The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

     Welcome to Mint Tea & A Good Book's March Book of the Month- The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by the fabulous, Jennifer E. Smith. *gasps for air* Enjoy!

Title: The Statistical Probabilty of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Release Date: January 2nd, 2012
Publisher: Poppy (Little, Brown)










Synopsis (from Goodreads)-

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A. 

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.



My Thoughts

     I love, love, love books that are set in a short time period because there's so much action and you just feel like you're "getting everything." And when I heard that The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight was set in just about 24 hours, I was eager to get my hands on a copy.

     In an interview, Jennifer E Smith said that the whole concept of this book was inspired by "fate" and how a number of minutes or seconds can change your life. And where is that even more true? In an airport! I can't deny that when I started this book and realized it had an airport setting, I groaned. Like Hadley, I'm not so fond of airports or airplanes. Luckily, the airport setting was not the agonizing experience I was expecting, but instead was pretty comical thanks to Hadley's newly met "friend" (you know what I mean there with the quotation marks), Oliver.

     It was incredible in this book, how I would read 100 pages, could not believe that I had read THAT many pages, while really all that had happened was that the main characters waited at the airport and boarded a plane. There's a level of detail with this book that you can't get when the book spans over months and months. There's also that sense with this book that you also get with traveling (coincidence?) where you can't believe that the thing you did this morning was earlier today because it seems like so many years/pages ago.

     Additionally, there was also a much deeper level of emotion with this book then I was expecting. The title, cover, and overall summary make the book seem "fluffier" than it actually is. Hadley's father is getting remarried, and that's a relatively common plot line, but with this book I really saw how divorce can affect the parents' kids. And how alone a child/teenager of divorced parents can really feel.

     Now, there was one thing in this book that I really didn't like. I really enjoyed Hadley's emotional issues with her father (That makes me sound so evil!), but I thought that there was a little too much of that and not quite enough Hadley+Oliver interaction. Once Hadley got to England it was sort of all Hadley and her feelings and her dealing with her dad and step mom and I was kept thinking, "Ok, I get it. Now back to Oliver." On the other hand, I understand why it was important to the plot line to deal with Hadley's dad, but I wish there had been just a tad bit more of Oliver.

     Overall, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a great contemporary novel, with an adorable cover, great characters with realistic thoughts (even though it's written in 3rd person), and has the perfect amount of detail. If you haven't already encountered, this one- I highly, highly recommend it! And it's a great read for traveling too. ;)

Born Wicked

Title: Born Wicked
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: February 7, 2012

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. 

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. 

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

My Review:

When I got Born Wicked for review, I dragged my feet on the road to reading it. Aside from Harry Potter, the genre including witches, wizards, and prophecies doesn't particularly interest me. I deserve a smack on the head with a wet noodle for underestimating this book, because it was awesome!

 When I started Born Wicked I was iffy about the plot because in some ways it is very mainstream (ie. Love triangle, dead parent, etc.). For a while I was disappointed in the plot, and then the unexpected twists started coming into play that completely changed the book, and sent it in a new direction.

Born Wicked made me appreciate my freedoms, and rights as a girl living in the U.S., in the 21st century. In this book, women are treated very poorly, and men have numerous advantages over women. While this book has a fantasy element in play, it also deals with real world problems.

The Salem Witch Trials element in this novel is very creative. In Chatham (the city that the book takes place) the women in the town get arrested and sent to prisons and asylums if they are suspected of being witches (extremely original!). After reading the book, I was so intrigued and interested in this piece of the plot, that I had to research the Salem Witch Trials, and now want to learn more about them.

When I finished Born Wicked, my jaw dropped and my eyebrows went up in exasperation. I thought: This. Can. Not. Be. The. End. I. Need. More!!! The book ended very realistically, and not in a fairytalesque way. Jessica Spotswood's debut novel is impressive, intriguing, and will leave you wanting more.

My Fiction of Nonfiction

      A couple of weeks ago I was reading a fabulous nonfiction book about the Titanic in honor of the 100th anniversary. I brought it to school with me and was reading it in class when a girl leaned over and asked me what I was reading. I told her about the book and her immediate response was

"Oh, I never read nonfiction. It's too boring."

     I responded with something along the lines of: "I hardly ever read it either, but this one's really interesting."

     And that brief conversation sort of sparked my thinking. What was the last non-fiction book I've read prior to this one? When did I read it? What other non-fiction books have I read? My mind fluttered to the nonfiction section of the library filled with dusty old science and history textbooks. And I guess those sorts of books are the nonfiction stereotype.

     I walked to the library a couple of days later and browsed the YA lit section before moving onto the cookbooks (genre jump!) so that I could pick one out for my mom. I picked out a lovely cookbook, but then a cupcake photo book and a big book about New York City caught my eye.

     After sitting down to flip through the cupcake book, I looked back at the shelf where I'd picked the book from, and was bewildered to see that the label read "nonfiction."


     I thought about all the other books I'd picked up from that section of the library. All the craft books, the travel books, the cookbooks, the magazines, the memoirs, the anthologies, the instruction books, the room decorating books, biographies, that beach photo book. Soon I moved on to think about the blogs I read (mostly nonfiction) the newspaper, the articles I've read on the internet, and I guess it sort of dawned on me: I read nonfiction all the time!

    I've always thought of myself as reading fiction. Fiction is what I read for entertainment. Nonfiction is what I have to read for school. And in terms of the physical book, a book for entertainment is nearly always fiction for me. But once I began to think about the magazines, the newspaper, book reviews (arguably more opinion depending), blogs, I realized that I read nonfiction all the time. By choice. Just because I choose to read it for entertainment does not mean it's fiction.

     I think nonfiction is a genre that some of us overlook. But without nonfiction, we would live in a made up world, unable to decipher what's real and what's not, which I guess brings us back to the power of literature. But there's more nonfiction out there than I seem to think. For a lot of people, I bet that's sort of common sense. Cookbooks- duh! Nonfiction. But I'm also sort of curious to see if anyone else hasn't ever thought about nonfiction like this before.

     That was my fiction of nonfiction.

Top Ten Tuesday- Spring (Reading) Fever!

  Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week The Broke and The Bookish posts a topic and lists their Top Ten things that fall under that category. Top Ten Tuesday is a great way to learn more about your favorite bloggers and discover new blogs and books as well! To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday and see the topics, click here.


This Week's Topic Is...

Spring Fever: Top Ten Books I'd Play Hooky With

     So today, Erin and I have "fallen ill" with the Spring (Reading) Fever, and will tragically not be able to make it to school. Here are the books we'd "play hooky" with.

1. All Sarah Dessen Books- There is just something about Sarah Dessen books that are so fun and light hearted and they always leave with this really good feeling. Dear teacher, it made me too happy, I just couldn't make it to school.

 2. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green- I think you'll need a day off from work/school for recovery after reading this one. Be prepared to reserve some time for major tears and sobbing and screaming about how life isn't fair and why some of us get cancer and some of us don't, and that it really doesn't make any sense why bad things happen to good people. But it's an incredible book.


3. Lola and the Boy Next Door/ Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- If you really want to feel good or are having a bad day- these are the books for you! So fun, such great characters, hilarious, realistic, and just completely fabulous books.


4. The Heist Society Series by Ally Carter- I think you just need some time to snuggle with these book, especially because a lot of the books are set indoors drinking soup with family during Russian blizzards. Yep, cozy.

 5. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard- One of my favorite books I've read all year! Set in Guatemala and Belize, the book is simply breathtaking, the characters- realistic, the ending- perfect, it's just such a fabulous book! I can't even say how amazing it is. 


6. Austenland by Shannon Hale- Who needs a boring job when you can have Austenland! (literally, that's what happens in the book) The book is pretty much about a woman with a Jane Austen/Mr. Darcy/Collin Firth obsession who leaves her home to go spend some time in Austenland- a "resort/spa/hotel" totally devoted to Jane Austen!


7. The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks by E. Lockhart- Underground tunnels, a strong female character secretly in charge of an all male secret society, pranks galore, hilarity and humor, fabulous writing- yes, you need to read this book. 

 8. Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt- The kind of book that is really great for reading in a day or two. It's just a very emotion-provoking sort of book. Laughing, crying, throwing the book on the ground, picking it up again. A very good book.


9. Shut Out by Kody Keplinger- I think that both of Kody Keplinger's books are both meant to be fiercely devoured in a matter of hours, but if I were to pick between the two (as in the one I prefer) I would choose Shut Out. This modern retelling of Lysistrata will have you longing for more of Keplinger.


10. Divergent by Veronica Roth- This is a pretty long one, but it's so so good! I don't always love long fantasy/dystopian/paranormal novels- but this one is an exception. I mean you don't feel like you've read 400 pages, but then all of a sudden- you have! 

1. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta- After reading Jellicoe Road, you will be completely dazed. I suspect you will be sobbing by the end, just because you have finished it, and you didn't want it to end. When I come back to school after missing a day, and my teachers ask where I've been, I will thrust this book into their hands and enough will be said. 


2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- If you are feeling happy, or if you are feeling like the world is a great place and always has been, read the Book Thief. It will do a beautiful job of crushing your soul. I suggest taking a couple of days off after reading this. You may need to recollect yourself before you go out in public again.


3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- Enough Said.


4. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green- TFiOS is so phenomenal, it deserves to be on this list twice. After reading TFiOS I was an utter wreck. My face was probably twice it's regular size, due to the fact it was swollen from so many tears. I cried like a baby when Dumbledore died (sorry if you hadn't gotten that memo before...), while reading The Book Thief, Walk Two Moons, Jellicoe Road, and many more books, but never have I cried more than when I read The Fault In Our Stars. A precaution to all of you who are going to read TFiOS (that should be everyone): Don't read this book in public!


5. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King- I could not put this novel down. It is so mysterious, and every chance I got, I was reading it. You will definitely need at least a day to devour Please Ignore Vera Dietz. I recommend this book to anyone needing a good realistic fiction/mystery novel!

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In My (Combined) Mailbox (45)

  "In My Mailbox" is a weekly feature hosted by the super fabulous, Kristi at The Story Siren. "IMM" is a way to share thoughts on the books you've received throughout the week with readers. To read more about "In My Malbox," click here




     This is a combined In My Mailbox from last week and the week before, so enjoy!

 1. One for The Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (ARC)- I got this adorable-looking middle grade along with an abundance of swag for the blog tour. Willa from Willa's Ramblings absolutely LOVED this one so I can't wait to read it! 

 2. Commercial Breaks by PG Kain- This is the first in a brand new super fun middle grade series! I haven't heard too much about it but it's received great reviews on Goodreads so I'm excited to start it! Thank you Aladdin/Simon & Schuster for sending this one!

 3. Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer (ARC)- This book just came out, but I received an ARC of it last week. It's set in 1985 and looks like it's going to have a lot of cultural references. ;) I think adults will really enjoy this one in addition to teens. Plus, I love that cover! Kind of TFiOS-esque. Thanks FSB for sending this one!

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 4. Putting Boys on the Ledge by Stephanie Row- I think this was a Net Galley freebee, but it looks cute, so I'm happy to read it anyway! I have heard absolutely NOTHING about it, so if anyone has read it or knows anything about this one, let me know in the comments!

 5. Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf (ARC)- This one seems to be pretty popular around the YA blogosphere, but I've also heard a couple of negative reviews for it, so we'll have to see what I think of it.

 6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (ARC)- Another one that I've seen a ton of people raving about! Claire LeGrand (whom I adore!) absolutely loved it and Veronica Roth's blurb is on the cover so I have high hopes for this one! Although my ARC copy does not have that lovely cover. :(






     That's all for this week's In My Mailbox (sorry it went up so late!), feel free to leave links to your IMMs in the comments.

TGIF (29)- Trends in YA/MG Literature

   TGIF is a feature hosted by Ginger over at GReads! Ginger asks a fun question every week and bloggers post their answers. TGIF is a great way to learn about some of your favorite bloggers, and have fun posting too!


This Friday's Question is...

Bookish Trends: What are some bookish trends you are noticing in the literature world today? Is there a particular trend you'd like to see more of?

Common YA/MG Lit Trends That I'm Sick Of


Where Are Your Parents??
There are so many books where the teen is missing one or more parents or the parents are divorced. Sometimes in the plot line, I think it's totally necessary (ie If I Stay by Gayle Forman, What Happened To Goodbye by Sarah Dessen), but other times it seems like the we might just be being a little bit lazy. Like oh, missing parent- insta-problem! 

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Girl Ends Up Falling for Other Guy/Love Triangles
I'm sorry, for being so blunt, but I am incredibly tired of this trend! You know what I'm talking about don't you? For example- Sue has had a crush on Johnny since 2nd grade and there's this other guy named Bobby who's so annoying and always gets in the way. But then Sue realizes that Johnny is not the guy she thought he was, and falls for Bobby, who she realizes isn't as annoying as she always thought he was. Yeah, I'm a little bit tired of this one.


 Series
I'm sick of series. And I'm so glad that this trend seems to be fizzling more in 2012. Now there are some series that I love, but I think a lot of times a standalone novel can be more powerful than a series. Also, series are more of a commitment and I know that certainly keeps me from reading a series/ a book in a series a lot of times.


The Best Friend With No Role Whatsoever
It's seems so often (especially with contemps) that the best friend has no role in the plotline, not much personality and is just there for the sake of being there. I feel like maybe we can try to make the best friend interesting or not have her at all. But I certainly don't like the pointless best friend with not much personality.

 Mean Girls/ High School Social
Maybe there's not an obvious alternative, but I'm so tired of the blonde preppy, mean, cheerleader girls in the high school known as the "popular girls." And maybe it's realistic, but I'm just tired of it. Also the whole high school social class plot line in the Young Adult genre- I'm sick of that one too.




Trends in YA/ MG Lit I Want to See More Of


     Of course, like I mentioned above, I would love to see more strong parental characters and standalone novels!


College Aged Protagonists
I think that a college aged protagonist would be considered Young Adult literature and I know lots of people who would love to see more of this, but it still seems to be lacking. I loved that The Ivy was set in college and how Wanderlove was set in the summer before college. It's something I would love to see more of.

 Culturally Diverse Characters
The Young Adult genre is seriously lacking when it comes to diverse characters. Young Adult authors seem to do alright (sometimes) when it comes to culturally diverse side characters, but what about the main character? I mean how often do you read about a character or see a character on the cover of a YA book that is culturally diverse? (by this I mainly mean- 'not white') Obviously, I live in a western culture, but the lack is still utterly appalling and quite frankly- a little bit embarrassing. 


Multi-POV Books
I love books like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants where there are like 4 protagonists all related in a way and all telling their stories. I know some people don't like these sorts of books, but I love love love them! I love getting inside more than one person's mind and how the characters interact. Ah! They have to be written well (so I don't mix up the protagonists) but when they're written well (and the multiple POV's are necessary)- they're just so fulfilling.

 Companion Novels
I know I said no series, but I do say "More Companion Novels!" But Meredith, they're like the same thing! No young grasshopper, you are mistaken. First of all- I feel like with companion novels it's not really the same sort of commitment as it is with a series. Not as much pressure I guess. Also (this is sort of like the last one) I love it when one book is about one character and the companion novel is about a different character but you still see the character from the previous book. (AKA-  the Anna & the French Kiss/ Lola & the Boy Next Door situation)


Books Set in Different Countries
Ok, so I may have the desperate desire for more books like Wanderlove in which the book takes place in a different country with an entirely different culture. I loved having a Young Adult novel with an amazing plot line set in such a different culture! It was fascinating and made the book so much more interesting!


     So what do you think? Do you agree with the trends I listed? Is there a particular trend that you're tired of? One that you want to see more of? Let me know in the comments- I think there's a lot of great discussion potential with this one.

Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer

Title: Notes to Self
Author: Avery Sawyer
Release Date: November 22nd, 2011





Synopsis (from Amazon)-

Two climbed up. Two fell down.

One woke up.

*

Robin Saunders is a high school sophomore with an awesome best friend, a hard-working single mom, and a complicated relationship with a sweet guy named Reno. She's coasting along, trying to get through yet another tedious year of high school, when Em suggests something daring. They live in Florida-- tourist central--and Emily wants to sneak into a theme park after midnight and see what they're made of.

When things get out of control, Robin wakes up in a hospital bed and Emily doesn't wake up at all. Just getting dressed becomes an ordeal as Robin tries to heal and piece together the details of that terrible night. Racing to remember everything in the hopes of saving Emily, Robin writes a series of notes to herself to discover the truth.


My Thoughts


     A lot of you probably know that while I can enjoy paranormal and dystopian novels, my heart really lies with contemporary YA. It's the way the characters are developed so well, the realistic problems they go through, how you can relate to the characters, the feelings, the situation, and so on. I love contemporary novels! And Notes to Self was no exception. It portrayed nearly all the qualities I enjoy in a great contemp!


     When Robin wakes up missing her memory and without her best friend- she has trouble coping. She doesn't remember a lot, and after seeing a doctor about her memory she begins to write "notes to herself" to remember things. Sometimes, it's little things like normal everyday tasks and sometimes it's bigger things like memories from her past. And in a sense Robin has to "rediscover herself" and who she was, and who she is now.


“I don't believe everything happens for a reason. But I still search for reasons anyway. It's like I don't want to admit that maybe everything really is totally random...that people are just molecules in the air, bumping into each other and floating away again." 



-pg 150 Notes to Self (quote on Goodreads)


     There's such a strong desire to know what happens to Robin that makes you keep turning pages Additionally, the dialogue and characters all seemed very realistic and very well written, and the side characters certainly added an interesting aspect to the book as they contributed their help to Robin and her memories.

     Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer is a fabulous indie contemporary YA read and is available right now on kindle for only $3.99! Totally worth it!

Top Ten Tuesday- Springing into the TBR Pile

     Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week The Broke and The Bookish posts a topic and lists their Top Ten things that fall under that category. Top Ten Tuesday is a great way to learn more about your favorite bloggers and discover new blogs and books as well! To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday and see the topics, click here.

And This Week's Topic Is...

                       Top Ten Books You Want To Tackle This Spring

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs- This novel looks positively eerie, and creepy. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children looks really interesting, and different than most books, so I am uber excited to read it!

2. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli- I am WAY behind on reading this one. This is somewhat of a classic, and I haven't read it so I definitely want to get to it this spring. 

3. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler- Honestly, I don't know much about this book, but it looks very unique. Plus, the cover is extremely snazzy!

4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver- Delirium is another popular book that I haven't gotten around to. It looks absolutely fabulous!

5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer-  Again, I have heard so many amazing things about this book as well. It looks like a  tear-jerker, but I know it will be good. 

1. Welcome Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell- I'm so so excited to read this one! I've heard fabulous things, the concept sounds awesome, and I love the cover!


2. Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter- I have a "special relationship" with this series, as it was this series that really made me want to read more Young Adult literature. So of course, I cannot wait to follow Cammie on her next adventure! 

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 3. Insurgent by Veronica Roth- I am so excited to read this one when it comes out in May! I loved Divergent (honestly, who didn't?) and I'm pretty sure this one is going to blow the NYT bestseller lists when it comes out. EEP!


4. Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar- There is so much hype for this book and I keep hearing people absolutely gushing over it, so I'm uber excited to read it, even though it sounds incredible sad and may provoke major tears.

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 5. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta- It's going to happen! I am going to read this book once and for all! I know that everyone (since I'm probably the only one left on this planet who hasn't read this book) love, love, loves this book. Willa from Willa's Ramblings reads it every couple of months. So yes, I'm clearly missing out.


A Note From Meredith- Sorry for being absent the past couple days! I got a couple comments about people wondering where I was (which makes me feel very special) and I was just out of town, but I'm back now. :)

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Saving Francesca

Title: Saving Francesca
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 28, 2004

Goodreads Synopsis:

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastians, a boys' school that's pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom.  Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an an impossibly dorky accordion player.  The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, along, and without an inkling who she really is.  Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.


My Review: 

After reading Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, my thought process went something like this: There is no better book. I will never love another book the same way. There are no other fish in the literary sea. After reading Saving Francesca, Melina Marchetta has further proved her talent as a YA author, and proved to me that I will be able to love other books.

What made Saving Francesca stand out from other YA books, was it's focus on the main character's entire family. Most of the time YA books will contain some kind of conflict between the main character and one member of her family. Saving Francesca exposed the relationship Francesca had with her entire family, which was a neat aspect.  Francesca’s mother was the glue that held her family together, so when Francesca’s mother falls apart the entire family has to cope. Francesca sees a different side of her father, and she and her brother become closer.

Melina Marchetta did a beautiful job of balancing this novel out. There was perfect amount of conflict in Francesca's school life, and the perfect amount of conflict in Francesca's home life. A lot of YA literature really focuses on problems that the characters are having in one place. This book has a great combination of Francesca’s home and school life, how they are different, and how they intertwine.

I adored the characters in this novel. In both Jellicoe Road and Saving Francesca, characters were introduced that I didn't like at first. As I got into both of these novels, some of the characters that I wasn't so sure about started to grow on me. For an example, there was a character in the book named Thomas Mackee. At first glance he was disgusting. On the back of the book it says: Thomas Mackee: Specializes in musical burping. Eventually I got to see a different side of Thomas Mackee, and I really liked him. Every character in both of these novels is extremely well developed, and very real.

If you haven't read a Melina Marchetta novel you should! Your thought process should not be Maybe I will try a Melina Marchetta novel out, it should be something along the lines of I don't care if I am supposed to be meeting with the President right now, I need to hop in the car, and get a Melina Marchetta novel this very moment!

The Hunger Games Movie: Why It's Going to Rock Your Socks Off!

If you haven't seen the amazing, extraordinary, phenomenal, please-let-me-watch-it-again, Hunger Games movie trailer, I recommend you do so before you read this post:

And now, Why the Hunger Games movie is going to rock your socks off:

Cast and Crew- When blonde, gorgeous, and put-together Jennifer Lawrence was chosen to play the role of olive-skinned, black-haired, rugged Katniss Everdeen, I was very doubtful. I was worried that one of my favorite books was going to be totally misinterpreted as a movie... however

Ms. Lawrence Before

            Ta-Da

Ms. Lawrence Katniss After

 And, when brown, spiky-haired Josh Hutcherson was chosen to play soft, blonde-haired Peeta, my internal sound effects went: Wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa! BUT... Hollywood worked it's magic and:

Josh Hutcherson Peeta After

Josh Hutcherson Before

According to the Hunger Games movie trailer, the rest of the cast is also spot on. Just look at Effie (*applauds*)

Set- Every fan of the Hunger Games has a distinct image of what the set of the Hunger Games should look like. Based on the trailer, the set of the movie looks phenomenal, and very book-based. Take a glance of the reaping scene--it mirrors how the book describes it (*beams*)

Overall Acting and Production- Again, based on what I have seen from the trailer, the acting is extremely believable, and intense. The camera angles make the trailer very dramatic, and suspenseful. Look back at the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 portion of the trailer, very intense (*gives a thumbs up*)

Costumes/Make-Up- The costumes in this movie are epic! Take a gander at these fabulous photos:

Aren't the characters looking snazzy?

Feel free to comment on your thoughts about the Hunger Games movie. May the odds be ever in your favor!