Catching Fire--Guest Review!

Catching Fire

By Suzanne Collins

Merry Christmas Bookworms!!! It's Gia here and I am extremely pleased to present to you the long-awaited guest review by The Anonymous Pug on Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins! The Anonymous Pug suggested the Hunger Games series to me, and after I had finished reading the first book of the series, I asked her to review the next one for me. All of the credit goes to The Anonymous Pug. Merry Christmas Bookworms,

-Gia

Summary:

Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, has, against all odds, managed to win the Hunger Games, along with her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark, who has loved her since childhood, as the star-crossed lovers from district 12. He was rather angry with her when she told him that she was half-pretending to return his romantic feelings. Katniss has been living in a fancy new house with her family for almost half a year, dreading the upcoming victory tour, which happens 6 months after the Games, where the victor (or in this case, victors) goes around to each of the districts giving speeches and meeting the families who's children they killed. Before she leaves, she is cornered by President Snow, for she has caused him an inconvenience.

At the end of the last Hunger Games, when she and Peeta were the last two in the arena, they refused to kill each other, and they put in their mouths some deadly nightlock berries, so that the Capitol would be forced to let them bot win, then spat them out and were crowned victors. This act, which at first seemed to be out of love and loyalty, has caused plots of uprisings in the districts, as people view this as an act of rebellion, because they did their best not to be a piece in the Capitol's games, and because certain people think that Katniss didn't really love Peeta back, that the "star-crossed lovers bit" was all an act, a strategy to get sponsors.

Snow fearing an uprising, threatens to kill Prim, Katniss's mother, Gale, and his family if Katniss can't convince the citizens of Panem that she is deeply in love with Peeta. Another thing worrying Katniss is the upcoming Hunger Games, where she and Peeta will be mentoring two tributes. Even worse, this year will be the third Quarter Quell, so there will be a change in the rules. The fist one, the people of each district had to hand pick the tributes. The second Quell, twice the number of tributes were sent into the arena. Everyone is wondering anxiously what will happen this time...

But the biggest problem is that Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, has created the spark that will ignite the flame of the rebellion, a fire raging out of her control...

Review:

First of all, HUGE thank you to Gia for letting me do this. It's a really cool opportunity.

This is a truly amazing book, more specifically an amazing sequel, because some of the best books ever had the cruddiest sequels on the planet, then the author's reputation gets ruined,and the books can even go out of print, which is always a shame.

Anyway, the plot gets extremely addictive after a while. The only problem with it was that I couldn't put it down. It is in this book that the war really starts, and people who aren't tributes start dying, which didn't really happen in book 1. Huge character development regarding President Snow, who was only barely introduced in the last book. He now gets the opportunity to show of his cold and cruel husk of a heart.
A lot of new characters appear, many of which will be crucial to book 3. There really isn't much action in part 1, but once the Quell starts, it's FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.

An amazing sequel to "The Hunger Games", and a incredible book overall.

480 pages

Founder of Shakespeare and Company dies

Hello Bookworms,

Please see attached a link from BBC explaining the death of the founder of Shakespeare and Company, George Whitman. As you all probably know from reading the 'Where I Get My Books' page, that I absolutely adore the bookshop. I am very sad to learn about Whitman's death and will always remember how much of a change he made for every English-speaking person in Paris. May he rest in peace.

-Gia

A Brief History of Montmary

A Brief History of Montmary

By Michelle Cooper

Summary:

It is 1936 and Princess Sophie FitzOsborne of Montmaray is living in Montmaray, an island in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, between France and Spain. She lives a crumbling castle with her sister Princess Henry (Henrietta) who insists she is a boy, with her cousin Princess Veronica and Veronica's mad father, King John the Seventh of Montmaray. Sophie isn't exactly the kind of princess that you might imagine her to be. She washes all of the dishes, mends all of the clothes, visits her subjects and helps them live (e.g, make a meal, wash the bed sheets). Although the FitzOsbornes are a royal family, they no longer have any servants, maids or cooks. They survive on their own. Veronica manages their finances along with her Aunt Charlotte (a rich aunt who lives in England). Sophie manages the household, Henry and her dog Carlos go fishing and watch for boats passing by with hope of sending a letter to her brother (and Sophie's) Toby, who is studying in England with Aunt Char'. They just manage to make it in life and Sophie, who has a crush on Simon, one of Toby's friends, is more than happy to be at Montamaray with her beloved cousin and best friend, Veronica.

This sharing of tasks seems alright -- until Germans invade the island. Sophie and Veronica are both extremely worried. They have no defense, or power. Aunt Char' soon invites the girls, along with Henry, to come and stay with her in England so that they can meet ‘suitable men.’ Sophie quickly agrees, wanting to escape from German-controlled Montmaray, but Veronica insists on staying, refusing to leave her beloved Montmaray.

Yet when bombs drop, Veronica is attacked by a German solider with an ax, King John has a stroke, someone is murdered, German spies rip up everything in Veronica's beloved library, Toby comes back and is almost killed. Everything and everyone that Sophie knows is about to change.

Little does Sophie know, there are even worse things on the horizon, waiting for her.

Montmaray and everything that Sophie loves, including Veronica's friendship towards her might be gone forever...

Review:

A Brief History of Montmaray is now officially my favorite book!

I should probably mention that the entire book is written as a journal. But what surprised me most about A Brief History of Montmaray, is that the journal was written SO well, as if it was just the narrator telling us the story. It is unbelievable how well written and described all of the events are. I have read some other journals (that, of course have been made into books) and they now seem very dull compared to this journal. Sophie tells us how everyone looked and seemed at a specific event, and she gives us the answers that we want at the right time in the story. It makes the reader feel more involved with the story.

I love the characters in the story. Henry makes me laugh on end as she is always making unnecessary remarks and observations! Veronica is obsessed with historical facts and she is always spitting them out. I love history and historical books, so Veronica amazes me whenever she talks. King John is someone who makes you think, because he has lost his wife, feels lost in the world and is still in shock from the Great War in which he fought. He makes you think, and reminds you that you are different from other people. And finally, Princess Sophie, our heroine, is the most wonderful character that you could ever read about. She is so full of life, happiness and is brave. Whenever I read about her, I am inspired to become a strong, brave and very intellectual person.

One other bit about the story that made it so interesting is the fact that Montmaray is a made up place. I like that it is made up because we (the readers) don’t already know anything about this place so we can’t judge it based on what we already know about it. We get to read about a new place.  

I especially like the way that the book is written. The author, Michelle Cooper, has a very nice and smooth, that is to say, an easy-to-follow style of writing. It is very enjoyable to read a book that is written as well as this one. 

I look forward to reading more of Cooper's books and hopefully the second Montmaray book (it has just been published)! I hope that it is underneath the Christmas tree, wink, wink!

Recommended to any tween 12-13+

294 pages

P.S.#1 Thanks to Sarah at KidsBooks in Vancouver for recommending this book to me. It was an absolute pleasure to read! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

P.S.#2 Please note that we will be having a guest blogger next week for this year's Tween Bookworm Christmas Surprise!