The names our parents gave us when we were born are Tyler, Katelyn, Courtney, Hannah, and Sarah. We are five friends who decided to come together and share our love of books.
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Review #6: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
A special guest blog from our friend, Marshelle Cheree
You’re in a bookstore and see a book called The Hunger Games. You wonder if it’s about professional eating competitions—spoiler alert: it’s not—so, of course, you have to pick it up and read the inside cover. Stop right there! Don’t read it, it gives far too much of the amazing plot away. If you really feel the need to find out more about this book read the first couple pages, but don’t you dare read the inside cover.
Now, since The Hunger Games isn’t about eating competitions the only other reasonable idea is for it to be about a post-apocalyptic world—well it’s not exactly reasonable but it’s actually where the story takes place. Now in this world there is a very powerful and somewhat evil government called the Capitol. Each year the Capitol picks one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts to fight to the death in the Hunger Games, hence the title.
I first heard about this book from a friend who was reading it at the time. When she told me the plot I was a bit apprehensive. In fact, she even bought the book for me on my birthday and it sat in my room for a good month or two. Finally one day I picked it up out of pure boredom. I read the first hundred and fifty pages in a single sitting, without any breaks.
This book has everything; romance, action, humor, and a really cute guy named after a type of bread! It might differ from your usual read but it’s totally worth it. I promise you’ll be hooked until the very last page and even then you’ll have to run out to the store to get the sequel.
Rating:
Characters: 20/20
Plot: 20/20
Originality: 20/20
Writing: 20/20
Recommendation: 20/20
Overall: 100/100 — A+ - 2 years ago
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Guest Blog #1: Simone Elkeles
I didn’t like to read as a teen. I didn’t like English class, either. I fell in love with reading as an adult, when it wasn’t “assigned reading” from a class or teacher. I fell in love with reading so much, ideas for books started running through my head so I decided to start writing a book. (I have a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Psychology and a master’s degree in Industrial Relations – both of which don’t have anything to do with writing a book.) Seriously one day I sat down and just started writing.
Since I first fell in love with romance novels, my first book was a Native American historical romance novel. I tried to sell it, but didn’t have interest from agents or editors. Then I wrote Perfect Chemistry, but wasn’t able to sell that book either (it was the 2nd book I wrote but the 4th book I sold). I was on a writers retreat and my writer friends told me I should write “what I know” and since my father was Israeli and my husband is Israeli they said I should write a hilarious book about a girl who travels to Israel. I did, and entered a writing contest with the book. To my complete surprise, I won the writing contest. Less than a week later, an agent offered representation and sold the book two months later. She then sold two more books on proposal (three chapters and a synopsis). All my books are teen romances, because I love reading romances…I love happy endings more than anything!
I’ve won a lot of awards and am so happy that I found a new agent who saw potential in my bestselling novel Perfect Chemistry and sold it to a wonderful publisher Walker Books. My editor Emily Easton loved Perfect Chemistry immediately and I’m excited Emily is letting me write a trilogy (the second book Rules of Attraction hit bookstores this week and I even hired a film company to film a book trailer for it that looks like a movie trailer with actors and snippets of scenes acted out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhEx0kaUlrU)
My advice for writers is to never give up and always work on your craft. Sometimes it takes setting aside that first book and moving on to write your second and third book. (knowing you can always go back and sell your first novel) I also read manuscripts from new writers with stilted dialogue. Write how you talk and your dialogue will come out naturally.
Simone Elkeles
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For more information, go to http://www.simoneelkeles.com/
