The LAST Book vs. Movie: The Hunger Games

Hello Owyn is here for the last time *sobs while eating ice cream straight from the carton in the dark while listening to emotional music*. For my last Book vs. Movie, I have decided to compare The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

 VERSUS

*WARNING! ALERTING THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD*

Have you ever heard the saying "Parents are always right"? Unfortunately I have, from my parents. They are constantly trying to get me to "try new things" and "stop being indoors so much" and "get a life". Back in summer of 2011, their mission was to get me to read The Hunger Games.
I would never define myself as a conventional rebel when it came to going against my parents. I don't smoke, drink or party. Instead I refuse to read or watch things they want me to. They even got my sister to try to convince me to read the series, but I was stubborn and possibly a bit ignorant.
Then I heard they were making a movie of it. And I had read the back of the book, and it seemed vaguely interesting. When I realized my parents would never let me watch the movie without reading the book, I finally decided to read it around Thanksgiving.
I honestly could not put it down. I finished it in three hours. Then I finished the next two books in the next days. I thoroughly and completely enjoyed them, even with my parents smugly smiling at me when I admitted they were right.
When the first movie of the trilogy came out, I went to see it with my best friend Ana. Since we're odd we didn't go in the opening first weeks, we went when it was out in its fifth week because we wanted to sit wherever the hell we wanted without having to deal with people. Then my bladder became my enemy since when I had to go pee, I missed the kissing scene.
I remember walking out with Ana saying: "Did I miss anything?" And she's all "No not really, well wait... did you leave right before the Mutts?" I nodded. "Oh, then you missed the kissing scene." After almost falling to my knees in front of the movie theater while shouting: "WHY??!!!!?", since I REALLY wanted to see that, I accepted my fate and vowed to get the movie to watch that scene when the movie comes out on DVD.

Differences:

• They didn't have the Mutts look like the past contestants. That was something I was really looking forward to
• They changed the point of view so you can see more of the inter-workings of the Capitol and Gale's reactions to the Katniss/Peeta love plot that you didn't get in the book.
• I didn't really feel the whole connection between Katniss and Rue in the movie, it seemed very fake and forced. I definitely felt it in the book though. 
• There's a lot of focus on the preparation for the games when the contestants are in the Capitol. I didn't like that so much because I just wanted to see the epic death match.
• There's no Avox-girl. And I liked that whole back story.
• I don't know about you, but I pictured the Tracker Jackers bigger. I wanted those things to be scary demons from hell the size of your hand. 
• A difference that I did like was the fact they didn't make Katniss shove Peeta into a vase. I found that ridiculous. 

The Love Triangle: A Rant by Owyn the Intern (the last rant)
I enjoyed the book and the movie, but there is something I'd like to rant about: Love triangles. I don't like them. I haven't liked them since Twilight came out with Bella/Edward/Jacob. Why? Because I was upset how these random girls could get two boys pining after her when some people can barely get one. *stomps foot like a petulant child* It's not fair! Why does Katniss get Peeta and Gale and other girls don't! Therefore, I don't like it. And, ignoring my personal bias, they aren't realistic. You never really see love triangles in real life and only serve as a plot device. And it pisses me off when people root for Gale/Jacob when obviously Peeta/Edward are gonna win. I seriously want to wring their necks shouting: WHY ARE YOU ROOTING FOR THE LOSING TEAM? YOU'RE SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR FAILURE AND LITERARY UNHAPPINESS!!

Which did I like better?:
I liked the book better. Granted, everyone says that (about every book-to-movie adaptation when you ask them this question) but I have specific reasons why in this case. Like I said in the differences, they cut out the Avox girl, probably for time. That kind of pissed me off. I thought it added a nice back story since I found it extremely interesting. And who cares about the time? It's a huge series with a fanatic fan base. If you made the movie 24 hours long, people would probably still watch it. Another reason is the whole changing-focus thing. I didn't like how they showed Seneca Crane with the berries or the riot that broke out in District 11. I liked the first-person aspect of the book; it made the teenagers-killing-each-other-in-a-giant-organized-death-match human and real. In my opinion, they lost that in the movie.

But that's just my opinion. Leave a comment on what you think or which you prefer or what differences you noticed.
Unfortunately this is my last time, so you can send your goodbyes in present form. Preferably cash.
;)
Owyn

My Book to Movie Adaptations: Paranormal

Hello Owyn is back for my last Book to Movie adaptation blog post. For this week, I decided to be open minded and pick books that are definitely not of my favorite genre that I still believe should be made into movies. This genre is:
Teen Paranormal/Dystopian Romance.
Just typing it makes me want to gag.
Now the main reason I hate this genre so much is because I think it's stupid how teen authors can't just write about two humans falling in love. It has to be a human and a vampire, a vampire and a werewolf or a human and a toaster. And when it comes to these romances, "love" is used very loosely.
But, of that genre, there are some diamonds in the rough. Books that I love regardless of the fact they involve some *really* crazy circumstances.

*SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD*

Gone by Michael Grant. WHY: Okay, these might be a little more dystopian than paranormal, but I'm still putting in the category. The reason why I think this book should become a movie is because of the special effect aspects and its general plot. The kids in this book develop powers from living in their hometown which is surrounded by an energy barrier. Tell me that isn't badass. While reading, I just kept picturing the kids using their powers in a big-screen setting. Also, the plot has a lot of intertwining stories, like the love between Astrid and Sam, the Coates kids trying to destroy the town, and Lana and her dog escaping from their car wreck.

Evermore by Alyson Noel. WHY: As a definite part of the Teen Paranormal Romance scene, this book has what are referred to as "Immortals" (which is also the title of the series). Or basically, people who have taken an elixir which lets them live for hundreds of years without looking older than 17. The main character Ever deals with falling in love with the new kid Damen, seeing the ghost of her dead sister and whenever she touches people she feels their history and sees their auras. This book would be a great movie because of the success of book-to-movies like Twilight. If you just subtract the vampire and add an immortal, you'd basically have the same book.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson. WHY: When I read this book, I was 12-years-old, still developing in my literary identity. I decided to try a range of books that were recommended to me by my lovely librarian and this book was one of them. This book is about a girl who wakes up from a coma in the future and no one will give her a straight answer on what happened to her. What would make this book a great movie is the whole conspiracy aspect of it. Not just the whole hiding the truth-from-Jenna, but the whole hiding-Jenna-from-the-government. *EPIC SPOILERS AHEAD* When she was salvaged from a huge car accident, she lost most of her skin/body to burns but her father, practically a mad scientist, rebuilds her skin using bio-gel and she might be able to live for 200 years. But bio-gel is extremely illegal so Jenna is a secret. So with the whole teenage-secret-conspiracy-hideaway, this book would make a great movie.


P.S. A general reason for all three of my selected books to become movies is because they are all the first in series but each of my three picks have their own individual reasons.


Leave a comment on what book you would like to see become a movie or maybe what you thought of my choices.
Until later,
Owyn