The Fire Has Caught

My thoughts are incoherent now.

I just spent two and a half hours in the theatre absolutely glued to that massive screen literally watching the contents of the second Hunger Games book play out. Yes, I have just finished watching Catching Fire.

There was so little deviation from the actual thing, I couldn't believe it. I must admit, I haven't read the book in a couple years and went into that cinema not really remembering the actual plot line at all. BUT I remembered as the movie progressed and man was it accurate. There may have been some things that were missed or changed and someone somewhere on the internet has probably pointed them out but they were not stupifyingly obvious so I'd cut the movie some slack.

So since it was exactly the book in movie picture format, we don't have to worry about the plot. Plot was amazing, and it still ended with a crazy cliffhanger so all the people who hadn't read the book in the theatre were all in shock about that. Guess what book's sales are going to suddenly skyrocket??

Finally, I really fell in love with the characters, all over again with the repeats and for the first time with the newcomers. Peeta and Gale man, both so selfless. And the character development that happened with Effie was phenomenal! She's beginning to realize how screwed up the system actually is. And I felt so much for all the victors that were reaped for the second time. They did not deserve that to happen to them. Johanna and Beetee were my favourites. They were just so cool to get to know, y'know?

I really needed to get all this out of my head and into words so that I could go back to enjoying regular life. It almost seems unfair that the world is still going and there isn't a mandatory recuperation time where there are no responsibilities to worry about after watching Catching Fire. That should definitely be a thing. 

Hey! A song from the Hunger Games soundtrack just started playing on my laptop! That's fitting.

Let me know if you already have or are planning on seeing Catching Fire and say what you think in the comments!

Outpost Review

cover could've been better.

I don't know why this series isn't as popular as all the other dystopian books like The Hunger Games or Divergent! It is pretty original and really pulls you in. It's also not as fat (meaning around 350 pages) as the previously mentioned books so it's a nice read for people who don't like too many pages.

INFO
Title: Outpost
Author: Ann Aguirre
Previous Book in Series: Enclave
Goodreads Summary:

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.
To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.
Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was never slow, you got all the intenseness from the beginning and it kept you hooked until the end. Where it obviously leaves you with a minor cliffhanger.

Regarding the plot, I was a little sad for Deuce and Fade and everyone that things weren't calm for a long while before the storyline got more interesting but what kind of book would that have been.

Regarding the characters, I just love Deuce so much. I am her, pretty much. Minus the lack of knowledge surrounding normal human things and the fighting ability. But her determination to prove herself capable of anything a guy can do and to not be seen as weak is an attribute I have as well. I hate talking about feelings and things like that and don't do it often if I can help it.

Regarding the love triangle, I am kind of glad it is less of a thing than it could be. Deuce makes her choice and though she doubts herself, she's not one of those wishy-washy girls that can't decide between these two boys that normally she doesn't even deserve. (Except Deuce does deserve amazing guys.)

Regarding the fact that it is a second book and doesn't suck, I am pleasantly surprised! Even Insurgent didn't really meet my expectations and succumbed itself to second book syndrome but Outpost steered pretty clear of it! At the beginning, Deuce and Fade were a little distant and that was kind of annoying since authors tend to make the love interest not hang out as much because of some HUGE misunderstanding but they resolved their differences soon enough that I wasn't too put off. And the book did have some content as well, it wasn't just a huge lead-up to the third and final book; actual things happened. So I am pleased.

I really recommend this series! It deserves all the recognition of all the hot and popular books of the moment. And do tell me if you were ahead of the game and already know about this book or even if I have introduced you to something that you love/hate!

The Perks of Watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower

So I have just recently watched the movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower. And my overall opinion of it is that it was pretty darn good!

A bit of background concerning myself and the movie: The movie is an adaptation from a book by the same name. I read it a while back, like 2007 or something and I have to admit, I didn't enjoy it back then. It's a more character-driven book and I mainly enjoy plot-driven books. It was a Slice of Life kind of book where nothing extremely exciting happened and the ending isn't really a resolution.

Side Note: The description that it's a "Slice of Life" kind of book was used by said friend's dad and I think it's just the most accurate thing on earth. I was silently having a moment of respect for how perfectly it fits this kind of book all the while carrying on normal conversation like a normal human being. You've got to be impressed by that. It takes a certain skill to be able to do that so gracefully.

Back to the present. It was really the casting that drew me to the movie. Logan Lerman has been a long favourite actor of mine since he's very good at it and doesn't hurt to look at. In the slightest. And then I was excited to see Emma Watson in something other than Harry Potter plus I also enjoyed her new haircut. And I have never seen a movie involving Ezra Miller but I have heard really good things about him. That was pretty much my reasoning plus my friend really wanted me to come see it with her so I obliged.

Stephen Chbosky is the author of the book and he also directed and wrote the screenplay for the movie. This was extremely evident because it stayed so true to the plot that even I remembered certain scenes from the book and I hadn't so much as thought of the book since I read it way back as a youngster. (Because the difference between youngster and not-youngster is 5 years. Write that down, it'll be on the test.) 

I have to say that I really enjoyed the movie. Maybe only because it was a movie and it keeps you visually entertained plus you don't have to go through the effort of reading the words in the book. (Not that I think it sucks; it's just mentally easier to watch a movie.) But I think it did a pretty good job of bringing the book to life. Can I say that Logan played the perfect Charlie. His voice, his mannerisms were so ideal it was scary. I'm pretty sure a lot of the deep stuff went right over my head but I really liked the vibe the movie gave me. It covered a lot of stuff kids go through in high school so it could reach people in certain things like that and it also was extremely funny at parts. So yeah, I enjoyed it.
If you haven't noticed, I'm pretty all over the place in reviews. All you need to know is that this one is a positive one and you should go see it.

Side Note: The one thing that bugged me was that Charlie did not look like a niner (this is what I call grade 9's) at all. He was taller than Sam and it looked like he could sprout a full beard at any second.