Hunger Games: Dystopians are all about Big Government

It’s  been a long, long time since I blogged here. But tonight I saw Hunger Games and I simply had to write about it.

I read Hunger Games and Catching Fire in the summer of 2010. Then I had to endure the maddening wait for Mockingjay to be released. I chose not to re-read the book before seeing the movie which helped me enjoy it without the frustration of comparing it to the book.

Generally, I really enjoyed the movie. Jennifer Lawrence is a fantastic Katniss Everdeen. Her quiet charisma gave her a commanding presence throughout the movie. She’s a wonderful heroine; brave, generous, selfless, and clever. Her portrayal of Katniss is graceful and believable.

One thing that bothered me about the film: what is it with those endless out-of-focus non-stop super-close-up jerky hand-held shots? WHY WHY WHY? They’re annoying, distracting, and make the action hard to follow. I realize that at times, the effect is intentional. It blurs (literally) the graphic violence of teenagers getting murdered. But still, it was really distracting.

The set designs were spectacular. The Capital is full of people wearing garish colours and absurd hair styles. Symbolic of the vacuous nature of their society and the shallowness of their values.

The palatial centre of President Snow as well as the stadium are designed with a combination of austerity and classical features. They’re highly reminiscent of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Actually, they kind of reminded me of those Biblical movies from the 50’s and 60’s that depict the ancient classical period. That, of course, recalls the ancient Gladiators. Human nature doesn’t really change. I recall the chills I felt when I read Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery, when I was a pre-teen.

What I find truly fascinating though, is a pattern that you see repeatedly in dystopian stories – made popular by Hunger Games. The conflict usually arises from an evil government that exerts an extreme and frightening level of control over citizens lives,.

But here’s the deal. We live in a society that increasingly demonizes the wealthy. The term ‘corporate’ is now a pejorative term that’s synonymous with greedy, rapacious, and predatory. People who unfairly use their power to rob others of their environmental, political, and consumer rights. Is there truth in this assumption? No doubt. However abusive some multi-nationals might be, and no matter how much they might benefit from crony capitalism… there’s a huge difference between them and a large government.

We live in a culture that demonizes successful business people, demands that government be given more powers to redistribute wealth (social justice) and passes endless laws and regulations in response to personal tragedies.

The concentration of power in the hands of the few over the many is despised when it comes to entrepreneurs and businesses. But as unsavoury as successful corporations can be, there’s a huge difference between them and government.

They don’t have the power of the police, army, and a system of incarceration at their disposal.

Why are we as a society so comfortable with an extreme concentration of power in the hands of the few when it comes to government? Are politicians really so pure? And why do we have faith in bureaucrats? Are they so superior to us that we endow them with the power of the state?

The writer George Jonas once said that it’s human nature for certain people to rise to the top of the power chain no matter what the political system. Whether it’s communism fascism, capitalism – whatever-ism. Certain individuals posses the drive and the means to attain power within any political system.

The governing system within the Hunger Games is clearly a nightmare of corruption, tyranny, and abuse. The districts are all impoverished labour camps, populated with starving slaves who supply the materials and goods that fuel the ostentatious lifestyle of the Capitol. And the evil tyranny of the Capital is personified by the leader, President Snow.

Civil liberties are critical because they protect each and every individual from the tyranny of the state. It’s a zero-sum game. The more power the government gets, the less you have. Anyone who writes or loves a dystopian story that portrays an evil government with total power to tyrannize the citizenry really ought to stop and consider this. You may think that it’s only ‘fair’ for government to guarantee equality of outcomes… When you seek to grant government more powers to legislate how you eat, drink, speak, worship, raise your kids, whether you can keep your money, etc, you’re pushing your government closer to the dystopian nightmare that you fear. Maybe you like what government is doing with powers right now, but once you cede that control over to politicians and bureaucrats, you might not like where that power leads.

So there’s my rant. Dystopians are ‘what if’ scenarios, they take the prospect of concentrated power to a dangerous extreme. They almost exist as cautionary tales, written by people, who for the most part probably believe in ‘social justice’ and the extension of government powers.

Go figure.

It’s still a great movie and book.

The Evolution of Calpurna Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

This is an upper middle grade novel that transports the reader to 1899 Texas where our eleven-year-old narrator “Callie Vee” experiences life as the lone daughter among six brothers on a cotton farm with fields of pecan trees. The book opens up with a tactile description of the oppressive heat where Callies’ three younger brothers “managed to sleep midday, sometimes even piled atop one another like damp, steaming puppies.”

The beauty of this book lies in the depiction of life in the late nineteenth century. This novel never gets bogged down with gobs of description but instead manages to quietly evoke another time and place that offers a completely immersive experience to the reader.

Callie becomes fascinated with the natural world and documents the insects and animals that she encounters on her family farm. Soon after she begins writing in her special Notebook, she forges an unusual bond with her intimidating and distant grandfather who is himself an amateur naturalist. Callie discovers Charles Darwin and begins to recognize the evolutionary aspect of biology in her scientific observations. At the same time, she discovers her own identity and the challenge of following her dreams in a time where there are few options for women.

This book was wonderful. Although the protagonist is eleven-years-old, the vocabulary and concepts are never simplified for the reader. I love that the reader is treated with the utmost respect by the writer. The structure of this book conforms to a more literary fiction style of writing where individual chapters sometimes read like disconnected short stories. Although somewhat episodic in nature, the book does focus on the growth and ‘evolution’ of Callie’s self-awareness as well as the bond with her grandfather. The insights and humor are quiet and smart.

A wonderful read. Truly.

Think Twice: an adult thriller with moxie!

Okay so it’s light and fun… Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline is a thriller with a great sense of humour. A little reminiscent of Carl Hiassen. I noticed it at the library and read it in one day. It’s not heavy on the description or inner conflict. But it’s tension-filled and pretty witty.

Two identical twins are separated at birth and grow up unaware of each other’s existence. As adults, Bennie is a responsible grown-up with her own law practice, an earnest ex-boyfriend, and a cupboard full of sensible shoes. Alice on the other hand is a drug-dealing con-artist with a reason to escape the country. In order to do that Alice needs Bennie’s life – just for a few days.

Alice takes over Bennie’s life in every way. She takes over her law practice, her bank account and her ex-boyfriend. Meanwhile, Bennie is in deep trouble and her life is in danger.

It probably goes on a little bit too long. And in some spots, you’ll need to suspend your disbelief a little bit. But it’s mostly a light, fun, and highly entertaining read. A definite change of pace from my usual YA fare but well worth the time.

Sarah’s Key: put it on reserve, now!

Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay is not a YA book, but since I heard so much about it I had to read it.

I’m so glad I did. I could not put this down. This book is pure story. It’s light on the description and moves at a breakneck speed – the definition of ‘page-turner.’ There is so much tension built into some of the story lines that it almost felt thriller-like.

The story moves between 1942, and the story of a Jewish girl inParis. She – along with over 13,000 other Parisian Jews – is rounded up at the Vélodrome d’Hiver, a cycling racetrack inParis. The obscene conditions – no food, water, facilities, beds, medicine – led to numerous deaths. This event came to be known as the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup and was particularly noteworthy because all aspects of this action were implemented and enforced by French police and civil servants – not Germans.

The contemporary story centres on Julia, an American who has lived inParisfor 25 years and is married to a Frenchman. Her work assignment becomes an obsession with the story of the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup  and the story of ‘Sarah’ of the title. Her research unlocks a series of revelations that rocks her family and changes her life forever.

The alternating points of view are woven together in a terrifically well-crafted story. I had a minor quibble in that I felt that there were some contrivances built into the story, but it’s so well-crafted that I had to keep reading. Both story lines are fascinating and propel the story forward to make this book an incredibly engrossing read. I was so moved by this sad and beautiful story. I highly recommend Sarah’s Key.

Unwound: Kind of like tough love but totally sicko. Awesome.

Here’s another dystopian novel. And it’s excellent – a completely engrossing read.

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman, is told from three points of view; Connor,Riesa, and Lev, which I initially found disappointing. I never enjoy the jarring transition from occupying one head to entering another. But all three of these characters were well-developed protagonists with distinctive personalities and their perspectives on the story are equally gripping.

The premise of this book centres on reproductive rights and the results of a war that was fought over abortion and the sale of human organs and body parts. In Shusterman’s dystopic world, parents can have their children ‘unwound’ until the age of eighteen. That’s the euphemism for a coercive surgical procedure (described in a chilling scene which is more frightening for what is not said, than what is) where every single part of their bodies is taken apart – ‘unwound.’ These body parts are then sold commercially. Wealthy people can afford better ‘quality’ (ie healthy) organs than those with limited financial resources.

The three protagonists represent different societal structures that would produce the unwound and the intersection of their journeys is fast, terrifying, and gripping. This book is a definite page turner. I probably would have liked a bit more explanation about how parents could choose to have their children unwound – even if they’re rebellious or unmanageable. A bit more world-building in that area would have gone a long way to explain a phenomenon that still appears slightly alien – in that dystopic society. But despite that, I enjoyed this book tremendously and would enthusiastically recommend it.

Jellicoe Road: an Australian journey

I had to check out On the Jellicoe Road by Malina Marchetta because of the rave reviews I was catching on the internet. It also didn’t hurt that it won the most prestigious award for young adult literature – the Michael Printz.

Its structure and prose are very, very different from most YA lit that I’ve been reading. There are two story lines and their connection is not clear until 2/3 of the way through this book. The sheer number of characters is initially overwhelming. It’s one of those books that take at least 100 pages – even longer to start coming together but eventually does so in an extremely compelling manner.

The events in the story are born out of a hideous tragedy and this loss continues to batter the characters throughout the book. The protagonist, Taylor Markham, who is hurt and distrusting and even unkind, sets out on an emotional journey that sees her grow and open and learn to resolve many of the puzzles of her life. In the process, the reader has the opportunity to identify with some of the many characters so vividly portrayed

The story takes place in Australia and centres on a boarding school whose students are enmeshed in a territorial war with the “Townies” and the cadets. Taylor is a student leader and representative who is also grappling with the disappearance of a beloved adult with property on school grounds, as well as the puzzle of her family background.

I have to warn you. It’s going to take many, many chapters to really get involved with this book. But it is well worth the wait. The richness of the story, the characters, and the ultimate ‘redemption’ make this well worth the effort.

Pink ponies, Life-sized Ken dolls, and other birthday disasters

You Wish is a delightful book by a totally awesome author. Mandy Hubbard, writer of Prada and Prejudice, also is a literary agent. Her blog is a uniquely wise and insightful resource for writers that offers excellent advice and encouragement. Wise. Did I mention the word wise?

Anyhoo, You Wish is based on a fantastic premise. Kayla McHenry endures a horrible sixteenth birthday and then something magical happens. One by one, all of her birthday wishes from throughout her life come true. A life-sized, living Raggedy Ann and Ken, and a room full of gumballs are a few of the surprises that complicate Kaylee’s already challenging life. The wish that Kayla is most afraid of though, is her desire to kiss Ben, her long-time crush. Kayla would do anything for that kiss – except for one minor problem. Ben is Kayla’s best friend’s new boyfriend.

This book is clever, creative, and well-paced. It’s a coming-of-age story where Kayla’s tribulations allow her to reassess her relationships and take control of her life. You Wish is an excellent and worthy read.

A romp with the vamps, werewolves, and fae

Do not just a book by this cover.

I’ll enjoy a book if it has an interesting/likable protagonist, if the story is fascinating, or the writing is good. Paranormalcy, by Kiersten White has all three.

Despite the Harlequin/fantasy/unrequited-love-on-the-moors look of the cover, this book is a seriously funny romp. The writing is snappy and witty, the pacing is excellent, and the story is extremely creative and engaging.

Evie, a sixteen-year-old girl with no known last name, is a paranormal-ish normal person who has the ability to see through the ‘glamors’ of paranormal creatures such as vamps, hags, werewolves, fae, etc. She works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency ‘bagging and tagging’ paranormals with the help of her beloved ‘Tasey’ a pink and rhinestone-studded taser gun. Awesomeness is her middle name.

But she’s got problems. She’s got a seductive fairy with nefarious plans. She’s got a supervisor/’mother’ who shields her from the truth of her situation. She’s got a ‘double’ who is trying to bond/kill her. And there’s the love interest, Lend. The last fifth of the book or so, focused more on the love interest which slowed down the story somewhat. But for actually Young Adults reading the YA book, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Paranormaclcy is an extremely witty and entertaining book, and although it is a first novel and newly published, it’s a New York Times bestseller. Definitely well-deserved.

A Middle Grade classic: Walk Two Moons

This Newbery medal winning book, by Sharon Creech was published back in 1994. It is narrated by thirteen-year-old Salamanca (Sal) Tree Hiddle who has recently – and reluctantly – moved from Bybanks, Kentucky to Euclid, Ohio where her father has a new girlfriend, Mrs. Cadaver. (Yes, Mrs. Cadaver. I didn’t stop laughing about the name every time I read it.)

Sal aches for the open spaces and natural beauty of Kentucky and has a difficult time accepting the move to a drab subdivision in Ohio. Her mother has abandoned her and she is resentful of Mrs. Cadaver’s presence in her father’s life. Soon after her arrival, her eccentric grandparents arrive to take their beloved granddaughter Sal (the ‘chickabiddy’) on a road trip to Idaho to find her mother.

The language of her grandparents is rich in quirky folk-isms. They’re fascinated by Sal’s recounting of her friend Pheobe Winterbottom, Mrs. Cadaver’s next door neighbour. Creech seamlessly interweaves both stories together: the road trip to Idaho and Sal’s friendship with the highly suspicious Phoebe. In Phoebe’s world, everyone’s a ‘lunatic’ a potentially deranged madman.

It’s one of those magical books that combines tragedy and humour in one cohesive whole. Sal is dealing with loss, abandonment, as as well as adventure, love, and growth. This is a book that made me laugh out loud a number of times and made me cry also. Sharon Creech is clearly a gifted writer and I’m definitely going to look for more of her work

(Really Not So) Beautiful

Thirteen-year-old Cassie is attending a new school where she gets swept into the wrong crowd in the worst kind of way. This book is edgy YA, one of those ‘unflinching view’ type of stories that describe in painful detail her descent into a miserable world of drugs, alcohol, joyless sex, and emotional abuse.

Sounds great, huh?

I normally have difficulty with unlikable protagonists. But this book is written with such immediacy and with such a constant presence of tension that it is extremely compelling. In fact for the most part, I found it difficult to put down. We read edgy and disturbing books, generally waiting for a redemptive resolution. That makes the read even more satisfying. Although some of those elements are present here, the ending is not as cathartic as it might have been and wasn’t the high point of the novel for me. It was that constant sense of tension and threat that made this such an engrossing read.