#I blame Suzanne Collins

[sheisoverhere]

The Hunger Games and Hozier

Hellooooooooo, Tumblr world! I wrote my very first fanfic (keep that in mind as you go along). It's an exploration of different characters and scenes across The Hunger Games trilogy, each chapter set to songs from Hozier's breathtaking album "Unreal/Unearth." For the past couple of months, as my depression refuses to leave me alone, "The Hunger Games" and Hozier's songs have been the only pieces of writing/art that I feel comfortable and safe with. When I first heard "Francesca", I immediately thought of Katniss and Peeta. Then the other songs started coming to me with characters and scenes, and finally, here we are. For the love of Peeta's eyelashes, please go and read it on AO3 and leave kudos and comments. I'm vain and thrive on compliments.

Quick description of the first chapter (there will be 20 in total to correspond with the songs):

"Whatever. The dealers suggested this technique. He starts with the simplest things he knows to be true: Her name is Katniss Everdeen. She comes to him in a blaze but like a night. She brings suffering. She is a mutt. She has become a monstrous being, shaped and moulded by invisible white hands, destined to kill, and worthy of death."

This chapter is also called "Worthy of Death". Isn't that just so sweet and cute? Right?

[cxanthos]

How am I ever supposed to fall in love with a real man when I read about Peeta Mellark when I was twelve. Who is supposed to top him? He’s not even real.

[youreonyourown-kid]

Because of the announcement of the new hunger games book, I decided to do a reread of the series.

I’m only on the first one but oh my god I forgot how good this book is. It feels like lately every hyped book I pick up is borderline unreadable. But The Hunger Games honestly deserves its praise.

[the-thoughtdaughter]

I totally agree with you 😭 right, I love blonde Tom blyth NOT coriolanus snow. I have never and will never be a snow defender, people actually DEFEND?! Him? However, I think you can like the complexity of the character without supporting their actions or defending them. I don’t think it’s so cut and dry, and I think part of enjoying media is when you can appreciate a objectively HORRIBLE character and delve into their actions and intentions. Like this boy is awful from the get go in the book w his internal monologue, but the whole point of the film is you ARE fooled by him and I loved watching my friends who haven’t read the book fall for it too, because he IS attractive and charming. The tiktok LUST over that character freaked me out fully. Like pretty privilege at its worse 😭 I even saw edits over ADULT?! Snow 😭 apparantly dictators are ~dreamy~

i agree!! coriolanus snow is FANTASTIC for character analysis

i just hope the analysis isn’t “he’s hot” 😭🤚

[catastrxblues]

i find book hangovers nice because that means i really really really do love the book i spent days reading but i currently have some of the worst book hangovers in my life actually

[booksandpaperss]

Suzanne collins wrote a trilogy where a main media propaganda strategy was to market a horrific act of violence as a love story to distract ppl and then it got adapted into a box office breaking movie and ppl made it all about the love triangle. so then since they didn’t get the point the first time Suzanne collins wrote a prequel story about the main dictator and she makes it so that you as a reader want it to be a genuine love story so badly even tho it’s so very clearly not and instead feels extremely unsettling to make her point even more meta which then gets adapted into another box office breaking film and now ppl are making romantic snowbaird tik toks. do u think she’s gonna write another book that’s somehow even more blatant or just give up and start executing ppl? hard to say but I wouldn’t blame her for the second one

[k8lynjoy]

Currently on Mockingjay in my Hunger Games reread, and I am at the part where Katniss walks in on Gale and Beetee making the two-tiered bombs that later end up killing Prim. I immediately started thinking about this post I saw forever ago about how Gale had no idea what those bombs were going to be used for, so it doesn't make sense to blame him for what happened to Prim, and I would just like to say: that is a load of horse shit. Not only did Gale help to build those bombs with their full use in mind, but they are based off of his snares and traps. Gale isn't just some lackey passing Beetee parts with no idea what's happening. He is actively giving Beetee ideas on how to target and kill as many people as possible. Just so no one can start arguing with me in the comments, here's the direct quote from the book:

"This is what they've been doing. Taking the fundamental ideas behind Gale's traps and adapting them into weapons against humans. Bombs mostly. It's less about the mechanics of the traps than the psychology behind them. Booby-trapping an area that provides something essential to survival. A water or food supply. Frightening prey so that a large number flee into a greater destruction. Endangering offspring in order to draw in the actual desired target, the parent. Luring the victim into what appears to be a safe haven- where death awaits it. At some point, Gale and Beetee left the wilderness behind and focused on more human impulses. Like compassion. A bomb explodes. Time is allowed for people to rush to the aid of the wounded. Then a second, more powerful bomb kills them as well" (Mockingjay, 216).

To say that Gale can fully help Beetee design bombs meant to kill children, parents, and aid workers, but then also say he had no idea what Coin was going to use them for is disingenuous. Gale might not have meant to target Prim specifically with that bomb, but he absolutely knew what they were going to be used for. He designed them with the intent to kill people rushing to aid those hurt in the initial blast- such as medics, which Prim is- so is it really a surprise when a bomb that has that specific function in mind kills Prim? This wasn't just some last-ditch effort on Suzanne Collins' part to eliminate Gale as a love interest (because she has been sowing the seeds of Gale's character arc since book one- you know when he says that killing people can't be that much different from killing animals). Katniss had every right to hold Gale accountable for Prim's death because she knew who designed those bombs and why he did it. Prim's death was an accident, but not because that bomb wasn't meant to target people like her, but because Gale didn't mean to kill Prim specifically. He knew what those bombs would do, he wanted them to do it, he just didn't intend for Prim to be there.

[lost-in-beacon-hills]

"He's still smiling when he settles the second on my head, but his eyes, just inches from mine, are as unforgiving as a snake's.

That's when I know that even though both of us would have eaten the berries, I am to blame for having the idea. I'm the instigator. I'm the one to be punished." (THG pg 348)

Snow ignored Lucy Gray's flaws. He looked past them thinking that she belonged to him and therefore it was forgivable. He could look past it by saying she just didn't understand. He rationalized it for her in order to not have to feel he was compromising his own fucked up morals.

But it's the very thing he rats Sejanus out for. He's a part of the rebellion and Snow can't look past it. Both Sejanus and Lucy Gray dislike the Capitol but Snow ignores it for Lucy Gray.

He also pretty much ignores Peeta, the boy who reminds us so much of Lucy Gray. He's a performer, a lover at heart, and more importantly he's just along for the ride.

Katniss is who Snow blames. She's another Sejanus. She's set on tearing down the Captiol and watching it burn. I was just so shocked to find this beautifully reflected back in the original Hunger Games book one.

Suzanne Collins has such a deep understanding of her own material. It's rare to see books hold up so long and even more so to get a good add on to a series years later.

But still you can find a ton of small moments in the original trilogy that hammers home what tbosbas says.

[captainwaffles]

One thing I really loved about the hunger games is how (a good chunk but yes not all) adults cared for Katniss, and other kids

Cause Katniss is just 17 at the end. Peeta too is just a child. They all are.

You see Haymitch, Effie, and Cinna do their best to protect Katniss. You see Boogs even shift blame from Katniss

In other dystopian books it doesn’t matter that they are kids, especially once they are the face of a revolution. The adults treat them like adults.

I love how Suzanne Collin’s did that differently. People like Coin and Snow are going to force these kids to grow up, and they will, but others are going to do their best to protect them

It just makes me all emotional

[jpai0508]

Hi besties.

Rereading the hunger games, and I cannot get over how amazing of an author Suzanne Collins is.

Everyone always talks about how Peeta’s worst nightmare became a reality. The Capitol turned him into something he wasn’t with his hijacking. He lost the one thing he wanted to keep from the beginning. Being himself.

And everyone talks about how Katniss lost the one person she risked her life for at the very beginning of the series. The one person she had always tried to keep safe. Prim.

Both Katniss and Peeta lost the very things they strived to keep from the beginning of the series. And I love the parallels Collins provides with these things. The complex idea that no matter what a character does, their worst nightmare will inevitably come true.

Adding onto this, no one really talks about how Katniss also turned into the one thing she feared to become.

Her mother.

Throughout the entire first book, Katniss speaks very poorly of her mother. She doesn’t understand how her mother could leave her and Prim to fend for themselves. How she could blank out for hours on end. How she couldn’t leave the house for days. Katniss did not understand her mother’s grief at all. But slowly, by the end of the series, Katniss gets a good idea of what her mother went through.

In Mockingjay, Katniss is empty and broken when Peeta is in the Capitol. She hides from nurses, carelessly puts herself in life threatening situations, and eventually breaks down when she realizes that she’s the very reason Peeta is being tortured. Haymitch literally has to sedate her at one point. Katniss is the very reflection of Mrs. Everdeen when Katniss’ father died.

And when Prim dies, grief consumes Katniss, just as it had her mother. Katniss described her mother after her father’s death as “withdrawn and unreachable” (THG Chapter 7). And this is also a great way to describe Katniss’ grief at the end of Mockingjay. In Snow’s mansion, Katniss doesn’t speak to anyone, aimlessly wanders around the mansion, and falls asleep in random rooms. She finds no joy in life at all. The only thing that motivates her is the idea of killing Snow. And when Katniss returns to Twelve after her trial, she finds even daily tasks difficult. She doesn’t answer phone calls and ignores letters. She doesn’t even shower. And I am not at all judging her for her grief! It is entirely valid and understandable! Everyone grieves in their own way.

However, it’s interesting how Collins writes Katniss’ grief so similarly to Katniss’ mother’s grief, especially since Katniss spent years blaming and punishing her mother for her grief. (Which is still sympathized with from Katniss’ perspective since Katniss was forced to become the head of the family at eleven years old). But out of all the ways Collins could’ve characterized Katniss’ grief (because there are so many forms of grief), Collins chose to write it a way so similar to Katniss’ mother’s grief.

But through this mirrored grief, Collins shows the audience how complex grief really is.

Was it right of Mrs. Everdeen to leave her eleven year old daughter to be the head of the family? No.

Was it right for Katniss to punish her mother for the feelings she couldn’t control? Also, no.

Was there really a good solution to the problem at all? Not really. (Would also like to remind everyone that the only reason there were these complicated problems in the first place is because of the Capitol and the poor working conditions they placed in the mines!)

Anyways, by literally placing Katniss into her mother’s shoes in Mockingjay, I feel like Collins is not only showing Katniss how complicated grief is, but she’s also showing the readers, who feel and see everything as an extension of Katniss.

Readers, especially young readers who do not understand depression, were more than likely upset at Katniss’ mother in the first book. I know I was as a young and naive reader the first time I read the series. How dare Mrs. Everdeen do that to her children!

But by the end of Mockingjay, reading through Katniss’ own grief, the readers understand Mrs. Everdeen all the better. There is more sympathy for her. Grief is very, very difficult. Mental health is not a black and white issue. There are gray areas. There are things we don’t understand until we’re the ones facing it ourselves.

It’s a reminder that Mrs. Everdeen was never the villain for her depression. And Katniss was never the villain for punishing her for it. She was just a child. So I gently ask you all to “remember who the real enemy is.”

[ionlybleedbubbles]

Writing tips deep in my heaps of cringe, that are actually good (imo) :

When writing in third person, don't say what a character cannot do while talking from their perspective. Frame the idea by telling us what they can do, or through the opinion of other characters. For eg. Instead of saying "Mattie was bad at flying planes", say "Mattie preferred cars to planes, and would much rather his brother do the plane-flying." See? Now you've even managed to drop in a nod about his brother. You could also say, "Kevin felt safer when Mattie's brother flew the plane than when Mattie did." Put the blame on Kevin - don't judge Mattie yourself. As a narrator you must pretend to always be on your MCs' side. Ofc, this would vary with different styles of narration, but this is a general rule.

Show how important a character is by how much time you take to talk about them. You would describe your MCs well, and bring up their hobbies and interests. You wouldn't describe a background character as much. You can use this to humanize or dehumanize characters. You may initially talk very little about the main villain yourself, and rely on dialogue among the other characters. This makes the villain feel like a force rather than a person. As the story progresses though, and you decide you want to drop in a *hairflips dramatically* sad back story, you can humanize the villain, and make them more understandable as a person.

Learn from art. Try describing different sceneries or portraits as practice. Also practice writing comic books or manga as stories. Visualizing your story as comic or manga panels can really help you understand pacing and paragraphs. Take note of their vibrance and positioning.

Learn from people's mannerisms and how they are received by other people. For eg, when we ask my dad a question, he pauses to gather his thoughts before speaking. Out of respect, we wait silently during this pause. This shows how confident and charismatic my dad is. A friend of mine only verbally roasts people within our friend group, and apologizes profusely after. This shows she is both empathetic and extremely quick-witted. I could create well rounded characters based on just examples as simple as these.

This tip is what I like to call 'the fake solution' and is employed by many famous authors. For this, you force readers to make assumptions. Maybe about how the magic system works, or about who the villain is. Make it seem like the characters have come to a conclusion and that conclusion is the final solution to conflict. Then tear down those assumptions and create a whole other ending. Similar to the red herring, except this time it's all in the characters' heads and dialogue. Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy is a good example of playing with assumptions forced upon readers by the writer.

In your first chapter, focus on creating potential. You don't have to jump into the heart of the action right away, but you have to make sure your readers understand the potential for this action. For example the opening chapter of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boys is relatively low paced, but it leaves you with questions. It makes you wonder who the boy who talked to Blue is, and how Blue will deal with life after such a strange prophecy. This makes you need to continue reading, to find answers.

For good worldbuilding, study at least a little bit of history. Wars and military tricks make for good free prompts. If your world contains vibrant races, make sure you research and incorporate the history and implications of racism, social hierarchy and trade. Understand how this will impact travellers and mercenaries (audiences love those). Make up your own old wives' tales and coping mechanisms.

Understand that the best stories are written around an idea rather than a character. Your protagonist is simply the face of your story. The weather of the world reflects on the protagonist's choices and health. Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games focuses on the dark side of media and politics and how they are used to control a people. Notice that by the third book, Katniss, our protagonist, is doing very little herself, though her few moments are loud and powerful. Katniss could achieve nothing alone. It takes a whole bunch of people to fuel the revolution. Note that it is completely okay to write a character based story, if that's what you like. But there are tons of those. If you really want to make an impact, make an idea-based story.

Respect all your characters equally. You may love some characters more than others, but remember all your characters are representatives of people. Make sure each of them has a voice and a chance to prove themselves.

Use prose to your advantage. Let the length of your sentence define whether the sequence is fast paced or slow. For example, if your want to show surprise, your sentences must be short. Instead of saying "She snatched the last dagger and stared at it, observing each engraving", say " She snatched up the last dagger. Each engraving was sick, gnarled. "

That was a heck of a long post, but that's all from me. Feel free to add your own or contradict anything I've written.

[suburbandadclub]

What sets The Hunger Games novels so far apart from other stories, especially YA ones, and also from the films they were adapted into, is that we, the audience, get to experience the varied responses to trauma through the eyes of someone who doesn’t know life without it.

I first read the trilogy as a 12-year-old, and it was wonderful to me then. Katniss seemed so mature and grown-up, and I saw in her this savior that I dreamed of saving me too, like she saved her sister. I think that’s why a lot of the end of the series was confusing to me. I loved it, but there was so much that I couldn’t figure out about her motivations.

I began listening to the audiobooks recently, at a time in my life when I was finally able to come to terms with the abuse I’d experienced my entire childhood and adolescence. Outside of any of that, I now saw Katniss for what she is: a child. It blew me away how similar I felt to her in what she goes through. When you have known suffering all your life, you have no idea the depth of its impact. I always knew how upset and angry I felt about what was being done to me. But I never considered it was out of the ordinary. I knew other kids didn’t experience it like I did, but why would I have any reason to think it was wrong? It was just my life. I must have deserved it.

Katniss takes on so much blame in an effort to make sense of her circumstances. She takes on guilt to try to punish herself for the egregious things happening to the people she loves. She doesn’t see herself as a person worthy of life and love, and yet she sees herself as selfish for not always thinking of the greater good. So much of her response to trauma stands out to me now as obvious, even as I struggle to see it in myself.

And as readers, we can’t see further than her own paranoid, traumatized logic. This is obviously somewhat lessened now that the movies are such a widely-known phenomenon, but events and actions of other characters come completely out of the blue and surprise us because Katniss convinces herself (and us) that the world works a certain way because it’s always worked that way for her, and we believe her!

Truly the most subversive of unreliable narrators.

I don’t know how Suzanne Collins perfectly captured the mind of a deeply traumatized child, which leads me to conclusions that I dearly hope are not true, because you always hope that these things don’t happen even when you know they do. But I am immensely grateful that she chose to write what she did, not only for what her writing has done for the globe in terms of war, and politics, and humanity, but for kids like me, who maybe will see a little better that even in stories filled with hurt and tragedy and suffering, there is more than enough beauty to be found just by choosing to keep fighting.

[buuuuuuuu3]

@thesmileykate take on the new book being from the perspective of someone from the career districts makes so much sense, specially if it’s the girl in one in the quarter quell.

Because we know Suzanne Collins tried to show this to us, that they were in fact also victims and how can we blame literal children from believing and upholding what their whole lives has been taught as a big honor.

And we don’t even know what is actually going on there, was there a poorest side of the district that would benefit even further by the money and the new acquired name winning the games would have given them? Did the careers who won tried to warn people? Did they see the affect that winning gave the ones who won? How do they wire that winning in a bloodbath of even their peers could be beneficial for them? Would mean glory, praise and honor to their district? Do they pick the ones that are going into the arena or is it just the one who volunteers first? How is it that they actually train and why do they focus so much on weapons? Is it to give a better show? Is there a resistance to teaching this to children? Do they themselves see them as an act of entertainment?

I have so many questions and there’s so many new perspectives this could bring and people still villainize (I don’t even know if I’m typing that correctly, sorry) this kids to this day.

Let us have answers and new questions and new characters and omg I love this day Suzanne Collins!

[lajeunefilleenfeu]

I can't stand how people act like Gale hasn't suffered by the end of Mockingjay, like his story isn't a tragedy. Gale is indirectly responsible for *Prim's death* and it's *completely against his will* and *he loved Prim*.

Gale was manipulated and used by a "revolutionary" that was really just a fascist dictator in disguise. Coin took advantage of his desire to create a better world for his loved ones and perverted it to reach her own ends. He was a child too, which is why Coin's manipulation was so successful. Suzanne Collins is not kidding here. Gale is literally a stand-in for all the young men who want to fight for a better life for their families, and get taken in by military propaganda only to have their lives destroyed. This is sickeningly common. This is so so so real life.

Gale spends the entire trilogy doing everything he can to not just help this little girl survive, but help her thrive. He loves Prim! He loves Prim like she is his own family. He literally saves her life over and over again. During the bombing of D13, he literally risks death to make sure Prim survives, because he would rather die than live in a world without her. That's Gale! That's the character!

When she dies--even though he has no knowledge of or part in actually planning her death (and her death was planned), and he had no idea that the bomb he designed was ever even okayed for use, and Coin is directly responsible for manipulating him into designing that bomb to begin with (he did not volunteer for this task)--he immediately blames himself. And it's not because it's actually his fault. It's because it was his job to protect her! That's his family! That's his Prim! And then on top of that, he loses Katniss too, because he will always remind her of Prim's death because that was the bomb he designed. That's it. That's all it is. And that's enough. That's tragedy!

Gale suffered. Gale did not come out anything resembling unscathed. I can't stand how people pretend he did.

[wheelsvoid]

INSIGNIFICANT ; THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES

masterlist insignificant m.list

word count: 1,072

warnings: mentions of death, weapons and hanging

this plot does not belong to me, all rights go to suzanne collins, lionsgate films and everyone else involved with the movie.

chapter six: the aftermath

There was no changing Snow’s mind. I had tried and failed, and I felt like I had ruined what could’ve been the end to the Hunger Games. Now, thanks to my failure, Mayfair was dead. Sejanus was dead. Billy Taupe.

Snow had tried to blame it on everyone but himself, but I saw him for who he really was. Slowly, I was beginning to convince Lucy Gray of his insanity. She never fell in love with him, so she never had a reason to keep him close.

Now, as Lucy and I planned our escape with the Covey, we made sure to stay far away from Snow and the Peacekeepers. Still, I had one more idea to leave Snow to deal with the consequences of his own action.

By now, the guns would be hidden in the small cabin in the woods. I had yet to go there, so when I asked Lucy Gray if there was a small place we could stop as we began our escape, she immediately told me all about it.

I smiled when needed, and nodded to show I was listening, but my mind was a tornado of wild thoughts. I’d be hung if I messed this up.

But no, I would not mess it up. This was my last hope. He deserved what was coming to him, even if it was my fault that I couldn’t stop him. Even if it was my fault that all I could do was take Lucy Gray’s pain and make it my own.

I checked under the floorboards of the cabin immediately when we arrived, and when Lucy Gray called out to me, “how’d your know about that?”

I turned to her and said, “they were creaking. They weren’t stable so I…” a lie, but she believed it. I’d decided not to tell her where I’d come from. I glanced back under the floorboards, then back at the girl I owed everything to. “Lucy Gray.” I called out anxiously.

In seconds, she was standing right next to me. I heard the small gasp in her throat, and she stared at the guns in silence. Then, with a quiet voice, she said, “those are the guns that killed Mayfair and Billy Taupe.” She said softly. She didn’t want to cause chaos within the Covey, or have them realize the tense situation from inside the cabin. For a moment, she glanced outside to see them all jumping in the lake, unbothered. “What do we do, Y/N?”

It was strange to hear her ask me, because I had always looked up to her. She was older, and a little bit wiser—clearly she was wise enough to realize that I knew more than I was letting on.

So why did she trust me?

I knew that trust was everything to her. She’d told me herself, like she was meant to tell Snow. What had I done to earn such a perfect friend—a sister as good as her?

“Snow did this.” I said softly. “As long as his crimes are kept a secret, no one will be safe. He won’t stop.” I knew it to be true. “We need to make sure the peacekeepers find this.”

“It’ll kill him.” Lucy Gray said.

I stared at the guns, slowly nodding. “Yes.” If I let Snow die, was I as bad as him? He’d killed before, but he had yet to become president. To kill all those people, and lie to the Capitol.

But I knew he was unstoppable. The look in his eyes was wild, and scary. He made me uneasy. I knew that he would never stop now, all because I failed. Or maybe my plan was doomed from the start.

Maybe, I was doing this world some good.

I wasn’t sure. The thought of being the reason for someone’s death made me feel sick. I was already a Victor, I had already killed… but now I had a choice.

“I…” I took in a deep breath. “You don’t know him like I do.” Because of me. “He will not stop, and we can’t let him get away for murder. I say… we get these to District 12. We hide them, and we run. Make it look like they were always there. Let them handle it.”

Would they even kill him for this? Would Dr. Gaul still call him back to the Capitol?

I met Lucy Gray’s eyes, and she looked deeply into mine for a long time before speaking—like she was trying to figure out how she felt about the idea. Eventually, she said, “okay.”

So, we did just that. We were quick with our plan, and lucky to make it out unseen. We’d hidden the guns in the basement of a wine cellar, which had been long since abandoned and unlocked. It was on the edge of District 12, likely unchecked. When the Peacekeepers found it, they’d deal with the issue.

Lucy Gray, the Covey and I were long gone before they even found the weapons. Memories fading into whispered songs across District 12.

Lucy Gray would not be forgotten.

Lucy Gray and the Covey were free, and now, so was I.

———

The years went by, and I had never returned to my original home. I never found out why I was sent here, and I never built up the courage to say anything about my world. But this one—this peaceful, free, lawless world with Lucy Gray in it—was enough for me.

Sometimes, I missed my mother. I wondered what she thought happened to me, but I hoped that she could find her peace, like I found mine.

Every now and again, as we passed by the Districts, I would hear the whispers of the 10th Hunger Games, and how they were the last. I’d hear of the wild stories, some true and some not.

They’d call Snow a cold, merciless killer, and me the girl who’d vanished. I was always the mystery in those stories. I was okay with that.

The music that the Covey used to sing around the Districts was remembered, too. Sometimes they were sang as lullabies, and sometimes they were sang in bars or festivals, because the people were happy enough to have those often.

I suppose I did make a difference, even if I didn’t understand what sort of otherworldly power had chosen this fate for me.

My peace was mine, and mine alone to keep.

———

thanks for reading! reminder that Y/N isn’t meant to be perfect. also, if y’all want more bonus chapters lmk. i can write more angst and stuff like that for you <3 (more lucy and reader scenes)

[fairys-book-reviews]

The Revenant Games - Margie Fuston (8/10)

I'll start this off by saying what i thought prior to reading it. Cos i wrote what I thought down so i could do this lol

What grabbed my attention first, was the name. The Revenant Games, Revenant tends to mean someone come back from the dead, and well, I've always loved books with aspects like that. Then, the cover. It's not exactly too original, in fact on the same day I bought this book, I bought another book with a similar format on the cover. Yet it still intrigued me. I've never been too interested in stories with games and the such (Like the Hunger Games and many others like that), but vampires and witches? Resurrection? Immortality? All are in my top five favourite things, only ones it was missing was polygamy, LGBT+ stuff, and the fae.

And now, to the actual book. I wrote this last night, directly after finishing it (at 11pm).

I must say, I didnt start reading this book with high expectations. The reviews....hadn't exactly painted the best picture. Nonetheless, after reading, while those bad reviews did have points, for me the good outweighed the bad.

Many reviews stated that this was blatantly copying The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), just with witches and vampires. Honestly? They're right. The first thing I noticed when reading, is that the writing style was suspiciously similar to The Hunger Games. The way she met Emerson? In the woods, suspicious, sorta watching. Her sister, whom shes doing this all for? Liked by everyone, probably favourite kid (definitely favourite kid). Love triangle between Dude Who Helped Her That One Time and Guy From Home That She Maybe Liked For ages. The actual games were a bit different, but the bare bones were highly similar. But either way, lets get into the characters.

First, our main girl. Bly. She's the least favourite in the family, and she's highly stubborn and freespirited. And honestly, it was rather refreshing to have a female main character whom instead of being like all those 'not like the other girls' girls, refusing to wear fancy stuff, she REALLY wanted a dress, and a ribbon, and a lot of that 'shallow' type stuff. Either way, except for the first part, set a year before the books events, her goal remains the same, with a bit of flexibility in the end. Her goal is to bring her sister back to life, as she blames herself for her death. And honestly? Only development of note that Bly gets is realising she wasnt rlly in love with Guy From Home, she just sorta fantasised about him, and that she has a vampire kink.

Next, Elise. She's not really included in the book, we dont really get anything but memories of her, stories of her. She's our main characters dead sister, and the cause of Bly participating in the games. She's put on a pedestal, likely because when a characters dead, only alive in memories, people tend to say they are better than they were.

Emersons next, and honestly? I don't much like him. At the start I did, but as the book is from Blys perspective, and she mostly just fantasised about him, we saw him in the light she did, where she idolised him. As time goes on, flaws become more apparent. He's cold, rather selfish, and i Just dont like him. Bly shouldve taken the vampire prize instead.

Kerrigans pretty cool. He's a vampire and Blys main love interest. And you know whats amazing? This fucker aint a 200+ yr old dating a teen!!! Bodily, he's 18. But otherwise, just in his early to mid twenties!! (heard others say he was 24, but i dont quite remember). He's got a backstory, and hes got a pretty cool personality. He does that sort of thing I do, where he wears masks of personalities. Cant really say much more without spoilers.

Last person I'm gonna mention is Benedict. Benedict appeared about 3 times, only for maybe a page each time. Benedict is by FAR my favourite i just love him.

Other characters of note that I cant really bother talking about and dont have much to say about are Donovan (Kerrigans brother, hes got some stuff at the end but its all big spoilery stuff), Nova and Vincent (Twins, theyre pretty cool, in Bly and Emersons team in the revenant games), and Demezela, a fuckass witch (I HATE HER GUTS AGH)

Next, we're onto worldbuilding Many people had problems with aspects, like the origins of witches and vampires, but honestly? The characters dont know what happened, not the humans or the vampires or the witches, so why should we know? Others also have issues with the games themselves. They say why would the vampires and witches encourage humans to hunt them? Well one big reason, is immortality. They get bored. They want to feel alive. So they risk their lives. And they want the blood of the enemy side. Theres many other reasons it could be, but on the side of vampires we hear the boredom side a lot.

And onto the plot. So, I wasnt really into it at the start, although by page 30 I was honestly quite enjoying it, although Bly was infuriating at times. Vampires, witches, murder...its cool. Also at the beginning Kerrigan sorta flirted with Vincent and Emerson so bonus points? There were some scenes that sorta meant nothing to the plot but i loved them anyway. Vampires? Making out? Bites? Sign me up, am I right?

Havent been doing brilliant recently but this has been a great distraction, even if it only took me three nights to read (i went to bed at 11pm i swear!!! Reasonable time!!!)

Overall yeah, I really enjoyed the book

Note: It's a series, book 2 isnt out yet