The Hunger Games trilogy

     

written by Suzanne Collins. 17-20/2/2012
Time taken to read each book is approximately 9 hours each.


Synopsis
The story is about the world in the distant dystopia future, where a game is held every year, in which the contestants are pit against each other and have to fight to their death until only one survives. The trilogy focus on a young girl, Katniss, who had volunteered herself in replace of her younger sister.

Okay, so the story is a bit like Battle Royale, for those who are familiar with the japanese franchise.However from what I read of the manga Battle Royale, Hunger Games trilogy differs in the way it tells its story. It is told through the view of Katniss, the main character of the story. There's also a lot more drama and plot in this, I think. Of course there's the gory and fights but other than that I feel the trilogy has its own story to tell.

Language
The language of the book is quite simple and the storytelling was brisk. Seldom was lyrical or lenghty prose used in the book. I think the motto of the book should be 'Straight into the action' considering how the books proceeded. It's Katniss' point of view anyway, so the simplicity fits. One thing though that seems weird to me is the book are told in present tense. I don't think it's a problem, only it seems... different than other fictions.

Storytelling
The plot has some twist which are pleasant enough but grows in a somewhat predictable manner. The characters are quite imbalanced I think, where some have a lot of role and parts where others rarely changed or have action but I guess that is the thing with a first person view; you can't tell things that your character don't know. The upside to that is the readers are flogged with Katniss' emotions and turmoil, which leads to my opinion that she is a very selfish person. One might disagree but I think she is so selfish and there are times that I wish that I could just crack her head open with a rock. Ops, too much opinion, haha.

Recommendation/reading age
There's almost no adult's scene. The scenes are not so gory, considering it is a book about death's game. I think the book is suitable for teens since it appeases them but still has morals such as the pain of wars etc.

Try Hunger Games first. If you like it you'll probably like the rest, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. My list of favourite is also in the mentioned sequence.

P.S. I like Cinna, Katniss's stylist. Ultracool.

1984

by George Orwell.
Probably took a day to read. At least I had to finish it as soon as possible. 15/2/2012

It's 1984 and the world is different than what our 1984 was. Or isn't it?

The story follows Wilson, a government worker for the Ministry of Truth in a place where United Kingdom used to exist. His job is to alter articles in old Times magazine, whenever there is an 'error', such as when the prices of a certain goods rises, he will change a part of speech from the government that says it will not rise, into it will rise.
He works like everbody else, goes to work, eats rationed food, follow the daily routines of the Ingsoc (short for english socialism) until one day he began to write a diary. A crime.

The book has complicated words( or is it confusing phrase?). Doesn't matter. By the end of it, you're not sure what you read, at least for me that is.

Recommendation/Reading age: For those who can. How do you know you can? You have to read it first. As for me, I think I can't as it was so depressing. I had to finish it so fast that in the end I skipped a few paragraphs.

I wish I can unread the book. 

But such is the truth. It is not always easy to swallow. And you cannot easily forget the taste.