Reviews
A collection of essays written by many of our favorite authors about one of our favorite series of all times. Sounds great, right? Well, for me it wasn't. I expected more of this book. The Girl Who Was on Fire lacks some sort of order. Each essay is written about any random subject based on the books which results in many essays talking about the same things over & over. And although they might be true, after a while it becomes trite. I expected more in-depth thoughts, but some of the essays are based on facts anybody could have come up with. Yes, it had its nice bits & I would recommend it if you are a hardcore Hunger Games fan who just ended the series & were looking for more about Katniss. But overall, it doesn't give much insight about the series.
The only problem with this book is that some of the essays have actually very little about "The Hunger Games". And some focus too much on topics like genetics and Reatity TV, while it could be discussing the actual story. The book started really good. With amazing essays and beautiful profiles of the characters. Summing everything you had in your mind when you finished reading the series and putting it into words. Then, it got a bit tiring when authors stirred too far away from the actual "Hunger Games" and just essyaed extensively about Reality Tv (which just seemed like reviews of seasons of Survivor and The Real World) and their actual lives (trying not to come off too egotistical though; ironically). I have to say Cara Lockwood's essay "Not too weird science" is pretty much the worst one. It's quite a big stretch to compare lizard-men mutts to rice that contains more Vitamin A. I find this essay sort of childish. Not every scientist is Frankenstein. Not every mutation is creepy and evil. 95% of the mutations nowadays are made to help humanity, to the advantage of the world, some even to help the environment. Suzanne Collins' idea about portraying the mutts as something terrifying and bad is more like a warning. About how genetic engeneering can derail, and come to an ugly ending. Of course there are evil people in the world, and some may even eventually use genetics in a bad way. However, I am baffled that in this essay science is portrayed as a curse, as something bad and something to be feared. This is not 1500 anymore. Science is what keeps us going! Science is what's beautiful in life. She writes:"Sometimes science just creates new problems." Examples? Can't really think of any right now. And if there are, the good that sciece has provided can certainly make up for it. This essay is more sci-fi than actual sci-fi. But so far, Cara, everything is swell. There are no tracker jackers roaming around. (Cara's books are actually interesting though - they have nothing to do with genetics - I might just read them). From there to the end, it gets better, though. It becomes a "Hunger Games" book again, and, therefore, quite enjoyable. There are only 3 essays that I found undeserving of 4 stars, but the rest of the book made up for those. The best essays are: Why So Hungry for the Hunger Games by Sarah Rees Brennan Team Katniss by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Your Heart Is A Weapon The Size of Your Fist by Mary Borsellind Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth M. Rees Crime of Fashion by Terri Clark Bent, Shattered and Mended by Blythe Woolston The Politics of Mockingjay by Sarah Darer Littman The Inevitable Decline of Decadence by Adrienne Kress Community in the Face of Tyranny by Bree Despain
