Killing Mr. Griffin, Chapter 19: The Truth is Boring #evanreviews

What would happen if Quentin Tarantino took a blow to the head and started writing John Hughes-esque teen fiction? This book, that’s what. Welcome back to Evan Reviews for Chapter 19 of Killing Mr. Griffin. The names have been changed to protect me from getting bored.

So things got a little hot in that last chapter, huh? Duckling was smoking! And who was that unmasked woman? Onward!

******BEWARE THAR BE SPOILERS********

Summary
Duckling's mom barges into her room, announcing that the Snape baby was birthed. Duckling does not respond, so the mother prods her, wondering if Duckling and the reader want to know why Lady Preggo Snape (now just Lady Snape plus Baby Snape) and Det. Gordon saved her from the fire. We get all the information from the previous chapter about kidnapping and investigation, all to the tune of Duckling's indifference. Then we get the bombshell that all the adults are blaming the creepy Rocksteady kid and not our wonderful Duckling! Well, mostly.

The mother then goes into an explanation about Rocksteady's psycology that rivals the last ten minutes of Psycho telling us why Norman liked to dress up as his mom. Then there's some legal mumbo jumbo about how all the kids will be tried in court, leading me to believe they did not get away with it at all. Mom wants Duckling to turn state's evidence against the rest of the Killing Club and get some therapy. Mom leaves, telling Duckling they need new curtains.

Duckling then gets out the assignment she did for Snape at the beginning of the book. Not Preggo returned it to her, because that's what you do with the person who killed your husband. At the bottom of the poem, there's a really nice note from Snape saying he will see her next year and hopes she has a wonderful summer and that they will be besties forever. The author reflects that Duckling can not cry as she puts the book to bed.

Observations
1. Well, that's the end. Other than the usual argument against the exposition dump at the end, this is a well put together chapter wrapping up the story. As I said above, it is very much like the end of Psycho, kinda boring end to a fairly well told story. I would have liked to see the point of view of the other characters, particularily El Guapo, but the view from a broken writer is sometimes the best we get. Stay tuned for the review.

Thank you, this has been today's #evanreviews

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Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: Book Review

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary
After the Hunger Games, Katniss lives a now quiet life, going about her business and never having any trouble again. Just kidding. Every relationship she has is strained as she experiences every symptom of posttraumatic stress that can be imagined. This is all comes to a head when she learns other districts are in revolt. As District 12 comes under more and more pressure from the controlling Capitol, she learns that she will once again be put back into the Hunger Games to fight for her life.


As in the first book, the setting is rich and believable as a dystopian nightmare. Increasing the tension of poverty and governmental control, District 12 becomes a more unbearable and almost suffocating for both the reader and Katniss. As we move to the other districts, the Capitol and the Arena, we get a sense of the wider world and how the games affect not just our hero but everyone.

Speaking of everyone, we get a bunch of new characters from around Panem’s districts. Without giving too much of the plot away, many of the winners from past Hunger Games are introduced, giving the reader a very complex view of what it takes to win in a “there can be only one” scenerio. For the existing characters, more backstory is added to give everyone a more detailed character, such as how Haymitch won his Games and the fallout of that.

The plot of this story is the road to all out rebellion and kicking ass at it. Katniss becomes stronger in her resolve to fight the Capitol control as does the other districts. This resolve comes not only with themes of “what is right” but with sacrifice and honor. A fitting middle chapter, this book not only builds on the original but sets up the next in spectacular fashion.

Why was it banned?
This book has been banned for many of the reasons its predecessor was banned: violence and adult themes. People die, and this book is not afraid to show death and the ramifications that come from it. One could also argue that, like the original, this book encourages dissidence and rebellion from authority. Whether this is true in context or not, developing minds may not understand the difference between an Orwellian government and their math teacher.

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Hunger Games Movie Review

The Hunger Games Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Directed by Gary Ross

If you want to read my full summary and review, check out my book review. It’s really that close to the book. Just to put something here, I’ll give you the notes I took while watching with commentary. 

Because the following does have spoilers, I want to say that I really liked the movie. It stayed true to the character, plot and spirit of the novel. The violence was toned down (not a lot) and some subplots were removed, but nothing casual readers or people who never read the books will miss. 

 I read the book and the movie kicked ass. That never happens to me. Go see this one, you will have fun. Oh, but it is 2hr and 20 min, so don’t get the big soda.

*****Beware, Thar Be Spoilers*****

Opening, well done. I really liked how they set the atmosphere of District 12. They made it feel poor and desperate, almost Great Depression era, but at the same time have hints that this is the future.

Shakey cam. Holy crap, the camera floats like a butterfly, stings like a tracker jacker. Some might need vomit bags.

Gets pin, market A part that deviated from the book, she picks up the trademark mockingjay pin in the black market for some bird meat. It does not hurt the story, but eh..

Good touch, Duck There’s a small moment with Prim at the Reaping that kinda broke my heart.

Casting is awesome Everyone fits the parts well.

This looks like I imagined.

Almost not enough time in the rush to arena I kinda wanted to hang out in District 12 some more and get some character development.

exposition, exposition There’s a lot of talky talky that’s repetitive. But it is over quick and does keep reminding you of stuff that they don’t have time to show. They tell the entire story and give it a great treatment at 2hr 20min.

Took out Avox? Another departure that stuck with me and Katniss in the book but was forgettable enough to leave out.

Careers legal Another departure, apparently the Career Districts have stadiums where the train.

Meeting Peeta The meeting of Peeta and Katniss in flashback is changed slightly... I liked the real way, where he sees her starving then burns the bread and throws it out, but just throwing it out works.

 Scenes with Gamemaker Bigum departure from the book they beef up the role of game maker, taking the POV away from Katniss and into how the games actually are controlled, control room and all. I was a little turned off to be away from our heroine, but this pays off awesomely at the end.

Haymitch not... I never finished the thought, but I always imagined Haymitch as a Falstaff type, a big fat drunk with a sense of humor and a heart marked with tradgedy. Harrelson looks like he could go toe to toe with these kids (and kinda does).

Lenny Kravitz, ernest but likeable I guess he was like Jim Varney... Kravitz is not who I imagined as Cinna, but he works and does a great job. He was not as likeable as I would have wanted that character to be, but filled the role well.

Peeta not very charismatic or big enough. I liked the guy they have doing Peeta, but he is not the leader that is described in the book. He’s the arty guy and won me over but I think there could be better decisions made on how he approaches the character in future movies. Also, you would expect the guy that can throw 100lb sacks of flour to be a little beefier.

Cinna hid pig = book Okay I don’t know what the hell this means. Wait, no, I do. Cinna gives her back the mockingjay pin, not pig, just as she goes in the arena. Again, it tracks for story but there’s not a lot of mention of this item at all to be the symbol of the movie.

Did not set up mutated animals well Every time a new animal came on in the Arena, they cut to Caesar explaining what they were. While this happened a few times in the book, I remember mockingjays, tracker jackers, and nightlock being more Chekhov’s Guns in the narrative.

Cesar and the mines I don’t know what the hell this means. Really.

 

Great Rue POV Um... There’s a moment in the movie where the theatre got really dusty and I couldn’t see because my eyes were watering, but I think this scene was handled with wonderful visual style.

J.L. not singer? Our leading lady does not get the big song and dance number, but that’s okay.

Now Rebellion? There’s a couple of scenes implied in Catching Fire near the end. Spoiler Alert?

She stays pretty. Everyone in this movie has the crap beat out of them, but I guess Jennifer Lawrence was allergic to the dirt makeup or something because she stays fairly clean.)

 

VS

These are from about the same point in the movie.

Game makers omnipotent? The things they can do (forest fires, anmial attacks, etc.) seem to break natural laws. 

  

Action too close. All the fights are Bourne fighting. I was wondering half the time who was winning until everybody calmed down enough to die.

Cato long ass speech. There’s a lot of talking by our bad guys that I must have rushed past in the books.

Katniss meets Snow. The meeting in Catching Fire held some weight. That’s been taken away by this meeting some. Not much, but enough to matter.

So that’s all my notes. Overall, a fun experience. So help me God if any of you start that Team Peeta, Team Gale crap.  I'm Team Katniss and you people better just shut the hell up about your dumbass love triangles before I learn to use a bow and arrow.

All pictures copyright Lionsgate Films, Inc.
http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com

Killing Mr. Griffin, Chapter 18: Come On, Duckling, Light My Fire #evanreviews

What would happen if Quentin Tarantino took a blow to the head and started writing John Hughes-esque teen fiction? This book, that’s what. Welcome back to Evan Reviews for Chapter 18 of Killing Mr. Griffin. The names have been changed to protect me from getting bored.

The poop is contacting the fan as the Killing Club has turned on Duckling. Will she make it out alive? Onward!

******BEWARE THAR BE SPOILERS********

Summary

Rocksteady tells Beebop and Cordelia to tie up Duckling and begins to question Duckling's commitment to Sparkle Motion. Rocksteady calms down Cordelia by slinging some crafted bullscience while Beebop holds Duckling. Cordelia gets a knife, and Rocksteady uses it to cut the cord from some drapes about which Duckling has a weird flashback.

Beebop has a moment of conscience, not wanting to be part of something bad, just part of a hostage situation. He and Rocksteady argue about going along with the plan, driving way the hell out of town with Snape's car, while Duckling is tied up in her house. Rocksteady says that everything's cool, he's gonna make sure Duckling don't say nothing, see. Beebop is a little uneasy about leaving his creepy friend with a tied up girl, but Cordelia convinces him to go with her and leave Rocksteady and Duckling to their business.

Rocksteady starts by opening up the windows and letting in some wind. He and Duckling chitchat about the house fire that killed his father, the same father that was going to have little Rocksteady put in juvenile jail. Duckling attempts to talk Rocksteady into going with her to the cops, but he retorts by setting her damn house on fire, starting with the drapes.

Rocksteady taunts Duckling a bit as the drapes go all flamy, about how the others will go along with him and how his dad was a meany pants. As Rocksteady goes to leave and Duckling decides to take a nap, she sees a man pull Rocksteady out the window and Preggo Snape’s face looking down at her..

Observations

1. Why the hell did we need to know the drape's back story? Is it important that they need to be cleaned a lot? I know this is just to show how disorganized Duckling's mind is, but she's being held hostage by a murder and his two accomplises. Goes without saying she would be a little unhinged.
2. I like the menace Rocksteady gives here. His own backstory coincides with his shitty characterization very well
3. I now have the answer to my first observation. I hope I am the first ever to type the words "Chekhov's Drapes."
4. Rocksteady's taunts give away two things: A) that he has thought about what the others will say and B) he already has plans to blame Beebop and Cordelia.

Thank you, this has been today's #evanreviews

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Killing Mr. Griffin, Chapter 17: Always Go to Church After Killing #evanreviews

What would happen if Quentin Tarantino took a blow to the head and started writing John Hughes-esque teen fiction? This book, that’s what. Welcome back to Evan Reviews for Chapter 17 of Killing Mr. Griffin. The names have been changed to protect me from getting bored.

A car is being painted and it looks like grandma got a visit from the big bad Killing Club. Let's go!

******BEWARE THAR BE SPOILERS********


Summary
Duckling is building a fire and staying home from Sunday church potluck cause all this murder and lying just gave her a case of the blues. As she's scanning stations on the Devil's Picture Box when she runs across a news report about Snape's death. Just as she's about to eat, Beebop and Cordelia ring the doorbell.

The two of them for some reason tell Duckling about how they are going to get rid of Snape's car. Cordelia lets Duckling in on the fact that Cordelia told her mom she was staying at Duckling's house tonight and even though her mom will probably try to call Cordelia's cell phone, heads up. Then they ask if they can use Duckling's phone to call El Guapo because Beebop told his parents that he was staying with El.

Duckling calls El and learns that his grandma bit it. Bought the farm. Gone to visit the choir invisible. D-E-D, dead. Nobody seems concerned. Duckling is concerned, however, about whether Beebop can stay at his house and the ring. El puts down a solid no on both counts because his damn grandmother just died and the neighbor lady might have seen somebody kill her. Somebody wearing a brown sweater, but do not remember that because its a random detail that... wait a second, Duckling remembers that Rocksteady wears a brown sweater.

Duckling confronts Cordelia and Beebop with the knowledge that Rocksteady killed Gram Guapo and that she is going to the police. They are cool with Rocksteady murdering an old lady but are way not cool with Duckling going to the police. Cordelia goes to get Rocksteady while Beebop holds Duckling hostage. When Rocksteady comes in, whoo boy, he is wearin' his killin' sweater.

Observations
1. Why in the world is there a news report on Sunday night? I've never watch television in New Mexico, but I thought nightly news programs were reserved for weekdays. Does nothing ever happen in this town?
2. Why the hell do we get exposition about what they are going to do to the car? Why does Duckling need to know? She is the one person in this group I would not give information to as she has already proven herself the most likely to squeal.
3. Why the hell didn't Cordelia just call Duckling on the cell phone Cordelia mentioned she had? And why the hell didn't they use the cell to call El Guapo? See what happens when you update your book with tech?
4. Why does Duckling have to remember that Rocksteady wears a brown sweater? Couldn't she just freak out about going to the cops then have Rocksteady come in with the sweater? This is nuts.

Thank you, this has been today's #evanreviews

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Killing Mr. Griffin, Chapter 16: Exposition Central #evanreviews

What would happen if Quentin Tarantino took a blow to the head and started writing John Hughes-esque teen fiction? This book, that’s what. Welcome back to Evan Reviews for Chapter 16 of Killing Mr. Griffin. The names have been changed to protect me from getting bored. 

The bricks are falling down on this wall of teenage murder. Nobody knows what the hell is going on, but murder is being hid and shit ain't getting pretty. Here we go.

******BEWARE THAR BE SPOILERS********

Summary
The Duckling household eats breakfast and talks murder. Again. Facts that we already know are regurgitated out by way of news story while Duckling just feels all bad and stuff.

Cut to the Beebop household were Ma is worried that Rocksteady is taking advantage of her son by making him store and paint the murder car. More vomitus of exposition that WE ALREADY KNOW, SOME OF WHICH HAPPENED LAST DAMN CHAPTER, and we get that the parents don't like Rocksteady cause he ain't no good and he ain't never gonna be any good.

We jump over to the Snape house where Preggo Snape is having a quiet moment remembering her husband. Then a woman comes in and breaks the moment by telling her about the newspaper story of her husband's death but will not show Preggo because that might upset her.

Swish pan over and we are looking at Gram Guapo playing with the ring she stole from her grandson who took it off of Snape corpse (haha, book, see, I can exposition dump, too!). Gram is sure the ring is not her son's because El Guapo told her that last chapter, which she recounts in detail. Does anyone else think this couch is stuffed with too much PADDING?! But alas, oh no, a mysterious boy arrives and Gram is afraid! End chapter.

Observations
1. I get that this exposition is just to build suspence as we head to all these dumbass kids getting caught, but man is this just a boring read. Two sections right in a row that basically cover the entire books worth of information. I would think that maybe some big twist is coming, but when you give out the really big freaking twist as the title of the book and everything else has been happenstance I just can not get behind you.
2. The scene with Preggo really is heartbreaking and well written. The small moment of her not remembering that he is gone is well done. That being said, it does not belong in this book. It adds little to the story outside of giving sympathy for a dead man that could have been given through interaction with the kids rather than the omnicient narrator letting us in on the sadness.
3. I don't wish anything bad to happen to the old lady, but man... about time something happened that was caused by one of our characters.

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Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary
Our story is about 16-year-old Katniss and her trial through the brutal competition known as the Hunger Games in a post-now society world. Starting from abject poverty in a coal town where she illegally hunts for food to feed her family and progressing into the “there can be only one” nature of the competition, Katniss finds allies and enemies while under the oppressive all seeing eye of the Capitol.

Review
The dystopian future set up in the world of Panem makes for a provocative look into our own future, at least if things go to hades in some kind of basket. After a brutal war, the United States is divided into districts like a Trivial Pursuit wheel with the evil Capitol in control in the center. Our home base of District 12 where Katniss lays her head is a great entry as it shows how a poor mining town can toughen our protaganist up and give her a kick ass attitude.

And toughen her up it does. Katniss is so brash and likeable that I almost want her to be portrayed by 1988 Bruce Willis, spitting catchphrases and taping a bow to her back. The supporting characters are largely unobtrusive, hinting at more but held back as we only see them through Katniss’s eyes. The romance aspect works, but only to the point where you want the girl to get the guy in that “OMG, I’m Team Gale” kinda way. The soap opera is a distraction for the overall story, but one that will draw some readers in.

The story is fairly well told with spare writing that fits the action-centric nature of the book. The book is “show, don’t tell” almost to a fault, sacrificing description for pacing. And boy does it pace. Once our stage is set and everyone gets to killing, the pages seem to turn themselves. We also miss motivation for a lot of the action beyond “everyone wants you dead” and “except the guy that wants to snuggle with you.” I would like to have had a little more insight into why these games exist beyond the teenage version of gladiatorial combat.

Overall, this book a fun read. Those looking for a little bit more depth in their dystopias may want to just re-read 1984, but I see no wonder that teenagers are eating this series up. I am excited to go on to the next one.

Why was it banned?
This book was banned in certain areas for the violence and graphic nature of the deaths. For some reason, people do not like their children reading about dismembering each other. There are also some animals and implied genetic modifications that could bring on the nightmare. I would also not be surprised that some would object to the use of sex (as a weapon and defense) as a factor in helping you live as well as questioning authority and government in general.

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