“Peeta, how come I never know when you’re having a nightmare?” I say.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I cry out or thrash around or anything. I just come to, paralyzed with terror,” he says.
“You should wake me,” I say, thinking about how I can interrupt his sleep two or three times on a bad night. About how long it can take to calm me down.
“It’s not necessary. My nightmares are usually about losing you,” he says. “I’m okay once I realize you’re here.”
― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire
A busy, on-the-go young professional needs to squeeze in a good read, or three! The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins fits the bill, and then some.
The book is your classic, post-apocalyptic society re-builds itself story; but this fresh take is satisfying for even the most discerning Sci-Fi buff (not unlike myself.)
For those of you who are unfamiliar, I’ll break it down for you.
Imagine the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see images of the uprising in Syria, famine in Africa, or the Planned Parenthood getting their funding cut…then it’s realized into a North America thrust into a post modern civil war wasteland, rebuilt into 12 (to 13?) districts; each poorer than the other. Each serving one ruling entity called the Captiol.
Oh, did I mention they make a boy and girl from each of the districts fight to the death in a televised game for the viewing pleasure of the populous?
Intrigued? Read it. Or, listen on audio book. There are three books in Collins’ series, each better than the last.
I loved these books because, not only do they touch on my love of extrapolations of the modern social construct; it allows bright spots of sincere and realstic emotion without going overboard, and without feeling that over-wrought emotional scenes are necessary to complete a thorough weaving of this socially concious tale.
It’s a warning to us all, without being preachy; but opens our eyes with compelling story-telling, character, and layers of visceral emotion.
Did I mention, there’s a movie coming out? Here’s the official trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgssLmsOa2s