Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) by Suzanne Collins

“It’s not over until the mockingjay sings.”

A prequel to Suzanne Collins‘ The Hunger Games series and published in 2020, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set around the 10th annual Hunger Game, where 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmanoeuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined, as he must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive, no matter what it takes.

Film Review: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay (Part 2)

A whole year after the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 1), the final instalment in a series of adaptations based on Suzanne Collins’ trilogy of novels is finally here. With Part 1 leaving the dystopian nation of Panem on the verge of revolution, a hijacked Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) attempting to come to grips with reality, and our reluctant heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) preparing for battle, Part 2 picks up in District 13 as the team plan their way into the Capitol.

Directed once again by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 2) picks up with Katniss as she must bring together an army when Panem moves into a full-scale war. Teamed with those closest to her – Peeta, Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Finnick (Sam Claflin) – Katniss sets out on her own mission, ignoring orders set to her by President Coin (Julianne Moore), as she leads her unit into mortal traps and humanity-breaking moral choices that will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games, in her efforts to end the manipulative reign of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) for good.

Book v Film: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay (Part 2)

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

A whole year after the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 1), the final instalment in a series of adaptations based on Suzanne Collins’ trilogy of novels is finally here. With Part 1 leaving the dystopian nation of Panem on the verge of revolution, a hijacked Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) attempting to come to grips with reality, and our reluctant heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) preparing for battle, Part 2 picks up in District 13 as the team plan their way into the Capitol.

Directed once again by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 2) picks up with Katniss as she must bring together an army when Panem moves into a full-scale war. Teamed with those closest to her – Peeta, Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Finnick (Sam Claflin) – Katniss sets out on her own mission, ignoring orders set to her by President Coin (Julianne Moore), as she leads her unit into mortal traps and humanity-breaking moral choices that will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games, in her efforts to end the manipulative reign of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) for good.

You Should Be Reading: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay (Part 1 & 2)

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

Suzanne Collins’ trilogy of novels, The Hunger Games, is one of the most popular young adult franchises, with the film adaptations being some of the best films over the past couple of years. Now the time has come for the final instalment, the second part of the final novel and the fourth instalment in The Hunger Games franchise, with one of the most anticipated films of 2015, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 2).

Set to be released on 19th November and directed by Francis Lawrence, with Jennifer Lawrence once again in the lead role, this final book sees Katniss face her biggest challenges yet, as she must become the iconic Mockingjay, a symbol of hope and courage in the revolution, to unify the districts of Panem, fight to save those she loves, and attempt to shatter the games forever.

New Poster & Trailer for ‘Mockingjay Part 2’ – “A Sister’s Bond Is Forever”

(Written for Filmoria)

With tickets set to go on sale on 1st October for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, we have a new trailer and poster for the final instalment that we’re all dying to see.

Reaching cinemas on 19th November, the new promotional items center on the strong bond and compassion between two of the most courageous sisters we know – Katniss and Primrose Everdeen.

My Top 10 Films of 2014

With the end of 2014 in sight, it’s time to look back on the best of this year. It’s been a great year for film franchises, superheroes, reboots, and lego men. With releases from some of the best, including Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, and Hayao Miyazaki, there’s been something for everyone with a thrilling murder mystery, an animation about aircraft engineering, a space adventure spanning the galaxies, a dark drama about sex addiction, and a true-life story about HIV.

This year I’ve watched 785 films (90 released this year and 241 for the first time). My most watched directors were Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock and my most watched actor was Tom Hanks.

And here are my top 10 films of 2014. This list changes quite often so you can view a constantly updated list on my Letterboxd page.

My 2014 Reading Wrap-Up

Over the past couple of years, I have documented every film I have watched and reviewed them all. As a way to motivate myself to read more, I thought I would do the same for what books I have been reading. So, this year I set myself a challenge of reading one book a month; a small challenge, maybe, but it was a start.

This year I set myself a challenge of 12 books. Here’s how my 2014 challenge went, with a short review and rating for each of the books that I read:

Film Review: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay (Part 1)

The first part of the final novel in Suzanne Collins’ young adult trilogy of novels, The Hunger Games, Mockingjay (Part 1), directed by Francis Lawrence, follows on from the cliff-hanger of last year’s Catching Fire, with the echoing words that District 12 has been destroyed. Transferred to District 13 in her fragile state, and now under the charge of President Coin (Julianna Moore), Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) must now become the iconic Mockingjay, a symbol of hope and courage in the revolution, to unify the districts of Panem, rescue Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), fight to save those she loves, and attempt to shatter the games forever.

Book v Film: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay (Part 1)

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

The first part of the final novel in Suzanne Collins’ young adult trilogy of novels, The Hunger Games, Mockingjay (Part 1), directed by Francis Lawrence, follows on from the cliff-hanger of last year’s Catching Fire, with the echoing words that District 12 has been destroyed. Transferred to District 13 in her fragile state, and now under the charge of President Coin (Julianna Moore), Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) must now become the iconic Mockingjay, a symbol of hope and courage in the revolution, to unify the districts of Panem, rescue Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), fight to save those she loves, and attempt to shatter the games forever.

Actor Ranked: Jennifer Lawrence

(My original post was written for Filmoria, but it has been edited since then.)

With The Hunger Games franchise establishing Jennifer Lawrence as the highest-grossing action heroine of all time, it’s her first roles in the TBS sitcom The Bill Engvall Show and the independent films The Burning Plain and Winter’s Bone, for which she received her first Academy Award nomination, that made her an actress to keep an eye on.

Since then, Lawrence has won an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and a BAFTA, as well as a number of other awards, with Rolling Stone commenting in 2012 that she is “the most talented young actress in America”.

From stumbling up the stairs after winning her first Oscar for her role in Silver Linings Playbook to her adorable honesty and natural wit in interviews, Lawrence is undeniably one of the best actresses around at the minute. So let’s take a look at five of her best performances.

Here is my ranking of her performances (not of the films themselves) to date:

The Rise of Young Adult Dystopias

(Written for the Gloucestershire Citizen/Echo)

An undesirable community or society set in the future – that’s the easiest way of explaining what a dystopia is. But what would you consider the best in its genre? The classic that is George Orwell’s 1984? Or the recent young adult franchises taking on the genre, including Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games?

You Should Be Reading: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay (Part 1)

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

Suzanne Collins’ young adult trilogy The Hunger Games has to be one of the most popular series of novels at the minute. Set in the dystopian and post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, the novels follow lead heroine Katniss Everdeen, a young girl living in the poorest of 12 districts who, volunteering to save her younger sister, is forced to compete in The Hunger Games. Set up by the government in order to maintain peace, the annual televised games see 24 young representatives fight to the death in a specially designed arena, until only one remains.

Once again directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role, the film adaptation is set to be released on 20th November.

Book Review: The Hunger Games – Mockingjay

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

The final book in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy of The Hunger Games series of novels, Mockingjay, originally published in 2010, follows on from the cliff-hanger of Catching Fire, with the echoing words that District 12 has been destroyed.

Transferred to District 13 in her fragile state, and now under the charge of President Coin, Katniss Everdeen must now become the iconic Mockingjay, a symbol of hope and courage in the revolution, to unify the districts of Panem, rescue Peeta, fight to save those she loves, and attempt to shatter the games forever.

Book v Film: The Hunger Games – Catching Fire

“At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead. The hard thing is finding the courage to do it.”

Directed by Francis Lawrence and the second adaptation in Suzanne Collins‘ The Hunger Games trilogy of novels, Catching Fire continues with the story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), as she returns home after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games with fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). But it doesn’t take Katniss long to learn that surviving the games doesn’t mean that she has won, especially as President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is angry with her for breaking the rules and defying the Capitol at the end of the last Games. Sensing that a rebellion is simmering, the Capitol make a point to prove their control as they prepare for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, The Quarter Quell, a competition that could change Panem forever.

Film Review: The Hunger Games – Catching Fire

Directed by Francis Lawrence and the second adaptation in Suzanne Collins‘ The Hunger Games trilogy of novels, Catching Fire continues with the story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), as she returns home after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games with fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). But it doesn’t take Katniss long to learn that surviving the games doesn’t mean that she has won, especially as President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is angry with her for breaking the rules and defying the Capitol at the end of the last Games. Sensing that a rebellion is simmering, the Capitol make a point to prove their control as they prepare for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, The Quarter Quell, a competition that could change Panem forever.

Book Review: The Hunger Games – Catching Fire

“Remember who the true enemy is.”

The second adaptation in Suzanne Collins‘ The Hunger Games trilogy of novels, Catching Fire continues with the story of Katniss Everdeen, as she returns home after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games with fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark. But it doesn’t take Katniss long to learn that surviving the games doesn’t mean that she has won, especially as President Snow is angry with her for breaking the rules and defying the Capitol at the end of the last Games. Sensing that a rebellion is simmering, the Capitol make a point to prove their control as they prepare for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, The Quarter Quell, a competition that could change Panem forever.

Hunger Games Sequel Officially & Unsurprisingly Titled ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’

(Written for Lost In The Multiplex)

Did you hear what The Hunger Games sequel has been called? That’s right, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Who’d have guessed?

Summit Entertainment announced the official name confirmation for The Hunger Games sequel last week, which will be based on Suzanne Collins’ second novel in The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire.

With all the Twilight films, also made by Summit, all employing ‘The Twilight Saga’ addition to the start of the film title, and the Harry Potter novels already starting with ‘Harry Potter and the…’, it was only obvious that The Hunger Games would do the same.

Competition Entry: Prejudice In Film

(Written for a competition to write for MTV Sticky, which I won.)

You may have heard that The Hunger Games has done extremely well since its release last month, making over $350M worldwide and clinging on to the top of the box office for four whole weeks, but did you hear about those who only had negative things to say about the film?

Film Review: The Hunger Games

(Published in Issue 8 of my publication In Retrospect)

The first in a trilogy of novels written by Suzanne Collins‘ best-selling series, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian future where, in order to maintain peace in the 12 districts of Panem, 24 young representatives are forced to compete in a televised game each year, where they must fight to the death until only one remains. With the film adaptation directed by Gary Ross, the story centres on the character of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman living in the poorest of districts who, when her sister Primrose (Willow Shields) is chosen to compete in the games, volunteers herself as tribute alongside fellow district competitor Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).

Pitted against the richest of tributes, who have been training all their lives, Katniss is thrown into the colourful world of the rich in interviews with TV host Caeser Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), and Game escort Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks). But with only the mentoring skills of the drunk and bitter Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) to prepare her, does Katniss even stand a chance of returning home to her family? And how will seducing her district competitor in order to attract sponsors affect the harbouring romance she has with Gale (Liam Hemsworth) back at home?

Book v Film: The Hunger Games

“Deep in the meadow, hidden far away / A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray. / Forget your woes and let your troubles lay, / And when it’s morning again, they’ll wash away. / Here it’s safe, here it’s warm. / Here the daisies guard you from every harm. / Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true, / Here is the place where I love you.”

The first in a trilogy of novels written by Suzanne Collins‘ best-selling series, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian future where, in order to maintain peace in the 12 districts of Panem, 24 young representatives are forced to compete in a televised game each year, where they must fight to the death until only one remains. With the film adaptation directed by Gary Ross, the story centres on the character of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman living in the poorest of districts who, when her sister Primrose (Willow Shields) is chosen to compete in the games, volunteers herself as tribute alongside fellow district competitor Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).

Pitted against the richest of tributes, who have been training all their lives, Katniss is thrown into the colourful world of the rich in interviews with TV host Caeser Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), and Game escort Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks). But with only the mentoring skills of the drunk and bitter Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) to prepare her, does Katniss even stand a chance of returning home to her family? And how will seducing her district competitor in order to attract sponsors affect the harbouring romance she has with Gale (Liam Hemsworth) back at home?