Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

I don’t remember reading books like this when I was 10-15. If I would have, I am not sure that I would have understood and appreciated them as much. The lessons in this story are so deep. I can see and understand an adolescent reading Harry Potter or Percy Jackson but Ender’s Game is so heavy, dark and based on the manipulation of Child Soldiers. This is a great book for discussions on “what will we do in order to survive”. Is survival the one common of the Human Species? As a whole do we just want to live? The story addresses the struggles of an unwanted child, but it is based on many social, political and ethical ideas of society. This is a great book overall and the author concentrates on the sacrifices and difficulties of war.

The story takes place in c. 2300AD; Earth is at peace following a devastating nuclear war against an alien race called "buggers". Ender is the third child of a family at a time when having more than two children was not acceptable. Ender was genetically engineered to have superior physical and mental capabilities and at six years old he has been chosen as Earth's final hope against the next war with the buggers. 

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

This is the second book in the series of The Heroes of Olympus. Percy is back in action and we finally know what happened to him, this time he is at Camp Jupiter. Percy has a wicked case of amnesia and doesn’t understand why everyone keeps calling him the son of Neptune. He befriends Hazel, who is back from the dead and Frank, who doesn’t know who his Godly father is. The three embark on a dangerous quest to Alaska to free “Thanatos” (Death).

The book is exciting and full of adventure. As always Rick weaves life lessons, historical studies and geographical information as he keeps you glued to the story. Now I am learning about the Roman Gods.

These can be found on Rick Riordan’s web page.

Gods

Greek     Roman

Zeus        Jupiter       God of the Sky

Hera        Juno          Goddess of Marriage, Mothers and Families

Poseidon  Neptune    God of the Sea

Ares         Mars         God of War

Athena     Minerva     Goddess of Wisdom, War and Useful Arts

Apollo      Apollo       God of Archery, Music, Poetry, Prophecy, Medicine and later on the god of the sun

Hades       Pluto         God of the Underworld

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games Trilogy

Katniss Everdeen has left a lasting impression on me. Every once in a while you read a book that twist your insides, a fiction that rings and corresponds too closely to the real world. This is a story that forces you to accept the cruelty of the world around you, and pushes you to make an individual choice of how you will live your life. Will you succumb to it and become as cruel in order to survive. Or will you rise above it and build the best life possible without sacrificing your integrity. Will you let the circumstances around you dictate who you become or will you use those circumstances as lessons to help you become the individual that you want to be?

Book I –“The Hunger Games” focuses on an event that happens once a year; a barbaric game where two adolescents and/or teenagers, a girl and a boy are chosen from every district to partake in The Hunger Games. Think of the TV show “Survivors” with kids and played to the death. The games are a reminder to the districts of what the last revolution cost them, a punishment to subdue the districts and remind them of the Capitols power. There are 12 districts (the 13th was destroyed); reminds me of the 13 US colonies. The districts are separated and never allowed to communicate with each other, the Capitol’s idea of divide and conquer. 


The Hunger Games depicts a cruel and horrible world run by the “Capitol”. The Capitol has an iron grip on the districts, using cameras to watch their every move and have “The Peacekeepers” who punish and kill for any disobedience. While the districts suffer, lacking the basic needs of clean water, a place to live and the people die of hunger, the people of the Capitol want for nothing. Their children never have to join the hunger games and they have such an abundance of everything that they are able to spend their free time leisurely, partying and dining; spending an enormous amount of money on their appearance. The most exciting event is watching the Hunger Games each year; watching children kill each other.


Book II –“Catching Fire” begins with less violence but just as menacing as book I. Katniss’ (the protagonist) survival and defiance angers the Capitol. There is unrest in the districts and. President Snow is out for revenge and no one is safe, not her family or even the previous winners of the Games.
Katniss describes the abundance the people of the capital have. How they take it for granted and do not realize that people in other districts are dying every day from lack of food, clean water and other essentials for life. It truly makes me look at myself and all that I have. Running hot and cold water every day, A home to come to, family and friends and so much food that I’m always on a diet.


The love triangle is so potent and gut-wrenching that it makes Twilight look like kids giggling and holding hands.


I do not like Katniss but that’s because I like my heroine in a neat package. The author made her too angry and suspicious even for her surroundings. Everyone around her is going through the same thing and even worse but she takes it too far. I know she wasn’t named after a cat but that’s what she reminds me of.


The books are real page turners. Even thought the story offers a reality that’s a bit too rough, awful and mean for me (I know plenty of it exist in real life, I don’t want it in my recreation). I couldn’t stop reading and I really wanted to see how the story would develop. Her coming of age, but I think the authenticity of her character is what appealed to me.



Mockingjay
Katniss is convinced to become "Mockingjay": the symbol of the rebellion. The ending of the story is sobering and calm; all of your trials and tribulations, where will they lead you? In the end, Will it be Worth It?