The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

  This one is from a trilogy as well (a lot of the books I read are in series), and I'm sure most of you have heard of it by now. It's getting pretty popular, and, as you may know, the movie is coming out in March (on the 23rd, to be exact). I am very excited for it, because Suzanne herself has been helping with the script, casting, and a lot of what goes on. So hopefully it won't stray too far from the book.

  Anyway, here's what it's about:

  In the remains of what once was the United States, a nation rises up- Panem. Panem consists of 13 districts surrounding one glittering, beautiful Capitol. But one day, the Districts rebel against the Capitol. They are defeated easily, though, and to make an example to the other Districts, the Capitol bombs District 13 and sets up something called the Hunger Games. All 12 Districts are forced, every year, to send 2 Tributes each (one male, on female) to compete in the Hunger Games. What could go wrong? Oh yeah. It's a fight to the death. And it's broadcast to every single television, nationwide, for everyone to see.

  Katniss Everdeen is a sixteen year old girl living in the poorest section of one of the poorest Districts (D12). She provides for her family by hunting (illegally) in the forests of District 12, and trading at the Hob (the black market of District 12). When Reaping Day comes, Katniss fears for herself and her hunting mate, Gale, because each of them have their names in the poll many more times than they should have. But when the name of the unfortunate person who has to compete in the Games is called out, it's not Gale. It's not Katniss. It's her sister, Prim. In a flurry of panic and compassion for her little sister, Katniss volunteers to go to the Hunger Games in her place, a death sentence.

  And the male Tribute by her side is none other than Peeta, a boy she's known -but not spoken to- for most of her life. It had to be him. It couldn't have been anyone else. It had to be the boy who had saved her life. The odds were definitely not in Katniss' favor.

  Will Katniss win the Hunger Games? Or will she be just another dead Tribute?

  This book changed my life. I probably say that about all the good books I read, but this one... it gave me a new perspective on human behavior. What I mean is, it made me realize how twisted our world is. I mean, come on, we're not that far from sending criminals (which could change to children!) to fight to the death in a nationally broadcast event. If it would bring in ratings and cha-ching, you know we would do it. I realize that you  like to deny that we, as a human race, are on a long and horrible downward spiral. But- look at how we treat people who have nothing to do with wars, let alone the people who are involved with them. We are animals. Underneath this skin and behind these intellectual minds, we are nothing more than savage and carnivorous animals. But I digress.

  This is a great book (and series), and I recommend it (again) to anyone who likes to read (and even anyone who doesn't). It sucks you into the vortex of "WOW" from the very first chapter, and keeps you dangling by a thread over the valley of suspense until the very end. Katniss is a character that I think has a lot of good morals, and you can really get inside her head as she is infuriated by the Capitol and slowly starts to see Gale and Peeta's theories come to life.

  Awesome book, awesome series. Insert awesome-sauce stamp of approval here.

Thanks for reading~

~Shay~

Well, this is Unexpected

  So you’re back, eh? I didn’t think you’d return after our last little… encounter. I still don’t know how you managed to break free of that super-strong-awesome-mega floor glue…It looks like you still have some of it stuck to your pants… heh… sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure that you’d stay and listen to me. It gets ever so lonely over here in my corner. What’s that? What do you mean, “move”? How could I move?  I LOVE THIS PLACE. Silly person. :) 

  ANYWAY- thank you for coming back. What book would you like to hear about today? ...It was a rhetorical question. N-j-DON’T ANSWER. I WASN'T ACTUALLY ASKING YOU. I WAS HOPING YOU’D SAY “WHATEVER YOU WANT TO TELL ME ABOUT, OH GREAT ONE,”! ….I choose the book.. Now shut up and listen. What’s that? You can’t move? Whoops, I guess I forgot that I spilled glue on your seat again. My bad. >:) 

  Don’t you have an attitude with me! I WILL SMITE THEE!...or something like that. ON WITH THE SHOW! >:D

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

  So this one is actually a trilogy (and an extra), but today I'm just going to focus on the first book, Uglies. The first time I read this book, I was probably 10 years old. I loved it then. I love it now. I've read that book at least four times. It's the kind of book that's suitable for a lot of age groups, and still maintains its gravitational pull. At this time, I will describe the book in my own words:

  In a futuristic world where you are ugly until you aren't, a surgery has risen that can cure your "ugliness." When you turn sixteen, you go from a plain, boring Ugly, to a stunning, breath-takingly beautiful Pretty. Being a Pretty means living in New Pretty Town (until you reach a certain age), being pampered, having no bed time, no rules, and always having fun.
  Tally Youngblood is on the verge of turning sixteen. She can't wait to turn Pretty, and leave her Ugly body -and life- behind. But then she meets a strange girl named Shay (hey, look!), who doesn't want to become Pretty. She tells Tally of a place called the Smoke, where people stay Ugly forever. When Shay runs off to the Smoke, leaving Tally encrypted directions, the frighteningly cruel people called Specials (Special Circumstances) collect Tally right before her Pretty surgery, and tell her that if she doesn't find Shay and bring her back, she can never turn Pretty.
  After a few close brushes with death (Shay's directions aren't very clear), Tally finally stumbles upon the Smoke. She starts out on a mission, but as time goes on, she comes to feel like the Smoke is home. And David (the boy who told Shay about the Smoke, and who has never lived in a city), makes her feel something she's never felt before. Could it be love? Torn between her friendship with Shay, her relationship with David, her love of the Smoke, and her want to become Pretty, Tally must decide whether or not she will betray her friends, or refuse to obey Special Circumstances.

  This book is a great read, and I recommend it to anyone who likes...well, pretty much any kind of writing. It appeals to all (at least I think it does). It pulls you in from the start with an extremely interesting and puzzling conflict, and keeps you in its grip until the very end -and further- with its well-written, well-presented plot. Tally is a lovable character with many flaws (flaws make us more human, correct?). She tries to do what she thinks is right, even if it gets her in trouble, but it often goes very wrong. We're in Tally's mind for the whole story, and I think Scott Westerfeld does an incredible job of making her just the right amount of lovable, annoying, frustrating, and everything else that makes up a good character.

  Overall, great book, great series (I may get to the other ones later), and I give it my awesome-sauce stamp  of approval.

Thanks for reading~
~Shay~

Hello and Welcome to the Corner!

  Yes, it is a lovely corner, fully furnished with a nest of blankets and a box of chocolates (worms get hungry too, ya know!). Would you like to join me in my cozy little corner? Lovely! *scoots over* Here, take the spot that doesn't have...whatever that is on it... Is that a rat turd?!? D: NOT AGAIN! Ehem... anyway!

   Would you like to listen to me rant talk about some of my favorite books, and some of my not-so-favorite ones? No? Well too bad! You're already here, and LOOK! I've super-glued you to the floor! MUAHAHAHAHA-*cough*ha*wheeze*ahhhhh.... SHALL WE BEGIN? :D

  Would you like a chocolate? Yes? Alrighty- would you like- no, you can't have that one...no, not that one either; it's my favorite... nu-uh....just take- just t- NO- JUST TAKE THAT ONE RIGHT THERE....YES. THAT ONE. THE ONE THAT LOOKS GROSS...THANK YOU.
~Shay~