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Friday 20 April 2012

“We fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice.” ― Suzanne Collins

So, recently The Hunger Games went round our group like some INSERT METAPHORE.
I therefore decided to use my many many spare audible credits to my advantage and get the audiobook, despite the many others which I currently have on the go, though after a lot of driving recently, I am now further through the behemoth that is American Gods...

So onto Hunger Games, just the first book that is. There will be spoilers so don't read this if you want to watch the film or read the books. Though all I can say for you people now is read the books...

Hunger Games is set in a Dystopian Future. One box ticked already.
No space pirates, but can't have everything, and maybe they pop up in the 2nd and 3rd books, who knows?
Well, I think Elle and Gareth and Brian know, but DON'T TELL ME!

Basically the book is an indeterminate amount of time in the future, Gareth and I think around 300 years, where America has become the Nation on Pan-Am, run out of the Capital after an uprising of the other 13 districts and a war, which was won by the Capital through the eradication of District 13.

Now the remaining districts live in poverty, especially those outlying, such as District 12. Also, as a reminder of the Capital's power, each district must enter a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the Hunger Games. Yay, got the name of the book into the review, awesome.

The Hunger Games are basically a Battle Royale, putting kids up against kids in a battle to the death. Yeah, right, it is a bit dark. The book follows Katniss Everdeen as she attempts to stay alive in this "game".

So the book from here is obviously quite dark, but it really is dark. Really...
That's what I think is the weirdest thing about it. It's written for teens, but it is no way stuff that young teens (12-14) should be reading about. Which brings me nicely to the film..

The film is tame, all of the cool creepy and and dark bits have been taken out, except for the obvious theme and is probably deserving of the 12A rating. That is not to say that I agree with the 12A rating as a whole, but this is not one of those films like... oh I don't know...

DARK KNIGHT

that it is wholly ridiculous to take a 10 year old to see.
Which brings me to my Daily Mail story. A group of us saw the film in Guildford, and after were interviewed by a Daily Mail editor hoping to get some sort of comments out of us. We said what we thought, how the film was far more child-friendly than the books (which anyone can buy and read) and how the rating system is fine. She said how she had some concerns, but her 9 year old BOY said it was fine and that the worst part was when they kissed. (It is pretty icky to kiss a girl)

Then we came across this, from the same woman.

I'll give you a sec to read...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2122524/The-Hunger-Games-Its-film-child-wants--violence-disturbing.html

Really? What a pile of completely absa-fucking-lootedly ridiculous todswallop (and a few more colourful words to go with). This pile of what I can only assume was fiction writing is the reason that people shouldn't read the Daily Mail. She obviously knew that she couldn't write anything so boring as to say that the film was fine and that everything is dandy in the world, no... She had to write bollocks to get people with fucking tiny brains to read it and believe it.

You know what, if you don't think that the main theme is appropriate for your kids.
Don't fucking take them to the movie!


Right...

Back to a non-angry book review.

Apparently the book is weird to get used to since it is all written in 1st person narrative, but fortunately that didn't seem to be weird with the audiobook. It was very well presented and read, meaning that the story was enjoyable.

The main thing I enjoyed was the pace of this book, it does seem to have easily enough "WHAT THE HELL?" moments for a book of it's length for my liking, making it a joy to listen to. The story is slightly predicable, but has enough slight deviations from the norm and plot hooks to keep, certainly me interested.

I would wholly recommend the books, certainly if you saw and enjoyed the film.
Bring on books 2 & 3, after some others which I have to catch up on!


How else would you know who serves first?

If you feel like more laughs, check out some more spillings from the font of all fuck-tards.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2107441/Sex-oclock-It-sounds-passion-killer-booking-appointments-making-love-spark-marriage.html