REVIEW: CATCHING FIRE

Cover image adapted by Scholastic UK from an original by Tim O'Brien

CATCHING FIRE

THE HUNGER GAMES BOOK TWO

BY

SUZANNE COLLINS

ISBN: 978-1-407-13209-9

Pages: 439

Publisher: Scholastic UK

First published: 1 September 2009

This edition published: 1 December 2011

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

Katniss survived the Hunger Games. Now the Capitol wants revenge. It’s payback time, and her chance of survival is even slimmer than ever…

After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta have returned to District 12, hoping for a peaceful future. But their victory has caused rebellion to break out – and the Capitol has decided that someone must pay. As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the other districts on the Capitol’s Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless they can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Then comes the cruellest twist: the contestants for the next Hunger Games are announced, and Katniss and Peeta are forced into the arena once more…

   This picks up where book one ended. Some time has passed, but nothing mayor has happened. Well, not that the main character, Katniss, knows of anyway.
   Collins doesn't waste any time at all, and more or less throws the reader in at the deep end at the beginning. It does calm down pretty quickly though, and we get a look at the aftermath of the previous novel. This is very much a middle novel in a trilogy, it doesn't have a real beginning and its end is just the lead up to the concluding volume. That's not a bad thing, but it makes it impossible to read this story on its own.

   Like in the first book, I have some problems relating to Katniss. She is becoming more of a complete person, but I still think she lacks personality. It doesn't help that despite everything she is still extremely naive, I'd have liked her to show a little bit more cynicism after what she went through in the previous book. Peeta, on the other hand, is blindingly clever for the son of a baker who lives in a place with very limited opportunity to learn about the rest of the world.
   To me the characters feel a bit to shallow, more defined by their place in the plot than by any real personality. But despite that Katniss is quite fascinating. The situation she is in does give her some good moments to shine, and Collins write her in such a way that you have to empathise with her.

   The plot is mostly fast paced, more happens at times than in your average Science Fiction novel. There are passages that are more quiet though, and these are used to great effect to give the readers at least some insight into people, places, and events.
   It is without doubt the action, and the suspense that comes with it, that is the main driving force of this novel. Collins writes really good action, and you are compelled to read on every time she ends the chapter on a cliffhanger.

   The plot isn't anywhere near groundbraking, there is so much here that is pretty common in Dystopic Science Fiction, Collins does manage to leave her own distinct mark of it though. Where the originality falls through most is in the way this book follows in the footsteps of the previous volume. There is a lot here that feels like repetition, with just some details changed, and in some ways that is exactly what this is. Much is familiar here, but the stakes are turned up a notch from what we saw the last time.
   Where this novel deviates from its predecessor, it does so in very predictable ways. The extra stakes are there from the beginning, and for me it was just a matter of waiting for it to bear fruit. Unfortunately I never got the feeling of how it turned out the way it did. The worldbuilding is too slight for me to get a grip on how things took the turn they do here. And what details I do know doesn't really seem to hang quite together. The setting/worldbuilding is definitely this series's weakest point.

   I've been mostly critical above, highlighting the flaws of this novel. But even with its flaws this is a very entertaining read. It's light reading, in most ways but especially in the worldbuilding, but the plot itself is a very engaging one.
   I said of the first novel that it was a good introduction to this subgenre of Science Fiction, and that still holds true. The lack of depth is more pronounced here than in the predecessor, but the basic story is an engaging one and Collins writes it well.
   Even for someone as well-read in SFF as me this holds up as light entertainment. Your enjoyment of it will most probably depend of how much you care about the lack of details and depth, and how much you just let go and come along for a quite entertaining ride. Despite being flawed, I can absolutely recommend this for those that are after an uncomplicated and enjoyable read.

REVIEW: The Hunger Games

LINKS: Suzanne Collins   Scholastic UK

REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES

Cover image adapted by Scholastic UK from an original by Tim O'Brien

THE HUNGER GAMES

THE HUNGER GAMES BOOK ONE

BY
SUZANNE COLLINS

ISBN: 978-1-407-13208-2

Pages: 454

Publisher: Scholastic UK

First published: 14 September 2008

This edition published: 1 December 2011

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

The TV game show only has one rule: kill or be killed. Katniss must play or die. But she won’t give up without a fight...

In District 12, where Katniss Everdeen lives, life is harsh and brutal, ruled from afar by the all-powerful leaders of the Capitol. The climax of each year is the savage Hunger Games – where twelve boys and twelve girls from each District must fight to the death on live TV in a murderous showdown. When sixteen-year-old Katniss steps forward to take her younger sister’s place in the Games, everyone regards it as a death sentence. Only one person can survive the horrors of the arena. But plucky Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature...

  Let's get one thing out of the way first. There has been a lot of talk about this novel, and the trilogy, being derivative of earlier works. There is no doubt that this is not the most original concept in SFF, but I don't think a real case can be made for it being any more of a copy than a lot of other SFF works. I will say more about the subject of this book's predecessors, and possible inspirations, when I have reviewed the whole trilogy. For now I'll just say that I don't think anyone I am aware has made a case for Collins being a copycat.
   This brings us to how original, or fresh if you will, this novel feels. The short answer is that it depends very much on how much you have read. For me there was much that was familiar to some degree. But even so, I quickly lost any inclination I had to spot the similarities. Collins writes in such a way that you are compelled to keep reading, putting the book down before it ends is hard, and I finished this in a shorter time span than I anticipated.
  
   Pacing wise this is all about the story, there is little worldbuilding done. We do get some info though, but the whole setting feels a bit sketchy at times. This is however not a flaw, it's clear that it is a conscious choice by the author. It does work in the context of the story, even though it makes it feel like the world we are in lacks some history at times. My personal preference would be to have more backstory to bridge our present with the novel's. Other readers will of course feel it refreshing that there is a focus on the story, and that the setting is left in the background to a greater degree than is found in many SFF novels.

   I must add though that there is quite a bit of substance to this novel, and there is definitely a lot happening at times. There is an undercurrent of societal critique here. Although perhaps undercurrent isn't exactly the right word, the novel is pretty much in your face with everything. At times the lack of subtlety can be a bit too much. There were times I felt that Collins was laying it on a bit thick, times were the way the point was made felt repetitive. What this mostly did for me was make it feel like this is "starter" SFF. And since this is after all a YA novel, that is actually a good thing.

   There is quite a lot of suspense here, at times you will be very loathe to put the book down because of it. Collins has put in some great cliffhangers that doesn't take a backseat to any you'd find in a good Thriller. Obviously there is also a lot of action, and quite a bit of it is fairly brutal. This isn't a sanitised version of the events depicted, and this realistic approach to violence makes the novel better than a "Disneyfied" version would have been.

   The characters are quite important here. We are getting the story as told in first person by the main character, Katniss Everdeen. This gets us very close to what is going on, and we do get very intimate with Katniss's feelings and her interpretation of what is going on. Unfortunately I feel that this is somewhat of a weak point. Katniss came across to me as cold and distant, and the narrative didn't really feel all that personal. As a result of this I had problems empathising with Katniss at several points throughout the novel. I felt she worked much better as a character when she interacted with others, she basically comes off more "real" when she's playing off someone else.
   I still liked following Katniss's "journey" though. Her coldness didn't keep me back from witnessing what was going on, they just didn't get me as close to her as I got the feeling I was supposed to.

   Overall this is a really good action-filled SFF novel. It is an easier read than many other Dystopian Science Fiction novels, and this can lead to it being more entertaining than thoughtful. If you want to introduce anyone to this subgenre of SFF, or want an introduction yourself, this is an excellent place to start.
   You don't have to have any "SFF baggage" to read this, and in some ways it is a bit of a distraction if you do. It was still a very enjoyable read for me, so if you can avoid being nitpicky this should be an entertaining read for the seasoned SFF reader.
    Basically, if you are looking for an entertaining Earth-bound Science Fiction novel with a bit of substance to it, picking this up is a good idea.

LINKS: Suzanne Collins  Scholastic UK

REVIEW: OUT ON BLUE SIX

Cover design by Neil Heacox

OUT ON BLUE SIX

BY

IAN McDONALD

ISBN: 978-1-48046-165-9

Pages: 288

Publisher: Open Road Media

First published: 1 April 1989

This edition published: 31 December 2013

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

In a far-future city where happiness and stability are law, a group of rebels will fight for what it means to be human

The Compassionate Society was designed as a utopia, where people’s genetic predispositions and aptitudes—rather than random choice—guide their lives, and pain of any kind is illegal. In the self-contained city, happiness is the most cherished value, and the Ministry of Pain swiftly prosecutes anyone who interferes with the contentment of another. For many of its citizens—who were matched to their jobs, spouses, and friends—the Compassionate Society is perfect. But to Courtney Hall, a political cartoonist, it is a place of stifling mediocrity. When her satirical work makes her a target of the government, Courtney goes on the run, only to discover an entire underground network of dissidents, each fighting against the stagnation imposed by the Compassionate Society—a struggle that could stand as humanity’s last chance for growth, innovation, and ultimately, survival.

   This novel is somewhat surrealist in nature, at times you feel you are going down the proverbial rabbit hole. At times it has a feel of being Fantasy, but I would say this fits nicely into the Weird. The setting, for parts of the story at least, is pure Science Fiction and there are elements that are familiar for those that are versed in Earth-set Science Fiction.

  There is two plot-strands here and although they have the similarity of both being journeys, they are very different journeys.
   On the one hand we get a quest that owes much of its structure to Epic Fantasy, more specifically Quest Fantasy. Although I hasten to add that this is not anywhere near what you'd expect from Epic Fantasy. It is much more bizarre than that, and at times it takes turns that may be hard to follow for those that are not familiar with reading SFF. However it is this greatly imaginative quality that lifts this plot thread above the average for me. The plot becomes so unpredictable because it refuses to tie itself to the expected of such a quest that you are never quite certain where it will take you.
   The other quest is more about personal discovery. It does begin with the, at this time, not uncommon narrative device of a main character who does not know who he is. But where McDonald takes it from there means it in no way feels like it is something you've seen before. Sure, there are familiar turns at some points. Parts of what is happening does seem familiar, but it is set in a narrative context that still makes this feel very fresh, even when read 25 years after the novel's first publication.

   Taken overall, the novel is a joy to read, reading my review notes made me want to read it again. There's parts of this that are absolutely brilliant Science Fiction, and likewise parts that are excellent Quest Fantasy. When put together those two elements make for a great novel.
   The page count is not very long for a SFF novel, but McDonald has managed to make this world come vividly to life with the words he has used. Other SFF novels certainly go into more detail about the world they are set in. However the feel you get for the world you are in is excellent here, and it brings you closer to how this society looks like than many novels who go on in much more detail.

   As with the setting, the characters does not really get much detail given about them. They are more defined by their actions that by who they are, but I never thought that they were too flimsy as people. Learning more about them is simply not something you miss, the narrative just doesn't need you to get to know them in that way. You do however get a good feel for who they are, and in many respects what makes them tick. They are also very nice people to follow through the narrative. Both main and supporting characters come very much alive, and you can easily relate to them on enough levels that you feel comfortable with them.

   When I was reading this, and in the time after that when I have thought about it, it's sort of hard for me to see why this book has almost disappeared. Granted, it does predate the New Weird by several years, and it does in some ways straddle the  difficult Science Fiction/Fantasy gap but it is really an excellent SFF novel. That it wasn't reprinted, and re-marketed, when New Weird became popular is a bit baffling to me.
   This is a SFF novel that deserves to be read widely. Fans of McDonald will recognise his style of storytelling, and if they haven't already read this they should remedy that at once. Other SFF fans would do well to pick this up also, and fans of China Miéville and other New Weird authors should definitely pick this up. With it's mix of Quest Fantasy and Earth-set Science Fiction it should be an excellent choice for any SFF fan.

NOTE: I got an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher/NetGalley.

REVIEWS: River of Gods  Brasyl

LINK: Open Road Media

REVIEW: BATTLE ROYALE

BATTLE ROYALE

BY

KOUSHUN TAKAMI

ORIGINAL TITLE:

BATORU ROWAIARU

TRANSLATED

BY

YUJI ONIKI

ISBN: 978-1-4215-2772-7

Pages: 576 (+extras)

Publisher Haikasoru

First published: 1999

First English publication: 26 February 2003

This edition published: 17 November 2009

   Aided by the 2000 movie based on it, this is a novel that became an almost instant Cult Classic. Or rather the movie did, I don't actually think that many people have read the novel. Which I find a bit sad, since the novel is in many ways very different to the movie. (As are most novels with a movie based on them.)

   The novel doesn't waste time, it isn't long before the setting is established and the action starts. Interestingly, and often ignored, the setting is Alternate History (,the novel is set in 1997), and it is a world that is much more brutal than the one we live in. Takami doesn't shy away from the brutality of the "program" depicted in the book, descriptions of deaths are on level with what you usually find in Horror books.

   Adding to the visual descriptions of the deaths are the glimpses we get into the thoughts of both victims and killers. We get really close up to what is going on in a way that makes the impact greater, and that can get uncomfortable at times. You will be thinking about what is happening, these are not Hollywood deaths, but "real" deaths. They get even more real in a way because you get an insight into why a group of schoolchildren do these things, there are some fairly philosophical thoughts on this in the novel.

   Paranoia, fear, and distrust pervade the novel. The characters are put in a really extreme situation, one they cannot escape and which effects each one in different ways. There are three characters that are the main focus of the story, but there are lots of short chapters that see things from other individuals point of view. This means that even smaller players gets their thoughts across and leave their mark on the reader.

   Takami writes very good characters, and they will get under your skin. Even though the situation they are put in is so extreme as to be almost absurd, the characters remain relatable. I became very invested in the main characters and what they went through, halfway through the book they felt like old friends.

   One of the strengths of the book is showing how desperation can lead ordinary people to do extreme acts, there's plenty of that here, and there is no cushioning of that. But the structure of the book explains many of the motives the characters have for their actions. Even the "villains" of the story are explored in quite a bit of detail.

   At the surface this story can be simply described as "students are forced to kill each other", but that doesn't even begin to describe this novel. I've already mentioned above how it is a story about ordinary people in an extreme situation, and that gets closer to the essence of it. But there's even more to it. There are lots of themes touched upon in amongst all the carnage, and despite being action-filled in some ways it reads much more like a  philosophical novel. Especially representative of this are the glimpses we get of  the alternate world the story is set in.

   The story has a lot of tension to it. Structurally there are lots of shorter chapters, with many of the cast getting their own viewpoint. This structure makes you get closer to the overall story, while at the same time never being sure who is really a relevant player.

   Towards the end there are several twists and turns. It's hard to know what is really going to happen, and at least some of the developments will not be expected.

(Note: Seeing the movie will ruin some of this. If you haven't seen it yet, I can't urge you strongly enough to wait until after you have read the novel. -If you have seen the movie, as I had, it's best if you read the novel when it has been a while since you saw the film. Going directly from the movie to the novel is a really bad idea.)

   All in all this is a very powerful novel. It is brutal in many ways, for some perhaps too brutal, but it never feels gratuitous. It will however get under your skin in some way. And the story will stay with you for a while, there are underpinnings that demand that you think about them.

   In many ways this is a novel that defies traditional genre classification. It's Alternate History, Near Future Science Fiction, Dystopic Science Fiction, and definitely a comment on society and human nature.

   This is a novel that in my opinion deserves to be read by many more people, and I urge everyone who reads this review to give it a try. It should be required reading for anyone who likes any of the subgenres, or themes, that I have mentioned above.

LINK: Haikasoru