SPOILER ALERT RE: CASTING FOR THE MOVIE
For someone so judgmental towards popular fiction, I’ve surprised myself by jumping on a literary bandwagon. In between book club novels, I’ve read the first novel in a futuristic teen fiction trilogy called “The Hunger Games”, by Suzanne Collins. And I’m obsessed. I tell everyone I can about it. My roommates fought over who got to read it first when I was finished–that’s how highly I speak about this one.
Here’s the book jacket synopsis:
‘In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death on live TV.
One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor to his or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capitol wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rule. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her impoverished district in the Games.
But Katniss has been close to dead before – and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.’
Yep. Woah.
So I’m biding my time before I can borrow book 2 from the library (it’s never there…damn thirteen-year-olds, always borrowing books), and in the mean time have learned that they’re making a movie based on the novel!
I waited until I was done the first book to check online to see the casting…I feel like knowing the cast for a movie while you’re reading the book is kind of like watching a music video while you hear the song for the first time. It’s always better to let your imagination do the work, and then judge the interpretation afterward, right?
But this…I am impressed with the way they cast the lead. Jennifer Lawrence! When I heard, I was unsure. And then I saw the picture! She’s perfect, and I hope the movie does the novel justice. (And Stanley Tucci is in the movie! Who doesn’t love Stanley Tucci!?)
Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"
In the meantime, I’m debating whether to tell our school librarian to buy the books for our school. On one hand, they’re blowing up at bookstores, flying off the shelves. We’ll have grade sevens at our school next year, and I know we have the stupid Twilight series in our library already, so why not get something interesting as well? On the other hand, it’s fullllll of violence and death…at the hands of teenagers. So I’m unsure.
One thing I do know…you can find me at the beach this summer, with novels two and three clutched in either hand.
Weyward Sisters 