Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Image taken from Shelf Elf.

Well, it was about time I updated this blog, now moving on to talk about the third and final installment of the Hunger Games, and once again, Suzanne Collins has not disappointed me in the slightest!

As you can probably tell from what I recounted from the second book, the uprisings have continued, and have escalated since we last hear of them. District 13 DOES exist (sorry to spoil the ending of the second book, but I figured that within the two months of my having reviewed it, you would have and should have read it by now). Katniss is dubbed as the "mascot" for the new rebellion, and it is her job star in propaganda videos and raising hope for all of Panem. But of course, being "The Mockingjay" has its setbacks. You have the Capitol hungry for your blood. You are only told what you "need" to know when prepping up to give the speeches (leaving room for more doubt as to whether the cause you're fighting for is a just one). On top of that, you have two boys fighting over you, which is undoubtedly the LAST thing you want to deal with right this very moment. Needless to say, we read of a very emotionally fragile Katniss in this book, who everyone expects to just be able to pull things together and make everything right again.

I was told by a few people who read the book before me that they did not like how the book concluded. They felt it a bit too "rushed", and they were kind of getting sick of the whole Gale/Peter love triangle thing. I personally found the Gale/Peter thing to be an important part of the storyline, and did not feel the ending to be "rushed" at all. I felt the timing was just right for Collins to conclude the book in the way she did. And, without giving too much away, there is definitely a happy ending for Katniss after all, however bitter-sweet it appears to be.

Well, that's enough of my rambling. Go out and buy the book! You won't regret it...

Genius Sqaud by Catherine Jinks

Image taken from www.allenandunwin.com

I managed to get myself a copy of the sequel to Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks, and I am just as impressed with the sequel as I was with the original!

The book begins with Cadel living in a foster home. He is still in contact with Sonja, and makes sure to visit her regularly. On one of these visits, both he and Sonja are approached by a guy named Trader who offers them the opportunity to join the Genius Squad, a team which has been hired to spy out all of the secret operations Cadel's "father" was involved in and expose them. This doesn't seem like a bad idea at first, until certain truths about the squad make it harder and harder for Cadel to place his faith in its members. And when Cadel finds out that Thaddeus Roth a.k.a. Prosper English has escaped from jail, his whole world is turned upside down even more....

Admittedly, the book has a bit of a slow to get into at first; the action does not come as immediately as the first book does. But if the reader is patient, he/she will see how Catherine Jinks sets the scenario up nicely. Once that is done, you're in for another bumpy ride!

It isn't every day one finds a novel as good as this, so I highly recommend this book, as well as the first book, to anybody who is interested in a good action-packed novel.

(P.S. Stay tuned for when I eventually read the third and final installment of the Genius Trilogy!!!)

Inner Light: The Dragon Within by Metha Metharom

Inner Light: The Dragon Within is the story of Michael, a boy who is looking for excitement in his life, until excitement ends up finding him. Welcome to the world of dragons, dark wizards, amulets of power, danger, and non-stop action, as Michael discovers who he is and what role he plays in saving the future of mankind. Fast-paced and often humourous in most parts, Metha Metharom takes you to a world where you want to get lost in.

Metha Metharom is a new emerging author with an incredible talent. His other works include the "Alexander Kai" series, "Love Stone" and "Tales from the Shore", to name only a few. Having read a couple of his stories already ("Inner Light" being one of them), I have come to notice how no two stories are the same, and he uses different writing methods to engage with his audience. For example, the sporadic, fast-paced writing style for this particular novel really demonstrates the action and excitement taking place in the narrative, allowing the reader "feel" the adrenalin rush that the characters in the novel would be experiencing, rather than just reading about it. Also, the loose descriptions of the characters themselves allow the reader to create his/her own interpretation of the characters' physical characteristics and personalities in his/her mind. In short, it would be accurate to say that no two readers would get the same interpretation from this novel, as there are a lot of "hidden" meanings that people can get from it.

Another interesting element in this novel is that it contained an interesting blend of fantasy and Japanese anime (without the graphics, of course). Such were the images that were going on in my mind when I was reading it.

Unfortunately, I would NOT recommend this book for children (there is a fair amount of course language contained in it), but it is definitely a worth-while read for teenagers and adults.

To order your own copy of "Inner Light", or to view some of Metha Metharom's other works, please click here.