Series Review: The Binding of the Blade

The Binding of the Blade Series by L. B. Graham

Publisher: P&R Publishing®

Summery:

[From the back cover of Beyond the Summerland]

Forged to kill and wielded to survive, the blade has bound them all…

It was foretold after Malek’s first fall that twice more he would bring war, and that the last time, the very waters of the sea would obey him and fight for him. If this be so, then I cannot imagine how Sulare will escape his wrath…

Introduction:

Since classes have started back, reading has been pushed to the back burner, so to speak. I’m currently reading three books, and I plan on reviewing at least one of them, but I have no idea when I’ll finish. So, I decided, since I don’t want to have a huge gap between updates on this blog (or longer than what I usually have), I will review some of the books on my shelf that I read quite a while back, maybe even years back! There are many great books on my shelf, and a lot of my favorites are not very well known. Which is a shame, because they were awesome, amazing, and epic! I figured this time, I would review one of my absolute favorite series back in my early teens. The first one was published back in 2004, and last one in 2008. It seems like such a long time ago, doesn’t it? I found the first book, Beyond the Summerland, in the local Christian bookstore maybe a year after it came out. Back then, I was obsessed with The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Dragons in our Midst, and pretty much anything else that had to do with fantasy and dragons. Reading the description, this seemed like something very much like The Lord of the Rings, and back then, I compared everything to Tolkien’s trilogy. No, nothing ever matched up to it, which is why I stopped comparing and started judging books for themselves. When I started the book, I was completely absorbed into the world L. B. Graham created. It wasn’t like LOTR really, there were no elves, dwarves, or hobbits to be found, but the grandeur of the story reminded me of Tolkien. This isn’t a light read, since the books are 400-500 pages long, and packed with detail, story, and characters. The other books were harder for me to find. I searched in vain for them at every bookstore I came to, but never found them. I then had to order them from the Christian Book Distributers website. That experience is why I hate ordering anything online. My copy of Bringer of Storms, the sequel, has a tear in the binding, and the bottom of the cover looked like it had been smashed. I was very upset when the book arrived in that condition, but I immediately went to reading it. The rest of the books, Shadow in the Deep, Father of Dragons, and All My Holy Mountain were also ordered from CBD, but fortunately arrived in better condition.

Characters:

There were so many characters in these books, both good and evil. However, I will only discuss a few of the main ones, since trying to write about all of them would take almost forever. And I think I’ll just discuss those in the first book, since most of them are still major throughout the series. Firstly, there’s Joraiem, who is a young man of the Novaana, which are like the ruling class of people in this world. He is also skilled in using his bow, which he calls Suruna. (Archers FTW!) Joraiem is the main character, and the story follows him as he leaves his home to head for the Summerland, where young Novaana go to train and prepare for the time they will have to lead and make decisions for their people. He meets a man named Aljeron, who is also a Novaana. He has a mysterious past, which is evidenced by the three large scars on the side of his face. Aljeron also has a tiger friend, named Koshti, who is always at his side and helps him in battle. And seriously, who’d want to mess with a guy with a tiger? I loved Koshti though. He was actually one of my favorite characters, even if he wasn’t human. While in the Summerland, Joraiem also meets Wylla, who is the princess of Enthanin, the country in the east, and Rulalin, who becomes another good friend of Joraiem’s. There is a problem however, because both young men fall in love with Wylla! Talk about tension, and this leads to something unexpected later. There is also a blind prophet named Valzaan. He is a lot like a wizard actually, except he speaks Allfather’s will. Allfather is the god of this world.

My Thoughts:

I was literally obsessed with this series growing up, and I know a few people who would testify to that. It had the scope of LOTR that I was looking for, and a clear Christian message that added the extra depth to it. A person can learn a lot about sacrifice and faith by reading these books, and a lesson like that is something that will stick with you for all time. One doesn’t have to be Christian to enjoy this however, there’s still a marvelous world to explore with amazing people and creatures. Yes, this world is populated by more than just humans. There are dragons, giant talking bears (who are original to anything I’ve ever read before or since), and evil creatures like giants and Malekim, which could give an Uruk-hai a run for its money. Also, there is a giant snake, which you can see on the cover of the third book. That scene is exciting and tense, especially since it involves my favorite character out of the whole series. There is also the most unexpected and shocking of all plot twists at the end of Beyond the Summerland that probably has ever been in fiction. Seriously, L. B. Graham, I never thought something like that would happen! There are a lot of tense and sad moments, so if you’re one who easily cries, I would suggest keeping a box of tissues with you. You won’t know what will happen, or who will live or die during this war. I love that sense of uncertainty in stories.

Not all my thoughts on this are positive, however. Reading the book can get tedious, just because it is so detailed. If you can read stuff like The Lord of the Rings, you probably won’t have a problem with this then. I had read LOTR before this, so it kind of prepared me, and it’s actually an easier read since it’s written for young adults. Another thing about it that I didn’t care for was how the characters talked. The book has this fantastical setting, exotic names, many fantasy elements, but then you get characters speaking like they’re from modern day America. It doesn’t have an old world feel to it when they speak. They don’t say things like, “dude” or “cool” or “Hey, s’up?” but it’s still too informal. I was eventually able to look over that though, even though it still felt odd to me. There are parts when it seems to get bogged down, especially when Valzaan lead this religious ritual that involves a lot of talking and a lot of repeating what was said. Doing it one time was ok, it showed a part of their culture, but when it happened a second and possibly a third time in the series, it grew very boring and I found myself skimming over it. Aside from those three points, not much else to complain about, unless you want to say something about hard to pronounce names, but there is a glossary in the back of the book, so you can breathe a sigh of relief there.

There is this one other thing I didn’t like about the series: All My Holy Mountain. I can’t say what I didn’t like about it because it involves spoilers, major spoilers, but the last book was definitely the worst book in my opinion. Disappointing for me since I thought each book was better and better. My favorite being Shadow in the Deep! There was so much about that book that I thought was awesome, but again, I can’t say because of spoilers. ;)

Warnings:

No language, no witchcraft, no adult themes. It’s completely decent in those respects. These books do have descriptive violence though. It’s a war going on, so there’s lots of blood and people getting hurt. It’s not terrible, but appropriate for teen to adult readers.

My Age Rating: 13 and up (Teenagers would probably enjoy this more than adults, but I’d still recommend it to them no matter their age.)

 

Sorry there are no pictures in this post. I couldn't upload anything. If you want to see what the covers look like, check out the site below. It's the main site for the series.

http://www.bindingoftheblade.com/

~Cya!

 

Review for Beyond the Reflection's Edge

Echoes from the Edge: Beyond the Reflection’s Edge by Bryan Davis

Publisher: Zondervan®

Summery:

[From Amazon.com]

Sixteen-year-old Nathan Shepherd has a great life traveling where the careers of his father, and investigator, and mother, a renowned violinist, take him…until his parents are found murdered. Left with only a mirror and notes from his father’s last case, Nathan goes into hiding at the remote country home of Tony, his father’s college buddy, and Tony’s teenage daughter, Kelly, The mysterious mirror must be a clue to what happened to his parents, and when images appear in it---people and things that don’t exist---Nathan and Kelly painstakingly gather evidence. But the killers want the mirror too, and danger threatens the teens at every turn. As it becomes evident that Nathan’s father has stumbled upon dark forces at work in the world, several questions arise. Could it be that the mirror is a portal to a parallel world? Could this technology be used for evil purposes? And could his parents still be alive, trapped in another dimension? Nathan and Kelly struggle to solve the mystery before they too become victims. This chilling, hair-raising adventure is jam-packed with action in a fantastical world where nothing is as it seems, and even mirrors tell lies.

Introduction:

Bryan Davis is one of my all-time favorite authors. He’s written series such as the Dragons in our Midst series and its companion series, Oracles of Fire, and also the Dragons of Starlight series. Bryan Davis is actually one of the first authors who started the Christian fantasy genre, with the publication of Raising Dragons, his first in the Dragons in our Midst series. The books showed that you can mix fantasy and faith, and because of the success of those books, Christian fantasy has now become one of the largest in Christian genres, and it produces many great books. And I am glad for that. When I was eleven or twelve, I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time, and then soon after that, The Chronicles of Narnia. They really awoke my interest in dragons, elves, dwarves, brave knights, and fair maidens, but the fantasy genre was full of things my parents wouldn’t allow me to read about; sorcery and immorality being two of the mains. That’s when the title of Bryan Davis’ Raising Dragons caught my eye in the Christian bookstore. After reading and enjoying that, I snatched up all the Christian fantasy I could.

Now, Beyond the Reflection’s Edge, the first book in the Echoes from the Edge series, is more like a sci-fi thriller than a fantasy, so it’s something unique by Mr. Davis. It’s actually the first book I’ve read from him that doesn’t have dragons in it. But it has many of the same fantastical elements that I enjoyed from his other books. Also with his distinct writing style, the book just had a familiar feel to me, even though I had never read it before. Unfortunately, it was hard finding a copy of this book. I had tried finding it in a bookstore for years, but only ever found the last two in the series. It wouldn’t have made much sense if I started the trilogy from the middle now would it? I eventually gave up on finding them, until a few weeks ago, when Bryan Davis posted links on his blog to where the eBook versions could be bought! Since it was only 99 cents, I decided to get the first book, but I was wary at first. I had never read an eBook before. I’m one of those purists, I guess you’d say. I think an actual book is way better than a version on an electronic device. It’s not the same thing, I’d argue, but since it was a book from Bryan Davis (and one I couldn’t find anywhere else), I decided to cave in and give it a try. At the end of the review, I’ll give my thoughts on the eBook experience.

Characters:

As always, Bryan Davis has created some realistic and lovable characters. Though in this book, I found his main character to be a bit unbelievable. Nathan Shepherd is the son of an investigator and a famed violinist, and he seems to be the perfect mesh of the two. Seriously, is there nothing this guy can’t do? He’s a black belt, accomplished musician, can ride motorcycles and cars like a stunt driver, and is the ideal gentleman. I really couldn’t find many flaws in Nathan’s character, scratch that, any flaws in his character. He’s like Superman. I guess what made him likable for me though, was the realistic way he dealt with his parents’ deaths. The grief he felt made him human. It wasn’t a blow he was able to get over after one chapter, but something he had to deal with throughout the course of the story.

There are some similarities in the characters to the Dragons in our Midst characters that I find in these books, but I suppose that since it’s by the same author, there are bound to be some things that are alike. One of the main ones was Clara, Nathan’s tutor, who is his older mentor who offers him wisdom and guidance. I found her character similar to Professor Charles Hamilton in Dragons in our Midst. I guess it’s supposed to teach young people that the adults in their lives are there for them, and are a great source of wisdom. Everyone does need a mentor or teacher, someone who cares for them and looks out for their best interests.

Kelly, the main female protagonist, was probably my favorite character in the book. She was strong, and a little rough around the edges, but she’s had a hard time in her life and is working on becoming a better person. She’s the character that changes the most over the course of the book, challenged by Nathan’s high standard of morals to become something more. Kelly also has a best friend named Daryl, and this girl is the silly, movie-quoting kind of best friend. She was very enjoyable and challenged Kelly for position of favorite character for a while. I’ve always loved Bryan Davis’ humorous characters. They’re always the ones I wished were real and were my best friends.

Oh, and the villain! Who is this Mictar guy? He has this really creepy aura about him, almost like pure evil. Where’d this guy come from? What is he? Ergh! I’m going to have to read the rest of the books to figure that one out.

My Thoughts:

Probably by the way the rest of this review has read, one can easily tell I enjoyed the book a lot. Yes, I did. The story was one exciting thing after another, full of plot twists, and it kept me guessing until the end. I’m the type of reader who likes to try to figure things out before the end of the book, and this was one book that kept me confused. When I was about three-fourths of the way through, I decided to quit trying to figure out every plot point and every character’s motives and just read the silly thing and see what happens. Many forms of dimensional travel or parallel worlds confuse me, and this was one of them, especially since there was more than one alternate reality. Yikes! It was hard to figure out who to trust and who not to trust, but that was one of the enjoyable aspects about it too. Sure, there were things that confused or annoyed me about the book, but as a whole, it was pretty good.

Now, my thoughts on the eReader experience. When I first started reading it, I told myself that it will be like reading a story off the internet. I really enjoy going to sites where people post stories or fan fiction, so I figured this wouldn’t be much different. Well, one annoying thing about reading the eBook was the device I read it on. I had to read the entire book on my iPhone. A little two-by-three inch screen isn’t fun to read anything on for a long period of time. This book has 300 to 400 pages when it’s in book form, so it was almost maddening on the phone. Another thing I found that I didn’t like about it was the way it kept track of my progress. Sure, telling me I was 20%, or 43%, or 94% through the book was nice, but it still felt like I had no idea how much progress I was really making. For me, I like having the book in my hands, and being able to see how many pages that are left and being able to estimate how much longer it will take to finish the book. I guess you could say I like having the end in sight, and with the eBook, I couldn’t physically see the end coming. It was like I was blindly treading along. I like measuring my reading by distances, not percentages. That aspect would take some getting used to. Then there was the most annoying problem of all: the typos were terrible! Now, I know Bryan Davis’ writing, I own eleven of his books, and never have I seen such punctuation errors in his writing as I have on this eReader version of the book. I seriously do not believe any of this was his fault, he’s a very talented and skilled writer. I believe it is just the adaptation from page to screen that has caused these errors. But still, someone should have gone through the book and made sure there were no errors in the transition. Maybe things would have been better if I was actually using an eReader device (the larger screen would definitely be nicer), but I still am firmly a book over eBook kind of girl. There’s just something about having the actual book in your hands or on your shelf. Call me old-fashioned, I will take it as a compliment.

Warnings:

Well, being a book from a Christian author, there really isn’t much that could be labeled as a warning. There are some graphic, and even scary, scenes, so I don’t think this book would be good for young children. There are some mentions of people living an immoral lifestyle, and those mentions usually come from Kelly. The poor girl comes from a broken home, a situation a lot of children unfortunately have to deal with.

My Age Rating: 13 and up.

~Cya!

Series Review: The Wings Series

The Wings Series by Aprilynne Pike

Publisher: Harper Teen ®

Summery:

[From author's website: http://www.aprilynnepike.com/]

Aprilynne Pike’s New York Times best-selling WINGS series is the story of Laurel, a seemingly ordinary girl with a not-so-ordinary destiny. In this tale of two worlds, of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever…

Introduction:

For this review, I will be doing something different. I recently finished reading the final installment in this particular series, and since these books are some of my favorites in the Young Adult genre, I decided to review more than just the one book. The Wings Series, is made up of four books called Wings, Spells, Illusions, and Destined. The covers for these books are absolutely gorgeous, and seem quite unique, seeing how most books for teens have a picture of a beautiful girl on the cover. My cousin was the one who introduced me to these books. She came to visit my family, and during that time, we went shopping. And of course, we ended up at the bookstore (It’s quite common for us you see). She was hunting for the second book, Spells, which had just recently come out. I hadn’t heard of them until then, but the covers did look nice and I was interested in the idea of faeries. I had been a little obsessed with them when I was younger, so that interest has somewhat stayed with me all these years. A few days later, after she had gone home, I asked her how that book was. She said it was really good, and that I should try it. So a few weeks later, I was once again visiting a bookstore. I told my cousin that I would try out the books, and see what I thought of them, so I bought the paperback version of Wings. The next day, I was texting my cousin, eager to tell her I had finished the book and loved it. As soon as I could, I got the next book, and I didn’t even wait for this one to come out in paperback so it would match the first one better.

This series has kind of been a bonding thing for my cousin and me. That may be one of the reasons I have such a positive view on it. We both would discuss the books, talk about what had happened or what we hoped would happen, and about our hopes for a movie, and eagerly count down the days for the next book’s release together. I’m kind of sad to see it all end. Sure, I’m glad to finally find out how the story ended for all the characters, but I also know there won’t be any more coming. I will be looking forward to the next series Pike is working on. I hope it is just as good.

Characters:

Laurel is a teenage girl, who after being homeschooled all her life, finally decides to go to public high school. She doesn’t know it at first, but after she starts high school, something very strange starts happening to her. First, she thinks the small bump on her back is nothing to worry about, it was so small, but when it starts to grow to the size of a quarter and bigger, she’s not so sure. She doesn’t tell her family about it, hoping it would just go away, but to her surprise, she wakes up one morning to find a flower growing out of her back where the bump used to be. This leads her to discover that she is a faerie, and that is when she meets Tamani, her faerie guardian. He teaches her about their culture and the different faeries, like how there are Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Laurel also meets her two best friends at high school, David and Chelsea. These two characters are great, and I really like her friend Chelsea. She is the happy, supportive, and loyal best friend everyone wants to have, but is hard to find. David becomes one of Laurel’s romantic interests, along with Tamani. Yes, there is a love triangle in this book, but it isn’t like in The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer, where you know Bella is going to stay with Edward, even though Jacob is there, always trying to win her heart. In this story, you really don’t know who Laurel will end up with until the last book, or the end of the third book, if you’re good at predicting a story. My cousin and I would talk about how we were Team Tamani, and hoped she would end up with him. It was great fun.

There are also many other characters, human and faerie alike. Laurel’s human parents are interesting, and they are very supportive of Laurel as she finds out about herself and her past. Unlike a lot of teen books and movies nowadays, Laurel keeps nothing secret from her parents. They are all very honest and open with each other, and that is a much better way for a family to be. During the course of the series, Laurel mentions on a number of occasions about how she is glad her parents are there for her and a support for her when things get tough. That’s what parents do, and I’m glad this book put them in such a good light. There are also a number of faerie characters that are great as well. There is Shar, who is the captain of the sentry faeries and Tamani’s friend and mentor. I found him very cool and loved every moment when he was in focus. He is awesome. (I use that word a lot in these reviews don’t I?) Then there is Jamison, who is a Winter faerie back in Avalon. He is kind, and caring, and seems very much like a grandfather figure. I do think Jamison is a strange name for a faerie from another world, but oh well, it works for him I suppose.

My Thoughts:

These books are actually a light and fun read. So there’s nothing really too deep or too involved or too complicated, though I’m not saying that the plot doesn’t have many layers to it, because it does. Just wait until Klea, the troll hunter, comes up. Now she brings a lot of questions to the story, believe me. This series was just fun to read. The faerie world of Avalon is described so beautifully and differently from the real world. It is quite magical, and that is of course what one would expect from a series staring faeries. And it’s faerie, not fairy. Somehow there is a difference between these two words, but I haven’t figured out what the difference might be other than the spelling. I also thought the author’s view on faeries is quite unique. I haven’t read any other faerie books, so it’s unique compared with what I already knew. I also really enjoyed the characters because they were just so different from the depressing usual in the YA books nowadays. The whole story, characters, plot, even the way it was written was bright. It definitely isn’t a series that will make you want to wallow around in your unhappiness while reading it. However, you may feel a little sadness when you turn the last page and realize there’s no more! Well, um, that was how it was for me anyway.

Warnings:

In these four books, there are places where some language is used. Fortunately, those moments aren’t often and the language isn’t so strong, so that is why I don’t feel too upset about it. There are also mentions of sex, but it is not dwelt on, nor does it take place in these books. The characters do kiss, hug, and in a couple of instances, lay on a bed together, but fortunately, nothing happened except talking. I don’t think even that amount of affection is acceptable between teenagers, but that is what goes as the norm in today’s society. This book doesn’t dwell on those things though, and fortunately, stays more focused on the story. There is also some action violence in the series, especially in the last book, which might be upsetting to some.

One may be wondering if there is magic in these books, since the second book is entitled, Spells. But honestly, the magic the faeries seem to have is to control animals, nature, or make up potions, only without the magical incantations. The faerie mix plants, roots, and/or herbs together, and somehow since it’s mixed by a faerie, it has some magical use. Like potions that cure illness, make animals fall asleep, make light, things like that. While it all seems ‘magical’ it never looks or feels like ‘magic’, such as in books like Harry Potter or Eragon. I too felt a little nervous about reading a book called Spells, but once I figured out what these spells actually are, I didn’t have any misgivings about any of it. This would probably have to be a case where the reader should decide if they feel comfortable about it or not.

My Age Rating: 14 and up

Cya!

Review for The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Inc. ®

Summery:

[From back cover]

Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun….

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Introduction:

Who hasn’t heard of The Hunger Games? If you haven’t, you must be living under a whopping big rock. It’s everywhere you go! From bookstores, to grocery stores, to TV and the Web, it’s like it’s stalking you. Back when this book started to get popular, I was sure it was going to be another Twilight Saga. Every book in the Young Adult genre seems to be trying to copy from it, and frankly, I’m getting tired of vampires and love triangles. The hype didn’t fade, however, and with the release of the movie, I was sure it was just another money making ploy to advertise a poorly written, cliché story about childish fantasies. I didn’t want to read the books, I didn’t want to see the movie, and the main reason was because of its popularity, and how fast it had seemingly gained that popularity. I was sure it was just a fad that was driving people crazy. Well, with that as my opinion, I was entirely shocked when I bought the silly thing. Maybe the cheap price had something to do with it, but whatever the reason, I actually picked it off the shelf and took it to the check-out counter. The next day I started reading it, and now, I tell you my thoughts!

Characters:

I found most of the characters intriguing. Katniss Everdeen was actually a very strong and intelligent character. I’ve found a lot of female leads in teen fiction to be lacking in the intelligence department, so Katniss was refreshing. She takes her little sister’s place when her name is drawn as the tribute for District 12. I commend her on that. An older sibling should do anything to protect their younger siblings. Peeta, who is the main male character, is very caring and sweet, a good balance for Katniss’ hardness. He’s also in love with Katniss, and during the Games, Katniss has to try and decide how she really feels about him. Fortunately, this story did not have the love-at-first-sight element to it. I thought that added more believability to the characters.

The secondary characters range from interesting and believable, to shallow and “just there.” There was Haymitch, who became Katniss’ and Peeta’s mentor when they arrived at the Capitol. He seemed like nothing more than a disgusting human being at the beginning, and I didn’t think I was going to care for him at all, However, I found as the story went on that I grew to like his gruffness and grizzly-like behavior, and I can understand how he became who he is. He also works hard during the story to keep Katniss and Peeta alive. Then there was Cinna, who was the one who worked to make Katniss presentable to the crowds at the Capitol, who actually enjoy the Games and treat it as a show. He became Katniss’ friend, and actually cared for her and worked to give her a chance of survival. I was kind of sad when his part in the book was over.

My Thoughts:

This book was actually a lot of fun to read. Definitely not what I was expecting when I first opened it. Most nights I stayed up until midnight (very late for me), turning page after page, eager to know what was going to happen. It has been a while since a story has kept me that involved and hooked. Suzanne Collins is a master as keeping the reader’s attention. The story was fast paced, and there wasn’t a dull moment, not even when she was explaining the history of this world she created. I wouldn’t say her writing was amazing however. The whole thing was very simple, so much so that I might have thought this book was written for younger children, except the content disproved that notion. That didn’t really annoy me though; it wasn’t so simple that I felt like it was talking down to me. What did annoy me about Suzanne Collins’ writing was the way she wrote long paragraphs of dialogue, and then at the very ends of these, state which character was speaking. There were a number of times I thought Peeta was talking, since he had been the last character mentioned, but then it turned out to be Katniss, or vise versa! That interrupted the flow of the story on a number of occasions for me. No, the writing could without doubt have been better.

Now, even though the story was intriguing and I enjoyed it immensely, there was a part in the story which I thought was just plain wrong: the killing of children. The youngest of the tributes was twelve, and she, along with others, was made to kill for someone else’s pleasure. I suppose it’s very reminiscent of Ancient Rome with their Coliseum. I don’t know why the author chose to have children fight, probably to evoke a more emotional response. That might be why the book is so popular. It’s horrifying to read that these people actually look forward to these deaths! I know this is the premise of the book, and I went in expecting it. I choose to view it as a warning to not allow our society to deteriorate that far. I’m hoping that in the next books, the characters fight to end the Hunger Games once and for all! I am planning on reading the rest of the trilogy; I did enjoy the first book after all.

Warnings:

There wasn’t any language in this book, or if there was, it was so minor and brief I didn’t notice it. Since the story is about killing, there are a number of very graphic and disturbing death scenes. Also, there are a few scenes of nudity, when Katniss is getting changed and prepared for the Games, and the character Haymitch drinks to excess. This is most certainly not a book that I would feel comfortable letting a child read. I have no idea how the movie presents these things, since I haven’t seen it, but violence in books is usually more intense. Depending on a child’s maturity, and what he or she can handle, my age rating may not be relevant to some. I am erring on the side of caution however, considering subject matter, and raising the age appropriateness above the preteen crowd it seems to be aimed for.

My Age Rating:  15 and up

Cya!