So it's actually only been a few hours since I posted that last post where I was all too excited about finishing the book "Mockingjay" (the third Hunger Games book), and expressed my love for the series, and yadda yadda.
Well, I'm not feeling so good about that now. In fact, my opinion has been completely turned around with finishing the third book. Without giving away any specific spoilers, I don't think I've ever read anything so disturbing in all my life; yes, the other two books in the series aren't the brightest books I've ever read either: but the final installment just reaches a new level that was just a bit too much for me to handle. I don't know that a book has ever impacted me so negatively before; so much so that I had to bring it downstairs after I was finished, because I don't even want it in my room.
The author makes these books so real, as she writes it from Katniss' point of view, in the present tense. I actually don't know if that's what you'd call it...but it's written in the style of "I'm doing this, I'm feeling this, I'm seeing this", so that it's as if the reader is Katniss, if that makes sense. So as you get attached to characters around her, and then they're mercilessy killed, it has an impact on you. And if you're me, the kind of person who gets way too into the books she's reading, it's just...not a good experience. At all. Enough so, that I actually get upset when I think of certain characters. (I know, I know, "it's just a book". Well, I don't care).
I loved the first book. It caught my interest, drew me in like no other book has ever done before. Katniss may just be the best book character I've ever "encountered", and I almost can't help but think that turning her into a movie character is something she, as a character, would be disgusted at ;)
But nonetheless, if I'm being honest, I truly cannot recommend these books to anyone. Near the end, I was hardly able to finish it...but of course, I just had to know what happened. And I did, in fact, mostly like the very final ending of the book. But at the same time, I didn't. I would've liked more explanation. But alas, my journey through the Hunger Games series is over, and I'm pretty positive it's going to stay over.
I'm also pretty positive I'll be having some frightening dreams tonight.
(I'm even debating on just staying up a while longer, simply because I know for a fact I'm going to have messed up dreams. Blahhh)
That's terrible! I started reading the first one, and haven't finished it yet. I too am sensitive to books like that, but I still like to find out what happens, so I get pretty scared.:O
ReplyDeleteYeah... the end of Mockingjay is harsh. I cried. I'd recommend it to some friends, but not all of them because I don't think all of them would be able to handle the story.
ReplyDelete:-)
i haven't read them, and now i sort of don't want to... /: hope you didn't have bad dreams.
ReplyDelete-anna :)
Reading Bible after Mockingjay is very good antidote.
ReplyDeleteI finished it two nights ago, Lauren. I'm about to do a post on it. I wish I had taken your advice, honestly.......
Did you know that last year, when I was 11 my 6th grade class read these books. And we were all okay. Not one complaint or nightmare. Then I got my 9 yr old sister to read them and she and her friends all loved them too. My entire school loves the Hunger Games. There is even a poster for the movie hanging up in our hallway. And last year, while we were reading the trilogy, we had our own hunger games challenge( no one got hurt of course, but if you lost the challenge then you were eliminated)And that went on until we had one winner. Ok so I was the winner, but thats not the point. The point is that if my catholic school allows all of that so the books must be fine, besides the fact that we all loved them.
ReplyDeleteSam
Sam, I see what you're saying, it doesn't surprise me, and it just makes me realize even more how corrupt our world is; I know that sounds intense, but really! That a book about children murdering each other is a book that a Catholic school LOVES is so "wow!" to me! But it's just the way our world works these days, I guess. Lately, all teen books tend to be quite ungodly, as they're all either about the occult, or about things like the hunger games. Mark Driscoll said something along the lines of, "If you took someone out of the Hebrews time and threw them into our culture, they would say that we are the most demonically obvious culture they've seen", and I agree with him...especially when you just look around at what entertains us.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I know that I've been given some level of discernment when it comes to books and movies, and I know that I'm sometimes the only one who sees certain books and movies in a certain light, but I believe that it's the light that God wants me to see them in, and I'm perfectly content with that. I always pray that others' eyes will be *really* opened to the things they're watching and reading and showing to their children.
~Lauren
PS: though your school seems to think the books must be fine, I can't help but think that God doesn't think they're fine. I can't imagine how He could think that.