading well into the night despite how tired I was and I was constantly rewarded with suspense and action as the plot began to truly unfold. Entwined in this dystopic tale is a story of young love in all its passion, intensity, and angst. At times I was slightly impatient with Gabry's indecisiveness and yet I can remember experiencing similar emotions when I was at the same stage as Gabry. I think young readers will find her relatable, likable, genuine, and flawed, which in my opinion is a good recipe for well rounded protagonist. The supporting cast was well written and I really enjoyed how Carrie Ryan connected characters from the first novel into the plot of The Dead Tossed Waves. The ending felt like a mad dash to the finish line (in a good way) that had my heart racing alongside Gabry as she fought for survival. The choices she makes in the end show how much Gabry has matured from the beginning of the novel. Overall I was very impressed with The Dead Tossed Waves and with the open ended conclusion I hope to read about a forthcoming novel soon.
This is part two of my, Books With Impact post. I am particularly excited about this entry as I will be focusing on three novels that take place is the future that is vastly different than our current reality. All of these books left me thinking for days about the choices the characters made, what choices I think I would make in the same situations, and the plausibility of a similar society being born in our reality if circumstances were the same or similar.
Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Web Site: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
0440237688
9780440237686
From the Publisher:
Jonas''s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.
I have read a few reviews on this novel and was struck by one particular sentence that a blogger wrote. This individual said, "Jonas lives in a perfect, utopian community, where there are no choices." I feel like those two descriptions of Joans's world are in such contradiction to each other. To suggest the the world is perfect and that in this perfect world there are no choices really doesn't describe any "perfect" world that I or others might describe. I realize that the "idea" of this world is that society has attempted to create a utopian community for themselves and future generations, and one of the ways they have been "successful" at creating said utopian community, is by taking away choice. A friend of mine who has a personal blog at, Five by Five said that taking away choice is taking away humanity. I really agree with that statement, do you? I think this novel really highlights the lack of humanity in the members of this community, especially when we learn what happens to unwanted or "defective" children. I understand that everything I hate about the way they run their community and the values they have are the norm for them but I truly found myself frustrated throughout the novel by the seemingly uncaring and controlling community who are so accepting of their reality and "place" in the world.
This is an incredible novel that although may be slightly slow paced (for such a short novel) packs an emotional punch and can spark endless hours of philosophical conversation about humanity, utopian communities, freedom of choice, family, and more.
Title: The Secret Under My Skin
Author: Janet McNaughton (Canadian)
Web Site: J. McNaughton
Publisher: EOS
006008989X
9780060089894
From the Publisher:
In the year 2368, humanity struggles to recuperate from a technocaust that has left a generation of orphans in its wake. Strict government regulations convince people that technology is dangerous; confusion and fear rule the earth.
Blay Raytee is a government work-camp orphan. Her future seems as bleak as that of the world around her. But when she is chosen for a special mission by a guardian of the environment named Marrella, Blay begins to discover that all may not be as it seems. The secrets she uncovers could hold the key both to the healing of the world and to her own past. What she learns may just empower her to join those who struggle to restore democracy -- and to discover at last who she really is.
Master storyteller Janet McNaughton vividly imagines an all-too-believable future where one child''s brave search for the truth could restore a broken world.
Janet McNaughton is an incredible Canadian author who's writing style is clear, descriptive, and at times beautifully poetic. This novel highlights environmental and technological issues of the "Dark Times" and how that has shaped Blay's current reality in the year 2368. In addition to shedding light to some heavy topics in an age appropriate way, McNaughton's character development is excellent and done in a way that allows you to develop a deep connection with Blay. This coming of age story set in a futuristic dystopian society is to me a must read. If you enjoy this novel I highly suggest you read the sequel to this novel, The Raintree Rebellion which reunites you with Blay Raytee. In the first novel it is revealed who Blay Raytee really is, and now, at eighteen she is returning to the city of her birth where she begins to search in the past for answers to her present while making difficult life choices along the way.
From the Publisher:
0002255294
9780002255295
Blake Raintree, the heroine of The Secret Under My Skin, is now 18, returning to the city of her birth as an aide to a justice council charged with trying to address the wrongs of the technocaust. While in the city, Blake submits the ID code from the microchip that was implanted in her arm in infancy by her parents, hoping to find out more about her past, and especially her father. What she learns will cause her to question everything she knows about herself. Torn between a terrible anger and a search for the love and acceptance she has been denied all her life, Blake faces a harsh choice. A 2006 JAB ( Junior Advisory Board) Pick, The Raintree Rebellion is nominated for the OLA Red Maple Award.
Title: The Bar Code Tattoo
Author: Suzanne Weyn
Web Site: S. Weyn
Publisher: Scholastic Inc
0439395623
9780439395625
From the Publisher:
The bar code tattoo. Everybody''''s getting it. It will make your life easier, they say. It will hook you in. It will become your identity.But what if you say no? What if you don''''t want to become a code? For Kayla, this one choice changes everything. She becomes an outcast in her high school. Dangerous things happen to her family. There''''s no option but to run . . . for her life. Individuality vs. conformity.. Identity vs. access. Freedom vs. control.The bar code tattoo.
I really believe this is an excellent book for YA readers out there. As a youth you are (or at least I was) seeking to develop individuality, their own set of values and morals, and deciding when to conform to societies rules and expectations and when to rebel against them, this book explores this same journey in a fictional, futuristic world though the eyes of the protagonist Kayla. In this novel Kayla faces some hard choices in her search for the truth, choices that could and do lead her into joining a rebel movement set against the government. This book is full of mystery, suspense, and adventure and is sure to please the lovers of dystopian novels (I think this type of book is becoming its own popular genre). The sequel to this book, Bar Code Rebellion, is equally if not more thrilling then the first and reconnects you with Kayla as she once again is forced to rebel with the odds stacked against her.
From the Publisher:
0439803853
9780439803854
Kayla has resisted getting the bar code tattoo, even though it's meant forfeiting any chance she'd had at having a normal life. Without the tattoo, she's an exile. But when someone very important sets about to bring her back in again -- WITH a tattoo -- Kayla finds herself a part of the resistence, where her unexpected allies and even more unexpected enemies include three clones of hers.
An edge-of-your-seat, teen's-eye-view thriller that merges the headlines of today with the world of tomorrow.
Posts
