Tag: the hunger games

You Decide: Did These Adaptations Get It Right?

The ongoing debate about whether the book or the movie/show is better, is never-ending. In some cases the movies/shows do a better job than the book – though those cases are rare. Sometimes, both are equally good because the movie/show compliments the book well. Usually, though, the book reigns supreme, like the Harry Potter books. Here’s what we make of some of the most popular adaptations of late.

  1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Image via FandangoNow

The Hunger Games trilogy, is a great read about a young girl, Katniss, who volunteers in her younger sister’s place to compete in the annual Hunger Games. Little did Katniss know that her volunteering would lead to her being the face of change, and the leader of a war for a better world. The movie does a good job of complimenting the books, Katniss is portrayed by Jennifer Lawerence and Josh Hutchinson is also in the film, portraying her love interest, Peeta, who helps her win the Hunger Games. Lawrence really showed how much Katniss struggled and how the pressure of being the ‘Mockingjay’ took a toll on her. Both of these actors did an amazing jobs bringing these characters to life, as well as the other actors. In this case the books and movies are both great.

You can watch the movies here.

 

2. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Image via IMDB

The Hate U Give, is an amazing novel about a young girl, Starr, who witnesses the wrongful murder of her friend by a police officer. Starr struggles to deal with the aftermath and does everything she can to do the right thing for her friend and for her family. Amandla Stenberg, who just so happened to have played Rue in the Hunger Games, portrayed Starr and she did an outstanding job, she really embodied the character. The movie itself really complimented the book and told the story the way it was meant to be told. Again, both the book and movie did an excellent job telling this story.

You can watch the movie here.

3. The sun is also a star by nicola yoon

Image via IMDB

The Sun is Also A Star follows two characters, Natasha and Daniel. Natasha and her family are about to be deported and on her way to fight her family’s case she meets Daniel. Daniel is college-bound and very eager to ditch his college interview to spend the day with Natasha, being that today is the only day they have. I am not a fan of this novel but I am definitely not a fan of the movie. The novel had some depth to it and gave background information to Natasha’s life and gave reason as to why she was being deported. The movie left out that crucial information and just focused on two teenagers falling in love within the twenty-fours they’ve known each other. Why would Daniel give up his college interview for a girl he just met? Come on! So, in this case, the book is better.

You can watch the movie here.

 

4. Looking for Alaska By John Green

Image via Hulu

Looking for Alaska, the novel, follows Miles Halter, who falls in love with the mysterious Alaska. When Alaska turns up dead, Miles does everything he can to learn the truth. It’s not as exciting as it sounds, and to be honest I was hoping the show would be good, but I didn’t make it past the first fifteen minutes. The novel starts off well, and it pulls you into the mystery of Alaska. Then somewhere in the middle, the novel stalls, and then it starts moving again. All I can say is I didn’t finish the show but I did finish the book, so in this case the book is better.

You can watch the series here.

5. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Image via Youtube

A Series of Unfortunate Events follows the Baudelaire orphans who lead a very tragic life after the death of their parents. Each novel shows the Baudelaires going to live with another distant relative, or them ending up in a dire situation. To make matters worse, Count Olaf is after the children and their fortune and will do everything he can to get his hands on them. The books are great, and the show does a great job of bringing the characters to life. Neil Patrick Harris is HILARIOUS as Count Olaf and does a great job of making him evil and cooky. The three Orphans, Violet, Klaus and baby Sonny, are portrayed by newcomers who really have the same look and portray the orphans well. Their quick wit and intelligence shine through on the screen, just like in the books. In this case the books and TV show are amazing. However, back in 2005, there was a movie adaptation of the first three books, and though it was decent, the show does a better job.

You can watch the series here.

Featured Image via CultureWhisper

 

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Suzanne Collins’ Most Underrated Series

Before The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins wrote another series, The Underland Chronicles. The series was published between 2003-2007, and it tells the story of a boy named Gregor and his adventures in the Underland (located literally under New York City).

Image via Amazon

Gregor starts off the series as a middle schooler who discovers the Underland when his little sister, Boots, falls down a laundry shoot and he follows after her. Of course, with an interesting new place comes interesting new people… and creatures. The creatures consist of bugs, rats and bats, some humans even inhabit the underland, and they have very clear skin. Two of the giant roaches believe Gregor is there to fulfill a prophecy; The Prophecy of Gray which includes finding his father who went missing in the Underland. Gregor and his family believed his dad left them for another family, but now he will finally learn the truth.

I’ve never heard of this series, and I was in middle school when these books were around. Does anyone else remember those scholastic book fair papers that would come around every month? I’m sure these books were in their back in the mid 2000s. We all have books we overlooked, and it makes me wonder if JK Rowling had another series before Harry Potter. Don’t worry I already checked, Harry Potter is her first series. However, even if you read the Hunger Games or never picked up the series, you can still pick up this one.

Featured Image via St. Stephen’s Book

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10 of the Coolest Heroines in Fiction

For much of history, much like in real life, female characters in fiction were sidelined, often not promoted to the front like their male counterparts until recently. But this has begun to change, with the strong and nuanced female character coming to the forefront of genres like fantasy, science fiction,  historical and more! And even looking back throughout literary history, there are numerous examples of kickass women who paved the way forward. Here some of the best, counting down from ten!

 

10. Offred- The Handmaid’s Tale

 

Offred from the Handmaid's Tale sits in a red dress with a table and bottle of milk before her

Image Via Amazon

The Handmaid’s Tale tells of a future where women have been reduced to the role of reproductive slaves in a society run by a religious order, made into the property of men and forbidden from reading, writing, or holding positions of power. Offred, whose real name is June, is a woman who dreams of a better life and despite all the hardship she endures, she instills the spark of rebellion, piece by piece, through her actions and inspires women around her. She may not be an action hero but it’s clear she’s the strongest character, holding power over the men who claim to own her.

 

9. Sabriel- Sabriel

 

Sabriel is a young woman with a blue outfit standing with a thin sword against a grey hair

Image via Goodreads

In a world where the dead walk the earth, one young woman holds the key to countering the dark evil rising from the depths of the underworld. Enter Sabriel, an eighteen-year-old girl who is finishing her work at an all-female college where she sees a vision of the dead walking out from the other realm beyond her own to infest the earth. Sent by her father to stop a group of Necromancers, Sabriel is fierce, ferocious, but also very human and showcases a quiet inner strength that allows her to overcome Death itself.

 

8. Nancy Drew-Nancy Drew mystery stories

 

Nancy Drew, clad in a green dress sits in a swamp as she attempts to open a clock

Image via Tvline

Nancy Drew was created in the 1930s but nevertheless emerged to become an icon for countless generations. A young girl working as an amateur detective, Nancy Drew constantly went headfirst into danger, exploring abandoned castles, creepy mansions, slimy swamps, and dark basements to solve mystery after mystery. The character has been updated to become stronger and older as the years went by, letting her evolve while also staying true to her roots, always a girl as brave as any boy and sniffing out the next case to crack.

 

7. Matilda- Matilda

 

Matilda stands on a bed with a crafty smirk

Image via Entertainment

Another young girl, Matilda emerged as one of the best characters of Roald Dahl’s novels who has a love of reading and kindness while also possessing rad telekinesis. She overcomes adversity not through brute force, contrasting her nemesis, the Trunchbull, a massive tyrant of a headmaster who bullies the children in her care. Matilda’s mind is her greatest asset and is gleeful to see her emerge as the smartest person in the room. You can’t help but cheer as she overcomes the Trunchbull, letting her mind flow freely to literally grab the brute of a woman and give her a taste of her own medicine.

 

6. Princess Cimorene- Dealing with Dragons

 

A princess and a dragon stand side by side as they have tea and cake

Image via Wikipedia

This princess turns the classic trope of a fair damsel getting kidnapped by a dragon and rescued by a knight on its head. Cimorene runs away from her kingdom where her parents try to make her marry an undesirable prince, runs to a dragon, and takes up a job under the dragon’s wing. Cimorene takes charge of her life from the first chapter, showcasing her strength, wit, and skill to get a life she wants, not the one the story has set out for her. And she gets to be best friends with a dragon, which is badass.

 

5. Isabella Trent- A Natural History of Dragons

 

A black and white photograph of Lady Trent, both older and young

Image Via Book Reviews

Written as a memoir by supposed famous dragon naturalist Lady Trent, A Natural History of Dragons chronicles the adventures of Isabella Trent who strives to become the authority of dragonology. Written as a bookish, very English sort of woman, Isabella is prim and proper, erudite and sophisticated while possessing a true passion for the dragons of the world. She would sooner examine a dragon up close than scream in terror, being truly fascinated and possessing a scholarly disposition that makes her quite lovable. It’s wonderful to watch her evolve as the series goes on, seeing her adventures with dragons and showcasing how she is the most brilliant mind in the room.

 

4. Katniss Everdeen- The Hunger Games

 

Image via Forbes

Thrust into The Hunger Games, a bloodsport that pits her against teens from fellow Districts, Katniss Everdeen rises to the occasion to take control of her destiny. Refusing to play by the Capital’s rules, she fights against the game at every opportunity, first refusing to kill her supposed ‘enemy’ Peeta at the game’s end, threatening to kill herself if the Capital doesn’t let them both live. Eventually, she becomes the leader of a rebellion against the District entirely, becoming a full-fledged warrior as the Districts rise around her to overthrow President Snow. Katniss is a champion for inner strength, fierceness, and stone-cold badassery.

 

3. Scout Finch- To Kill a Mockingbird

 

Scout Finch, a young girl leans on the table with her elbows

Image via Pinterest

Scout is great because of how real she feels. She narrates the book from her POV, showcasing her child’s view of the world, making us fall in love with her mannerisms and her feisty attitude. She’s curious, always ready to get into a fight, and a tomboy, contrasting with the small-town atmosphere around her that disapproves of her unladylike ways. She is at once relatable, yet always reminding us she’s a child and has a lot of growing up to do. But Scout is always wonderful, a great protagonist who showcases the spirit of a woman beneath her childish exterior.

 

2. Arya Stark- A Song of Ice and Fire

 

Arya stands with a coin in hand as Sander Clegane lounges in the background around a campfire

Image Via the Wrap

One of the protagonists of Game of Thrones, Arya began as an immature girl, the third child of Ned Stark who was interested in very unladylike things, being feisty and independent. But as the series progresses, she grows into a fully-fledged warrior, swearing revenge on those who killed her family and becoming one of the Faceless Men, learning their skills as an assassin. She wields an awesome sword named Needle and ventures across Westeros, trying to complete her list of named targets. Extremely popular with fans, Arya is vicious despite her small size and should never be underestimated.

 

1. Hermione Granger- Harry Potter

 

Hermione stands in her school uniform against a brown backdrop

Image via Vox

One of the iconic figures in the series, Hermione is arguably more capable than Harry, being an intelligent teenager with a gift for magic, an aptitude for history, and often described as a walking encyclopedia. Favoring brains over brawn, she comes up with the plans throughout the series and often represents a clear-headed contrast to the more impulsive Ron or even Harry. She isn’t without her flaws, with her fear of failure driving her to nearly kill herself as she drowns herself in schoolwork, but she always proves herself a strong young woman, ready to smack anyone who challenges or insults her.

Featured Image Via Amazon

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The Chaos of Chaos Walking

Stay strong, Chaos Walking fans, one day our film will come – maybe.

The Chaos Walking adaption has been a long time in the making. The first book in the series by Patrick Ness, The Knife of Never Letting Go, was published in 2008 by Walker Books. In 2011, Lionsgate acquired the rights to a film adaption of the entire trilogy. As a massive fan of the series I, like many others, was excited. The original story was well-written, fleshed out, exciting, all the ingredients of a stellar film version were there.

 

image via the scroll

What’s more, news about the adaption was gaining traction, especially after some of the cast was announced. Tom Holland was brought on board as Todd, the story’s 12-year-old protagonist, alongside Daisy Ridley as Viola. Filming started in August 2017 in Montréal, Québec, with a tentative release date of 2019 that quickly became 2020. The movie underwent re-shoots after the first cut was considered “unrealeasable” and since then, the fate of the film has been somewhat uncertain.

 

 

A big part of the issue with the re-shoots lies in the actors’ schedules. For one, Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland have had a busy few years. Between saving distant galaxies and the less distant Manhattan as Rey and Spiderman, both were unavailable for shooting for a number of months. When they returned, it seemed that making audiences believe either of them were in their early teens would be no small feat.

 

 Image via variety

The real kicker of the saga is that the times have simply changed. In 2011, dystopian fiction was huge. The world was ending left, right and center! Katniss was volunteering for The Hunger Games, Tris was jumping on trains, Bella was… well we’re still not entirely sure what Bella was doing. Point is, the tidal wave of dystopia has since passed and it simply isn’t the same market that it once was. Allegiant, the third film adapted from the Divergent series, didn’t receive a great critical response and Rotten Tomatoes awarded it a meager 11%. Ouch. The final movie was scrapped, too.

A Chaos Walking film could have been a massive success back in the era of apocalypses, factions and romance-against-the-odds. Now, it may not have the same appeal. Fans of Ness’ work may fill cinema seats but the question of profit is sticky. Between re-shoots and the constant pushing back of the release date, Lionsgate may find themselves with long term consequences.

 

 

The good news is that fans remain hopeful that the film will eventually see the light of day. Plus, the constant change in release date means that traction is still there as audiences wait for a final deadline. If nothing else, the drama comes as a great excuse to re-read the series from the beginning.

featured image via imdb


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