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The Hunger Games Companions
The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy
Katniss Everdeen's adventures may have come to an end, but her story continues to blaze in the hearts of millions worldwide.
In The Girl Who Was on Fire, thirteen YA authors take you back to Panem with moving, dark, and funny pieces on Katniss, the Games, Gale and Peeta, reality TV, survival, and more. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to fashion and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss' world really is.
• How does the way the Games affect the brain explain Haymitch's drinking, Annie's distraction, and Wiress' speech problems?
• What does the rebellion have in common with the War on Terror?
• Why isn't the answer to "Peeta or Gale?" as interesting as the question itself?
• What should Panem have learned from the fates of other hedonistic societies throughout history and what can we?
The Girl Who Was On Fire covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy.
In The Girl Who Was on Fire, thirteen YA authors take you back to Panem with moving, dark, and funny pieces on Katniss, the Games, Gale and Peeta, reality TV, survival, and more. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to fashion and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss' world really is.
• How does the way the Games affect the brain explain Haymitch's drinking, Annie's distraction, and Wiress' speech problems?
• What does the rebellion have in common with the War on Terror?
• Why isn't the answer to "Peeta or Gale?" as interesting as the question itself?
• What should Panem have learned from the fates of other hedonistic societies throughout history and what can we?
The Girl Who Was On Fire covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy.
210 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2011
About the author
Leah Wilson
45 books93 followersLeah Wilson is Editor-in-Chief of the Smart Pop imprint of Dallas-based publisher BenBella Books. She graduated from Duke University in 2003 with a degree in Culture and Modern Fiction, and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fall season premiere schedules make her a little giddy.
(Her author blog is the main blog for Smart Pop's website, and she'll be using this Goodreads account in part to do some Smart Pop pre-pub giveaways, and more!)
(Her author blog is the main blog for Smart Pop's website, and she'll be using this Goodreads account in part to do some Smart Pop pre-pub giveaways, and more!)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 551 reviews
September 10, 2020
I have a great love for the Hunger Games series, but what I loved most about these essays wasn’t the walk down memory lane, it was the focus on the downsides of Panem’s government. Many essays touched on government overreach, Big Brother surveillance, propaganda, and genetic modification. These issues seem like they should only exist in a fictional, dystopian novel, but we see all too much of it in our everyday lives.
April 14, 2011
There are some books that are just fun to read, an enjoyable ride that you are happy you took. Other books, are not only enjoyable, but make you think (and think...and think...) even after multiple readings. The Hunger Games Trilogy for me (Admin T), can definitely be counted among the latter. So, when I heard that Smart Pop Books was publishing an anthology about the series, I have no shame in admitting I contacted the publisher right away, almost begging for an ARC to read and review
The Girl Who Was on Fire is a collection of thirteen essays discussing various aspects of The Hunger Games trilogy. The publisher describes the book as follows:
The Girl Who Was On Fire offers even more to think about for ... readers already engrossed by the Hunger Games. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to reality television, fashion, and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games by other YA writers reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss’ world really is.
And they are right. Each essay included in the book gives the reader something new to think about in regards to the trilogy. From the first essay, editor Leah Wilson and her contributors shine light on details that you might not have even thought much about while reading the series. And guaranteed they'll be thoughts you'll want to come back to again and again. I went through three packages of highlighter strips on my copy of this book, marking quotes and sometimes entire sections of text. Some of the pages now look like a rainbow of colors.
I have read similar anthologies for other books, but I can honestly say none of them have affected the way I see the source material, as The Girl Who was on Fire has. I all ready loved each book in The Hunger Games trilogy, but if it's possible the essays put forth by the writers here, have made me appreciate the series even more.
Sometimes bringing me to tears, each selection challenged me to look at the details of the books in a new way. The essays do have some similar themes, but each also has a unique perspective to share as well. One overwhelming fact that can be found in many of the essays, as well as the introduction, is that we the readers of the Hunger Games are the Capitol audience.
This fact, actually struck me very hard. When I read through the series, I always felt very present in the arena with Katniss. I didn't feel as if I was watching the happenings from afar, but that I was journeying alongside her. I was shocked at what occurred, and openly cried many times while reading each of the books. I cared so much for the characters how could I ever consider that I was actually a part of the audience that revels in the Games? But as Carrie Ryan says in her essay Panem et Circenses:
In the end, if there is one truth that can be taken away from the Hunger Games it is this: we, the reader tuned in and boosted its rating. Even while Katniss rails against the Games as disgusting and barbaric, we the readers turn the pages in order to watch them. We become the citizens of the Capitol, glued to the televisions ensuring there will be another Game the following year. Thanks to us, the ratings are just to high to cancel the show.
A pretty heavy message to take in, but a true one at that. And certainly an aspect that I didn't recognize until now.
Who we are as readers is not the only topic up for discussion in the anthology, there are essays on how love is used as a weapon, how fashion was the true catalyst of the rebellion, the realities of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on the characters, and how the politics we see in Mockingjay actually reflect recent political occurrences. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Some of the most thought provoking essays to me focused on realism in the series. These included Carrie Ryan's, essay Panem et Circenses, showcasing how the media can manipulate even the smallest detail, making the line between what is real and not real blur and Elizabeth M. Rees contribution, Smoke and Mirrors which discusses the people Katniss encounters and how even those closest to her are sometimes marred in the haze of truth and deception.
However, the essay that I would probably classify as my favorite, is Jennifer Lynn Barnes piece Team Katniss. I have to admit, I love Peeta, he is my favorite character in the series, but Jennifer's discussion on who Katniss really is as a character is an eyeopener. She digs down deep below all of the masks that Katniss hides behind to reveal the true person underneath. After all sometimes it's not all about the boys or the romance, sometimes it is a about the girl. The character who believes love and survival go hand and hand and who would "throw herself in front of bullets as often as she dodges them -- because she would rather die for the people she loves than see them hurt." So, despite the fact that I love Peeta, I'm firmly on Team Katniss now.
So, how do I sum up this book? To me, The Girl Who was on Fire is a "MUST" read for any Hunger Games fan. This anthology is as touching and thought provoking as the series itself. The essays included will challenge you to think of aspects of the trilogy in a new and deeper way. And I would bet that each of the author's thoughts on Mockingjay are bound to change some minds about the series ender as well.
The Hunger Games may be over, but thanks to The Girl Who was on Fire, the discussion continues.
The Girl Who Was on Fire is a collection of thirteen essays discussing various aspects of The Hunger Games trilogy. The publisher describes the book as follows:
The Girl Who Was On Fire offers even more to think about for ... readers already engrossed by the Hunger Games. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to reality television, fashion, and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games by other YA writers reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss’ world really is.
And they are right. Each essay included in the book gives the reader something new to think about in regards to the trilogy. From the first essay, editor Leah Wilson and her contributors shine light on details that you might not have even thought much about while reading the series. And guaranteed they'll be thoughts you'll want to come back to again and again. I went through three packages of highlighter strips on my copy of this book, marking quotes and sometimes entire sections of text. Some of the pages now look like a rainbow of colors.
I have read similar anthologies for other books, but I can honestly say none of them have affected the way I see the source material, as The Girl Who was on Fire has. I all ready loved each book in The Hunger Games trilogy, but if it's possible the essays put forth by the writers here, have made me appreciate the series even more.
Sometimes bringing me to tears, each selection challenged me to look at the details of the books in a new way. The essays do have some similar themes, but each also has a unique perspective to share as well. One overwhelming fact that can be found in many of the essays, as well as the introduction, is that we the readers of the Hunger Games are the Capitol audience.
This fact, actually struck me very hard. When I read through the series, I always felt very present in the arena with Katniss. I didn't feel as if I was watching the happenings from afar, but that I was journeying alongside her. I was shocked at what occurred, and openly cried many times while reading each of the books. I cared so much for the characters how could I ever consider that I was actually a part of the audience that revels in the Games? But as Carrie Ryan says in her essay Panem et Circenses:
In the end, if there is one truth that can be taken away from the Hunger Games it is this: we, the reader tuned in and boosted its rating. Even while Katniss rails against the Games as disgusting and barbaric, we the readers turn the pages in order to watch them. We become the citizens of the Capitol, glued to the televisions ensuring there will be another Game the following year. Thanks to us, the ratings are just to high to cancel the show.
A pretty heavy message to take in, but a true one at that. And certainly an aspect that I didn't recognize until now.
Who we are as readers is not the only topic up for discussion in the anthology, there are essays on how love is used as a weapon, how fashion was the true catalyst of the rebellion, the realities of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on the characters, and how the politics we see in Mockingjay actually reflect recent political occurrences. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Some of the most thought provoking essays to me focused on realism in the series. These included Carrie Ryan's, essay Panem et Circenses, showcasing how the media can manipulate even the smallest detail, making the line between what is real and not real blur and Elizabeth M. Rees contribution, Smoke and Mirrors which discusses the people Katniss encounters and how even those closest to her are sometimes marred in the haze of truth and deception.
However, the essay that I would probably classify as my favorite, is Jennifer Lynn Barnes piece Team Katniss. I have to admit, I love Peeta, he is my favorite character in the series, but Jennifer's discussion on who Katniss really is as a character is an eyeopener. She digs down deep below all of the masks that Katniss hides behind to reveal the true person underneath. After all sometimes it's not all about the boys or the romance, sometimes it is a about the girl. The character who believes love and survival go hand and hand and who would "throw herself in front of bullets as often as she dodges them -- because she would rather die for the people she loves than see them hurt." So, despite the fact that I love Peeta, I'm firmly on Team Katniss now.
So, how do I sum up this book? To me, The Girl Who was on Fire is a "MUST" read for any Hunger Games fan. This anthology is as touching and thought provoking as the series itself. The essays included will challenge you to think of aspects of the trilogy in a new and deeper way. And I would bet that each of the author's thoughts on Mockingjay are bound to change some minds about the series ender as well.
The Hunger Games may be over, but thanks to The Girl Who was on Fire, the discussion continues.
May 27, 2011
Remember when you finished THE HUNGER GAMES and you desperately wanted to talk to someone about it. And that desperation only got worse after you read CATCHING FIRE, and by the time you finished MOCKINGJAY you were practically frothing at the mouth - stopping random strangers on the street and forcing them to listen to your HUNGER GAMES trilogy babble!
As book bloggers we had an outlet for discussion with each other. But wouldn't it have been grand to talk to some of your favorite YA authors about it? YEEESSS!
THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE is like having a book club discussion of this fantastic trilogy with authors like Carrie Ryan, Sarah Rees Brennan, Bree Despain and Jennifer Lynn Barnes, to name just a few.
They give their opinions on the politics, the people, and the world that Collins created. There's lots of comparisons to society's current obsession with Reality TV. Elizabeth M. Rees in Smoke and Mirrors discusses how so much in the books is not what it seems. Mary Borsellino talks about how love is used as a weapon. Ned Vizzini gives insight into real media training. Cara Lockwood explores the science. Teri Clark focuses on how fashion played such a huge part in the story. I could go on and on.
Okay so the authors don't talk back but it's almost like having them in your living room. I loved their insights into so many aspects of THE HUNGER GAMES. It will give you even more to think about and discuss with your HUNGER GAMES buddies. Jake, Gregory and I all read THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE and we agree, it's an utter treat! (But no guarantee that you won't still be stopping those strangers.)
As book bloggers we had an outlet for discussion with each other. But wouldn't it have been grand to talk to some of your favorite YA authors about it? YEEESSS!
THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE is like having a book club discussion of this fantastic trilogy with authors like Carrie Ryan, Sarah Rees Brennan, Bree Despain and Jennifer Lynn Barnes, to name just a few.
They give their opinions on the politics, the people, and the world that Collins created. There's lots of comparisons to society's current obsession with Reality TV. Elizabeth M. Rees in Smoke and Mirrors discusses how so much in the books is not what it seems. Mary Borsellino talks about how love is used as a weapon. Ned Vizzini gives insight into real media training. Cara Lockwood explores the science. Teri Clark focuses on how fashion played such a huge part in the story. I could go on and on.
Okay so the authors don't talk back but it's almost like having them in your living room. I loved their insights into so many aspects of THE HUNGER GAMES. It will give you even more to think about and discuss with your HUNGER GAMES buddies. Jake, Gregory and I all read THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE and we agree, it's an utter treat! (But no guarantee that you won't still be stopping those strangers.)
August 27, 2012
The Girl Who Was on Fire is such a good book to refresh my memory and really, seriously take my love for The Hunger Games Series to the next level. Having read the trilogy before all the hype about the movie and before there was even news there was going to be a movie, the beauty of the series stayed but then of course, I also read great books after that but this in a way rekindled by passion for the trilogy.
My feelings about reading the trilogy and The Girl Who Was on Fire can be expressed with a quote Peeta said.
[image error]
I really really wish I could freeze that moment when I'm reading the trilogy and that immense satisfaction it brings me is just truly priceless.
I quite understand why many people would not really like The Girl Who Was on Fire after all, it is not a novel but a collection of essays. Yes. Essays can be darn boring to read. But having lived with writing and analyzing and reading and studying essays for the past school year and even the current year because of my English Literature subject I'm pretty much comfortable with literary essays.
It took me longer to finish this book not because it was utterly dull or whatsoever, but because one cannot read this book in just one sitting. There's a lot of information to digest. And even if some tends to point out the same point over and over again, it feels like you're discovering something so secret in the world of The Hunger Games when it was there all along anyway. It's like just there in the surface and you didn't even knew it was there and thanks to this book, you have discovered it. It's like the feeling of reading the trilogy for the first time. And I tell you, the feeling is so satisfactory.
I love all the essays. Really. It goes into depth to analyze everything in the world of THG. The science, the politics, the fashion, the characters, the games itself, the love, the survival, just everything. And it's just so so so good.
Of course, everything that is discussed here is something we all know as readers and fans of the trilogy, but actually seeing it being said (written actually) is like discovering such a profound story. Things that were there but only now is it all clear to us.
I especially love the essay about fashion. I know I know, maybe not such a good choice to favorite. But then, readers did love the dresses that Katniss wore yes? But the idea that fashion is also something that spark the rebellion has always been there but not really acknowledge and now it has. I love the line, "Katniss is the fire, but Cinna is the torch. And it made me love Cinna more.
And of course, the obvious of the obvious. Gale and Peeta. Even these authors themselves, expressed their feelings as to why Peeta really is the perfect one for Katniss. And he is. I'm not going to contradict that. I love them both, Gale and Peeta. I do. But if I have to choose I'll always always go for Gale. And the issue as to why our dear Katniss won't ever choose Gale is also explored. And yes, I agree with them. There were so many times that they tried to change my mind about Gale but in the end, I stand by my choice. It is always Gale. But I'll like to clear that I also love Peeta.
Though we think we know everything there is to know about our kick-ass heroine, Katniss. Well, we don't. Here, I was able to get such a good perception on who Katniss really is. And again, the feeling is like a profound discovery. Katniss is really the girl on fire. One and only.
There's a lot of things to say you know. But I don't want to make this seem like an essay too. And well, they have already explored everything there is to say. Likewise, these essays are just proof that The Hunger Games Trilogy is not just any kind of book, that it's worth analyzing, that it's profound and extraordinary and worthy for authors to even write essays about it.
P.S. It's amazing how Miss Collins has written the ending. It's both happy and sad. And I feel that that ending of ending is truly truly magnificent.
And Miss Collins creates a perfect representation of us in her trilogy. The viewers of the games enjoy or anticipate the tributes suffering and death. Violence is something they indulge in (not all, but a majority). We, as readers enjoy reading the trilogy where we also get to witness violence, loss, suffering and death. Does it make us any different? I'm not saying we're cruel because we read, my point is Miss Collins created such a perfect mirror to showcase the reality of life. Once again, contributing to the reality vs. illusion idea and stating the realistic aspect of the evils of society and that perhaps is what makes the trilogy incredible and superb.
My feelings about reading the trilogy and The Girl Who Was on Fire can be expressed with a quote Peeta said.
[image error]
I really really wish I could freeze that moment when I'm reading the trilogy and that immense satisfaction it brings me is just truly priceless.
I quite understand why many people would not really like The Girl Who Was on Fire after all, it is not a novel but a collection of essays. Yes. Essays can be darn boring to read. But having lived with writing and analyzing and reading and studying essays for the past school year and even the current year because of my English Literature subject I'm pretty much comfortable with literary essays.
It took me longer to finish this book not because it was utterly dull or whatsoever, but because one cannot read this book in just one sitting. There's a lot of information to digest. And even if some tends to point out the same point over and over again, it feels like you're discovering something so secret in the world of The Hunger Games when it was there all along anyway. It's like just there in the surface and you didn't even knew it was there and thanks to this book, you have discovered it. It's like the feeling of reading the trilogy for the first time. And I tell you, the feeling is so satisfactory.
I love all the essays. Really. It goes into depth to analyze everything in the world of THG. The science, the politics, the fashion, the characters, the games itself, the love, the survival, just everything. And it's just so so so good.
Of course, everything that is discussed here is something we all know as readers and fans of the trilogy, but actually seeing it being said (written actually) is like discovering such a profound story. Things that were there but only now is it all clear to us.
I especially love the essay about fashion. I know I know, maybe not such a good choice to favorite. But then, readers did love the dresses that Katniss wore yes? But the idea that fashion is also something that spark the rebellion has always been there but not really acknowledge and now it has. I love the line, "Katniss is the fire, but Cinna is the torch. And it made me love Cinna more.
And of course, the obvious of the obvious. Gale and Peeta. Even these authors themselves, expressed their feelings as to why Peeta really is the perfect one for Katniss. And he is. I'm not going to contradict that. I love them both, Gale and Peeta. I do. But if I have to choose I'll always always go for Gale. And the issue as to why our dear Katniss won't ever choose Gale is also explored. And yes, I agree with them. There were so many times that they tried to change my mind about Gale but in the end, I stand by my choice. It is always Gale. But I'll like to clear that I also love Peeta.
Though we think we know everything there is to know about our kick-ass heroine, Katniss. Well, we don't. Here, I was able to get such a good perception on who Katniss really is. And again, the feeling is like a profound discovery. Katniss is really the girl on fire. One and only.
There's a lot of things to say you know. But I don't want to make this seem like an essay too. And well, they have already explored everything there is to say. Likewise, these essays are just proof that The Hunger Games Trilogy is not just any kind of book, that it's worth analyzing, that it's profound and extraordinary and worthy for authors to even write essays about it.
P.S. It's amazing how Miss Collins has written the ending. It's both happy and sad. And I feel that that ending of ending is truly truly magnificent.
And Miss Collins creates a perfect representation of us in her trilogy. The viewers of the games enjoy or anticipate the tributes suffering and death. Violence is something they indulge in (not all, but a majority). We, as readers enjoy reading the trilogy where we also get to witness violence, loss, suffering and death. Does it make us any different? I'm not saying we're cruel because we read, my point is Miss Collins created such a perfect mirror to showcase the reality of life. Once again, contributing to the reality vs. illusion idea and stating the realistic aspect of the evils of society and that perhaps is what makes the trilogy incredible and superb.
June 24, 2016
3.5 stars
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
I actually didn't know this was a selection of essays discussing different themes in The Hunger Games. For some reason I always thought it was a selection of fan fiction written by other YA authors about THG. While I would have definitely loved some fan fiction, I did mostly enjoy reading other author's thoughts on the trilogy. I loved some more than others, in particular Sarah Rees Brennan's Why So Hungry for The Hunger Games?, Mary Borsellino's Your Heart Is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist which looks at how love is used as a political weapon throughout the series and also Gale: Knight, Cowboy, Badass by Jackson Pearce.
Not So Weird Science by Cara Lockwood and Bent, Shattered and Mended by Blythe Woolston were both interesting in the fact they were more studies into the realities of genetic engineering in our world today and then the real symptoms of PTSD and how it's portrayed in the book and which characters show the classic signs. Others like Ned Vizzini's Reality Hunger didn't click with me because, particularly with this one, the author ended up talking about stuff in their own life and I didn't really care. I think Vizzini could have talked about Katniss's media training without constantly mentioning his own experience of being through it.
Overall, it was an interesting read for the most part. I just felt a bit drawn out in some parts when some of the essays started mirroring each other slightly but it was a fantastic insight into how other authors can look and dissect a trilogy that became a phenomenon.
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
I actually didn't know this was a selection of essays discussing different themes in The Hunger Games. For some reason I always thought it was a selection of fan fiction written by other YA authors about THG. While I would have definitely loved some fan fiction, I did mostly enjoy reading other author's thoughts on the trilogy. I loved some more than others, in particular Sarah Rees Brennan's Why So Hungry for The Hunger Games?, Mary Borsellino's Your Heart Is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist which looks at how love is used as a political weapon throughout the series and also Gale: Knight, Cowboy, Badass by Jackson Pearce.
Not So Weird Science by Cara Lockwood and Bent, Shattered and Mended by Blythe Woolston were both interesting in the fact they were more studies into the realities of genetic engineering in our world today and then the real symptoms of PTSD and how it's portrayed in the book and which characters show the classic signs. Others like Ned Vizzini's Reality Hunger didn't click with me because, particularly with this one, the author ended up talking about stuff in their own life and I didn't really care. I think Vizzini could have talked about Katniss's media training without constantly mentioning his own experience of being through it.
Overall, it was an interesting read for the most part. I just felt a bit drawn out in some parts when some of the essays started mirroring each other slightly but it was a fantastic insight into how other authors can look and dissect a trilogy that became a phenomenon.
August 17, 2024
This book is literally the embodiment of why the hunger games series is so powerful and significant to me. I struggle myself to put into words the importance of understanding the politics, ethics, morality, etc the series portrays but this anthology did it perfectly and shows all the reasons why it’s such a quintessential piece of media to understand our world and society in my opinion. the essays emphasizing katniss’s importance as an individual/symbol/political figure all in one as well as the essays calling for reflection of media consumption and understanding of it were so so well done. “the politics of mockingjay” in particular also almost made me cry
Your heart is a weapon the size of your fist. Keep fighting. Keep loving.
Your heart is a weapon the size of your fist. Keep fighting. Keep loving.
July 10, 2011
The only problem with this book is that some of the essays have actually very little about "The Hunger Games". And some focus too much on topics like genetics and Reatity TV, while it could be discussing the actual story.
The book started really good. With amazing essays and beautiful profiles of the characters. Summing everything you had in your mind when you finished reading the series and putting it into words.
Then, it got a bit tiring when authors stirred too far away from the actual "Hunger Games" and just essyaed extensively about Reality Tv (which just seemed like reviews of seasons of Survivor and The Real World) and their actual lives (trying not to come off too egotistical though; ironically).
I have to say Cara Lockwood's essay "Not too weird science" is pretty much the worst one. It's quite a big stretch to compare lizard-men mutts to rice that contains more Vitamin A. I find this essay sort of childish. Not every scientist is Frankenstein. Not every mutation is creepy and evil. 95% of the mutations nowadays are made to help humanity, to the advantage of the world, some even to help the environment. Suzanne Collins' idea about portraying the mutts as something terrifying and bad is more like a warning. About how genetic engeneering can derail, and come to an ugly ending. Of course there are evil people in the world, and some may even eventually use genetics in a bad way. However, I am baffled that in this essay science is portrayed as a curse, as something bad and something to be feared. This is not 1500 anymore. Science is what keeps us going! Science is what's beautiful in life. She writes:"Sometimes science just creates new problems." Examples? Can't really think of any right now. And if there are, the good that sciece has provided can certainly make up for it. This essay is more sci-fi than actual sci-fi. But so far, Cara, everything is swell. There are no tracker jackers roaming around. (Cara's books are actually interesting though - they have nothing to do with genetics - I might just read them).
From there to the end, it gets better, though. It becomes a "Hunger Games" book again, and, therefore, quite enjoyable.
There are only 3 essays that I found undeserving of 4 stars, but the rest of the book made up for those.
The best essays are:
Why So Hungry for the Hunger Games by Sarah Rees Brennan
Team Katniss by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Your Heart Is A Weapon The Size of Your Fist by Mary Borsellind
Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth M. Rees
Crime of Fashion by Terri Clark
Bent, Shattered and Mended by Blythe Woolston
The Politics of Mockingjay by Sarah Darer Littman
The Inevitable Decline of Decadence by Adrienne Kress
Community in the Face of Tyranny by Bree Despain
The book started really good. With amazing essays and beautiful profiles of the characters. Summing everything you had in your mind when you finished reading the series and putting it into words.
Then, it got a bit tiring when authors stirred too far away from the actual "Hunger Games" and just essyaed extensively about Reality Tv (which just seemed like reviews of seasons of Survivor and The Real World) and their actual lives (trying not to come off too egotistical though; ironically).
I have to say Cara Lockwood's essay "Not too weird science" is pretty much the worst one. It's quite a big stretch to compare lizard-men mutts to rice that contains more Vitamin A. I find this essay sort of childish. Not every scientist is Frankenstein. Not every mutation is creepy and evil. 95% of the mutations nowadays are made to help humanity, to the advantage of the world, some even to help the environment. Suzanne Collins' idea about portraying the mutts as something terrifying and bad is more like a warning. About how genetic engeneering can derail, and come to an ugly ending. Of course there are evil people in the world, and some may even eventually use genetics in a bad way. However, I am baffled that in this essay science is portrayed as a curse, as something bad and something to be feared. This is not 1500 anymore. Science is what keeps us going! Science is what's beautiful in life. She writes:"Sometimes science just creates new problems." Examples? Can't really think of any right now. And if there are, the good that sciece has provided can certainly make up for it. This essay is more sci-fi than actual sci-fi. But so far, Cara, everything is swell. There are no tracker jackers roaming around. (Cara's books are actually interesting though - they have nothing to do with genetics - I might just read them).
From there to the end, it gets better, though. It becomes a "Hunger Games" book again, and, therefore, quite enjoyable.
There are only 3 essays that I found undeserving of 4 stars, but the rest of the book made up for those.
The best essays are:
Why So Hungry for the Hunger Games by Sarah Rees Brennan
Team Katniss by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Your Heart Is A Weapon The Size of Your Fist by Mary Borsellind
Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth M. Rees
Crime of Fashion by Terri Clark
Bent, Shattered and Mended by Blythe Woolston
The Politics of Mockingjay by Sarah Darer Littman
The Inevitable Decline of Decadence by Adrienne Kress
Community in the Face of Tyranny by Bree Despain
Want to read
March 8, 2011Wow! All right NCCLers, I just might have to buy one more book. Then I'll stop; I really mean it this time! This book was just posted to a reading teacher's site I belong to. those of you who have read the Hunger Games Trilogy, we'll have to check out this book of essays. Below is the review of the book:
I’m such a nerd, so needless to say I was thrilled when the ARC of The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy arrived. I immediately dove in and was not disappointed. This is a collection of essays that examine the deeper issues within and without the Hunger Games trilogy. I actually used a few of the essays with my classes already, as examples of well-written literary analyses.
Some of the authors included: Sarah Rees Brennan, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Mary Borsellino, Elizabeth M. Rees, Lili Wilkinson, Ned Vizzini, Carrie Ryan, Cara Lockwood, Terri Clark, Blythe Woolston, Sarah Darer Littman, Adrienne Kress, and Bree Despain.
Some of the essay titles?
Your Heart is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist
Panem et Circenses
The Politics of Mockingjay
The Inevitable Decline of Decadence (I used this one as an example in my classes!)
Community in the Face of Tyranny
All of the essays are excellent. You can read them straight through, or pick and choose the essays for you. Each one is a fantastic example of analysis and will make you think deeply about the series as a whole.
Plus, this is a fantastic book to give to those who say the Hunger Games trilogy is nothing more than child’s play, a silly young adult book. ;)
I’m such a nerd, so needless to say I was thrilled when the ARC of The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy arrived. I immediately dove in and was not disappointed. This is a collection of essays that examine the deeper issues within and without the Hunger Games trilogy. I actually used a few of the essays with my classes already, as examples of well-written literary analyses.
Some of the authors included: Sarah Rees Brennan, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Mary Borsellino, Elizabeth M. Rees, Lili Wilkinson, Ned Vizzini, Carrie Ryan, Cara Lockwood, Terri Clark, Blythe Woolston, Sarah Darer Littman, Adrienne Kress, and Bree Despain.
Some of the essay titles?
Your Heart is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist
Panem et Circenses
The Politics of Mockingjay
The Inevitable Decline of Decadence (I used this one as an example in my classes!)
Community in the Face of Tyranny
All of the essays are excellent. You can read them straight through, or pick and choose the essays for you. Each one is a fantastic example of analysis and will make you think deeply about the series as a whole.
Plus, this is a fantastic book to give to those who say the Hunger Games trilogy is nothing more than child’s play, a silly young adult book. ;)
November 8, 2011
I have very mixed emotions about this book. It's an unauthorized collection of analytical essays about various aspects of the Hunger Games trilogy by different YA authors (some more famous than others). A couple of these essays are gems for content, like Sarah Darer Littman's "The Politics of Mockingjay" in which she asserts that maybe the methods of torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners are not so far off from what happened at Abu Ghraib (waterboarding, anyone?). Blythe Woolston's essay on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (which, although never called that, is pretty accurately portrayed in the Hunger Games trilogy) is pretty good also. But by and large this collection is pretty poorly edited, and sources not always properly cited. Not to mention, where in the books is Katniss called "Kat"? I know Gale's nickname for her is "Catnip," but I don't remember Kat anywhere. An interesting read, but also skipable.
February 14, 2014
I absolutely loved this essays. If you loved The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset and just wanted to discuss or learn more of all the topics there, this is the thing to read. Many authors discuss about the use of propaganda, the politics, and of course the love triangle. It really tackles every aspect and gives you some sort of new understanding of why everything happens the way it does. I personally loved the ending of Mockingjay but for those who were not satisfy I believe this book gives you some very good perspective.
January 21, 2012
I reviewed this book on April 2011, when it was first brought into my attention. Recently though I received the new movie edition which includes 3 new essays that pretty much rocked my world. Here is my original review, along with the new paragraphs on the new content.
April, 2011:
These kinds of books are awesome, and specifically this one is amazing! The essays are so good! There are 13 essays (for 13 districts?) in total, some have to do with fashion, psychology, PSTD among the winners of The Hunger Games, Team Katniss, and so much more. Theres something for everybody.
When the people at Smart Pop contacted me about reviewing this one I was so psyched!!! Any fan of The Hunger Games would be. I first learned about Smart Pop when I bought their essays on A New Dawn, I was soo into Twilight and this book was a life saver. I read it before I got Breaking Dawn because it wasn't out yet. Anyways this book is as good as A New Dawn was, if not better (let me think about it... definitely better). The authors talk about various parts of The Hunger Games with such insight that it make you think "holly crap how did I not see it? Why wasn't this clear to me from the get go?"
After I reads this book I immediately picked up The Hunger Games and started re reading it. Cinna is by far one of my favorite characters in the book, before reading The Girl Who Was on Fire I didn't paid much attention to him, but after reading the essay on fashion I got to say that he is one of the bravest most creative characters ever. Also after re reading The Hunger Games (and reading an essay that talked about the love triangle thing in The Girl Who Was on Fire) is hard to see where anyone got the idea that Katniss could ever end up with Gale, Peeta is such a sweet heart and clearly the right choice. Oh and also, I'm Team Katniss, she is the best. You will understand if you read The Girl Who Was on Fire, it really is an eye opener. Not to say that that all the essays will appeal to just everybody, there was one heavily on the science part that didn't interest me at all, but for the most part is so good.
January 2012:
All that I have said above? Completely true. Nonetheless, I have to add a bit more due to the new essays that the Movie Edition brings.
The essays are written by Diana Peterfreud (author of the killer unicorn series Rampant), Brent Hartinger (author of Geography Club) and Jackson Pearce (author of Sisters Red, Sweetly and Purity).
The one written by Diana is about Game Theory, and how it applies to The Hunger Games. It is very informative and interesting that is for sure. Maybe if my teachers taught me about the Game Theory with Hunger Games examples I would have learned a bit more about it, or been more interested.
"Game Theory is not about games. It's about politics and psychology, war and strategy. For Katniss Everdeen, it is life and death, and in the end, everyone in Panem comes to learn that the only way to truly win the game is not to play at all."
Brent Hartinger's essay is basically on "does the Mockingjay book suck or not?". It is his personal belief that the book wasn't as good as the others, it is my personal belief that I loved it. So it was interesting reading the other side of the coin. Brent does a very fine job indeed. He not only puts forward why he beliefs the book sucked and where he thinks things could have been done better, but he also speaks up for the people who loved the book and gives various reasons on why he would understand why the book would be loved (something about cynicism in his essay struck a cord with me).
"...there are two sides to the question of whether or not the book sucks. But there's also a third point of view to be considered: that there is some truth to both arguments. That Mockingjay might be flawed in some respects, but it's a bold and challenging work of fiction in others, specially the ending."
Last but not least is Jackson Pearce's essay. Her essay has to do with Gale, surprisingly. It has to do with how Gale is the knight, or cowboy if you prefer the men with boots and hats, of the series. He is willing to do whatever is necessary for the greater good, even if it interferes with what he wants the most as an individual (in this case this would be Katniss' love). To some degree I would agree with Jackson. Gale was never going to end with Katniss, we all knew that deep inside. Why? Well, you will have to read the essay to figure that out.
"All this time, Gale has been fighting not just for Katniss' heart, but for her safety, to create a world in which she and everyone else can be happy. And he wins -only he can't live in that world with her, because she can't forgive him for what he has done, things she has deemed to be evil."
This book is as close to the Hunger Games inner workings as you are going to get. It's like getting together with your friends and discussing the Hunger Games in great detail- only your friends in this case are inside the pages. You will enjoy every single second of the conversation, and after it is finished you will ask for seconds. That's when you get up, go to your best friend, and put this book in their hands. Only then will they be able to understand this love we have deep inside for The Hunger Games and why we keep trying to keep the world alive even though the series as long ended.
Long live The Hunger Games.
April, 2011:
These kinds of books are awesome, and specifically this one is amazing! The essays are so good! There are 13 essays (for 13 districts?) in total, some have to do with fashion, psychology, PSTD among the winners of The Hunger Games, Team Katniss, and so much more. Theres something for everybody.
When the people at Smart Pop contacted me about reviewing this one I was so psyched!!! Any fan of The Hunger Games would be. I first learned about Smart Pop when I bought their essays on A New Dawn, I was soo into Twilight and this book was a life saver. I read it before I got Breaking Dawn because it wasn't out yet. Anyways this book is as good as A New Dawn was, if not better (let me think about it... definitely better). The authors talk about various parts of The Hunger Games with such insight that it make you think "holly crap how did I not see it? Why wasn't this clear to me from the get go?"
After I reads this book I immediately picked up The Hunger Games and started re reading it. Cinna is by far one of my favorite characters in the book, before reading The Girl Who Was on Fire I didn't paid much attention to him, but after reading the essay on fashion I got to say that he is one of the bravest most creative characters ever. Also after re reading The Hunger Games (and reading an essay that talked about the love triangle thing in The Girl Who Was on Fire) is hard to see where anyone got the idea that Katniss could ever end up with Gale, Peeta is such a sweet heart and clearly the right choice. Oh and also, I'm Team Katniss, she is the best. You will understand if you read The Girl Who Was on Fire, it really is an eye opener. Not to say that that all the essays will appeal to just everybody, there was one heavily on the science part that didn't interest me at all, but for the most part is so good.
January 2012:
All that I have said above? Completely true. Nonetheless, I have to add a bit more due to the new essays that the Movie Edition brings.
The essays are written by Diana Peterfreud (author of the killer unicorn series Rampant), Brent Hartinger (author of Geography Club) and Jackson Pearce (author of Sisters Red, Sweetly and Purity).
The one written by Diana is about Game Theory, and how it applies to The Hunger Games. It is very informative and interesting that is for sure. Maybe if my teachers taught me about the Game Theory with Hunger Games examples I would have learned a bit more about it, or been more interested.
"Game Theory is not about games. It's about politics and psychology, war and strategy. For Katniss Everdeen, it is life and death, and in the end, everyone in Panem comes to learn that the only way to truly win the game is not to play at all."
Brent Hartinger's essay is basically on "does the Mockingjay book suck or not?". It is his personal belief that the book wasn't as good as the others, it is my personal belief that I loved it. So it was interesting reading the other side of the coin. Brent does a very fine job indeed. He not only puts forward why he beliefs the book sucked and where he thinks things could have been done better, but he also speaks up for the people who loved the book and gives various reasons on why he would understand why the book would be loved (something about cynicism in his essay struck a cord with me).
"...there are two sides to the question of whether or not the book sucks. But there's also a third point of view to be considered: that there is some truth to both arguments. That Mockingjay might be flawed in some respects, but it's a bold and challenging work of fiction in others, specially the ending."
Last but not least is Jackson Pearce's essay. Her essay has to do with Gale, surprisingly. It has to do with how Gale is the knight, or cowboy if you prefer the men with boots and hats, of the series. He is willing to do whatever is necessary for the greater good, even if it interferes with what he wants the most as an individual (in this case this would be Katniss' love). To some degree I would agree with Jackson. Gale was never going to end with Katniss, we all knew that deep inside. Why? Well, you will have to read the essay to figure that out.
"All this time, Gale has been fighting not just for Katniss' heart, but for her safety, to create a world in which she and everyone else can be happy. And he wins -only he can't live in that world with her, because she can't forgive him for what he has done, things she has deemed to be evil."
This book is as close to the Hunger Games inner workings as you are going to get. It's like getting together with your friends and discussing the Hunger Games in great detail- only your friends in this case are inside the pages. You will enjoy every single second of the conversation, and after it is finished you will ask for seconds. That's when you get up, go to your best friend, and put this book in their hands. Only then will they be able to understand this love we have deep inside for The Hunger Games and why we keep trying to keep the world alive even though the series as long ended.
Long live The Hunger Games.
July 9, 2011
Pretty much everyone has heard of The Hunger Games, and most have their own opinions about the series. What we rarely get to see, is an author share their thoughts about a book or series. The Girl Who Was On Fire gives us that chance. Each author focuses on a certain topic, or issue, in the book and they explain their thoughts on the trilogy.
I had several sections of this book that stood out as favorites. Each author brought humor and fascinating theories to support their outlook. Sarah Rees Brennan had some very funny comments regarding the love and sexy-times in the series. She admits she's "a filthy-minded creature from the gutter". It's so nice to see authors open up and show that they are just like us! *wink*
Cara Lockwood focused on the science behind some of the creatures we see in The Hunger Games; tracker jackers, and mutts. I was shocked to read about some of the scientific experiments that have been conducted by researchers, in real life. Scary stuff! It proved that maybe tracker jackers may not be far from our future.
For me, I really loved how each section brought back memories from reading the book. It gave me a lot to think about and pointed out things I had missed along the way. As readers, we often focus on different things we notice in the book but The Girl Who Was On Fire lets us have time to slow down and concentrate on each individual issue.
Other stories discuss the fashion, politics, media, and of course, the relationships we all come to enjoy during the trilogy. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games series, and would like to see how authors feel about the story, you gotta read this book. Each story is interesting in its own way and helps the reader look back at these books that have been embraced so much by teens and adults.
I had several sections of this book that stood out as favorites. Each author brought humor and fascinating theories to support their outlook. Sarah Rees Brennan had some very funny comments regarding the love and sexy-times in the series. She admits she's "a filthy-minded creature from the gutter". It's so nice to see authors open up and show that they are just like us! *wink*
Cara Lockwood focused on the science behind some of the creatures we see in The Hunger Games; tracker jackers, and mutts. I was shocked to read about some of the scientific experiments that have been conducted by researchers, in real life. Scary stuff! It proved that maybe tracker jackers may not be far from our future.
For me, I really loved how each section brought back memories from reading the book. It gave me a lot to think about and pointed out things I had missed along the way. As readers, we often focus on different things we notice in the book but The Girl Who Was On Fire lets us have time to slow down and concentrate on each individual issue.
Other stories discuss the fashion, politics, media, and of course, the relationships we all come to enjoy during the trilogy. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games series, and would like to see how authors feel about the story, you gotta read this book. Each story is interesting in its own way and helps the reader look back at these books that have been embraced so much by teens and adults.
February 23, 2012
this was a pretty awesome collection of essays. i particularly liked the essays on game theory, team katniss, PTSD, cinna and whether or not you liked Mockingjay. it makes me happy, and the essays were perfect to read before bed.
highly recommend it. jennifer lynn barnes kicks some serious ass. my admiration for these authors keeps growing - including carrie ryan and diana peterfreund. if you liked the hunger games, you should pick this up and enjoy it.
*
i was all ready to pass on this until i saw Diana Peterfreund is a contributor . . . her essay on shay in Mind-Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Series was my favorite.
::shakes fist:: darn you, diana!
::adds to pre-order list for 2011::
highly recommend it. jennifer lynn barnes kicks some serious ass. my admiration for these authors keeps growing - including carrie ryan and diana peterfreund. if you liked the hunger games, you should pick this up and enjoy it.
*
i was all ready to pass on this until i saw Diana Peterfreund is a contributor . . . her essay on shay in Mind-Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Series was my favorite.
::shakes fist:: darn you, diana!
::adds to pre-order list for 2011::
April 22, 2011
It's like a very long review of The Hunger Games trilogy. It makes you see the books in a whole new way. It makes you see how really really brilliant of an author Suzanne Collins is. I've never really thought that there might be a deeper reason for Haymitch's drunkenness. That Katniss may be the fire but Cinna is the torch. And I strongly agree that the Hunger Games is more than just Team Peeta or Team Gale. It also made me realize that some programs today, though not brutal and bloody, are not that far off from The Hunger Games.
However, some essays are redundant and a little boring. Another thing, I think we should not call Katniss as Kat. Seems like a little disrespectful to a great heroine who has carved herself in the minds of the readers and who took the YA Dystopia up another notch.
However, some essays are redundant and a little boring. Another thing, I think we should not call Katniss as Kat. Seems like a little disrespectful to a great heroine who has carved herself in the minds of the readers and who took the YA Dystopia up another notch.
August 14, 2014
This was not really what I expected.
We, fans, tend to want to read all about a story, no matter if it comes from the author or from someone else, but there are things that work and things that simply do not, unfortunately.. not really. This was the case for me.
This is a collection of essays about the trilogy, but I felt like I knew more about it than the people talking about it in this one here. It left me a bit disappointed and thinking that maybe from now on I should stick to the main books only.
We, fans, tend to want to read all about a story, no matter if it comes from the author or from someone else, but there are things that work and things that simply do not, unfortunately.. not really. This was the case for me.
This is a collection of essays about the trilogy, but I felt like I knew more about it than the people talking about it in this one here. It left me a bit disappointed and thinking that maybe from now on I should stick to the main books only.
December 3, 2015
The Girl Who Was on Fire Movie Edition is a in-depth look at everything Hunger Games! This guide goes through all three books, and movies in numerous angles and points of view of the writing. It is a fascinating read! I cannot even to begin to explain the depth and meaning given to Hunger Game trilogy from these points of view.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!!
January 19, 2016
Meh. Started off interesting....then got boring and stated the obvious too much! A bit disappointed if I'm honest. All the best parts of the book were quoted on the Goodreads sidebar (which is what originally made me want to pick this up), good advertising guys, it totally reeled me in.
Not worth a full review.
Not worth a full review.
Read
December 30, 2010All I have to say was that I hated Mockingjay; that was the first actual time I felt depressed, I can't even stand reading twice or more... That's how much I hate it I even threw it across my bedroom!
April 23, 2011
I read a handful of essays and scanned the rest, and opted not to finish with any more thoroughness. While the various writers had a few worthwhile points to bring up, overall I felt that their pieces lacked depth, instead ringing with more of a AP English timed write/guided prompt note.
January 11, 2012
The Girl Who Was On Fire-Movie Edition contains all the awesomeness of the first edition of The Girl Who Was On Fire, plus three brand new essays from Brent Hartinger, Jackson Pearce, and Diana Peterfreund, which I will discuss separately.
Brent Hartinger: Did the third book suck?
Brent talks about his disappointment in the last book of the series, Mockingjay, but also tries to support people who liked it.
I agree with Brent's opinion, more or less. I am one of the many (few?) who didn't like the Hunger Games ending. For completely different reasons that anyone else it seems, but I was disappointed nonetheless.
"There's apparently a fine line between "reluctant hero" and "cliche angst-y teen"
Agree 100%. That's why I think Katniss's reactions, emotions and behavior became so over the top, so melodramatic if you will, in the last book. Everyone is obsessed over her, and she can't help but think that she is indeed the centre and cause of everything. Yes, she is important to the world of Panem, no question about it. However, not THAT important that would justify her thinking that everything that happens in her dystopia world happens because of her.
I also agree about Brent's take on the love triangle. If you're looking for tormented lovers, pick another YA book, there're a lot of them about with that particular theme. Agreed, the Hunger Games trilogy is not at all about Katniss's love life, far from it actually. Or...at least it shouldn't have been. I've said this a million times: if you don't want readers, especially YA readers, to have romance-centered expectations, DO NOT ADD AN ANGSTY LOVE TRIANGLE. It's that simple. "Cheap" tricks like that are so beyond Hunger Games. Its amazing story spoke for itself, it didn't need anything else. If you want to add some romance to lighten the mood, sure, by all means. But choose a guy for Katniss to love and find comfort in. Not two guys. If you chose the latter, you have to prepare for the backlash, which is unfortunately unavoidable. When you add a love triangle in a book, you automatically split your fan-base into two sides. That means that in the end, you can only fully satisfy the one side, if that. If you want to talk numbers, that's approximately 50% of the readers. Why go through that? Why not target at 100%? I just don't get it.
Finally, the one thing that I don't agree with Brent is that The Hunger Games world is not morally grey. There is nothing grey and in-between about it. It's pitch black and corrupt to the core, and if that makes me a cynic, so be it.
Jackson Pearce: Gale: Knight, Cowboy, Badass
"Katniss wants to run away with those she loves, because her family, her inner circle, is more important to her that the general populace" Gale flatly tells Katniss " Don't you see? It can't be about just saving "us" anymore. Not if the rebellion's begun!"
Yes! Finally! Jackson very accurately compares the altruism and selflessness that describes a knight's, a hero's life, to Katniss's who from the very beginning declares that her family is her first priority. Gale does love his family obviously, but he loves the cause more.
I couldn't agree more. I don't know if that makes one character more likable than the other, what I do know however, is that visionaries and people who want to change the world have to put the greater good before themselves and their families and the people they love. If you want to lead a revolution, you have to put the populace's interests before yours. It doesn't work any other way. If your plan is to fight to save your ass, you're gonna fail and fail and fail. Or you're gonna succeed but you'll be no hero. There's this scene in Mockingjay I will never forget. The bombing in destrict 13 had started and everyone had rushed to the shelter except for Prim, who was not far behind. They had to close the door however, because they couldn't risk getting hit. Katnisss ordered for the door to stay open until Prim came, jeopardizing the life of everyone that was in the shelter. Did she care? Not in the least. Would she had done it for anyone else? Absolutely not. So, you realise, you cannot possibly do that, and still call yourself a hero. Cruel but true. For me, and for Jackson apparently, Gale is the real hero in the Hunger Games series. The leader of the revolution, willing to put his life on the line to save others. Finally, again, couldn't agree more when Jackson says that without Gale there would be no meadow for Katniss and Peeta's children to play at the end of Mockingjay:
"He's the reason the series had a happy ending".
"Peeta, with all his domesticated ador- ableness, is a man, whereas Gale is an archetype—someone pos- sible to lust over, possible to care for, possible to love, but fundamentally impossible to settle down with."
How right you are, Jackson. How right you are.
Diana Peterfreund: Hunger Game Theory
Diana writes a very illuminating essay about game strategy, its origins and its various sides and uses. Playing a game of two players entails a certain amount of thinking and strategizing if you want to win, or at least accomplish the best outcome for you. That's what Diana's essay is about, how two people's game strategies are connected and how one cannot possibly exist without the other.
She refers to Harry Potter's Quidditch and Ender's Game Battle School game. What first came to my mind when reading the Hunger Games is Battle Royale. For those of you who haven't heard of it, Battle Royale is a novel by Koushun Takami. It takes place in Japan, in an alternate timeline. Under the guise of a "study trip", a group of students are gassed on a bus, and then wake up in an evacuated school in a deserted island. They learn that they have been placed in an event called the Program. Officially a military research project, it is a means of terrorizing the population, of creating such paranoia as to make organized insurgency impossible. According to the rules, every year since 1947, 42 third-year high school students are isolated, and each student is required to fight to the death until one student remains. Their movements are tracked by metal collars, which contain tracking and listening devices. If any student should attempt to escape the Program, or enter declared forbidden zones, a bomb will be detonated in the collar, killing the wearer. If no one dies in a 24 hour time period, there will be no winner and all collars will be detonated simultaneously. After being briefed about the Program, the students are issued survival packs that include a map, compass, flashlight, food and water, and a random weapon or other item, which may be anything from a gun to a paper fan(summary mostly taken from Wiki).
Many argue that Battle Royale is more violent and bloody than the Hunger Games. Is it though?
"Win or lose. Kill or be killed. Every man for himself."
I think Diana answered my question.
"The only way to win the game is not to play at all"
I think the above phrase pretty much sums up the whole series. Diana reminds us what Haymitch told Katniss in Mockingjay, that they were all "still in the game". Whatever they do, it doesn't stop. It just goes around and around and around and for what? People never win, districts never win, it's always the Capitol. So the best strategy is to not have one, meaning not to play at all. I think that's what Katniss and Peeta realised when they thought about eating the berries, shaking the system to its core.
Great analytical essay on game theory based on psychological examples and politics.
Brent Hartinger: Did the third book suck?
Brent talks about his disappointment in the last book of the series, Mockingjay, but also tries to support people who liked it.
I agree with Brent's opinion, more or less. I am one of the many (few?) who didn't like the Hunger Games ending. For completely different reasons that anyone else it seems, but I was disappointed nonetheless.
"There's apparently a fine line between "reluctant hero" and "cliche angst-y teen"
Agree 100%. That's why I think Katniss's reactions, emotions and behavior became so over the top, so melodramatic if you will, in the last book. Everyone is obsessed over her, and she can't help but think that she is indeed the centre and cause of everything. Yes, she is important to the world of Panem, no question about it. However, not THAT important that would justify her thinking that everything that happens in her dystopia world happens because of her.
I also agree about Brent's take on the love triangle. If you're looking for tormented lovers, pick another YA book, there're a lot of them about with that particular theme. Agreed, the Hunger Games trilogy is not at all about Katniss's love life, far from it actually. Or...at least it shouldn't have been. I've said this a million times: if you don't want readers, especially YA readers, to have romance-centered expectations, DO NOT ADD AN ANGSTY LOVE TRIANGLE. It's that simple. "Cheap" tricks like that are so beyond Hunger Games. Its amazing story spoke for itself, it didn't need anything else. If you want to add some romance to lighten the mood, sure, by all means. But choose a guy for Katniss to love and find comfort in. Not two guys. If you chose the latter, you have to prepare for the backlash, which is unfortunately unavoidable. When you add a love triangle in a book, you automatically split your fan-base into two sides. That means that in the end, you can only fully satisfy the one side, if that. If you want to talk numbers, that's approximately 50% of the readers. Why go through that? Why not target at 100%? I just don't get it.
Finally, the one thing that I don't agree with Brent is that The Hunger Games world is not morally grey. There is nothing grey and in-between about it. It's pitch black and corrupt to the core, and if that makes me a cynic, so be it.
Jackson Pearce: Gale: Knight, Cowboy, Badass
"Katniss wants to run away with those she loves, because her family, her inner circle, is more important to her that the general populace" Gale flatly tells Katniss " Don't you see? It can't be about just saving "us" anymore. Not if the rebellion's begun!"
Yes! Finally! Jackson very accurately compares the altruism and selflessness that describes a knight's, a hero's life, to Katniss's who from the very beginning declares that her family is her first priority. Gale does love his family obviously, but he loves the cause more.
I couldn't agree more. I don't know if that makes one character more likable than the other, what I do know however, is that visionaries and people who want to change the world have to put the greater good before themselves and their families and the people they love. If you want to lead a revolution, you have to put the populace's interests before yours. It doesn't work any other way. If your plan is to fight to save your ass, you're gonna fail and fail and fail. Or you're gonna succeed but you'll be no hero. There's this scene in Mockingjay I will never forget. The bombing in destrict 13 had started and everyone had rushed to the shelter except for Prim, who was not far behind. They had to close the door however, because they couldn't risk getting hit. Katnisss ordered for the door to stay open until Prim came, jeopardizing the life of everyone that was in the shelter. Did she care? Not in the least. Would she had done it for anyone else? Absolutely not. So, you realise, you cannot possibly do that, and still call yourself a hero. Cruel but true. For me, and for Jackson apparently, Gale is the real hero in the Hunger Games series. The leader of the revolution, willing to put his life on the line to save others. Finally, again, couldn't agree more when Jackson says that without Gale there would be no meadow for Katniss and Peeta's children to play at the end of Mockingjay:
"He's the reason the series had a happy ending".
"Peeta, with all his domesticated ador- ableness, is a man, whereas Gale is an archetype—someone pos- sible to lust over, possible to care for, possible to love, but fundamentally impossible to settle down with."
How right you are, Jackson. How right you are.
Diana Peterfreund: Hunger Game Theory
Diana writes a very illuminating essay about game strategy, its origins and its various sides and uses. Playing a game of two players entails a certain amount of thinking and strategizing if you want to win, or at least accomplish the best outcome for you. That's what Diana's essay is about, how two people's game strategies are connected and how one cannot possibly exist without the other.
She refers to Harry Potter's Quidditch and Ender's Game Battle School game. What first came to my mind when reading the Hunger Games is Battle Royale. For those of you who haven't heard of it, Battle Royale is a novel by Koushun Takami. It takes place in Japan, in an alternate timeline. Under the guise of a "study trip", a group of students are gassed on a bus, and then wake up in an evacuated school in a deserted island. They learn that they have been placed in an event called the Program. Officially a military research project, it is a means of terrorizing the population, of creating such paranoia as to make organized insurgency impossible. According to the rules, every year since 1947, 42 third-year high school students are isolated, and each student is required to fight to the death until one student remains. Their movements are tracked by metal collars, which contain tracking and listening devices. If any student should attempt to escape the Program, or enter declared forbidden zones, a bomb will be detonated in the collar, killing the wearer. If no one dies in a 24 hour time period, there will be no winner and all collars will be detonated simultaneously. After being briefed about the Program, the students are issued survival packs that include a map, compass, flashlight, food and water, and a random weapon or other item, which may be anything from a gun to a paper fan(summary mostly taken from Wiki).
Many argue that Battle Royale is more violent and bloody than the Hunger Games. Is it though?
"Win or lose. Kill or be killed. Every man for himself."
I think Diana answered my question.
"The only way to win the game is not to play at all"
I think the above phrase pretty much sums up the whole series. Diana reminds us what Haymitch told Katniss in Mockingjay, that they were all "still in the game". Whatever they do, it doesn't stop. It just goes around and around and around and for what? People never win, districts never win, it's always the Capitol. So the best strategy is to not have one, meaning not to play at all. I think that's what Katniss and Peeta realised when they thought about eating the berries, shaking the system to its core.
Great analytical essay on game theory based on psychological examples and politics.
June 2, 2012
3.5 Stars, rounded down.
Perhaps this book should have been called, "Women Write About 'The Hunger Games.'" Maybe it sounds sexist and trite, but of the 13 authors contributing to this book, one is male. ...Check that, it doesn't sound trite - it is trite, because the essays are all well written, and I enjoyed them. Double check that. It isn't trite, because I was just wondering what a male perspective would have brought. TRIPLE check that... it IS trite... I'm a male, so I'm bringing a male perspective. ...But not an OUTSIDE male perspective.
Whatever. Youprobably don't get my point.
So, if I liked the essays, what's the problem? They were insightful. They clarified my thoughts on the books, and many even brought out/up aspects of the trilogy that I hadn't thought about. But several were redundant. It made me wonder if the editors solicited topics from authors, or just said, "Write about whatever you want. Approach this from any angle," and then had several approach it from the same angle.
That said, I was hooked from page one. It's hard putting up with all the idiots in the world. A few years back I got in a fairly heated discussion about The Hunger Games and Battle Royale. (Die-hard Battle Royale fans/ holier-than-thou readers/ people-who-heard-about-Battle-Royale-after-The-Hunger-Games-but-still-wanted-to-be-righteously-angry-about-something-and-finally-had-their-lame-cause argue that Suzanne Collins stole the idea for Hunger Games from Royale... ...Oh grow up. Battle Royale stole it from Lord of the Flies or Stephen King's The Long Walk...*note sarcasm*) Sarah Rees Brennan addresses this head on in the first essay.
You know, I taught The Hunger Games this year. Just thought I'd throw that in there... The essay "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Lili Wilkinson was especially poignant. Although I think Lili was wrong on some of her points - on page 72, under the section "The Watchers" she claims that nobody in all of Panem turns off their tv because, "The viewers at home are just as bloodthirsty and eager for drama as we are when watching an episode of The Bachelorette or The Amazing Race. What does that say about the people of Panem? The people in Panem were living under a politic of fear. We are not. The quote at the beginning of her essay, "It must be very fragile if a handful of berries can bring it down," speaks to this. If more people realized how fragile the structure of tyranny actually is, more people would stand up for themselves. As Katniss took on the Capitol with a handful of berries, Gandhi took on the British Empire with a, "pinch of salt." As I'm writing this (6-1-12),President "President" Assad of Syria claims that the massacre in Houla last week was carried out by the rebels. The rebels say it was Assad. Sound familiar? I don't think Panem knew they could shut down the Capitol by shutting off their TVs, but Wilkinson is right to point out that they could have.
A lot of the essays dealt with reality - and the ambiguity in the book. The characters are always under surveillance, therefore they can't be real. The characters are put into a position where they can't trust each other, therefore they can't be real. The characters are given drugs or stung by tracker jackers that cause them to question reality... Definitely a theme in the book that was also brought out in the essays.
"Bent, Shattered, and Mended" by Blythe Woolston was an interesting look at the mental toll of the games on those participating as well as their society as a whole. I especially like the section on the development of a baby's brain.
The essay that I was most excited about seemed to be a bit of lefty propaganda. Don't get me wrong, I'm cool with propaganda... I watch the Super-bowl just for the ads. But man, do you have to be so overt? Bush didn't start extraordinary rendition, Clinton was using it before him, and Obama is still using it. Furthermore, Obama has targeted U.S. citizens - something Bush never did. I think the tipping point for me was when Sarah Darer Littman equated Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush. (Full disclosure, I voted for Bush twice and Obama once.) I'm not excusing Bush's use of extreme methods of interrogation. Part of the reason I voted for Obama is that I'm against torture. BUT to equate him with Saddam Hussein is inexcusable as well.
Other essays I liked were "The Inevitable Decline of Decadence" by Adrienne Kress as well as Community in the Face of Tyranny by Bree Despain.
If you are considering teaching The Hunger Games, you may want to check out this book as it illuminates many aspects, metaphors, applications, that could possibly go unnoticed on the first... dozen... readings. (I wish I could remember which author said that the avoxes are the perfect metaphor for the districts...)
Or, even if you're not teaching it... if you've read the trilogy a dozen times, it's probably time to pick up this book.
Perhaps this book should have been called, "Women Write About 'The Hunger Games.'" Maybe it sounds sexist and trite, but of the 13 authors contributing to this book, one is male. ...Check that, it doesn't sound trite - it is trite, because the essays are all well written, and I enjoyed them. Double check that. It isn't trite, because I was just wondering what a male perspective would have brought. TRIPLE check that... it IS trite... I'm a male, so I'm bringing a male perspective. ...But not an OUTSIDE male perspective.
Whatever. You
So, if I liked the essays, what's the problem? They were insightful. They clarified my thoughts on the books, and many even brought out/up aspects of the trilogy that I hadn't thought about. But several were redundant. It made me wonder if the editors solicited topics from authors, or just said, "Write about whatever you want. Approach this from any angle," and then had several approach it from the same angle.
That said, I was hooked from page one. It's hard putting up with all the idiots in the world. A few years back I got in a fairly heated discussion about The Hunger Games and Battle Royale. (Die-hard Battle Royale fans/ holier-than-thou readers/ people-who-heard-about-Battle-Royale-after-The-Hunger-Games-but-still-wanted-to-be-righteously-angry-about-something-and-finally-had-their-lame-cause argue that Suzanne Collins stole the idea for Hunger Games from Royale... ...Oh grow up. Battle Royale stole it from Lord of the Flies or Stephen King's The Long Walk...*note sarcasm*) Sarah Rees Brennan addresses this head on in the first essay.
You know, I taught The Hunger Games this year. Just thought I'd throw that in there... The essay "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Lili Wilkinson was especially poignant. Although I think Lili was wrong on some of her points - on page 72, under the section "The Watchers" she claims that nobody in all of Panem turns off their tv because, "The viewers at home are just as bloodthirsty and eager for drama as we are when watching an episode of The Bachelorette or The Amazing Race. What does that say about the people of Panem? The people in Panem were living under a politic of fear. We are not. The quote at the beginning of her essay, "It must be very fragile if a handful of berries can bring it down," speaks to this. If more people realized how fragile the structure of tyranny actually is, more people would stand up for themselves. As Katniss took on the Capitol with a handful of berries, Gandhi took on the British Empire with a, "pinch of salt." As I'm writing this (6-1-12),
A lot of the essays dealt with reality - and the ambiguity in the book. The characters are always under surveillance, therefore they can't be real. The characters are put into a position where they can't trust each other, therefore they can't be real. The characters are given drugs or stung by tracker jackers that cause them to question reality... Definitely a theme in the book that was also brought out in the essays.
"Bent, Shattered, and Mended" by Blythe Woolston was an interesting look at the mental toll of the games on those participating as well as their society as a whole. I especially like the section on the development of a baby's brain.
The essay that I was most excited about seemed to be a bit of lefty propaganda. Don't get me wrong, I'm cool with propaganda... I watch the Super-bowl just for the ads. But man, do you have to be so overt? Bush didn't start extraordinary rendition, Clinton was using it before him, and Obama is still using it. Furthermore, Obama has targeted U.S. citizens - something Bush never did. I think the tipping point for me was when Sarah Darer Littman equated Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush. (Full disclosure, I voted for Bush twice and Obama once.) I'm not excusing Bush's use of extreme methods of interrogation. Part of the reason I voted for Obama is that I'm against torture. BUT to equate him with Saddam Hussein is inexcusable as well.
Other essays I liked were "The Inevitable Decline of Decadence" by Adrienne Kress as well as Community in the Face of Tyranny by Bree Despain.
If you are considering teaching The Hunger Games, you may want to check out this book as it illuminates many aspects, metaphors, applications, that could possibly go unnoticed on the first... dozen... readings. (I wish I could remember which author said that the avoxes are the perfect metaphor for the districts...)
Or, even if you're not teaching it... if you've read the trilogy a dozen times, it's probably time to pick up this book.
August 1, 2024
I am so happy I found this book while browsing on Thrift Books. My favorite hobby is analyzing fictional characters and worlds, and with The Hunger Games being my favorite series... I have never bought something so quickly. I had so much fun reading and annotating the CRAP out of every page. So much depth in character and plot was explored. Yes, there were some thoughts that I disagreed with (cough cough, the Gale chapter) but it was still neat seeing the different perspectives! I also love the fact that several authors joined forces to basically congratulate Suzanne Collins on her beautiful work. I enjoy seeing authors supporting each other!
Overall, I felt like so many chapters of this book were taken verbatim out of my head, with the countless hours I have spent thinking about Katniss, Peeta, and Panem as a whole. I 100% recommend this for die hard Hunger Games fans who want to dig a little deeper!
(I did NOT like that one of the essays referred to Katniss as "Kat" over and over...it made me grimace for some reason, blech.)
Overall, I felt like so many chapters of this book were taken verbatim out of my head, with the countless hours I have spent thinking about Katniss, Peeta, and Panem as a whole. I 100% recommend this for die hard Hunger Games fans who want to dig a little deeper!
(I did NOT like that one of the essays referred to Katniss as "Kat" over and over...it made me grimace for some reason, blech.)
September 10, 2017
It feels unfair to rate the collection and not individual essays. Some were brilliant and thought-provoking (Mary Borsellino, Terri Clark, Sarah Darer Littman, Bree Despain). Others were off-topic or just bad (I'm looking at you, Ned Vizzini). Sometimes it felt like Leah Wilson didn't communicate clearly enough what kind of collection she had in mind. But I can't say I regret the time I've spent reading it. Three stars seems fair.
January 28, 2022
Leuk als soort van nabeschouwing maar niet helemaal waar ik op gehoopt had. Had gehoopt op verhalen maar misschien moet ik gewoon accepteren dat de serie afgelopen is :’). Alsnog vermakelijk en zeker een toffe kringloop vondst
January 13, 2023
Decent book. Solid commentary and analysis on the hunger games trilogy. interesting for sure, cool to understand deeper topics in the series! just took me so long to get through (this was the culprit of my reading slump), so hoping i’ll be back on the book grind now😌
Want to read
January 26, 2024this is gonna be the best thing ever jlb and thg...PERFECTION
February 11, 2016
I received this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited when I saw this as an option on NetGalley, especially after finishing the Panem Companion. Not only did it help me dig deeper into The Huger Games series, but it also caused me to take a deeper look into all of the books I read, especially YA books, whether it be taking note of their cultural norms, gender roles, other societal structers, or more depth to the characters.
This is not one book, but a series of essays written by popular YA authors about The Hunger Games series. I love that, having read the Panem Companion, I has a background knowledge of Susan Collins' intentions and meaning behind THG, but this book is not just a repeat of that. This book focuses on the readers'/watchers' views, opinions and feelings about THG.
One of the first things that stuck out to me was focusing on media truths/lied. At first, Katniss has a hard time lying at all about her and Peeta's relationship, but by Mockingjay, she betrays even the readers with ehr intention to create a new Hunger Games and kills Coin instead of Snow. With this, Sarah Rees Brennan points out, in the first essay, Peeta's position in Mockingjay. His perception has been so altered that he must rely on other telling him what is "Real or not real?"
His position is horrifying, and yet it is just a magnified version of everyone's position in THG - of our own positions as consumers of entertainment that pretends to reflect reality.
I am very glad that Jennifer Lynn Barns focused on the love triangle angle. I have also become tired with the endless triangles.
I AM TEAM KATNISS!
THG trilogy has less to do with who Katniss ends up with and more to do with who she is - because sometimes, in books and in life, it's not about romance.
THANK YOU JLB!
I also didn't like how I saw so much Team Gale and Team Peeta. These books were not, at their core, about love. They were about society, war and rebuilding a better society. Katniss was not all swoony, like most YA heroines, today. (Thank God!) She stick to what is important in a time of crisis, which is not who she should kiss.
JLB comes to an excellent conclusion as to why readers picked this question to represent the series, though. Since Katniss was so hard to figure out, readers did as the Capitol did and labeled her a girl in love, making it an either/or situation that would easily tell us who she is.
Maybe for a lot of readers, the questions if Peeta or Gale, who are "so different from each other that it is easy to imagine that a girl who would choose Gale is a completely different person than one who would choose Peeta."
I love that JLB refers to Gale as a firecracker and Peeta a dandelion!
This book gave me an epiphany that Susan Collins might have (perhaps?) been combatting the Peeta vs. Gale argument.
If you like THG, you will most likely enjoy this book. I recommend reading the Panem Companion, first, though!
I was excited when I saw this as an option on NetGalley, especially after finishing the Panem Companion. Not only did it help me dig deeper into The Huger Games series, but it also caused me to take a deeper look into all of the books I read, especially YA books, whether it be taking note of their cultural norms, gender roles, other societal structers, or more depth to the characters.
This is not one book, but a series of essays written by popular YA authors about The Hunger Games series. I love that, having read the Panem Companion, I has a background knowledge of Susan Collins' intentions and meaning behind THG, but this book is not just a repeat of that. This book focuses on the readers'/watchers' views, opinions and feelings about THG.
One of the first things that stuck out to me was focusing on media truths/lied. At first, Katniss has a hard time lying at all about her and Peeta's relationship, but by Mockingjay, she betrays even the readers with ehr intention to create a new Hunger Games and kills Coin instead of Snow. With this, Sarah Rees Brennan points out, in the first essay, Peeta's position in Mockingjay. His perception has been so altered that he must rely on other telling him what is "Real or not real?"
His position is horrifying, and yet it is just a magnified version of everyone's position in THG - of our own positions as consumers of entertainment that pretends to reflect reality.
I am very glad that Jennifer Lynn Barns focused on the love triangle angle. I have also become tired with the endless triangles.
I AM TEAM KATNISS!
THG trilogy has less to do with who Katniss ends up with and more to do with who she is - because sometimes, in books and in life, it's not about romance.
THANK YOU JLB!
I also didn't like how I saw so much Team Gale and Team Peeta. These books were not, at their core, about love. They were about society, war and rebuilding a better society. Katniss was not all swoony, like most YA heroines, today. (Thank God!) She stick to what is important in a time of crisis, which is not who she should kiss.
JLB comes to an excellent conclusion as to why readers picked this question to represent the series, though. Since Katniss was so hard to figure out, readers did as the Capitol did and labeled her a girl in love, making it an either/or situation that would easily tell us who she is.
Maybe for a lot of readers, the questions if Peeta or Gale, who are "so different from each other that it is easy to imagine that a girl who would choose Gale is a completely different person than one who would choose Peeta."
I love that JLB refers to Gale as a firecracker and Peeta a dandelion!
This book gave me an epiphany that Susan Collins might have (perhaps?) been combatting the Peeta vs. Gale argument.
Katniss knows that the world - and many of the trilogy readers - reduce her to that one thing - romance - and that she expects better of those who know her best.Even more than I am Team Katniss, I am TEAM BUTTERCUP!
Because if you think about it, Katniss is not interested in love and romance throughout the series, as many YA heroines are.
Buttercup is a better comparison to Katniss than her namesake (a potato-like root plant) or the mockingjay. The cat who refused to die. Because, that's what Katniss is, a survivor.I think one of the reasons THG is so popular is because Katnis is unlike most YA heroines. She doesn't find insta-love and really doesn't think much about romance at all.
If anyone doubts Katniss is more driven by family than anything else - including romance- all you have to do if look at the role that Prim plays in almost every major turning point in the series.Ultimately, even to the other characters in the book, Katniss isn't The Girl who Chose Peeta. She's not the Mockingjay or The Girl on Fire or the Girl Who Didn't Choose Gale.
She's a girl who survives something horrible and loses far too many people along the way.This was a lighter read than The Panem Companion. This explores the feelings behind the characters more than the inspiration for the characters and the facts.
If you like THG, you will most likely enjoy this book. I recommend reading the Panem Companion, first, though!
January 30, 2014
More reviews at Boricuan Bookworms
eARC Provided by Publisher via Netgalley
For all The Hunger Games fans, this is a book made specially for you. And for those too that didn't seem to find anything relevant in them, that hated how superficial they were, any type of person that wants to know more of these books by Suzanne Collins, this is for you. This book is an anthology, a collection, of essays written by various authors that give you a deeper insight of the games, the characters, and most probably things that never crossed your mind and leave you shocked at how much you and I are like the Capitol and it's citizens rather than being the Districts like Katniss and Co.
I was one of those weird people who were, by some reason, proud of not having read The Hunger Games, even less watch the movie or know what the heck it was about. I know, how horrible of me. But I'm glad, in a way, because when I got to read the books, it was in a perfect moment of sorts. We read each book neither late nor early, we read them just when we're meant to (I might have made that quote-ish from what Gandalf says about Wizards... haha). Anyways, I read them, got extremely hooked, watched The Hunger Games and fangirled a bit too much while watching Catching Fire in the theater last year when it came out.
Suzanne Collins introduced us into this strange and yet so realistic world after the USA got destroyed and reshaped into what Katniss knows. This was my third dystopian book after having read Matched, then Divergent, then this. I was still fresh on that theme and setting of a future post-apocalyptic world. After reading the books I would get to think of the important themes these books prevented, about being brave in the face of danger, defending what you believe in and the ones you love, that a single person is enough to start a rebellion, those things. I got my gears going at the wee hours of the night. But my mind was opened with this book, The Girl Who Was On Fire, like never before.
Through the series of essays, each author makes a different point directly related to the books or some of its themes. It was like having a book scientists undressing the whole book bare until we could see it's core, it's raw inside for what it really is and stands for. There were things in the book, like how Gale was related to Prim's death that I didn't understand to a 100%, there were also character traits that I didn't think much either. Like Peeta. He's quite the talker and can have the audience become putty in his hands. I saw that as a kind of gift for speech, but never as a manipulator. Never a liar who could get whatever he wanted by just saying it. I saw him as the lovely bread boy who had an unconditional love for Katniss that would go to the end of the world, beyond the stars, and survive against all odds. I was the Capitol audience. I was so many things while reading the books, the characters became so many others, it was astounding, really. I'm not able to write all of what I read because I wouldn't do justice to how marvelously each author made their point that really got into me.
Buy the book, read it, have your mind being blown away by the small but big things you didn't notice the first time you read The Hunger Games Series. This will definitely make you want to read them again and analyze every single detail and have your mind running wild on a knowledge rush.
Rating: 4 stars
March 17, 2012
I had to keep reminding myself when as I read that I was not the target audience, that it was written for teens. If I knew a teen who loved the Hunger Games trilogy I would recommend this to them. It would be useful to help them develop critical thinking about what they read. As an adult I found the essays pointed out little that I did not think about while reading the series.
I would recommend limiting your reading to 1 essay a day. I initially tried to read several and found they seemed too similar when I did that. There are common themes pulled out multiple times. Individual scores and thoughts follow.
Why So Hungry for the Hunger Games? – Sarah Rees Brennen – 1
Poor, arrogant and scattered. I don’t like an author trying to imply she is smarter than the rest of us, nor do I like one telling me what I thought when I read the books. She tries to be funny and is not. Fails to provide any depth. Seems to be jealous of Collins success by pointing out other literary examples of similar stories.
Team Katniss – Jennifer Lynn Barnes – 3.5
The author argues strongly for what I assumed everyone already knew – this series is about Katniss, not the boys. I forget that many readers of the series are teenagers who want it to be all about the love triangle. Barnes writes a very complete and compelling case for why the romance is all secondary. She makes a great point that Buttercup is probably the most suited companion for Katniss. She also comes back to Katniss as a survivor, and ultimately she chooses to survive. Great catch on pointing out Katniss is introduced by reaching for Prim and not finding her. Great foreshadowing.
Your Heart Is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist – Mary Borsellino – 3.5
Good tie-in to 1984 and V is Vendetta. Well presented case showing love triumphs in Panem, where it did not in 1984.
Smoke and Mirrors – Elizabeth Rees – 3
Another well laid out essay, this time about deception and trust.
Someone to Watch Over Me – Lili Wilkenson - 2.5
Not a lot of substance. Tried to build paranoia about modern surveillance, but never drove home the point.
Reality Hunger – Ned Vizzinni – 4.5
Brilliant! A dead on assault on how social media makes you fake and traps you into a phony persona. A great history of reality TV, and blend of the author’s own experiences. I’ll be checking out his books
Panem et Circenses – Carrie Ryan – 2.5
Reality shows are far from real
Not so Weird Science – Cara Lockwood – 3
Science should be used cautiously. There are always unintended consequences.
Crime of Fashion – Terri Clark – 2
People judge you by what you wear.
Bent, Shattered & Mended – Blythe Woolston – 3
The most intellectual essay. Pumped out a lot of information about brain development and PTSD. But I felt that it failed to go to the next logical step to talk about how to help people with PTSD, whether from a war or another traumatic experience.
The Politics of Mockingjay – Sarah Darer Littman – 2
The author talks about her own works three times as much as the Hunger Games books. I agree with the point she is trying to make, but she pats herself on the back way too much.
The Inevitable Decline of Decadence – Adrienne Kress – 3
So close to being brilliant. Kress made a great argument against decadence and how it can’t last. But failed to drive it home at the end with how the English speaking countries of the world ARE the equivalent of The Capital.
Community in the face of Tyranny – Bree Despain – 3
Points out that communities, families if you will, are formed around Katiniss and it is these families that ultimately are the Capitol’s downfall.
I would recommend limiting your reading to 1 essay a day. I initially tried to read several and found they seemed too similar when I did that. There are common themes pulled out multiple times. Individual scores and thoughts follow.
Why So Hungry for the Hunger Games? – Sarah Rees Brennen – 1
Poor, arrogant and scattered. I don’t like an author trying to imply she is smarter than the rest of us, nor do I like one telling me what I thought when I read the books. She tries to be funny and is not. Fails to provide any depth. Seems to be jealous of Collins success by pointing out other literary examples of similar stories.
Team Katniss – Jennifer Lynn Barnes – 3.5
The author argues strongly for what I assumed everyone already knew – this series is about Katniss, not the boys. I forget that many readers of the series are teenagers who want it to be all about the love triangle. Barnes writes a very complete and compelling case for why the romance is all secondary. She makes a great point that Buttercup is probably the most suited companion for Katniss. She also comes back to Katniss as a survivor, and ultimately she chooses to survive. Great catch on pointing out Katniss is introduced by reaching for Prim and not finding her. Great foreshadowing.
Your Heart Is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist – Mary Borsellino – 3.5
Good tie-in to 1984 and V is Vendetta. Well presented case showing love triumphs in Panem, where it did not in 1984.
Smoke and Mirrors – Elizabeth Rees – 3
Another well laid out essay, this time about deception and trust.
Someone to Watch Over Me – Lili Wilkenson - 2.5
Not a lot of substance. Tried to build paranoia about modern surveillance, but never drove home the point.
Reality Hunger – Ned Vizzinni – 4.5
Brilliant! A dead on assault on how social media makes you fake and traps you into a phony persona. A great history of reality TV, and blend of the author’s own experiences. I’ll be checking out his books
Panem et Circenses – Carrie Ryan – 2.5
Reality shows are far from real
Not so Weird Science – Cara Lockwood – 3
Science should be used cautiously. There are always unintended consequences.
Crime of Fashion – Terri Clark – 2
People judge you by what you wear.
Bent, Shattered & Mended – Blythe Woolston – 3
The most intellectual essay. Pumped out a lot of information about brain development and PTSD. But I felt that it failed to go to the next logical step to talk about how to help people with PTSD, whether from a war or another traumatic experience.
The Politics of Mockingjay – Sarah Darer Littman – 2
The author talks about her own works three times as much as the Hunger Games books. I agree with the point she is trying to make, but she pats herself on the back way too much.
The Inevitable Decline of Decadence – Adrienne Kress – 3
So close to being brilliant. Kress made a great argument against decadence and how it can’t last. But failed to drive it home at the end with how the English speaking countries of the world ARE the equivalent of The Capital.
Community in the face of Tyranny – Bree Despain – 3
Points out that communities, families if you will, are formed around Katiniss and it is these families that ultimately are the Capitol’s downfall.
February 12, 2013
Seen at Scott Reads It!
I have been a Hunger Games fan ever since 2008 and I remember when THG wasn't the global phenomenon it is today. In fact I remember recommending THG to a few of my classmates and I remember them telling me it sounded stupid and ridiculous. **Fast Forward 4 Years** The same people who told me that THG was stupid, went to the movie on opening day and claimed that they were huge fans of the trilogy. Just because you saw the movie doesn't mean you are a huge fan of THG trilogy. Many of these self-proclaimed die hard Hunger Games fans that I know haven't even finished the entire trilogy. Sorry for completely digressing but I just had to unwind about the fake THG junkies I know. There will be spoilers for Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games Trilogy.
I have read numerous anthologies in my life. What do all of these anthologies have in common? Every single time I read an anthology the essays or stories are either extremely entertaining or extremely dreadful. The Girl Who Was On Fire also seems to suffer from this common issue. Some of the essays in this anthology seemed like they would never end and I felt so tempted to skim or skip these essays. I wasn't really interested in reading about the political values displayed in The Hunger Games at all and the essay on politics was extremely tedious. Another essay which I disliked was "The Game Theory" by Diana Peterfreund because this essay felt very extraneous. I didn't not enjoy reading about the mathematics of games and how rules affect game play. The only part of Peterfreund's essay that I enjoyed was the allusion to Quidditch.
The rest of the essays were much more entertaining to read especially the essays written by Carrie Ryan, Ned Vizzini, and Terri Clark. It was not a surprise that I really enjoyed the essays by Ryan and Vizzini. Ryan's essay on "Panem et Circuses" was extremely thought provoking and provided a meaningful analysis of Panem. "Panem et Circuses" provided a powerful view on how the media controls society. Is the reader any better than the people of Panem? The people of Panem tune in to watch all of the Hunger Games, if they didn't watch THG the Capital would have a considerable less power. The people of Panem give the Capital more power by watching kids fight to the death. Is someone who read The Hunger Games any better than a viewer from the Capital? Afterall both the reader and the Capital citizen are interested in The Hunger Games for similar reasons. Vizzini's essay was a true eye opener and revealed the connection between Kurt Cobain and Katniss. Who would have ever thought Cobain and Katniss were so closely linked? Other memorable essays include "Did The Third Book Suck?" and "Gale: Knight. Cowboy. Badass." which were extremely fun to read.
The Girl Is On Fire isn't exactly a must-read but it is an entertaining book. I really enjoyed a vast majority of the essays and I'm glad that the essays were more than just "Team Gale" or "Team Peeta". If you're looking for a thought-provoking book that goes beyond the mindless THG Teams than this is the book for you. It is a bit disappointing and ironic that the "Movie Edition" lacks any essays regarding the movie. Even though I haven't heard of a majority of the authors in this anthology, I do look forward to looking into reading books by some of the authors featured in this anthology.
I have been a Hunger Games fan ever since 2008 and I remember when THG wasn't the global phenomenon it is today. In fact I remember recommending THG to a few of my classmates and I remember them telling me it sounded stupid and ridiculous. **Fast Forward 4 Years** The same people who told me that THG was stupid, went to the movie on opening day and claimed that they were huge fans of the trilogy. Just because you saw the movie doesn't mean you are a huge fan of THG trilogy. Many of these self-proclaimed die hard Hunger Games fans that I know haven't even finished the entire trilogy. Sorry for completely digressing but I just had to unwind about the fake THG junkies I know. There will be spoilers for Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games Trilogy.
I have read numerous anthologies in my life. What do all of these anthologies have in common? Every single time I read an anthology the essays or stories are either extremely entertaining or extremely dreadful. The Girl Who Was On Fire also seems to suffer from this common issue. Some of the essays in this anthology seemed like they would never end and I felt so tempted to skim or skip these essays. I wasn't really interested in reading about the political values displayed in The Hunger Games at all and the essay on politics was extremely tedious. Another essay which I disliked was "The Game Theory" by Diana Peterfreund because this essay felt very extraneous. I didn't not enjoy reading about the mathematics of games and how rules affect game play. The only part of Peterfreund's essay that I enjoyed was the allusion to Quidditch.
The rest of the essays were much more entertaining to read especially the essays written by Carrie Ryan, Ned Vizzini, and Terri Clark. It was not a surprise that I really enjoyed the essays by Ryan and Vizzini. Ryan's essay on "Panem et Circuses" was extremely thought provoking and provided a meaningful analysis of Panem. "Panem et Circuses" provided a powerful view on how the media controls society. Is the reader any better than the people of Panem? The people of Panem tune in to watch all of the Hunger Games, if they didn't watch THG the Capital would have a considerable less power. The people of Panem give the Capital more power by watching kids fight to the death. Is someone who read The Hunger Games any better than a viewer from the Capital? Afterall both the reader and the Capital citizen are interested in The Hunger Games for similar reasons. Vizzini's essay was a true eye opener and revealed the connection between Kurt Cobain and Katniss. Who would have ever thought Cobain and Katniss were so closely linked? Other memorable essays include "Did The Third Book Suck?" and "Gale: Knight. Cowboy. Badass." which were extremely fun to read.
The Girl Is On Fire isn't exactly a must-read but it is an entertaining book. I really enjoyed a vast majority of the essays and I'm glad that the essays were more than just "Team Gale" or "Team Peeta". If you're looking for a thought-provoking book that goes beyond the mindless THG Teams than this is the book for you. It is a bit disappointing and ironic that the "Movie Edition" lacks any essays regarding the movie. Even though I haven't heard of a majority of the authors in this anthology, I do look forward to looking into reading books by some of the authors featured in this anthology.
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