Mockingjay: Readers Report

READER’S REPORT (for publisher)
(Note: I'm experimenting with different styles and this is my version of what I would have said to the publisher, had they given me Mockingjay to critique before publication).

Mockingjay
Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games series is set in a post-apocalyptic world, controlled by the iron fist of the Capitol government. Each year, the Capitol takes two children from each District to fight in the ‘Hunger Games’ — a battle to the death where only one child will survive. Mockingjay is the third and final book in the series. It is narrated from the point of view of the heroine, Katniss, and divided in to three parts.

In Mockingjay, the Capitol has led the other districts to believe that District Thirteen has been destroyed. The people of District Thirteen are planning a resistance against the Capitol and Katniss has unwittingly become the voice and image of the resistance. Here she changes from a strong, young woman — determined to look after her family whatever the costs — to a broken shell struggling to cope with daily life.

Collins skilfully creates a world on the brink of cultural and political revolution. Her use of first-person perspective in the present tense pulls the reader straight into the action and is a powerful writing tool for a book of this scope. The persuasive tone of the writing and themes suggests a comparison to cultural and political revolution in our own world.

Mockingjay is aimed at the young-adult fantasy-fiction market. It will sell to teenage and adult fans of the series. It is comparable to the Harry Potter and Twilight series; both of which have had success with the young-adult and the adult market.

Readers of Mockingjay may expect Katniss to build on the strength and leadership she displayed in the first two books of the trilogy. Instead, the story has a thematic shift as Katniss experiences a mental breakdown when she sees the effects of war on her friends and family. She spends part one of the book examining her beliefs and coming to terms with the effects of her actions. 

Katniss is often reactive, letting other characters drive the action. It is frustrating when Katniss, the narrator of the book, is not driving the action. In this case, it slows the pace until part three, where some themes explored in part one and two of Mockingjay are not given space to develop. I suggest having another main character narrate from a different point of view to drive the action and plot forward.

The pace may be improved by restructuring Mockingjay. The rescue of Peta (Katniss’s love interest) occurs in chapter twelve, part two, and the backstories of secondary characters are developed in part one. I suggest beginning the book at chapter twelve, and transposing the backstories of secondary characters to part two. Part three could be better developed, as the ending feels rushed.

There is a disappointing absence of hope in Mockingjay; a theme that was present in the first two books of the series. Mockingjay will sell, based on the success of The Hunger Games, but I doubt readers will be satisfied with Katniss’s development, or the rushed ending.

Review: Ted (2012)

A story about a young boy and his talking teddy bear who—as they grow older—develops into a crude, fast-talking Ted with a liking for weed and hookers. Back off Disney—there’s no innocence here.

Ted’s demeanor and his influence on his boyhood friend John, (Mark Wahlberg) poses problems for their long friendship, and John’s relationship with his straight-laced girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis).

Ted could easily have been a cringe-fest, and at times it was no better than a fluffy rom-com, with stock-standard romantic lines and the same tired plot as You, Me and Dupree.

Despite this, the story was enjoyable and the idea of Ted, fresh. I spent pockets of the film in fits of giggles. Seth MacFarlane was brilliant as the voice of Ted and the cause of much laughter on my side of the cinema.

The script was well written, and the romance between John and Lori believable, with well-timed comedic moments between Lori and Rex (Joel McHale), as her sleazy boss’s son. I loved the references to eighties toys and memorabilia throughout the film.

Ted also gives a well-timed nod to Peter Griffin in Family Guy, and the creepy subplot (watch to find out), though indulgent, was good fun.

3.5 stars

Review of Rock of Ages: a musical that could have done without the music

Rock of Ages is a terrible film.

It’s not often that I feel this way about a movie, but I honestly can’t see the motivation for making this mess of lacklustre lyrics, loose story, and indulgent subplots.

The film is marginally redeemed by Tom Cruise (who I don’t even like, but he does the drug-addled, rich-rocker so well), Russell Brand (always amusing, and that accent) and Paul Giamatti (whose sliminess was commendable) with some rousing performances from the rest of the cast, too.

Catherine Zeta Jones’ overacting made me cringe and it’s by far the worst role I’ve seen her cast in—correct me if I’m wrong—but I think she’s classier than Rock of Ages. What was she thinking?

It was slow to start, and the young lovers’ story was tedious, but as soon as the star-studded cast got rolling I actually enjoyed myself.

The whole thing was fairy-floss rubbish, of course, but saved by the strong character acting. All I can say is that it’s a musical that could have done without the music.

2 stars

Review: Snow White & The Huntsman (2012)

Snow White is a childhood favourite and I was excited when I saw the trailer for this epic story twist. Unfortunately Snow White and The Huntsman failed to deliver.

Don’t get me wrong, the performances were solid and convincing—Theron especially—but the plot was disjointed and lacked clarity of purpose. It wasn’t until the last quarter of the movie that Snow White found some direction.

Too many characters, an indulgent script, and a lack of cohesion left this film missing the heart it needed. It’s a shame, because the premise is exciting and much more Grimm's Fairy Tales than Disney. Despite this, I enjoyed it, and the film was funny even when it didn’t mean to be.

There were comedic moments between the eight(?) dwarves, Chris Hemsworth is deliciously hot, and watching Kristen Stewart attempt to act is always a bit of a lark. With foresight, despite its deficiencies, I’d probably choose to see it again.

3 stars

Review of John Carter

I knew nothing about this movie before I went to see it, and it was only after I viewed it, that I was made aware that it was based on Edgar Rice Burroughs classic comic-book novel, "A Princess of Mars."

John Carter was what the Star Wars prequels should have been – well put together, with solid performances, writing, and direction from Andrew Stanton – and although the CGI was excellent, it was far from being the only redeeming feature of the film.

I have since watched the trailer, and it is not a good indication of what John Carter has to offer. Frankly, I wouldn’t have been enthused about the prospect of sitting through the film, if I had seen the trailer first. I also have a problem with the film title “John Carter,” and think a more evocative title would have worked better. It's a shame that people may decide not to view the film, based on the trailer, because I was impressed and I have added this film to my list of transporting stories, gratifying to revisit every time I wish to escape my world.

The scope of the work is impressive, and the dialogue is tight, managing to successfully meld poignant and amusing moments. It’s action-packed, and the world on Mars is believable, no doubt due to the script being based on Burroughs novel.

The transition between both worlds could have been smoother. Having no prior knowledge of the film, when the first Mars scene-change to Earth had continued for a protracted period of time, I was left wondering if the starting sequence on Mars was a prelude to another movie. This impression was quickly readjusted, when the action shifted back to Mars, and the story flowed well.

The surreal and the other-worldly has been done to death, and done recently; but, this film feels fresh and it’s supported by the aforementioned redeeming features of solid direction, acting and script. I recommend it, and think there’s room here for a sequel. But don’t take my word for it, go see it yourself.

Review of The Rum Diaries

When we arrived at The Rum Diaries, there was no sign out the front, so - it being our first time there - we tentatively walked in and recognised the place from the pictures on the website. It was smaller than we'd anticipated, but very cosy. Almost like stepping into someone’s home.

Immediately we were greeted by a friendly waitress, who remembered our booking for five without having to consult a book. She showed us to a round booth table which was comfy and intimate; however had a rather dangerous outcropping that one of my friends lightly grazed her back on, as she struggled to exit the booth.

The wine was expensive, at $10-11 a glass, but it's a price I'd expect for this sort of establishment. The Malbourgh pinot gris was fantastic. We ordered the scallops, poached chicken, lamb and a haloumi entree. All dishes were a bit on the small side, but each was delicious and cooked just right. It's what I'd expect for tapas, and I was pretty happy. Although, we ended up being given the beef instead of the chicken by mistake (the girl took our order without writing it down), we were happy to eat it, and I got the feeling that we wouldn't have had a problem exchanging it, if we'd made a fuss.

All through the night our water was topped up, there was never any pressure to move on and we were politely asked if we would like any more drinks, when a dish was bought out or taken away.

All in all, it's a "special occasion" outing, but I'd definitely go there again.
Rating: 3/5
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