The Hunger Games: Team Peeta vs. Team Gale
Yesterday it was 21° F in Wisconsin. There’s snow on the ground and my car’s keyhole is constantly freezing. I’ve managed to perfect my juggling of purse, tote bag, coffee, keys, and de-icer spray bottle by holding the cap in my teeth on my way out each morning. Needless to say, it’s chilly here.
So when life throws frost your way, what’s a girl to do but enjoy a little old school romance?
source: daemonsbooks.com
It’s like Edward vs. Jacob all over again, but better! Honestly ladies, these are some great guys. So let’s talk about them!
If you haven’t yet read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, you’re missing out. The trilogy is a very fast read, you won’t want to put it down. The books in order are The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The story is placed in the future where a post-Apocalyptic North America is made up of 12 districts surrounding one Capital. Every year, the Capital hosts the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death consisting of one boy and one girl from each district. Collins writes dystopian society as well as George Orwell in my opinion, or Aldous Huxley, who were two of my favorite authors growing up. But now, if we asked a group of young adults to all read 1984, or Brave New World, I’m guessing there would be some groaning. Ah, but The Hunger Games has two things on its side:
The first is one bad ass protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, a rebel in her own right, and destined to be a symbol for the nation. Bonus: Sara Grambusch is writing all about Katniss’ journey as heroine on her blog today! Check it out!
The second win, which I’ll be focusing on, is the boys!
Source: google images
Collins has taken two extremes right out of the High School walls and placed them into Katniss’ life. The first is Gale, tall, dark and handsome. He is Katniss’ only good friend and they are hunting partners. So Gale is the equivalent of the athlete friend who pushes you to be your best in the game. And of course, he’s got amazing abs.
Then there’s Peeta. Blonde, blue eyed, and kind. Peeta once saved Katniss’ life long ago, but they’ve never spoken since. He and his family make a living as bakers and Peeta knows how to do all the decorative work. So if Peeta was in High School today, he’d be the quite but adorable boy in art class who pines for the alternative girl.
See? You’re already choosing sides aren’t you? Well, just stop it right now!
You have to read the books!!! The situations that Collins places her characters into will make you think twice about what kind of person they are. This goes for Katniss too. Through their actions and responses, the author lays out a very interesting look into war and survival. This may even be a great book to read with your young adult children to get them talking about the topics discussed in the book.
Plus, you know how when writers talk about plotting, and they ask you what’s the one thing your character would fear most, now make them do it! That’s every book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Collins will repeatedly push everyone into situations they DO NOT want to go into, but they must every time. The reason I think that works in her books is because the implications that will happen if the character doesn’t have to do with people’s lives and their relationships. I hated the book, Hatchet by Gary Paulson when I read it in middle school because the main character was constantly in battle with nature or the next catastrophe. It didn’t seem believable that so much could happen to one person. In using other people to weigh on the character’s decisions, Collins nailed this!
See for yourself in the new trailer:
Your turn! Who are you rooting for? What other literary characters are keeping you warm this winter? Can’t Get Enough Hunger Games? Good! Read Sara’s blog too!
Rules for Life: A Guest Blog by Lyn Midnight
Hey All! It’s another round robin of Life List Club advice and fun! Be sure to spend your holidays de-stressing with us and staying on track with your goals. Today, I’m happy to feature Lyn Midnight from Against the Odds who gives us her rules for life. And I’m sharing all things to be thankful for over at Pam Hawley’s Hawleyville! See you soon!
Lyn Midnight’s Rules for Life
Have I mentioned I like to make lists?
I usually use my super list-making powers for mundane things: people’s birthdays, grocery lists, and guest-posts. Only recently have I realized I’d need a whole other kind of list too. Let me explain.
There are things I know that I want. Then there are things I suspect that I need. Finally, there are things I may want and/or need but absolutely know they’re bad for me. Anyone relating so far? Basically, I made a Rules for Life list. That way, whenever I need some perspective or reminding, the list does both for me. If I’m tempted to do something I shouldn’t do, I look at the list. Granted, sometimes I do it anyway… live and learn, right? But at least I can’t say I didn’t warn me.
To show you what I mean, I’ve included my list below. Feel free to share your own list of Rules for Life or comment on mine. Some items have been omitted for personal reasons. Some other items should have been… maybe. Also, you might notice that the reason I made this list of rules was because of a guy… or a series of ‘wrong guys’ to be exact. Come on, everyone should have related by now!
RULES FOR LIFE:
1. NEVER fall for the same guy twice. NEVER go backwards.
Obviously, I don’t want to go back. Falling for someone and having my heart stomped on once is enough, thank you very much. Moving onto the next heartbreak… at least it’s a step forward.
2. Do NOT fall (or sleep with) a friend.
Ahem. I might as well stamp ‘friend whore’ on my forehead. Let’s just say I’ve been known to fall for my guy friends… which probably has some Freudian explanation I don’t feel like sharing here. However, I do realize I must break the pattern. Friendship should be more important than love/sex. Period.
3. Do NOT dwell on anything.
As you may know, I have my degree in Psychology. This one time I read a paper about men and women’s different styles of coping. If something bad happens, women jump into analyzing what went wrong and venting, while men just ignore and push it aside while they look for appropriate solutions to their problems. To be honest, I’d like to be a guy for this reason alone. They don’t over-analyze or get stuck in over-thinking loops of madness. And this is where I remind myself that I can actually LEARN to do the same. Surprisingly, I’ve gotten better at it with practice.
4. Only consider available guys.
One would think I know this already. Alas, my super self-sabotaging powers override my super list-making ones. Not sure where the desire to humiliate and hurt myself comes from, but it’s very important to keep the emotionally stunted boogie monsters at bay. List-worthy.
5. This item has been omitted. Bloody good one though.
6. Do NOT bring your phone on a night out.
Whoops, I’ve been breaking this rule. I keep hoping that I can keep my phone on me when I go out, and then I make a blunder such as calling or texting someone I should not be calling or texting.
7. Do things as soon as you can.
Postponing’s my bitch. And we’ll live happily ever after…
8. Sleep 8 hours, eat healthy, and stay energized.
Let’s see… I’ve been sleeping 10 hours (bitten by the unemployment bug… or is it called the crisis bug now?). I’ve been eating nothing but Subway, beans, and sweets. Apparently, they mix well together. And I have been stoked on Coca Cola instead of making coffee like a normal person. Sigh.
9. WRITE YOUR BOOKS.
I really wish I didn’t have to include this in the list…
10. Turn every negative thought into a positive one.
This is the big one. If I could do that on a regular basis, I know I’d live a happier life. (Duh.) Even though it’s not as easy as it sounds, the rewards are huge. And lasting. Just ask Dr. Seligman, the foremost specialist in Positive Psychology. I’d definitely give his books a read if I were you.
Now then… give me YOUR rules. I always love good company in list-making!
Lyn Midnight writes in various genres and formats (fantasy, scifi, poetry), and likes to blog about anything her heart desires over at Lyn Midnight Against the Odds. She is currently working on a scifi novel and managing another blog – The Burning of Innocence – where she posts fantasy flash chapters. The person behind the handle is a Psychology graduate and eternal nomad, trying to make her big break somewhere in England. Long live the Queen! And long live our dreams.
Jess Witkins' Happiness Project 