Mockingjay

Published Information

Author:	Suzanne Collins
Series:	Hunger Games #3
Published:	August 2010
Genre:	Science Fiction
Pages:	400

Ratings

Violence:	PG-13 (Graphic war violence)
Sexual Content:	PG
Language:	PG
Reading Age:	High school
Buy Recommend:	Paperback (This is not one you would want to read several times, though it was very good)
Overall Rating:	7 out of 10 (Well written, true to characters and plot, but difficult to read)

Plot Summary

At the end of the last book, Katniss enabled an escape attempt for the tributes. Peeta and other tributes were captured, while Katniss and Fennrick were able to escape, with the help of Gale and Haymitch, and were taken to District 13. However even though Katniss and Fennrick escaped, they have experienced severe psychological trauma. The first section of the book deals with Katniss dealing with her inner nightmares and getting back into a state where she can help the war that is now raging with all the districts and the capital. She truly becomes the Mockingjay that the rebels need.

The next section of the book deals with the propaganda warfare going on between the capital and districts. But as Katniss adds her face to the cause, the Capital adds Peeta. They have some hold on him and begins stating some fairly bad messages for the rebel cause. However, after one particular interview with Peeta, he informs District 13 that an attack is on the way. He gets beaten, but District 13 is able to protect themselves from the attack just in time. It is decided that a small group should try and infiltrate the capital and free Peeta and the other captives. They are successful, but when Katniss runs to Peeta, he tries to kill her. Obviously, he isn't successful. It becomes evident that Peeta has been brainwashed with a technique called "hijacking." They use the venom of the bees that induce fear and horror. Basically, they make him remember good memories, and then inject him with the venom, so that all the good memories become warped and terrible. They realize the Capital allowed the rebels to leave with Peeta.

The last section of the book deals with the Katniss and a small group of other victors and soldiers invading the capital. The rebels send them in with the intention of using footage to continue doing propaganda, but Katniss has her own agenda, to kill President Snow. She begins to make plans, but then the leader of the rebels sends a mostly rehabilitated Peeta to join the group. It becomes evident that the rebel leaders no longer see Katniss as a help alive and have set this up to have Katniss killed. However, the group works together to help Peeta, and he begins to recover more fully, though he is still very concerned he will hurt or kill Katniss, or at least the others in the group.

In the end, Katniss realizes that even killing President Snow might not be enough. She still has people that see her more of a problem rather than a help, and she stops being able to trust anyone. As the final scenes of the war come to a head, Katniss has no idea what to do, or who to do it to.

Comments

This was a very difficult book to read. Not that it was not well written, not that it didn't hold true to the characters, or anything of that sort. The book is hard to read because it deals with the realities of war (at least in a futuristic setting) and that those that survive still have demons and wreckages to sort through. Suzanne Collins doesn't pull her punches and is fairly graphic in some of the fighting. As well, none of the characters are sacred, and none of them come out of this untainted.

As with the other books, there are political statements throughout the book. You would have to be purposely ignoring them to miss them. There was one point in the book where the rebels are beginning to take control and a discussion is had over government. They talk about how they want to come up with a government with representatives for the people and a follow-up comment is "Isn't that the government our ancestors had before they messed up?" I didn't quote it exactly, but the idea is correct. The point being that if we, in our world and with our government for the people, aren't careful, it makes no difference how good our government is. We can still blow ourselves up.

The book ends well, in that it ends as it should. War is dirty, psychologically and physically, and changes people. That being said, it is not a happy ending for just about anyone.

Catching Fire

Published Information

Author:	Suzanne Collins
Series:	Hunger Games #2
Published:	September 2009
Genre:	Science Fiction
Pages:	400

Ratings

Violence:	PG-13 (Hand to hand killing, )
Sexual Content:	PG-13 (Kitness and Peeta sleep in same bed, kissing at other times)
Language:	PG (Swearing is mentioned, but not the actual words)
Reading Age:	High school
Buy Recommend:	Hardbound (My family will read, some of us more than once)
Overall Rating:	7 out of 10 (While very good, felt like an intermediate step to third book)

Plot Summary

Now that Kitness and Peeta have won the Hunger Games, they think they are safe and life can go back to normal. But they realize very quickly that life will be even more difficult for them. In winning with both of them coming out alive, they have beaten the Capital at their own game, and those who care know it. The leader from the capital, President Snow, visits Kitness and makes it very clear that she will have to keep up the façade of her being in love with Peeta. Kitness' family is at stake, as well as Gale and his family. The president knows that Kitness is in love with Gale, but wants Kitness to feel her very own form of misery. Kitness and Peeta decide to get married to try and convince him that they will do what it takes, but they soon find out that the President will not be satisfied.

Part of the problem is that the way Kitness and Peeta won was shown as a form of defiance. A sign of hope to the rebels. Some of the districts begin revolting. By the time the games have begun several of the districts are in a full revolt. In some cases, the district has already locked down the district, but in others, there are still problems. Before things can get any worse, they lock down district 12, in hopes that Kitness and Peeta can't do any more damage.

Every 25 years, there is a special hunger games, where different rules apply. For example, in the 50th year, twice as many tributes are required. So 4 from each district are sent. Interestingly, this is the one Halemitch won. Now that the 75th year has come around, the rules are changed again. For these games, the tributes will be chosen from the winners of previous games. Kitness and Peeta both realize they are going back this year.

There are a couple of other differences in these games, maybe differences the Capital didn't expect. For example, most of the winners know each other since they see each other at the games each year. In many cases they are friends. So it becomes easy for many of them to form friendships and alliances again. Another difference is that the people in the capital love the winners. They are like celebraties to them. So by the Capital leaders putting the winners back in the arena, the people of the capital are not happy at all. It becomes an even more apparent problem when during the introductions, many of the tributes make comments about how unfair things are and that something should be done. By the time the interviews are over, the city is up in arms about how bad the games are.

However, the games go on. Now, Peeta and Kitness go into the games again, and while some of the tributes are older, or a little more frail, they are all winners and are able to do anything necessary to win. The only chance Peeta and Kitness have will be to enlist the help of some of the other tributes. But which ones can they rely on? They will have to rely upon Halemitch's help more than ever if they hope to survive.

Comments

This second book is just as good as the first, though it is very different. The first book was pointing out problems in society. There is still some of that here, but the book is more about how there are different ways to express disagreement and individuality, even when you are very restricted in your rights. In some cases, we can full out rebel. In other cases, we spread our disagreement with media or word of mouth -- grass roots if you will. But the point is, there is always something we can do to help improve society or overcome persecution from others. It is not always easy, but we can do it. We can't wait for something to happen, rather we must take action.

The book does have a couple of graphic scenes, such as when Gale is tied to a post and whipped, and then nursed back to health. Or when someone tries to cut out a tracker out of Kitness. That being said, the game is not viewed from the same stand point as last time. In the first book, there was quite a bit of brutality between the contestants. There is very little of that in this book. It is more about the tributes figuring out the dangers around them and overcoming them. Overall, the violence isn't as prevelent as in the first.

Hunger Games

Published Information

Author:	Suzanne Collins
Series:	Hunger Games #1
Published:	October 2008
Genre:	Science Fiction
Pages:	374

Ratings

Violence:	PG-13 (Book about teenagers killing each other)
Sexual Content:	PG (There is quite a bit of kissing once the game starts)
Language:	PG
Reading Age:	High school (More mature themes)
Buy Recommend:	HARDBOUND, PAPERBACK, BORROW. (EXPLAINATION)
Overall Rating:	9 out of 10 (Plot driven, fast moving, makes you think when done)

Plot Summary

The background of the story is a future earth after some kind of holocaust. At some point after the disaster, a state system evolved where there was a capital and 13 districts. Each of the cities was responsible for some type of production: coal mining, fishing, agriculture, fabric, etc, with the capital city being the governing body. At some point, the 13 districts revolted against the Capital because of working conditions, or something along those lines. The 13th district was made an example of and was destroyed. All the other districts were forced into submission once again. But as a constant reminder of the power of the Capital over the other districts, the Hunger Games were created.

Each district, excepting the Capital, must use a lottery system to choose one girl and one boy from each city. These "tributes" then go to the Capital and compete in the Hunger Games. The games are a duel to the death in a fabricated environment that can be a jungle, snowy wasteland, beach, or anything else that can be imagined. The environment is built to force the tributes to come together to fight. In some cases, the landscape causes this (for example, only one body of water to drink from). In other cases, the game coordinators release some form of destruction that you must run away from (such as a fire) and by running away from it, the game coordinators herd you into proximity of other tributes. When the tributes first enter the game, there is basically a pile of weapons, food, and survival gear available. But if you want any of it, you have to be prepared to fight/kill others to get it. Only one person is allowed to leave the games. The winner then gets a life of luxury and immunity from other games. However, previous winners do serve as coaches for the current games, so you never really get away from it. Again, the idea is that the Capital has all control and can do what they want, so the districts shouldn't even hope to think they can be successful in revolting again.

With this back drop, we are introduced to district 12. District 12 is the coal mining district. It is very poor, and most activity is severely limited. You can't leave the district, you can't hunt, you can't speak freely against the capital, etc. Kitness lives in District 12. Her father was killed in a coal mining accident, and her mother completely shut down after that for a while, so she has been the provider for the family. She provides by illegally hunting outside the district and then selling her catches to others in the district. As the tribute selection occurs, Kitness' little sister is chosen. Kitness immediately volunteers to go in her sted, thus again protecting her family. So Kitness and Peeta, the other tribute, leave for the capital to prepare for the games.

Kitness knows if she is to return to District 12, Peeta will be killed, if not by someone else, then by her. And while she doesn't feel anything towards him romantically, he did help her at a very desperate time in her life. He tossed her some burnt bread when her family had nothing. That small act saved her life and the life of her family, right after her father had died.

As she participates in the games, she also begins realizing that some of the other tributes have also lived very similar lives as her. In fact, one from District 11, Rue, reminds her so much of her sister, that they form an alliance to help each other. So how can she win if it means she has to kill others that are beginning to mean so much to her?

Comments

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is well thought out, and fairly simple. Yet the commentary it provides on today's society kept me thinking about it for days. It is not a happy book, though it does end well. Suffering and death are key elements of the book, and what the tributes are forced to go through to survive is psychologically hard (though not necessarily to the reader).

I just read this for the second time in preparation for this review, and by the third chapter, you begin feeling a little drained just reading it. But it is very hard to put down.

In looking at our society, some of the themes that are dealt with are: handling government when we feel it has overstepped it bounds, why some of society don't care or even realize there are others suffering and dying while they enjoy an incredible amount of indulgence, how some of the more wealthy see others simply as entertainment or worker bees and treat them as little more than a pet, and how difficult it is for some in our society to step outside the bounds their environment has placed them in. The book doesn't present solutions for these problems, but rather makes us re-evaluate our lives and recognize if we are part of the problem rather than the solution.

With all that in mind, I would not recommend this for junior high youth unless you are planning on reading it with them. The issues dealt with, and the actions the tributes are forced to take are fairly intense, and could be disturbing.

Dune

Published Information

Author:	Frank Herbert
Series:	Dune
Published:	1965
Genre:	Sci Fi
Pages:	544

Ratings

Violence:	PG-13 (Brutal fight scenes, battles)
Sexual Content:	PG-13 (Some sexual dialog)
Language:	PG-13 (B-word used)
Reading Age:	High School
Buy Recommend:	Hardbound (I have read several times)
Overall Rating:	9 out of 10 (See below)

Plot Summary

The book is set in a futuristic society that spans galaxies and intergalactic travel is common. There are several races or societies that exist: the navigators and the CHOAM guild who have the ability to guide shape ships through interstellar "space folds", Bene Gesserit sisters who have memories of generations of other sisters in their heads and are expert at manipulation and mind/body control, Suk School doctors who are highly trained physicians supposedly totally loyal to their employers, mentats who are basically human computers (most computers having been outlawed because of history predating the novel), and several important families, chief in the book being the Atreides, and the Harkonnens. And most important of all, melange or the "Spice", is a enhancement drug that most of the universe depends on for space travel, computations, and other abilities that people depend upon. This drug is only found on one planet, Arrakis, desert world and home of the Fremen and the gigantic desert worms the Freman ride.

Dune is the story of Paul Atreides who starts the book as the son of the Duke Leto Atreides, but is left to die in the deserts of Arrakis with his mother, after Duke Leto is captured. They find their way to the Fremen and are taken in and live with them. As Paul grows, it becomes evident that he is more important to the universe than anyone thought. Paul becomes the leader of the Freman and the one man that can control the spice distribution. In the end all the factions travel to Arrakis to fight for who controls the spice and who rules the galactic empire.

Comments

The book is the standard "prince is exiled/thought dead but in the end is able to regain his position and more" book, but in a science fiction world. But though the tale is very common, the specifics are so imaginative and believable that it has become one of the classics, much like the Lord of the Rings is in the fantasy realm.

The book encompasses so many different ideas that you pick up different gems each time you read. "Fear is the great mind-killer" is a mantra that many characters take up, meaning when you allow fear to take over, you can't accomplish anything. Fear, itself, ends up being the killer if you can't control it because you panic rather than doing what is rational.

Another theme is the greatest strength comes from passing through the greatest affliction and suffering. In the book, a Bene Gesserit's rite of passage is suffering a torturous pain without flinching, the greatest warriors in the universe are trained in the most harsh and destitute climates, and the Reverend Mother's sight comes from allowing a deadly poison to enter your body and making your body change the poison to something that is safe. In real life, some of the greatest heroes are those that have overcome great odds to be able to influence lives. In some cases that is poverty, in other cases, oppression and hatred. But in the book, as with life, our greatest accomplishments are after we have passed through our individual trial, our own gom jabbar.

One thing to note. This is one of Frank Herbert's most tame books as far as content goes and this in the only one I would recommend. Be careful picking up other books of his, or other Dune books written after his death by his son. Specifically, violence and sexual content are ratcheted up quite a bit in some of the other books.