Everyone loves Cinna. You all know that. So I'm just going to say a few reasons I thought one day, "Wow, Cinna is really great." (Spoilers for the Hunger Games Trilogy.)
Cinna isn't like the rest of the Capitol. He's almost like a person from District Twelve. He's really normal, for lack of a better word. He even understood Katniss's thoughts when she was thinking about how horrible the Capitol is for trying to make her look all pretty while they send her off to her death. I think he genuinely understood what she meant, not just knew, but understood.
Of course he's also a great designer. When Katniss describes the dresses Cinna makes, can't you always see how pretty they are in your head? Gorgeous. The first interview dress in Hunger Games, though. Beautiful. The candlelight dress? That pink one she wore to the dinner in District Eleven? I could die.
Then Cinna has a rebellious side too. He designed those clothes for Katniss to lead the rebellion before his death, before there even was a big rebellion. He made Katniss a Mockingjay dress and risked his life to do that, and that eventually got him killed. He was probably even in on the plan to get Katniss out of the Quell alive. He was the designer of the rebellion. Cinna, you are so cool.
Friday, January 24, 2014
I'm Sorry, Guys
(I guess there are spoilers for The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.)
You guys know I love Katniss. I used to not. It irritated me how she treated the people she loved sometimes, and I especially disliked how she wouldn't forgive her mother. Now I realize she loved her and eventually she tried to forgive. Now I know that it's her personality, and honestly, I love Katniss's personality. But today looking at Catching Fire I realized how long ago I should have recognized this. Way long ago. I read Catching Fire for the first time two years ago. So two years ago I should have realized this. Listen to this from the book.
"Since I've been home I've been trying hard to mend my relationship with my mother. Asking her to do things for me instead of brushing aside any offer of help, as I did for years out of anger. Letting her handle all the money I won. Returning her hugs instead of tolerating them. My time in the arena made me realize how I needed to stop punishing her for something she couldn't help, specifically the crushing depression she fell into after my father's death. Because sometimes things happen to people and they're not equipped to deal with them."
She even admitted it was depression and not her mother's own doing! It's like she was apologizing to me personally for what she did. I feel really bad I ever felt that way about Katniss. She's awesome. I love her personality and what she became throughout the books, she learned how to love people and even became smarter almost. Katniss, you're awesome. I'm sorry I thought that about you.
You guys know I love Katniss. I used to not. It irritated me how she treated the people she loved sometimes, and I especially disliked how she wouldn't forgive her mother. Now I realize she loved her and eventually she tried to forgive. Now I know that it's her personality, and honestly, I love Katniss's personality. But today looking at Catching Fire I realized how long ago I should have recognized this. Way long ago. I read Catching Fire for the first time two years ago. So two years ago I should have realized this. Listen to this from the book.
"Since I've been home I've been trying hard to mend my relationship with my mother. Asking her to do things for me instead of brushing aside any offer of help, as I did for years out of anger. Letting her handle all the money I won. Returning her hugs instead of tolerating them. My time in the arena made me realize how I needed to stop punishing her for something she couldn't help, specifically the crushing depression she fell into after my father's death. Because sometimes things happen to people and they're not equipped to deal with them."
She even admitted it was depression and not her mother's own doing! It's like she was apologizing to me personally for what she did. I feel really bad I ever felt that way about Katniss. She's awesome. I love her personality and what she became throughout the books, she learned how to love people and even became smarter almost. Katniss, you're awesome. I'm sorry I thought that about you.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Hunger Games Stories I Want to Know
There are some things that we don't know about in the Hunger Games. There are a few people's stories that I really want to know, though. I wonder how they got where they are, and I made up some stories about them of what I think might have happened. (Spoilers for the Hunger Games Trilogy.)
I really wonder about the redheaded Avox girl. I wonder why she was a traitor. Katniss said she looked like she was from the Capitol. She was a traitor to them. Well what did she do? This is a theory I have. She had the boy with her. Well the boy died but she didn't. So I'm thinking he must have done something worse than her. They were probably friends then he did something really bad and was going to get punished for it, maybe he was in jail or he was going to get executed, but he did something against the Capitol because he knows it's bad and she knew it a little bit but now she knows they're really bad because they locked up her friend just for a bit of rebellion. But somehow she finds out about District Thirteen. How it's still around. So she tells her friend. This is the perfect way for him to escape. So they get him out of the Capitol and they get really far. The get all the way to District Twelve. They're almost to Thirteen. Then the hovercraft finds them. He dies and she gets turned into an Avox for helping a rebel escape. That's my theory.
Then this one we don't have to think about as much, but still. How did Cinna get to where he was? Well Cinna doesn't really dress like the rest of the Capitol. And he helps Katniss with the rebellion. Maybe he wasn't a rebel, but he had rebellious thoughts. He just knew how to keep them in. He had some great fashion ideas, and when he got asked to be a stylist for the Hunger Games, he had great ideas for District Twelve. He finally got to show his rebellious thoughts when Katniss and Peeta won the Games and he could use his designs to help them rebel. Maybe that's how that went down.
Do you have any other unknown stories of other characters? I would love to hear it. Comment :)
I really wonder about the redheaded Avox girl. I wonder why she was a traitor. Katniss said she looked like she was from the Capitol. She was a traitor to them. Well what did she do? This is a theory I have. She had the boy with her. Well the boy died but she didn't. So I'm thinking he must have done something worse than her. They were probably friends then he did something really bad and was going to get punished for it, maybe he was in jail or he was going to get executed, but he did something against the Capitol because he knows it's bad and she knew it a little bit but now she knows they're really bad because they locked up her friend just for a bit of rebellion. But somehow she finds out about District Thirteen. How it's still around. So she tells her friend. This is the perfect way for him to escape. So they get him out of the Capitol and they get really far. The get all the way to District Twelve. They're almost to Thirteen. Then the hovercraft finds them. He dies and she gets turned into an Avox for helping a rebel escape. That's my theory.
Then this one we don't have to think about as much, but still. How did Cinna get to where he was? Well Cinna doesn't really dress like the rest of the Capitol. And he helps Katniss with the rebellion. Maybe he wasn't a rebel, but he had rebellious thoughts. He just knew how to keep them in. He had some great fashion ideas, and when he got asked to be a stylist for the Hunger Games, he had great ideas for District Twelve. He finally got to show his rebellious thoughts when Katniss and Peeta won the Games and he could use his designs to help them rebel. Maybe that's how that went down.
Do you have any other unknown stories of other characters? I would love to hear it. Comment :)
The Things You Don't Know
Of course there are things like this in every book. But right now I'm going through a Hunger Games phase, and right now Hunger Games is my second favorite. (Hunger Games and Percy Jackson are always competing for second in my head.) But there are a lot of crazy things that we find out in the Hunger Games books that looking back, you don't only feel a little superior to Katniss like "Oh my gosh oh my gosh I know what's going on and you don't!" but you also realize the things that didn't make sense to you when you experienced them for the first time. And now you get all the things she's talking about. Here are a few things I noticed. (Spoilers for the Hunger Games Trilogy.)
1. When Katniss is leaving District Twelve in Catching Fire. On page 188, Katniss is pretty upset because she does not get to say goodbye to her friends and family. She has decided she will die in that arena to save Peeta, so she knows she will never see them again so she's pretty distraught about it. But Peeta tells her they can write letters of what they want to say. Katniss knows this idea won't work because she can't write what she wants to say. So she will never get to tell her family her last words because she knows she isn't going home. It says, "Before my first Games, I promised Prim I would do everything I could to win, and now I've sworn to myself to do all I can to keep Peeta alive. I will never reverse this journey again."
That last sentence, though. Katniss knew she wouldn't. We were sad that she felt this way and were determined there had to be a way that she would get out. But what happens? Katniss is right. She doesn't reverse this journey again. After her Games, Peeta is safe, like she wished. But so is she and a few others. But just because she made it out of there alive, doesn't mean she reversed that journey. She didn't go back on that train home. She flew to District Thirteen on a hovercraft. It's amazing how much she, and we, didn't know. Ugh! It's just crazy rereading that and thinking "Oh my gosh! She won't! She won't reverse this journey again!"
2. How Katniss has a feeling she will have to kill Peeta. Katniss is thinking back to the days when she was eleven years old and starving, and then eventually when Peeta saved her. On page 33, it says, "Oh, well, I think. There will be twenty-four of us. Odds are someone else will kill him before I do. Of course, the odds have not been very dependable of late."
I'm sure you guys have caught on now. Before you may have been thinking, "But she was right! She didn't have to kill Peeta!" Correction. She didn't kill Peeta. Did she have to? Oh yeah. The rule about having to victors was taken away. She had to kill Peeta to keep her promise to Prim and Rue to win. But then she pulled out the berries, which in the end we are thankful for because it continued on the series. Dang! She did have to kill Peeta in the end! But she got out of that one that time.
3. Finnick flirting with Katniss. Now this isn't something that came true. But it's something that happened that we have to think about. All through the beginning of Catching Fire, before they get thrown into the Games, he is flirting with her like crazy. The sugar cubes thing before the Opening Ceremonies, him helping her tie knots and stuff in the Training Center, all sorts of ridiculous stuff. Well we all know that Finnick didn't really like Katniss, he loves Annie. But at the end of the book we know that Finnick was trying to get Katniss out alive to lead the rebels. Now we know that that whole time all Finnick was trying to do was be Katniss's friend and get her to trust him.
4. Pretty much everything about Peeta in The Hunger Games. Looking back it's so obvious that we just want to scream at Katniss "Ak Katniss he's just genuinely a sweet guy!" The funny thing is Peeta is completely honest. He feels all the things he says. There may be a thing or two he says for the Capitol and the cameras, but other than that, there is nothing he says that he doesn't mean. And Katniss is totally oblivious to it all. His tears when he finishes saying goodbye to his family. When he smiles at Katniss all shylike after the Opening Ceremonies. He was telling the truth about having a crush on Katniss and when he started liking her. If it happened, he meant it.
Whaaaat? Ah well sweethearts. I hope you enjoyed that.
1. When Katniss is leaving District Twelve in Catching Fire. On page 188, Katniss is pretty upset because she does not get to say goodbye to her friends and family. She has decided she will die in that arena to save Peeta, so she knows she will never see them again so she's pretty distraught about it. But Peeta tells her they can write letters of what they want to say. Katniss knows this idea won't work because she can't write what she wants to say. So she will never get to tell her family her last words because she knows she isn't going home. It says, "Before my first Games, I promised Prim I would do everything I could to win, and now I've sworn to myself to do all I can to keep Peeta alive. I will never reverse this journey again."
That last sentence, though. Katniss knew she wouldn't. We were sad that she felt this way and were determined there had to be a way that she would get out. But what happens? Katniss is right. She doesn't reverse this journey again. After her Games, Peeta is safe, like she wished. But so is she and a few others. But just because she made it out of there alive, doesn't mean she reversed that journey. She didn't go back on that train home. She flew to District Thirteen on a hovercraft. It's amazing how much she, and we, didn't know. Ugh! It's just crazy rereading that and thinking "Oh my gosh! She won't! She won't reverse this journey again!"
2. How Katniss has a feeling she will have to kill Peeta. Katniss is thinking back to the days when she was eleven years old and starving, and then eventually when Peeta saved her. On page 33, it says, "Oh, well, I think. There will be twenty-four of us. Odds are someone else will kill him before I do. Of course, the odds have not been very dependable of late."
I'm sure you guys have caught on now. Before you may have been thinking, "But she was right! She didn't have to kill Peeta!" Correction. She didn't kill Peeta. Did she have to? Oh yeah. The rule about having to victors was taken away. She had to kill Peeta to keep her promise to Prim and Rue to win. But then she pulled out the berries, which in the end we are thankful for because it continued on the series. Dang! She did have to kill Peeta in the end! But she got out of that one that time.
3. Finnick flirting with Katniss. Now this isn't something that came true. But it's something that happened that we have to think about. All through the beginning of Catching Fire, before they get thrown into the Games, he is flirting with her like crazy. The sugar cubes thing before the Opening Ceremonies, him helping her tie knots and stuff in the Training Center, all sorts of ridiculous stuff. Well we all know that Finnick didn't really like Katniss, he loves Annie. But at the end of the book we know that Finnick was trying to get Katniss out alive to lead the rebels. Now we know that that whole time all Finnick was trying to do was be Katniss's friend and get her to trust him.
4. Pretty much everything about Peeta in The Hunger Games. Looking back it's so obvious that we just want to scream at Katniss "Ak Katniss he's just genuinely a sweet guy!" The funny thing is Peeta is completely honest. He feels all the things he says. There may be a thing or two he says for the Capitol and the cameras, but other than that, there is nothing he says that he doesn't mean. And Katniss is totally oblivious to it all. His tears when he finishes saying goodbye to his family. When he smiles at Katniss all shylike after the Opening Ceremonies. He was telling the truth about having a crush on Katniss and when he started liking her. If it happened, he meant it.
Whaaaat? Ah well sweethearts. I hope you enjoyed that.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Katniss's Relationships with Men
Fangirls, I know that when you read books and you see how Katniss has a really cute relationship with Peeta or Gale or whoever she decides she's with at the time and you're like "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII want that to happen to MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Well fangirls, I have some pretty interesting news for you. Katniss's relationships with men are not that different from yours. Don't believe me? I promise you, it's true. (Spoilers for the Hunger Games Trilogy.)
Well, my sister told me about this one. When Katniss is trying to be in love with Peeta in the Games or any other time, who does she think of nonstop? Gale. And when she kisses Gale or is being in love with him she can start to feel a little guilty about Peeta. Does that ever happen to you? You have a thing for two guys and they both have a thing for you so when you're with one for some reason you can only think about the other? And you guys are probably thinking "I'M A FANGIRL THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO US." Well, don't worry. It's never happened to me either. It was just an example. But this one we can probably all relate to.
So when Peeta's in love with Katniss, Katniss just prefers to stay away from the whole thing. She doesn't want to think about it. She doesn't want to feel guilty that Peeta loves her and she doesn't love him. But when Peeta gets hijacked, he hates her. A lot. And Katniss realizes that now he can see all the bad things about her. And she hates that about him. It makes her really mad. But when Peeta is still trying to calm himself down and learn the truth about himself, and he still can't love Katniss 'cause it's really hard for him, Katniss really wants him even if she doesn't know it or can't admit it to herself some of the time. But come on. This one has to make sense to you. Doesn't it seem when you like someone they don't care about you, and then the absolute last person you would want to like you does? You can't tell me this hasn't happened. Think about it. It has, fangirls. Don't deny it. You know it's true.
Well, my sister told me about this one. When Katniss is trying to be in love with Peeta in the Games or any other time, who does she think of nonstop? Gale. And when she kisses Gale or is being in love with him she can start to feel a little guilty about Peeta. Does that ever happen to you? You have a thing for two guys and they both have a thing for you so when you're with one for some reason you can only think about the other? And you guys are probably thinking "I'M A FANGIRL THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO US." Well, don't worry. It's never happened to me either. It was just an example. But this one we can probably all relate to.
So when Peeta's in love with Katniss, Katniss just prefers to stay away from the whole thing. She doesn't want to think about it. She doesn't want to feel guilty that Peeta loves her and she doesn't love him. But when Peeta gets hijacked, he hates her. A lot. And Katniss realizes that now he can see all the bad things about her. And she hates that about him. It makes her really mad. But when Peeta is still trying to calm himself down and learn the truth about himself, and he still can't love Katniss 'cause it's really hard for him, Katniss really wants him even if she doesn't know it or can't admit it to herself some of the time. But come on. This one has to make sense to you. Doesn't it seem when you like someone they don't care about you, and then the absolute last person you would want to like you does? You can't tell me this hasn't happened. Think about it. It has, fangirls. Don't deny it. You know it's true.
Edgar Allan Poe and a Series of Unfortunate Events
Edgar Allan Poe. Basically the writeriest writer out there. I mean seriously, once I understood "The Raven" I realized it was pretty cool. And "The Tell-Tale Heart"? Dang. He knows what's up. And then there's the Series of Unfortunate Events books by Lemony Snicket. (And Daniel Handler is a COMPLETE genius because he made his pen name a character in his stories with like a story of his own. Dang, that is AWESOME.) If you've read those books, you may have noticed a few Edgar Allan Poe references, probably because Edgar Allan Poe is known for writing some pretty grim things. So if you haven't noticed them, then here are a few things that you should know. (Spoilers for A Series of Unfortunate Events.)
Let's start with the Poe reference in our main characters, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. I had to do a school assignment on Edgar Allan Poe once, and so that's how I learned this. But there was someone that Poe knew named Baudelaire. I can't remember exactly how he was associated with Poe, but I do remember seeing his existence. When I read it, I just thought, "A man named Baudelaire had something to do with Edgar Allan Poe? Oh my gosh! Another reference!" So that was pretty cool.
Then of course there is Mr. Poe, the banker. His name is Poe. So that's an obvious enough reference. But there's also his two sons named Edgar and Allan. Aha! Well played, Daniel Handler. Well played.
Then there's another reference specifically in The Vile Village. Our orphan friends go to live in the town of V.F.D. in the hopes of uncovering a mystery. But what do they find instead? Crow-obsessed villagers. Now, crows are black birds. So what? Well, ravens are also black birds. You might think I'm stretching this one, because it sure sounds like I am. But then you have to remember the tree they find the notes in. What is that tree called? Nevermore Tree. And what does a pretty famous raven like to say? "Nevermore." I'm pretty sure that wasn't an accident.
If there are any other Poe references that I've missed, tell me. I want to know. Dang, they are pretty clever guys.
Let's start with the Poe reference in our main characters, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. I had to do a school assignment on Edgar Allan Poe once, and so that's how I learned this. But there was someone that Poe knew named Baudelaire. I can't remember exactly how he was associated with Poe, but I do remember seeing his existence. When I read it, I just thought, "A man named Baudelaire had something to do with Edgar Allan Poe? Oh my gosh! Another reference!" So that was pretty cool.
Then of course there is Mr. Poe, the banker. His name is Poe. So that's an obvious enough reference. But there's also his two sons named Edgar and Allan. Aha! Well played, Daniel Handler. Well played.
Then there's another reference specifically in The Vile Village. Our orphan friends go to live in the town of V.F.D. in the hopes of uncovering a mystery. But what do they find instead? Crow-obsessed villagers. Now, crows are black birds. So what? Well, ravens are also black birds. You might think I'm stretching this one, because it sure sounds like I am. But then you have to remember the tree they find the notes in. What is that tree called? Nevermore Tree. And what does a pretty famous raven like to say? "Nevermore." I'm pretty sure that wasn't an accident.
If there are any other Poe references that I've missed, tell me. I want to know. Dang, they are pretty clever guys.
Friday, January 17, 2014
It's Worth Reading Just to Read About the Food
First of all, guys, thanks for all the pageviews! That makes me feel pretty special :)
Secondly, I think we can all agree that food in books sound super good. Like, we could read book food all day. It drives you crazy sometimes. (Spoilers for The Lightning Thief, The Son of Neptune, Harry Potter and Hunger Games.)
We'll start with Percy Jackson. The way he describes his mom's blue chocolate chip cookies, it makes me want to make some myself. Who knows how we're celebrating Percy's birthday this year? And at Aunty Em's. Sure, she turned out to be Medusa, but she has the most delicious burgers, fries, and shakes in the universe. (And probably wax paper, but we'd have to ask Grover.) Seriously, I was reading The Lightning Thief one night and my mom went and got us some food because it gave me this huge craving for fries. Rediculous. And the food at the camps, the fruit and bread and barbecue at Camp Half-Blood, and the anything you want at Camp Jupiter. (I haven't read that book in a while. That's what it's called, right? I would look like a total idiot if that isn't what it's called.)
Then as for Harry Potter, there's the food at Hogwarts. Dang, house-elves, tell us your secret! We want to be able to cook like that. (At least I have The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: A Magical Christmas Menu on my Kindle. Time for me to be a house-elf ;) ) And the magical candies. Don't you want to try them all? And you can eat the floss mint candies after to make your teeth clean after all that candy-eating! And then of course there's the famous Mrs. Weasley! Don't worry Mrs. Weasley, we didn't forget about you, we just saved the best for last! Harry never fails to mention how much of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful cooking he gets to have when he visits the Burrow. She doesn't even deprive the kids of her amazing treats when they're at Hogwarts! She sends the kids treats at Christmas and Easter. Way to go, Mrs. Weasley. You're cool.
And I saved the most delicious for last. Hunger Games! Katniss gets to go and have many food adventures in the Capitol, and we're lucky that we're readers and not citizens of Panem (Power to District One), because that means we get to hear her talk about it! Do I need to say more? That Capitol food.
Sorry if you're hungry.
Secondly, I think we can all agree that food in books sound super good. Like, we could read book food all day. It drives you crazy sometimes. (Spoilers for The Lightning Thief, The Son of Neptune, Harry Potter and Hunger Games.)
We'll start with Percy Jackson. The way he describes his mom's blue chocolate chip cookies, it makes me want to make some myself. Who knows how we're celebrating Percy's birthday this year? And at Aunty Em's. Sure, she turned out to be Medusa, but she has the most delicious burgers, fries, and shakes in the universe. (And probably wax paper, but we'd have to ask Grover.) Seriously, I was reading The Lightning Thief one night and my mom went and got us some food because it gave me this huge craving for fries. Rediculous. And the food at the camps, the fruit and bread and barbecue at Camp Half-Blood, and the anything you want at Camp Jupiter. (I haven't read that book in a while. That's what it's called, right? I would look like a total idiot if that isn't what it's called.)
Then as for Harry Potter, there's the food at Hogwarts. Dang, house-elves, tell us your secret! We want to be able to cook like that. (At least I have The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: A Magical Christmas Menu on my Kindle. Time for me to be a house-elf ;) ) And the magical candies. Don't you want to try them all? And you can eat the floss mint candies after to make your teeth clean after all that candy-eating! And then of course there's the famous Mrs. Weasley! Don't worry Mrs. Weasley, we didn't forget about you, we just saved the best for last! Harry never fails to mention how much of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful cooking he gets to have when he visits the Burrow. She doesn't even deprive the kids of her amazing treats when they're at Hogwarts! She sends the kids treats at Christmas and Easter. Way to go, Mrs. Weasley. You're cool.
And I saved the most delicious for last. Hunger Games! Katniss gets to go and have many food adventures in the Capitol, and we're lucky that we're readers and not citizens of Panem (Power to District One), because that means we get to hear her talk about it! Do I need to say more? That Capitol food.
Sorry if you're hungry.
Mrs. Everdeen
This isn't really something that people think about a lot. She's not a character you would think to love. She doesn't play a tremendous part in the story. But I just think that Mrs. Everdeen is the coolest lady ever. (Spoilers for the Hunger Games Trilogy.)
She went through depression. A lot of people don't think this, but it was a mental disorder she had. She was really upset about the loss of her husband. Which is another thing I love about her. How much she loved Katniss's dad. Katniss at one point in the book, when she's trying to think of ways she can act in love with Peeta, thinks of some things that her parents would do for each other when her father was alive. It's really kind of sweet. Like, all of it.
Then there's her love for her daughter. Both of them, actually. Katniss didn't trust her mom for a while. She loved her a lot, but she didn't trust her. (That's something I love about Katniss. She had a hard time trusting her mom afraid she would go into depression again, but she still loved her so much to sacrifice her life even if she didn't want her mom to know it. In the end Katniss is really cool.) But she still loved Katniss the way any mother would. She let Katniss wear her old clothes. She was always kind. She was so sad when Katniss was going into the Quell. And by Catching Fire through the rest of the series, she and Katniss have a pretty good relationship.
She was pretty brave when her youngest child died. She couldn't go back to District Twelve because it was too painful. It must have been pretty hard for her to leave Katniss. She might have known Katniss wouldn't want to come with her so that's why she gave nothing but a letter of explanation and a phone number, if I remember correctly, so she could keep in touch with her daughter. And she didn't go into depression like she did the last time someone she loved a lot died. I think she was really strong about it. Instead she went to another district and became a doctor there and she helped other people through her work to distract herself from the things she'd lost. I think she's awesome.
So Mrs. Everdeen, even if I'm you're only fan, just know you have one. :)
She went through depression. A lot of people don't think this, but it was a mental disorder she had. She was really upset about the loss of her husband. Which is another thing I love about her. How much she loved Katniss's dad. Katniss at one point in the book, when she's trying to think of ways she can act in love with Peeta, thinks of some things that her parents would do for each other when her father was alive. It's really kind of sweet. Like, all of it.
Then there's her love for her daughter. Both of them, actually. Katniss didn't trust her mom for a while. She loved her a lot, but she didn't trust her. (That's something I love about Katniss. She had a hard time trusting her mom afraid she would go into depression again, but she still loved her so much to sacrifice her life even if she didn't want her mom to know it. In the end Katniss is really cool.) But she still loved Katniss the way any mother would. She let Katniss wear her old clothes. She was always kind. She was so sad when Katniss was going into the Quell. And by Catching Fire through the rest of the series, she and Katniss have a pretty good relationship.
She was pretty brave when her youngest child died. She couldn't go back to District Twelve because it was too painful. It must have been pretty hard for her to leave Katniss. She might have known Katniss wouldn't want to come with her so that's why she gave nothing but a letter of explanation and a phone number, if I remember correctly, so she could keep in touch with her daughter. And she didn't go into depression like she did the last time someone she loved a lot died. I think she was really strong about it. Instead she went to another district and became a doctor there and she helped other people through her work to distract herself from the things she'd lost. I think she's awesome.
So Mrs. Everdeen, even if I'm you're only fan, just know you have one. :)
Character Qualities
I once saw a picture that said that the characters you like the most share some of the same qualities as you, and the same is true of the characters you hate the most, and that's why you like/hate them. Well when I saw that I was like "Oh no what qualities do I have that I don't like?" I thought of how Annabeth said Percy and Thalia were exactly alike so they would either be best friends or worst enemies. (Personally, I didn't think that Thalia and Percy were that much alike. I mean, a little. But I think Percy and Jason were practically the same person.) And how Peeta said that Katniss and Haymitch hated each other because they were exactly alike. But still I was pretty nervous about that but I didn't see how it was true. But now I do. (Small spoilers for Mockingjay.)
I really like Luna Lovegood. And I think that I share her quality of how I don't really care what people think of me. (That's probably evident enough because I share all this stupid fangirly stuff with you guys.) That took a while for me to develop. But I think that I now have Luna's amazing talent for being herself and not caring what people think.
Buuuuut, the same also goes for the characters I hate the most. Dang, do I hate President Snow. There's all the horrendous little things he does, and that's enough to give you the feeling of, "Oh, you despicable little man." But then I think of Peeta......... And I'm just like "OHHHHH, President Snow, YOU JUST MESSED WITH THE WRONG FANGIRL." But sadly, yeah, I realized I do have something in common with President Snow. And it's the hunger for power. You might not believe it, but a lot of things I do are based on me having to have superiority. And President Snow? That's why he does everything too. When he said the system was fragile? It's only fragile because he thinks he has to have the power up there in the Capitol. Give the people a small bit of power, of say in anything, the power isn't his. Or at least not completely his. President Snow is an all or nothing kind of guy. He has to be in charge, and the people don't have a say at all. In the United States, President Snow, the people have a lot of say but there's still a president and it works out just fine! It's really a good system! It's totally okay!
But sadly, I guess I have that quality. Think about it. Your favorite character from any book, your least favorite character from any book. And you'll probably have something in common with them.
I really like Luna Lovegood. And I think that I share her quality of how I don't really care what people think of me. (That's probably evident enough because I share all this stupid fangirly stuff with you guys.) That took a while for me to develop. But I think that I now have Luna's amazing talent for being herself and not caring what people think.
Buuuuut, the same also goes for the characters I hate the most. Dang, do I hate President Snow. There's all the horrendous little things he does, and that's enough to give you the feeling of, "Oh, you despicable little man." But then I think of Peeta......... And I'm just like "OHHHHH, President Snow, YOU JUST MESSED WITH THE WRONG FANGIRL." But sadly, yeah, I realized I do have something in common with President Snow. And it's the hunger for power. You might not believe it, but a lot of things I do are based on me having to have superiority. And President Snow? That's why he does everything too. When he said the system was fragile? It's only fragile because he thinks he has to have the power up there in the Capitol. Give the people a small bit of power, of say in anything, the power isn't his. Or at least not completely his. President Snow is an all or nothing kind of guy. He has to be in charge, and the people don't have a say at all. In the United States, President Snow, the people have a lot of say but there's still a president and it works out just fine! It's really a good system! It's totally okay!
But sadly, I guess I have that quality. Think about it. Your favorite character from any book, your least favorite character from any book. And you'll probably have something in common with them.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Tribute to the Fallen Characters
You know, everyone's favorite characters tend to be the ones that don't make it. (That luckily wasn't the case for me in Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. [I like Luna and Percy.] In Hunger Games most of my favorite characters died, though.) Since we love them so much, I thought let's recognize our friends that passed on during their adventures, and thanks, favorite characters, for making our reading experience so much better. (Spoilers for Harry Potter, Hunger Games and Percy Jackson.)
Bathilda Bagshot
Regulus Black
Sirius Black
Amelia Bones
Charity Burbage
Frank Bryce
Colin Creevey
Dirk Cresswell
Cedric Diggory
Albus Dumbledore
Arianna Dumbledore
Kendra Dumbledore
Percival Dumbledore
Merope Gaunt
Gregorovitch
Remus Lupin
James Potter
Lily Potter
Severus Snape
Nymphadora Tonks
Ted Tonks
Fred Weasley
Dobby the House-Elf
Hedwig
Primrose Everdeen
Finnick Odair
Marvel
Glimmer
Cato
Clove
Foxface
Thresh
Rue
Gloss
Cashmere
Brutus
Wiress
Mags
Blight
Woof
Cecelia
Chaff
Seeder
Madge Undersee
Mr. Everdeen
Mr. Mellark
Maysilee Donner
Mayor Undersee
Mrs. Undersee
Darius
Cinna
Boggs
Messalla
Castor
Bonnie
Twill
Zoe Nightshade
Bianca di Angelo
Castor (son of Dionysus)
Charles Beckendorf
Ethan Nakamura
Silena Beauregard
Also to the unnamed wizards, Muggles, magical creatures, tributes, district and Capitol citizens, Avoxes, Peacekeepers, demigods and mortals.
Bathilda Bagshot
Regulus Black
Sirius Black
Amelia Bones
Charity Burbage
Frank Bryce
Colin Creevey
Dirk Cresswell
Cedric Diggory
Albus Dumbledore
Arianna Dumbledore
Kendra Dumbledore
Percival Dumbledore
Merope Gaunt
Gregorovitch
Remus Lupin
James Potter
Lily Potter
Severus Snape
Nymphadora Tonks
Ted Tonks
Fred Weasley
Dobby the House-Elf
Hedwig
Primrose Everdeen
Finnick Odair
Marvel
Glimmer
Cato
Clove
Foxface
Thresh
Rue
Gloss
Cashmere
Brutus
Wiress
Mags
Blight
Woof
Cecelia
Chaff
Seeder
Madge Undersee
Mr. Everdeen
Mr. Mellark
Maysilee Donner
Mayor Undersee
Mrs. Undersee
Darius
Cinna
Boggs
Messalla
Castor
Bonnie
Twill
Zoe Nightshade
Bianca di Angelo
Castor (son of Dionysus)
Charles Beckendorf
Ethan Nakamura
Silena Beauregard
Also to the unnamed wizards, Muggles, magical creatures, tributes, district and Capitol citizens, Avoxes, Peacekeepers, demigods and mortals.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Intervention Time
Guys, don't worry, I haven't betrayed you. I'm not saying it's time to have an intervention on your obsession with the fandoms. It's about the characters. And I'm not saying you're not allowed to obsess over the characters. I'm saying let's be honest with ourselves: Our favorite characters, no matter how completely awesome they are, do have some flaws.
(Spoilers for The Last Olympian and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And I guess Mockingjay a little)
Let's start with something we can all agree on: Harry. We love Harry. But let's admit it: in the fifth book Harry is having some serious moody teenager problems. That kid has anger issues like nobody's business.
And the way that Katniss is treating Gale and Peeta in Mockingjay, as I have heard from myself and other readers, is not our favorite. Someone said she was starting to dislike Katniss. Now I love Katniss, and it has taken me a while to get to that point. But she doesn't always think before she acts.
They say Percy's flaw is his love for his friends and how he'll do anything to help them. Us, the readers, of course, know that that is absolutely stupid. We love the fact that Percy is willing to help his friends. We just keep saying to the book, "Come on! Don't you know anything? Love is not a fatal flaw! Just because it gets him in a lot of trouble doesn't mean it isn't the right thing to do!" But Percy also could learn to control his temper. He gets too angry too fast, before he can think, and it tends to get him into a LOT of trouble. (Teenage boy? Black hair? Green eyes? Has a prophecy about him? Anger issues? Will do anything for his friends? Dang, the similarities between Harry and Percy are endless!)
Then there are the flaws that are so dang arguable that they pretty much aren't even flaws at all. Like Snape was working for Voldemort and did so much to help him. But he was really on the good side and did it all to protect Harry and save the wizarding universe. And the fact that Katniss and Peeta have killed people. But they were thrust into the Hunger Games, it's not like they went on a murderous rampage. The Stoll brothers are thieves. But they're the sons of Hermes. There isn't much you can do about that one.
Then there are the ones you could debate about all day long. The Malfoys worked so hard for Voldemort and never even said that they regretted it or did anything about it after he died, and didn't go to Azkaban for it. But you can tell by the end of the story they were just doing what it took to survive. But plenty of people had survived by being on the good side. But they had gotten too close and it was too late to go back. See? You could debate about that all day. (Personally, I think the point was that they were only doing what was best for survival, and Draco especially was thrust into that life. That's my view on it.)
Then Cato? Cato's a horrible kid, training his whole life for the moment he could kill people left and right. But he was trained to be that way since he was a kid by his district, so it isn't really his fault. But he still chose to live that lifestyle. But what would have happened to him if he didn't? (And I think that Cato is relatively innocent too. You're supposed to pity him. It's not his fault that he was taught that the Hunger Games were the best things that could ever happen to him and that was what his whole life was throughout his entire childhood. It's supposed to show how the Capitol uses the citizens.)
And Silena Beauregard. (Excuse me if that isn't spelled right.) Silena was a traitor. How could she just give all her friends to Kronos like that? But Luke used her into thinking it was right. But she's the daughter of Aphrodite! She should be able to resist stuff like that! She should be using him to help them! But even daughters of Aphrodite fall sometimes, and once she was in there was no way out. (I know all the fans feel the same way about Silena. There's no need to say that she was a really great person.)
And then there's Luke. He did so much against the camp. He led a battle against them, used many of them, told them his way was right even when he himself thought he was wrong. But in the end he made himself a hero, and we all kind of respect Luke for that one. So that one's just confusing.
(Spoilers for The Last Olympian and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And I guess Mockingjay a little)
Let's start with something we can all agree on: Harry. We love Harry. But let's admit it: in the fifth book Harry is having some serious moody teenager problems. That kid has anger issues like nobody's business.
And the way that Katniss is treating Gale and Peeta in Mockingjay, as I have heard from myself and other readers, is not our favorite. Someone said she was starting to dislike Katniss. Now I love Katniss, and it has taken me a while to get to that point. But she doesn't always think before she acts.
They say Percy's flaw is his love for his friends and how he'll do anything to help them. Us, the readers, of course, know that that is absolutely stupid. We love the fact that Percy is willing to help his friends. We just keep saying to the book, "Come on! Don't you know anything? Love is not a fatal flaw! Just because it gets him in a lot of trouble doesn't mean it isn't the right thing to do!" But Percy also could learn to control his temper. He gets too angry too fast, before he can think, and it tends to get him into a LOT of trouble. (Teenage boy? Black hair? Green eyes? Has a prophecy about him? Anger issues? Will do anything for his friends? Dang, the similarities between Harry and Percy are endless!)
Then there are the flaws that are so dang arguable that they pretty much aren't even flaws at all. Like Snape was working for Voldemort and did so much to help him. But he was really on the good side and did it all to protect Harry and save the wizarding universe. And the fact that Katniss and Peeta have killed people. But they were thrust into the Hunger Games, it's not like they went on a murderous rampage. The Stoll brothers are thieves. But they're the sons of Hermes. There isn't much you can do about that one.
Then there are the ones you could debate about all day long. The Malfoys worked so hard for Voldemort and never even said that they regretted it or did anything about it after he died, and didn't go to Azkaban for it. But you can tell by the end of the story they were just doing what it took to survive. But plenty of people had survived by being on the good side. But they had gotten too close and it was too late to go back. See? You could debate about that all day. (Personally, I think the point was that they were only doing what was best for survival, and Draco especially was thrust into that life. That's my view on it.)
Then Cato? Cato's a horrible kid, training his whole life for the moment he could kill people left and right. But he was trained to be that way since he was a kid by his district, so it isn't really his fault. But he still chose to live that lifestyle. But what would have happened to him if he didn't? (And I think that Cato is relatively innocent too. You're supposed to pity him. It's not his fault that he was taught that the Hunger Games were the best things that could ever happen to him and that was what his whole life was throughout his entire childhood. It's supposed to show how the Capitol uses the citizens.)
And Silena Beauregard. (Excuse me if that isn't spelled right.) Silena was a traitor. How could she just give all her friends to Kronos like that? But Luke used her into thinking it was right. But she's the daughter of Aphrodite! She should be able to resist stuff like that! She should be using him to help them! But even daughters of Aphrodite fall sometimes, and once she was in there was no way out. (I know all the fans feel the same way about Silena. There's no need to say that she was a really great person.)
And then there's Luke. He did so much against the camp. He led a battle against them, used many of them, told them his way was right even when he himself thought he was wrong. But in the end he made himself a hero, and we all kind of respect Luke for that one. So that one's just confusing.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Personal Problems
You know how you tend to talk about your life, and like your problems or whatever? And then you think in your head "What am I doing my friend that I am talking to has problems too I should probably help them with their problems"? You know that? Well I realize we read books and there's the big conflict that involves everybody. And other conflicts that you know who they involve but then we just hear the speaker talking about everything they are worried about, and everything that makes them sad/happy/angry/frustrated/any other emotion you can think of. But then we don't really see all the other personal problems that happen in the other characters' lives. The authors probably don't even go into thought of their personal lives, especially since sometimes the plots and problems are so big that the characters spend so much of their time dealing with the big things we know about they don't have much time to worry about everything else. But what if they do have other problems? I mean, they're often a little different than us but they're still normal people. Like, everyone's a person. They could be worrying about totally normal things! Like, what if Peeta is stressing out one day because he has a test in school the next day? And his mom is so mean and she hit him really hard once what if at school he worries about having to go home and if his mom will do something bad again? And yeah he has to work but luckily I don't think they have homework in Panem so his schedule doesn't really conflict but yeah what if he worries about work? And he had friends at school! And you know he had friends to worry about too!!! Ahh! He had problems! And then Annabeth her little demigod mind is going like 109,823,790,816,358,972,398,457 miles per hour all the time! And I realized when she goes to her mortal school she had to worry about monsters attacking her what if she keeps her knife on her for protection and she has to worry about getting caught? And did she have mortal friends how did her social life go down? Did any boys like her there was she just not saying anything to Percy because she was embarrassed and she liked him and she didn't want him to know? And seriously the Weasleys though! I'm not sure if they have taxes in the wizarding world or bills and stuff because when you build your house and have running water you can do it all by magic and they don't have electricity because they have magic. But if they do have to pay taxes then oh my gosh how the heck are they going to get by they have a whole family to raise not to mention the Order and Harry and Hermione! I mean the Weasleys have to seriously worry about money. Sorry. That's all.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Movies :p
So I didn't tell you guys this, but on Friday I saw Catching Fire with some friends. And.....
OH. MY. GOSH. THE FEELS.
Half the time I wanted to sob my eyes out (I didn't, because the only movie I cry in is Les Mis and aaaalmost the last Harry Potter movie) and I was hugging myself and whispering to myself "Kill it, Peeta, kill it" and then at the end I was just glaring at the screen. SO. MANY. FEELS.
And I was being horrendous and distraught afterward, but my parents were going on a date and I think to make me feel better and distracted from the troubling universe of a Hunger Games fangirl my mom said she would rent Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters for me to watch while they were gone.
That helped. :)
It was more like the book than the first movie was. They're getting more accurate every time. Maybe by The Last Olympian we'll have a super good movie. The worst part was Clarisse. Not only did she not look like Clarisse except for the hair, but her character really didn't seem that much like the way she is in the book. She was still mean to Percy, but it was different. And okay, the fact that they're already sixteen is crazy. Don't they know anything about demigods? Getting to sixteen is hard enough. You're just psychotic if you think they'll be able to survive to twenty. That's seriously just weird. But I mean, I still loved it 'cause it was part of my fandom and it was still one of my stories and it was good :)
OH. MY. GOSH. THE FEELS.
Half the time I wanted to sob my eyes out (I didn't, because the only movie I cry in is Les Mis and aaaalmost the last Harry Potter movie) and I was hugging myself and whispering to myself "Kill it, Peeta, kill it" and then at the end I was just glaring at the screen. SO. MANY. FEELS.
And I was being horrendous and distraught afterward, but my parents were going on a date and I think to make me feel better and distracted from the troubling universe of a Hunger Games fangirl my mom said she would rent Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters for me to watch while they were gone.
That helped. :)
It was more like the book than the first movie was. They're getting more accurate every time. Maybe by The Last Olympian we'll have a super good movie. The worst part was Clarisse. Not only did she not look like Clarisse except for the hair, but her character really didn't seem that much like the way she is in the book. She was still mean to Percy, but it was different. And okay, the fact that they're already sixteen is crazy. Don't they know anything about demigods? Getting to sixteen is hard enough. You're just psychotic if you think they'll be able to survive to twenty. That's seriously just weird. But I mean, I still loved it 'cause it was part of my fandom and it was still one of my stories and it was good :)
Friday, January 3, 2014
Sweetest Fandom Moments
Daaaaaaang, do the fandoms give us feels. Even more than regular books, which can tend to also give us feels. But here are the sweetest fandom moments that just make me want to vomit. (You know, in a good way.) (Slight spoilers for Harry Potter, Hunger Games and The Sea of Monsters.)
When Neville stands up for himself. Throughout the first book everyone's constantly telling Neville that he shouldn't let everyone step on him. And eventually, Neville does. Throughout the books Neville gets a little braver, and it starts with him telling Malfoy that he's worth ten of him and ends with him killing a Horcrux. Dang, Neville. You're awesome. But I seriously a few seconds ago realized something. I think that's why Neville became a Gryffindor. In the beginning Neville was really timid, but the Sorting Hat saw the potential Neville had to be brave and saw that it was something he had in him, it just needed to come out. Neville, you're the true definition of a Gryffindor.
When Peeta gives Katniss the lamb stew. Okay, so basically everything it Katniss and Peeta's relationship. 'Cause there's the first book where he's all shy at first but then they're in love then he's all sad because she doesn't love him, then in Catching Fire he tells her they should try just being friends, and now I'm going to talk about Mockingjay. Because guys, he's a mutt. And yet he does all these things for Katniss, because he's Peeta. And somehow he still loves her even though he thinks she's horrible and the worst thing that ever happened to the world and that she's a mutt. But for example, this lamb stew part. They've broken into a house in the Capitol and there's some canned food, so they're going to eat. Katniss is about to eat some cod chowder. But Peeta gives her a can. What does it say? Lamb stew. Ahh! He remembers! He remembers, everybody! The real Peeta is overcoming the mutt Peeta! Ahh! The fangirls are going crazy! Well, at least I am. Guys, seriously. Reread Mockingjay. That is the true definition of love right there.
When Percy tells Tyson, "You're my brother. No doubt about it." They've just been on this crazy adventure together, and at first Percy was ashamed and couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that this kid was a powerful Cyclops. And now Percy's finally admitted that Tyson is his brother. Tyson is about to go to the Forges of the Cyclopes, and when they're saying goodbye, Tyson says to Percy, "Brothers help each other." What does Percy say back? Well, I kind of already said, but I'll say it again. "You're my brother. No doubt about it." And I just want to die of feels.
When Neville stands up for himself. Throughout the first book everyone's constantly telling Neville that he shouldn't let everyone step on him. And eventually, Neville does. Throughout the books Neville gets a little braver, and it starts with him telling Malfoy that he's worth ten of him and ends with him killing a Horcrux. Dang, Neville. You're awesome. But I seriously a few seconds ago realized something. I think that's why Neville became a Gryffindor. In the beginning Neville was really timid, but the Sorting Hat saw the potential Neville had to be brave and saw that it was something he had in him, it just needed to come out. Neville, you're the true definition of a Gryffindor.
When Peeta gives Katniss the lamb stew. Okay, so basically everything it Katniss and Peeta's relationship. 'Cause there's the first book where he's all shy at first but then they're in love then he's all sad because she doesn't love him, then in Catching Fire he tells her they should try just being friends, and now I'm going to talk about Mockingjay. Because guys, he's a mutt. And yet he does all these things for Katniss, because he's Peeta. And somehow he still loves her even though he thinks she's horrible and the worst thing that ever happened to the world and that she's a mutt. But for example, this lamb stew part. They've broken into a house in the Capitol and there's some canned food, so they're going to eat. Katniss is about to eat some cod chowder. But Peeta gives her a can. What does it say? Lamb stew. Ahh! He remembers! He remembers, everybody! The real Peeta is overcoming the mutt Peeta! Ahh! The fangirls are going crazy! Well, at least I am. Guys, seriously. Reread Mockingjay. That is the true definition of love right there.
When Percy tells Tyson, "You're my brother. No doubt about it." They've just been on this crazy adventure together, and at first Percy was ashamed and couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that this kid was a powerful Cyclops. And now Percy's finally admitted that Tyson is his brother. Tyson is about to go to the Forges of the Cyclopes, and when they're saying goodbye, Tyson says to Percy, "Brothers help each other." What does Percy say back? Well, I kind of already said, but I'll say it again. "You're my brother. No doubt about it." And I just want to die of feels.
Mysteries of the Fandoms
There are probably countless mysteries of the fandoms, but these are two I noticed/remembered. These are things we will be wondering for years. We probably will never find out. And that, my friends, is really depressing. But here they are. Don't read on if you haven't read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows or Mockingjay.
What did Aunt Petunia want to say to Harry? Guys, on page forty-two of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it says, "She stopped and looked back. For a moment Harry had the strangest feeling that she wanted to say something to him: She gave him an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little jerk of her head, she bustled out of the room after her husband and son." And that's the end of the chapter. That's the last time we see Aunt Petunia ever, in fact. And we could just follow all our characters for the rest of their lives, but writers know that you write enough to get the story told and that's it, and once the story is told, it's told, and the story is done. So sadly, we don't know if Harry ever saw Aunt Petunia again. And obviously mysteries like that that are not shown to us are endless and we could wonder about them day and night, but that's not the point right now. What did Aunt Petunia want to say to Harry? Could it be along the lines of the deleted scene from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One movie? I don't think so, because Petunia really didn't miss her sister, I don't think. I don't know. It's complicated. Read "Vernon & Petunia Dursley" on Pottermore in "The Cupboard Under the Stairs" in the first book. It kind of shows how that doesn't really seem likely. I don't know what she wanted to say. Maybe she really did love him all this time? It could be. It could be anything. What did she want to say? Ugh.
What are the names of Finnick and Annie's and Peeta and Katniss's children? Dang, doesn't this one just kill you? All the fangirls of both Hunger Games and Harry Potter are sitting here saying, "J.K. Rowling gave us their children's names. Come on, Suzanne Collins. It was the least you could do." Some of us don't think she went into enough detail of how things happened at the end of Mockingjay at all. There's so much she didn't tell us. She just told us that Katniss and her fellow victors learn to live again and she and Peeta end up together and have a family. That's all? Of course, the fangirls will always want more, but we need to know their names. Finnick and Annie's was a boy, so I thought they might name it after Mags until I remembered they had a son. As for Katniss and Peeta, I thought maybe they would want to name their daughter after Prim. I've heard some people say that maybe they named their son after Katniss's father. Or maybe they all came up with original names. But that's the thing. We don't know. And we'll be wondering about it for the rest of our lives.
Thanks, though, Rick Riordan. You're still giving us more. Heck, you're writing a whole other series for us with one book still to come. Thanks, Rick. We owe you one.
Do you have any leads on these mysteries? Any personal theories? Any other mysteries that drive you crazy? Comment! I would love to know!
What did Aunt Petunia want to say to Harry? Guys, on page forty-two of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it says, "She stopped and looked back. For a moment Harry had the strangest feeling that she wanted to say something to him: She gave him an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little jerk of her head, she bustled out of the room after her husband and son." And that's the end of the chapter. That's the last time we see Aunt Petunia ever, in fact. And we could just follow all our characters for the rest of their lives, but writers know that you write enough to get the story told and that's it, and once the story is told, it's told, and the story is done. So sadly, we don't know if Harry ever saw Aunt Petunia again. And obviously mysteries like that that are not shown to us are endless and we could wonder about them day and night, but that's not the point right now. What did Aunt Petunia want to say to Harry? Could it be along the lines of the deleted scene from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One movie? I don't think so, because Petunia really didn't miss her sister, I don't think. I don't know. It's complicated. Read "Vernon & Petunia Dursley" on Pottermore in "The Cupboard Under the Stairs" in the first book. It kind of shows how that doesn't really seem likely. I don't know what she wanted to say. Maybe she really did love him all this time? It could be. It could be anything. What did she want to say? Ugh.
What are the names of Finnick and Annie's and Peeta and Katniss's children? Dang, doesn't this one just kill you? All the fangirls of both Hunger Games and Harry Potter are sitting here saying, "J.K. Rowling gave us their children's names. Come on, Suzanne Collins. It was the least you could do." Some of us don't think she went into enough detail of how things happened at the end of Mockingjay at all. There's so much she didn't tell us. She just told us that Katniss and her fellow victors learn to live again and she and Peeta end up together and have a family. That's all? Of course, the fangirls will always want more, but we need to know their names. Finnick and Annie's was a boy, so I thought they might name it after Mags until I remembered they had a son. As for Katniss and Peeta, I thought maybe they would want to name their daughter after Prim. I've heard some people say that maybe they named their son after Katniss's father. Or maybe they all came up with original names. But that's the thing. We don't know. And we'll be wondering about it for the rest of our lives.
Thanks, though, Rick Riordan. You're still giving us more. Heck, you're writing a whole other series for us with one book still to come. Thanks, Rick. We owe you one.
Do you have any leads on these mysteries? Any personal theories? Any other mysteries that drive you crazy? Comment! I would love to know!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Big News Big News Demigods!
Guys, I was just frolicking around on Facebook.... And guess what I saw posted by a dear page I like to call Percy Jackson? Well it was a picture of the cover of The Blood of Olympus (Well, you know what I mean.... I can't wait for them to release the cover!!!) and Percy Jackson's Greek Gods.... Well what was on that cover of Blood of Olympus? ONLY THE DAY IT COMES OUT 10/7/13 OH MY GOSH GUYS ARE YOU SO EXCITED?!?! My friends want me to read The Mark of Athena and The House of Hades really badly, but I told them give me ten months. I have to wait for all the books to come out before I read the whole series.
So if you're wondering why I read the first two but not the other two... well, I wanted to read the Heroes of Olympus series, right? So I read The Lost Hero. Then I read The Son of Neptune. So that was all really great, right? Then I get to the end of the book and it says that Mark of Athena was coming out fall 2012. What? They weren't all out yet? Yeah, I stressed out about that for a few days. I didn't know what I was going to do. You see, I have a booklist; I've written out a list of books that I want to read. I had gotten to Heroes of Olympus, but I hadn't really finished it so I couldn't mark it off. But I couldn't just keep going either and read the others one by one until I had read them all. I just can't. It keeps me sane. (My sister says it keeps me insane, but she's wrong.) Luckily, there were favorite books I wanted to reread and seri that had other books in them that I had gotten, like some Nancy Drew or A Dog's Journey by W. Bruce Cameron, or ones that I didn't know existed, like the last three books in the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter. So I decided to reread those while waiting for the rest of my precious series. That's why I was rereading Harry Potter, and I'm reading Nancy Drew right now. (Well that's on hold because of school, but whatever.)
But back to the point. Celebrate, demigods! The wait is... well, really, it's not almost over. But, I mean, reread Percy Jackson and eat some blue cake! It's still on its way!
So if you're wondering why I read the first two but not the other two... well, I wanted to read the Heroes of Olympus series, right? So I read The Lost Hero. Then I read The Son of Neptune. So that was all really great, right? Then I get to the end of the book and it says that Mark of Athena was coming out fall 2012. What? They weren't all out yet? Yeah, I stressed out about that for a few days. I didn't know what I was going to do. You see, I have a booklist; I've written out a list of books that I want to read. I had gotten to Heroes of Olympus, but I hadn't really finished it so I couldn't mark it off. But I couldn't just keep going either and read the others one by one until I had read them all. I just can't. It keeps me sane. (My sister says it keeps me insane, but she's wrong.) Luckily, there were favorite books I wanted to reread and seri that had other books in them that I had gotten, like some Nancy Drew or A Dog's Journey by W. Bruce Cameron, or ones that I didn't know existed, like the last three books in the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter. So I decided to reread those while waiting for the rest of my precious series. That's why I was rereading Harry Potter, and I'm reading Nancy Drew right now. (Well that's on hold because of school, but whatever.)
But back to the point. Celebrate, demigods! The wait is... well, really, it's not almost over. But, I mean, reread Percy Jackson and eat some blue cake! It's still on its way!