Winner of the Mockingjay contest!!

I'll get right to it!!

After tallying up all the entries (374 total) randomizer has chosen a winner...........drumroll please........

CAITLIN!

From The Scarrlet Reader !!!

**** Congratulations!!****

Here's what you won Caitlin:

(cue Wheel of Fortune shopping music.....)

*A Signed copy of Catching Fire

*A limited edition stamped copy of Mockingjay (just go it in the mail today - ooh pretty!)

*The Hunger Games buttons (courtesy of The Paperback Dolls)

 *and The Hunger Games Key-chain. (courtesy of the Paperback Dolls)

Thank you to all who entered - you left some awesome comments - I love reading what you guys think!

Don't forget to click on the buttons below to see if won on either the Paperback Dolls or at Obsessed!

Thanks to:

The Paperback Dolls:

and to Bella from Obsessed!

We put the whole thing together in about a day but I think we pulled it off and it turned out awesome!! Thanks girls!!

Review: My Husband's review of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Here is my husband's review for Mockingjay - it does contain minor SPOLIERS!

Kevin's review of The Hunger Games & Catching Fire HERE if you want to read that first.

Review:
I just finished reading Mockingjay……..and, well, I have to say I was disappointed. It was written well but was just missing… something. Maybe it’s just because I read all three books in the series in a row, or maybe I was just expecting too much, caught up in the hype. All I know is that I didn’t feel satisfied.


The first two books were so intricately laid out with each scene, each moment meaning something and leading to something greater. She concentrated on all the little things. Here in Mockingjay she completely abandoned that style and jumped to the big picture but without tying in to anything she had laid out earlier. It was almost as if she had this epic Shakespearean story planned and then turned on CNN’s war coverage and said “let me write about that and insert these characters into that narrative.” Every issue relating to war is covered. Bombs, traitors, torture, propaganda, waterboarding, the media…you name it – it’s there. As an anti-war, anti-terrorism novel it works, as a bookend to this series it does not. The series started as a dystopian future and then swapped over to a commentary on current events.

There was some sort of fire in Collins writing when she penned The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. That wasn’t continued in this book. Katniss is the same self-doubting girl we were left with in Catching Fire. Everyone else around her has changed for better or worse. Even her little sister Prim has grown up and matured into a strong young lady. The storyline focuses so much on war & rebellion to the point that the character development is lost.

There is a lot sadness and bleakness in this book but no heart. I should explain……………
In the first two books there are scenes/events that rip your heart out. You go from the depression of dealing with the death of Rue to the comfort and tender moments with Peeta and even Gale. You felt the swings in emotion. In Mockigjay there are really no scenes that “stab” you in the heart. Yes, I knew that I was supposed to be happy or sad but I didn’t “feel it” and, no, it’s not because I’m an unfeeling guy. I teared when Katniss adorned Rue in flowers. I thought of my little sister and how I would feel in that situation. I felt the safety that Katniss and Peeta felt when they were holding each other.

As everyone has said there is a decision in the Peeta/Gale situation………. Yes, there was logic in the decision but, once again, there was no heart. Now I stated in my previous review that I am Team Peeta. And I stand by that. He is the yin to her yang, I think she needs Peeta’s calmness to balance her but whatever…that’s not the point. What she does to these two boys – now men, is on the verge of cruel. She asks everything from them and gives nothing back. Now I know she’s young and hadn’t had any romantic feelings at all before being pushed into the games and that forced the issue. On that level I’m ok with that. She doesn’t NEED to pick anyone. But Collins wrote it this way – that a choice had to be made. I believe she loves both Gale and Peeta for different reasons but the she way she treats them is just wrong. She won’t be happy until there is nothing left of them and one of them dies for her and then she will cry about how it was her fault. Some of the things she says to Peeta (my god girl – what does this guy have to do for you??) and does to Gale…..Grrrrr. ****SPOILER**** Peeta was tortured to the point that he has almost lost his humanity and she’s upset because he doesn’t think she’s beautiful. Then being spurned by Peeta she runs to Gale and uses him as her rebound guy until he pisses her off, then she goes to Haymitch and then the cycle starts over. Maybe I have problems with this because I’m a guy – maybe I just see it more from the guys angle than hers but it really rubbed me the wrong way at just how selfish she is when everyone has been through so much – not just her. ****END SPOILER****

The end was kind of like a “Scooby Doo” episode in the sense that you learn about what happened to everyone in the last part but because you are told about it – you don’t get to see it. As Karen said in her review, pivotal scenes and conversations were missing. It was tied up with a neat little bow but the package was empty.

I still had a lot of questions at the end……and we all know what that leads too…..fan fiction.

I plan on reading it again to just make sure of how I felt. Who knows….practice makes perfect….oh wait, that doesn’t work for reading, does it? Well, I’ll read it again anyway and see if I can make more sense of it. It did upset me so that’s good right? I felt something. Yup, that’s what I’m telling myself.

Team Peeta? Team Gale? Team Katniss? Nah – I’m Team Buttercup!

Rating: as a stand-alone novel I would give it a 3.5 out of 4 but as the ending to this series I give it a 3 out of 4.

Here's Karen's review: HERE

The Hunger Games!!

Here are the links to all things Hunger Games on For What It's Worth:

Huge Mega Giveaway!!! Three blogs - THREE prizes!! Ends 8/29!

*CLICK HERE TO ENTER!!

Comment on any of the following posts and earn one extra entry to the contest! be sure to enter on the main contest page (link above)  first and follow the directions to have the entry counted.

*Review of Mockingjay: HERE (spoiler free)

*My husband's review of Mockingjay: HERE (some spoilers)

*Review of The Hunger Games & Catching Fire: HERE

*Your Mockingjay predictions - hopes and theories: HERE

*Team Peeta Sonnet: HERE

*Hunger Games - The Music: HERE

*Team Peeta Quotes of the day: HERE 

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Music

I've wracked my brain looking for the right song that fits with this series and while a lot of songs remind me of certain moments or characters, I've had a hard time finding something that fits the series as a whole. I think I've come close with this one. I'm hoping to make up a playlist soon.

Nine Inch Nails - "Right Where It Belongs":



Lyrics:

See the animal in his cage that you built
Are you sure what side you're on?
Better not look him too closely in the eye
Are you sure what side of the glass you are on?

See the safety of the life you have built
Everything where it belongs
Feel the hollowness inside of your heart
And it's all
Right where it belongs

[Chorus:]

What if everything around you
Isn't quite as it seems?
What if all the world you think you know
Is an elaborate dream?
And if you look at your reflection
Is it all you want it to be?
What if you could look right through the cracks?
Would you find yourself
Find yourself afraid to see?

What if all the world's inside of your head
Just creations of your own?
Your devils and your gods
All the living and the dead
And you're really all alone?
You can live in this illusion
You can choose to believe
You keep looking but you can't find the woods
While you're hiding in the trees

[Chorus:]

What if everything around you
Isn't quite as it seems?
What if all the world you used to know
Is an elaborate dream?
And if you look at your reflection
Is it all you want it to be?
What if you could look right through the cracks
Would you find yourself
Find yourself afraid to see?

And this one from Stabbing Westward - "What Do I Have To Do"



There are several Nine Inch Nail songs that really fit with the books..... "Maybe Just Once", "We're In This Together" - Muse and Arcade Fire are two other groups that really taps into the dystopian themes of the series.

Do you have any songs that remind you of the books or the characters?

Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. (YA)

There are no spoilers for Mockingjay but if you haven't read The Hunger Games or Catching Fire you might want to skip this review.

Review:
If The Hunger Games and Catching Fire were about The Games and manipulations of The Capitol then Mockingjay is about choices and consequences.
At the beginning of Mockingjay, District 12 has been destroyed, the “non-existent” District 13 has been discovered and Peeta has been captured by The Capitol.
Mockingjay is different in tone and pacing than the previous two books in the series. Katniss has matured and hardened. She has to face the realities of being "The Mockingjay". It’s not something she can escape from just because the games are over. There are still those who want to use her and what she represents for their own goals, but this time she’s in control. She also comes to the realization that she needs help, not an easy admission for her.
One thing I really loved about this book is that she has relationships with the other characters for once. The romance takes a back seat, as it should, although it is always looming in the background (and a decision is made) but in Mockingjay we get to see her interact with the others and expand her sometimes narrow views. Instead of being the loner, questioning everyone’s motives, she has to work with a team to take down The Capitol. I liked that she was able to form a bond with her former tributes – Finnick & Johanna.
She’s not the only one who has been changed by the games. Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, Johanna and Finnick are also profoundly affected by the manipulations of President Snow. They are not the same people we read about in The Hunger Games. We learn more about their backgrounds and just how evil The Capitol was in keeping an iron grip on the residents of the 12 Districts. The parallels to war and its effects on the psyche of its victims are the driving force in this, the last chapter to The Hunger Games series. Suffice to say it made for some rough reading at times.
The relationship between Katniss and Haymitch was the most profound to me. What has he been to Katniss? Mentor? Traitor? Friend? He has now become Katniss’s conscience and the person who knows her best, because honestly – they are so much alike. Sometimes Katniss needs a whack upside the head! I love her but she can be incredibly self-absorbed. My heart went out to Haymitch as we learned about his past and I was happy to see his character get a bit more development.
And I’m going to give a little shout out to Buttercup – Prim’s cat – yes Buttercup. Katniss’s interactions with him provide a welcome respite from the relentlessly bleak backdrop and let us in on a vulnerable side of Katniss that we don’t often see.
If I have one complaint it would be that Collins delved a little too deep in explaining certain things such as each line of a song but then hurried along at other (more important IMO) points. There were a few important conversations and scenes that I would have liked to have read but were left out.
Many of the themes and symbols from the first two books were carried through to the finale and most things are resolved. There are twists and turns that I’m sure you won’t see coming. While a few things happened that people predicted, I’m going to go out on a limb and say most of you will be shocked by at least once during this book. I personally was stunned at the path she took – I expected something….different….more epic and yes I was a little disappointed after all the buildup.
I don’t think this is my favorite book in the series but it is a fitting end to one of the best YA series I’ve read in years. I hope I don’t ever get that stressed out over a book again! The wait almost killed me!

Rating: 3.5 out of 4. A fantastic end to a brilliant series. I believe this series is best read all at once - so set aside a few days and get reading

If you leave a comment that has spoilers please say *SPOILER* so people will be warned!!

Your Mockingjay Theories!

As you may know by now I'm co hosting a HUGE Hunger Games themed giveaway HERE - the question to answer in my comment section is: Tell me how you would like the trilogy to end or if you've read Mockingjay - did you like the end?

I'm really enjoying your answers and I thought I would share some of your theories and see how close you get now that Mockingjay has finally arrived!!

I stayed up all night reading it - I have had exactly 1 1/2 hours sleep so far...... but I'm telling if you were right or way off base!

Here are some of my favorites:

Giada M: “I usually love happy ends, but in this last book I don't think a true happy end is possible. At least I would like to see president Snow agonizing and dead.”

puppyduck4: “I think the Rebels will defeat the Capitol in the end but it won’t be a clean conclusion. There will still be a long way to go after that, to make things better for everyone.
I'm hoping maybe we’ll find out that Katniss’ and/or Gale’s dad is still alive.
Also, Katniss will end up with Peeta (: “

itsmefaith: “Well I hope that President Snow dies (of course) and Peeta and Katniss live happily ever after WITHOUT "smexy" Gale in the way. Ugh. Besides that, I'd like her to go in the arena (aka the Capitol) and save Peeta/ Johanna etc... then throw Pres Snow into the stupid arena!!!! Muahahahahaha!!! And then all the past winners can go and take a stab at him!!! (I'm sorry, is that too gory? :D) Oh, and then maybe Katniss could find her Dad! Who might still be alive in District 13, plotting revenge at the Capitol.”

Nyasha: “i want pretty much for the most part a happy ending.president snow dead and katniss with peeta.i also think it would be kinda interesting if gale and prim ended up together.mostly because prim is the girly girl kind of stereotype and gale is pretty much on the manly man side.
also i think the last chapter or the epilogue should be a look into the future.”

Anonymous: “I want Mockingjay to end with Katniss choosing Gale and them living happily ever after. I don’t want anyone to die and I want them to rebuild their district. I want people in the book to be able to travel to other districts and I was that guy- can’t remember his name (Katniss and Peeta’s coach) to become the new President of all the districts.”

Jen: “I've always thought that it would end with Katnis going to that district that was supposedly blown up (district 13?). Finding rebels and Katnis leading a rebellion against the government.”

Kathalina: “I hope I'm not ruining anyone's day by saying that I think Katniss's and Gale's fathers could still be alive. In Catching Fire, Katniss met Twill and Bonnie who escaped an "accidental" explosion. Well, six years ago, their was an "accidental" explosion in Distrist 12 and why shouldn't some miners, including the fathers, escape? Ripper was smart enough to get out alive from the explosion, but with one arm sadly. So what I'm saying is...there is a lot of secrecy hidden from Katniss that goes for the cause of bringing down the damn Capitol.
I hope that President Snow will be revealed as he really is to his precious Capitol. Every district can see what he really is, how can the Capitol be so ignorant? Maybe because of fear. The fear of how much power one old man has.

District 13 could have all these rebels and have been waiting for the right moment, Katniss's scheme of rebelling with the berries, and with a strong person as Katniss as their motivator, then the plan will act out.”

Kirsty Wongmcdonaldssauce: “I have to be truthfully honest I think, Katniss' and Gale's dads are still alive and faked their death to secretly travel to District 13 and start the rebellion. I think Cinna and Gale might die, but in a very heroic fighting way. I do not want to make it end "happily ever after" but I do want it to end on a good note, but not fairytale happy like the rebels won and Peeta is all okay "the end." I really hope I don't get disappointed, but I can't wait for Mockingjay!!”

Sena: “I want NOBODY to die :((( And I hope Katniss ends up with Gale.. no, wait, I mean Peeta.. I mean, Gale... see, even I can't make up my mind!!”

Leeswammes: “I haven't read Mockingjay, but I hope it'll be something like this: Peeta finds himself a really nice girl (with plans to live happily ever after) and Gale shows himself to be the ultimate hero, maybe in another Hunger Games competition. Katniss may not choose either of them and go her own way.”

Elegance: “Wow. I don't really know how I want the series to end. I usually leave that up to the author. BUT, I do have a condition for a GOOD ending. And that is that Peeta is returned to his rightful position next to Katniss. Yeah. They should be together. I don't want anything less for them.

Oh, I almost forgot. This time I want KATNISS to fight for PEETA, not the other way around. Or maybe they can fight for eachother. Yeah, I bet that would be good.”

Zombie Girrrl: I've heard Collins compare her series to Greek myth with Katniss playing the roll of Spartacus, who, BTW, DIES, so I'll do the same. I think they'll manage to cut the head off the dragon (i.e. kill Pres. Snow) but it'll grow back ten times worse and with fangs, ala Hercules and the Hydra. Not very happy, but how can this story possibly end well?


I have one more theory! It just came to me, too! District 13 rebelled and is independent! The Capitol concocted a huge lie and spread it around that the rebellion was failed and that D13 is no more, but wouldn't it be awesome if it was actually free?! In that case, I think that it will impossible for them to bring down the Capitol in so short a time, sooo I think that they'll escape to D13 and Panem will eventually colapse on its own from the inside because the citizens of the Capitol will have had the wool removed from before their eyes and they'll stand up against Pres. Snow. I think it's be cool if the pampered citizens took their own Capitol down on behalf of the downtrodden Districts.

So was anyone close?? We'll see.............. Happy reading everyone!

Team Peeta quote of the day...........

"Because I don't want you to forget how different our circumstances are. If you die and I live, there's no life fore me at all back in District Twelve. You're my whole life," he says."I would never be happy again." I start to object but he puts a finger to my lips. "It's different for you. I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard. But there are other people who would make your life worth living."

Peeta pulls the chain with the gold disk from around his neck. He holds it in the moonlight so I can clearly see the mockingjay. Then his thumb slides along the catch I didn’t notice before and the disk pops open. It’s not solid, as I had thought, but a locket. And within the locket are photos. On the right side, my mother and Prim, laughing. And on the left, Gale. Actually smiling.

There is nothing in the world that could break me faster at this moment than these three faces. After what I heard this afternoon…it is the perfect weapon.

“Your family needs you. Katniss” Peeta says.

My family. My mother. My sister. And my pretend cousin Gale. But Peeta’s intention is clear. That Gale really is family, or will be one day, if I live. That I’ll marry him. So Peeta’s giving me his life and Gale at the same time. To let me know I shouldn’t ever have doubts about it. Everything. That’s what Peeta wants me to take from him.

I wait for him to mention the baby, to play to the cameras, but he doesn’t. And that’s how I know that none of this is part of the game.

“No one really needs me,” he says, and there is no self-pity in his voice. It’s true his family doesn’t need him. They will mourn him, as will a handful of friends. But they will get on. Even Haymitch, with the help of a lot of white liquor, will get on. I realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if Peeta dies. Me.

“I do,” I say. “I need you." He looks, takes a deep breath as if to begin a long argument, and it's no good, no good at all, because he'll start going on about Prim and my mother and everything and I'll just get confused. So before he can talk, I stop his lips with a kiss.

I feel that thing again. The thing I've only felt once before. In the cave last year, when I was trying to get Haymitch to send us food. I kissed  Peeta about a thousand times during those Games and after. But there was only one kiss that made me feel something stir deep inside. Only one that made me want more. But my head wound started bleeding and he made me lie down.

This time, there is nothing to interrupt us. And after a few attempts, Peeta gives up on talking. The sensation inside me grows warmer and spreads out from my chest, down through my body, out along my legs, to the tips of my being. Instead of satisfying me, the kisses have the opposite effect, of making my need greater. I thought I was something of an expert on hunger, but this is an entirely new kind."

Catching Fire - pg. 351- 353

The countdown begins..........

To celebrate I have teamed up with Bella from Obsessed! and The Paperback Dolls! for a HUGE contest!

*ENTER HERE*

*All this week I'll be having special Hunger Games related posts (HERE). See how that can help earn you extra entries to the contest HERE

*Read my friend Tiger's Team Peeta Sonnet HERE! LOVE it!!

*Today Bella and I are at The Paperback Dolls to battle it out in the epic Team Gale vs. Team Peeta debate.

When the Paperback Dolls were looking for someone to represent Team Gale I immediately thought of Bella - she is 101% Team Gale and the perfect choice!

One problem. I ended up being the one to defend Team Peeta. Don't get me wrong I love Peeta.....obsessively some would say, but Bella is a writer and me?.....not so much. She did a brilliant job as usual and  hopefully I at least held my own....LOL! So head on over and read both sides...........I hope I didn't let Team Peeta down!

And yes, Bella and I are still friends. We have not torn each others hair out. Mainly because she lives all the way over in South Africa and I am in FL so we can't get near each other - but really we can co exist. In fact we have a plan! We will enter the games - eliminate Katniss and take the boys for ourselves. We will all live in the woods....Gale & Bella hunting, Peeta & I baking (OK - Peeta will bake, I'll watch and eat)....everyone happily ever after.

The End.

For all thing Hunger Games on my blog click HERE

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

We finally get to read the conclusion of The Hunger Games trilogy when Mockingjay is released on Tuesday August 24th!

I have teamed up with The Bella from Obsessed! and The Paperback Dolls to co host an AMAZING event and INTERANTIONAL CONTEST!

**PRIZES - PRIZES - PRIZES**

Oh boy do we have **PRIZES**!!

Here is a list of the amazing books & swag that you can win!

THE BOOKS

*Box set of the entire Hunger Games Trilogy!! (Hardback)

*Signed copy of Catching Fire!! (Hardback)

*A limited edition stamped copy of Mockingjay!! (Hardback) (due to a hand injury Suzanne Collins will not be autograping Mockingjay but will instead be using this limited edition stamp at her signing events)

* Mockingjay!! (YES - another copy of Mockingjay - yup - there are three copies of up for grabs!!)

*Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines!! (Hardback)

Onto the SWAG:

*Mockingjay Journal!!

*The Hunger Games Tee!!

*Mockingjay Tee!!

*The Hunger Games Buttons!!

*The Hunger Games Key-chain!!

There will be THREE winners in the Mockingjay Giveaway!! 

(1)Winner chosen by For What It's Worth: Signed copy of Catching Fire, limited edition stamped copy of Mockingjay, The Hunger Games buttons, and The Hunger Games Key-chain.

(1)Winner chosen by Paperback Dolls: Box set of The Hunger Games Trilogy, Mockingjay journal, and Mockingjay Tee.

(1)Winner chosen by Obsessed!: A copy of Mockingjay, Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines, and Hunger Games Tee.

Please read each blogs rules for entering.

*We have some special rules for this contest, so pay attention!!! One winner will be chosen by each of the three blogs:  For What It's Worth, Paperback Dolls, and Obsessed! This means that you have three chances to enter and win some great prizes! Find this post at each blog, follow the blogs contest rules and enter the giveaway. This giveaway IS international and will run through to August 29th 11:59pm EST. Winners will be chosen by Random.org and announced on August 31st.*

My Rules:

*Leave a comment on this post telling me how you would like the trilogy to end or if you've read Mockingjay - did you like the end? (NO spoilers please!)

EXTRA ENTRIES:
*Share this contest: on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, etc.... you *must* leave links here, or else they cannot be confirmed and will not be counted.
*Leave a meaningful comment on anything Hunger Games that I post over the course of the week. (post before today do not count - put the word "contest" after your comment so that I know your entered.


*Check back here all week for all things Hunger Games! I'll have a review for the first two books courtesy of my hubby who relented and started the series last week after my almost constant harassment! and a guest post by the lovely Tiger Holland from Tiger's All Consuming books paying tribute to Peeta in a sonnet! I also hope to be reviewing Mockingjay......depending on the ending that is.....I could need to recover for a week or so first if it's too bleak...HA!

*On Monday - I'm headed to Paperback Dolls to join in the great Team Gale vs. Team Peeta debate. I'll be representing my boy Peeta!

My co - hosts for the event: