The Hunger Games/Catching Fire/Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: Discussion

This thread will house all discussion for Suzanne Collins' epic trilogy of books. You can even discuss the motion pictures (The Hunger Games and soon, Catching Fire) as long as it's done as a comparison.

When I first heard of Suzanne's stories, it was through co-workers who were dazzled by the trilogy. I didn't have time to read the books, but fortunately enough, the movie was already released in theaters. Me and a friend of mine went into the film with no expectations at all. We didn't know what to watch that weekend, so we picked The Hunger Games randomly. As it turned out, I ended up loving the film. A defining moment in cinema for me as this was the first movie franchise in many years to impress me (because Harry Potter, Twilight, Pirates, Lord of the Rings and Narnia all failed to do so). What separated Hunger Games from the other titles was Katniss Everdeen, a believable heroine in a realistic world that needed somebody like her. Someone who can rise up and defeat the evil Capitol from their long and unfair rule.

Naturally, my curiosity got the best of me and I ended up getting the first book. Let me say first that Suzanne's writing it top notch, she can really sell Katniss's point of view as if it were a life she herself experienced. Whereas in the film, we get to see what the Capital (more specifically, President Snow) were thinking during her and Peeta's survival. Unlike the book, we saw Snow's frustrations grow as the film went on, setting things up for Catching Fire. In the book, we only experience and feel what Katniss feels. Whatever Snow and the Gamemakers were thinking is pure speculation, although it's pretty obvious. There are some notable differences between the movie and book, like how it took Katniss much, MUCH longer to find water in the book. You feel her desperation as she searches. Suzanne understands character and how to get the reading to care about the brave Katniss, the struggling Peeta and even the supportive Gale. Oh

Spoiler:

I'll talk more about my favorite characters and other tidbits from the book with each post. I'll even include my review on the Catching Fire film when the time comes and point out any difference between it and the novel. So what do you think of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and/or Mockingjay? Comment below and let me know!  

I thought HG was fantastic, then I read Battle Royale and it only became "good". I still enjoyed the trilogy though, what pisses me off though are the fans who do the whole "Team Peeta, Team Gale" bullshit. Those people ruin the series by bringing their Twilight shit over, and now thanks to them, the "Team _____" thing is everywhere >__>. If I had to name a favorite, I would go with Katniss since she's cool. (Still nothing compared to my Saki though, I managed to find an accurate fan translation of the SSY book, so I'm reading it as it's being updated. Both the anime and book are amazing)

midori's crazy398 wrote:I thought HG was fantastic, then I read Battle Royale and it only became "good". I still enjoyed the trilogy though, what pisses me off though are the fans who do the whole "Team Peeta, Team Gale" bullshit. Those people ruin the series by bringing their Twilight shit over, and now thanks to them, the "Team _____" thing is everywhere >__>. If I had to name a favorite, I would go with Katniss since she's cool. (Still nothing compared to my Saki though, I managed to find an accurate fan translation of the SSY book, so I'm reading it as it's being updated. Both the anime and book are amazing)

I am the opposite. I've read and watched Battle Royale long before Hunger Games, but I ended up liking Hunger Games a lot better. It has a stronger character story to me. Shin Sekai Yori does share some similarities with Hunger Games I guess, they both have the dystopian future settings and are menaced by government authority. It's hard to compare the two beyond that since Shin Sekai Yori is all narrative, while Katniss's story centers on the classic good vs. evil story, only it's done so well to the point where audiences are sucked in. Shin Sekai Yori is good, but it isn't for everyone and I think that's what hurts it. It's downbeat stories are like films from the early 1970s. Thought provoking gold yes, but it alienates mainstream audiences. After finally watching that series, I admit that SSY isn't for everyone, it'll be a while until I watch it again. Hunger Games can get repeated viewings thanks to a more simplistic story yes, but it's executed perfectly thanks to the actors involved (notably Jennifer Lawrence). Suzanne Collins's series of books enhance that experience since they expand on Katniss's character arc and the deteriorating world around her. The movies helped greatly since readers can't help but picture Jennifer Lawrence as this character. Saki is more of a politician who lives by her own choices and principals with her never give up attitude. Katniss is the unlikely hero whose bravery and personal sacrifices created hope for others. The Hunger Games isn't as ambitious as SSY, but I enjoyed it better. I got invested in the story and it's characters; drawing me into it's world. SSY was a scope of excellence and Saki's complicated feelings for both Maria and Shun is as real as it gets, but I always felt like I was watching SSY from the outside looking in.

I'll the novel in mind though! I'm eager to give it a try! And yes, the Team ____ is annoying, but I don't pay attention to that honestly. That is just our rigid modern society doing what it does best. It'll take more than a couple of Twitter and tumblr whores to ruin The Hunger Games trilogy. It really is a modern classic in all regards. To me anyway.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

midori's crazy398 wrote:I thought HG was fantastic, then I read Battle Royale and it only became "good". I still enjoyed the trilogy though, what pisses me off though are the fans who do the whole "Team Peeta, Team Gale" bullshit. Those people ruin the series by bringing their Twilight shit over, and now thanks to them, the "Team _____" thing is everywhere >__>. If I had to name a favorite, I would go with Katniss since she's cool. (Still nothing compared to my Saki though, I managed to find an accurate fan translation of the SSY book, so I'm reading it as it's being updated. Both the anime and book are amazing)

I am the opposite. I've read and watched Battle Royale long before Hunger Games, but I ended up liking Hunger Games a lot better. It has a stronger character story to me. Shin Sekai Yori does share some similarities with Hunger Games I guess, they both have the dystopian future settings and are menaced by government authority. It's hard to compare the two beyond that since Shin Sekai Yori is all narrative, while Katniss's story centers on the classic good vs. evil story, only it's done so well to the point where audiences are sucked in. Shin Sekai Yori is good, but it isn't for everyone and I think that's what hurts it. It's downbeat stories are like films from the early 1970s. Thought provoking gold yes, but it alienates mainstream audiences. After finally watching that series, I admit that SSY isn't for everyone, it'll be a while until I watch it again. Hunger Games can get repeated viewings thanks to a more simplistic story yes, but it's executed perfectly thanks to the actors involved (notably Jennifer Lawrence). Suzanne Collins's series of books enhance that experience since they expand on Katniss's character arc and the deteriorating world around her. The movies helped greatly since readers can't help but picture Jennifer Lawrence as this character. Saki is more of a politician who lives by her own choices and principals with her never give up attitude. Katniss is the unlikely hero whose bravery and personal sacrifices created hope for others. The Hunger Games isn't as ambitious as SSY, but I enjoyed it better. I got invested in the story and it's characters; drawing me into it's world. SSY was a scope of excellence and Saki's complicated feelings for both Maria and Shun is as real as it gets, but I always felt like I was watching SSY from the outside looking in.

I'll the novel in mind though! I'm eager to give it a try! And yes, the Team ____ is annoying, but I don't pay attention to that honestly. That is just our rigid modern society doing what it does best. It'll take more than a couple of Twitter and tumblr whores to ruin The Hunger Games trilogy. It really is a modern classic in all regards. To me anyway.

Here's the link: http://shinsekai.cadet-nine.org/

Honestly, with Katniss and Saki's personalities, I like characters of both types. But it really comes down to the writing and portraying style, which is why I like Saki more. If I can't really connect with  characters, then caring for the story goes out the window. I think thats just a result of my attachment and my sensitivity, based on my own personality. Since I'm like this, I also heavily immerse myself into a story and everything about it, so honestly watching and as of late, reading SSY made me feel like I was there with them, which is also why I had so many feels T-T. Sadly, because SSY isn't for everyone, it also wouldn't be right to compare it with HG i think, too many differences outweigh the similarities. So, I apologize for bringing it up Dx.

midori's crazy398 wrote:Here's the link: http://shinsekai.cadet-nine.org/

Honestly, with Katniss and Saki's personalities, I like characters of both types. But it really comes down to the writing and portraying style, which is why I like Saki more. If I can't really connect with  characters, then caring for the story goes out the window. I think thats just a result of my attachment and my sensitivity, based on my own personality. Since I'm like this, I also heavily immerse myself into a story and everything about it, so honestly watching and as of late, reading SSY made me feel like I was there with them, which is also why I had so many feels T-T. Sadly, because SSY isn't for everyone, it also wouldn't be right to compare it with HG i think, too many differences outweigh the similarities. So, I apologize for bringing it up Dx.

Sankyu very much! This pleases my eyes~

Apologies not necessary. I'm not trying to convince you or make a statement that what you like sucks. It was simply stating my own position and believe me, I'm THRILLED knowing you don't share my sentiment. Clones of me would make fandoms boring. You connected on a more personal level with the downbeat world of SSY and that's fine. How we feel about a series depends on who we are and the genre we prefer to watch. Personally I like to be surprised. Like the Hunger Games for example, I knew and heard nothing about it before picking it up. Life is full of surprises. Whereas I kind of spoiled myself with SSY thanks to you and other Mai-Multiverse. XD Does it matter? I ended up enjoying both.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

midori's crazy398 wrote:Here's the link: http://shinsekai.cadet-nine.org/

Honestly, with Katniss and Saki's personalities, I like characters of both types. But it really comes down to the writing and portraying style, which is why I like Saki more. If I can't really connect with  characters, then caring for the story goes out the window. I think thats just a result of my attachment and my sensitivity, based on my own personality. Since I'm like this, I also heavily immerse myself into a story and everything about it, so honestly watching and as of late, reading SSY made me feel like I was there with them, which is also why I had so many feels T-T. Sadly, because SSY isn't for everyone, it also wouldn't be right to compare it with HG i think, too many differences outweigh the similarities. So, I apologize for bringing it up Dx.

Sankyu very much! This pleases my eyes~

Apologies not necessary. I'm not trying to convince you or make a statement that what you like sucks. It was simply stating my own position and believe me, I'm THRILLED knowing you don't share my sentiment. Clones of me would make fandoms boring. You connected on a more personal level with the downbeat world of SSY and that's fine. How we feel about a series depends on who we are and the genre we prefer to watch. Personally I like to be surprised. Like the Hunger Games for example, I knew and heard nothing about it before picking it up. Life is full of surprises. Whereas I kind of spoiled myself with SSY thanks to you and other Mai-Multiverse. XD Does it matter? I ended up enjoying both.

The more I read your posts like these, the more I realize how lucky I am to know (at least somewhat) another smart person on the internetz (same goes for everyone else here, gah, all of you get one of these   ).

Oh yeah,as for the link i gave you, we are up to the first few pages of the Teenage Years in SSY, get ready, SHIT'S GOIN DOWN!

Now, as for HG,....what did you think of the siege on the Capital in Mockingjay?   

midori's crazy398 wrote:Now, as for HG,....what did you think of the siege on the Capital in Mockingjay?   

OMG, how did I miss this!?

   <---- Katniss~

I loved it! I don't get how the fans say Mockingjay is the least exciting entry in the series. It's where the series becomes a war drama! Katniss is trained to be a soldier and she storms the Capitol with everyone, including male-in-distress Peeta. In fact, that's the Hunger Games of Mockingjay, the entire siege with the pods unleashing muttations on the rebels. Curious to see how they do the human lizard creatures in Mockingjay part 2.

Mockingjay is very action packed compared to the previous stories, I don't know how people missed that.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

midori's crazy398 wrote:Now, as for HG,....what did you think of the siege on the Capital in Mockingjay?   

OMG, how did I miss this!?

   <---- Katniss~

I loved it! I don't get how the fans say Mockingjay is the least exciting entry in the series. It's where the series becomes a war drama! Katniss is trained to be a soldier and she storms the Capitol with everyone, including male-in-distress Peeta. In fact, that's the Hunger Games of Mockingjay, the entire siege with the pods unleashing muttations on the rebels. Curious to see how they do the human lizard creatures in Mockingjay part 2.

Mockingjay is very action packed compared to the previous stories, I don't know how people missed that.

They were probably way too busy with shipping wars >__>, I loved it too, they were finally taking a real stand instead of so much talking that got no where really in terms of their endgame idea, also Katniss was boss for shooting Snow and Coin, I hated 'em both

midori's crazy398 wrote:
They were probably way too busy with shipping wars >__>, I loved it too, they were finally taking a real stand instead of so much talking that got no where really in terms of their endgame idea, also Katniss was boss for shooting Snow and Coin, I hated 'em both

When Katniss flat out murdered the Capitol woman with an arrow through the heart, I know all bets were off. They pushed her too far; kinda like Homura Akemi in Rebellion. Snow unleashed the beast, only made worse by Coin and Gale being a stupid aggressive tactics retard.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

midori's crazy398 wrote:
They were probably way too busy with shipping wars >__>, I loved it too, they were finally taking a real stand instead of so much talking that got no where really in terms of their endgame idea, also Katniss was boss for shooting Snow and Coin, I hated 'em both

When Katniss flat out murdered the Capitol woman with an arrow through the heart, I know all bets were off. They pushed her too far; kinda like Homura Akemi in Rebellion. Snow unleashed the beast, only made worse by Coin and Gale being a stupid aggressive tactics retard.

Now imagine if there was a Kyuubey in the HG universe 0-0

midori's crazy398 wrote:Now imagine if there was a Kyuubey in the HG universe 0-0

I think [headcanon] Katniss would of been smart enough to not accept. I could see Kyubey convincing Prim or Johanna though...which will confirm Katniss's fears. That is to say Homura doesn't inform her first. o.o

Lol, Homura will find a way across dimensions xD

Well back on topic, should Snow have had a slower death or did he get his piece rightfully? (I really hated that f*cker but not as much as Kyuubey)

midori's crazy398 wrote:Well back on topic, should Snow have had a slower death or did he get his piece rightfully? (I really hated that f*cker but not as much as Kyuubey)

I'll be honest with you. He dealt with severe pressure and stress over the rebellion, Katniss always slipping through his fingers and losing his precious Capitol and all of Panem to a couple of rebels. That is the biggest humiliation the bastard rightfully deserved. Plus he was already dying by the time he saw Katniss for the last time. So it's no surprise to read Katniss shooting Coin instead. She ultimately killed two very bad birds with one stone.

Coin suggesting to use the Capitol's children for a new series of Hunger Games was sick. She was too dangerous to left alive.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

midori's crazy398 wrote:Well back on topic, should Snow have had a slower death or did he get his piece rightfully? (I really hated that f*cker but not as much as Kyuubey)

I'll be honest with you. He dealt with severe pressure and stress over the rebellion, Katniss always slipping through his fingers and losing his precious Capitol and all of Panem to a couple of rebels. That is the biggest humiliation the bastard rightfully deserved. Plus he was already dying by the time he saw Katniss for the last time. So it's no surprise to read Katniss shooting Coin instead. She ultimately killed two very bad birds with one stone.

Coin suggesting to use the Capitol's children for a new series of Hunger Games was sick. She was too dangerous to left alive.

Thus she got her arrow to the face   

how about Prim's death?

midori's crazy398 wrote:how about Prim's death?

Prim's death was tragic. But I blame Gale more than Coin. That stupid bloodthirsty moron never even apologized for issuing the bombing. I know and can understand the "by any means necessary" mentality in the right situations, but we're talking about innocent lives in this one. I'm not surprised that Katniss put Gale on her black list forever. If I were her, I'd never want to see him again too.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

midori's crazy398 wrote:how about Prim's death?

Prim's death was tragic. But I blame Gale more than Coin. That stupid bloodthirsty moron never even apologized for issuing the bombing. I know and can understand the "by any means necessary" mentality in the right situations, but we're talking about innocent lives in this one. I'm not surprised that Katniss put Gale on her black list forever. If I were her, I'd never want to see him again too.

yeah, i cried hard and had to put the book down...ah, memories T-T

but i think in a way doing that allowed Collins to show that there is no right side in war, everyone is guilty of death in some way (im itching to mention SSY but i won't), and well, Katniss is forced to learn that the hard way, and after that she was all:

"F*ck this shit!"

midori's crazy398 wrote:
but i think in a way doing that allowed Collins to show that there is no right side in war, everyone is guilty of death in some way (im itching to mention SSY but i won't), and well, Katniss is forced to learn that the hard way, and after that she was all:

"F*ck this shit!"

In all fairness, Katniss never drew fire first. The Capitol did this by waging war and started the Hunger Games. Katniss just did what she thought was right to survive. I don't think she is guilty of anything until Mockingjay and even then, they just pushed her too far.

>:3 So yeah, "F*ck this shit!"   

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

midori's crazy398 wrote:
but i think in a way doing that allowed Collins to show that there is no right side in war, everyone is guilty of death in some way (im itching to mention SSY but i won't), and well, Katniss is forced to learn that the hard way, and after that she was all:

"F*ck this shit!"

In all fairness, Katniss never drew fire first. The Capitol did this by waging war and started the Hunger Games. Katniss just did what she thought was right to survive. I don't think she is guilty of anything until Mockingjay and even then, they just pushed her too far.

>:3 So yeah, "F*ck this shit!"   

Yeah thats what I mean, the side Katniss is fighting on and the Capitol are both doing horrible things, they've both lost a sense of humanity, and Katniss is a witness to that uglyness

midori's crazy398 wrote:Yeah thats what I mean, the side Katniss is fighting on and the Capitol are both doing horrible things, they've both lost a sense of humanity, and Katniss is a witness to that uglyness

Katniss only made one unnecessary murder and that was the Capitol woman in Mockingjay. She lost her humanity in that moment, but she immediately realized what she had done and implied regret shortly after. She has seen the absolute worst from both sides and that's what makes Suzanne's story powerful. The horrors Katniss witnesses; WE witness with her.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

midori's crazy398 wrote:Yeah thats what I mean, the side Katniss is fighting on and the Capitol are both doing horrible things, they've both lost a sense of humanity, and Katniss is a witness to that uglyness

Katniss only made one unnecessary murder and that was the Capitol woman in Mockingjay. She lost her humanity in that moment, but she immediately realized what she had done and implied regret shortly after. She has seen the absolute worst from both sides and that's what makes Suzanne's story powerful. The horrors Katniss witnesses; WE witness with her.

Such is the power of first person POV 0-0

I know this thread is meant for the books only, but I'll make an exception since Mockingjay Part I did follow the book nicely.

---

Luu Sky Sapphire semi-reviews The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I:




DO NOT READ BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM! SPOILERS!

After thinking about it in the car, I decided not to do a full on of review of this film. Why? Despite this film being utterly amazing in every conceivable way, accomplishing what every single movie I've seen failed to do in 2014, it's...incomplete.

Damn Harry Potter for this trend. Mockingjay was a plethora of suspense building; just BRILLIANT acting jobs by everyone involved. Jennifer Lawrence is at her best once again as Katniss Everdeen, and the entire cast is equally great. Julianne Moore is unsettling as Coin and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman gave a performance to remember. I have to give props to Josh Hutcherson for making Peeta appear to be literally pulled apart by the Capitol and his loyalty to Katniss. Josh stepped it up since the first movie; no longer a doe-eyed Bambi. He is a real actor here. Same with Elizabeth Banks! Kudos to the director for involving Effie into the storyline from the start.

There's so much to talk about Mockingjay and it's propaganda war, mixed with the actual war. It's a war film without the Games happening and I loved every second of it. However, if I had to rate Mockingjay Part I on it's own (THIS IS NOT FINAL, but a what-if score), I'd give it a ****/***** 4 out of 5.

This film had the entire packed house on the edge of their seats, including myself. Then it ends all too soon. From the reactions of the crowd earlier today, they would of stuck around another 150 minutes to see the finale of this great series. Secondly, my nitpick for the film...it collides with the genius.

We get to see some events Katniss doesn't get to witness in the book, while at the same time, we focus more on Katniss than the bombings, Peeta's "transformation" and the rescue mission extraction. This works and hurts the film. But after thinking about it, Francis Lawrence (director) remained true to the book and it was the right thing to do. I felt like I was inside the dirty and obsolete walls of District 13, not looking from the outside.

Johanna shows up in one little scene. The obvious scene. IT. WAS. WORTH. IT. She'll play a more crucial role in Part 2.

This film is incomplete. Once Part 2 is unleashed on the world, a proper review is in order.

+ Breathtaking character relationships
+ Acting
+ The book is alive!
+ Suspense that kills
+/- Show don't tell...please?
- Incomplete movie. Come back next year.

I have to still watch this. I am planning to so I can use my free IMAX movie ticket.

franticfranz wrote:I have to still watch this. I am planning to so I can use my free IMAX movie ticket.

It's a masterpiece, Franny. Incomplete masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless. With such a terrible year for films (Apes and Dumb & Dumber To being saving graces), The Hunger Games series shows everyone how it's done again.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Official Trailer – “We March Together”



"For Prim"



---

Those who have seen the latest trailers from Mockingjay Part 2 can't sit there and tell me, it's not going to be awesome. This is going to kick ass on so many levels. The effects for the raid on the Capitol look excellent. There is going to be a rush of action, character moments and emotional drainage; I'm not even sure I'm prepared for it.

Look no further than the most recent trailer. That's the thing with spoiler deaths today, you cannot hide them. Not if they were written in a book for many years. You can't hide anything from tumblr people, anyway. All your Game of Thrones spoilers are leaked ahead of time, and Supergirl's pilot was leaked in it's entirety (which was excellent, so there's nothing to fear. Unless you're a nitpicking comic nerd with no grip on reality). For The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, diehards and casuals know what is going to happen in the climax. Its mentioned in the comments by trolls, and again, it's set in stone by Suzanne Collins.

The thing is...this is Francis Lawrence's vision. Willow Shields having to sell it. Jennifer Lawrence reacting to the moment. How you imagined this tragic blow to one of fiction's best characters won't come alive in your mind. In the heat of the moment, the delivery of this scene will shatter me. The feels? You don't know the meaning until you've seen it executed by talented cast and crew.

Mockingjay Part 2 truly will be, the last great franchise movie. In an era of cut-and-paste superhero flicks and revived dead franchises-turned-to-shit (Jurassic World), this last entry in the Hunger Games franchise will go out in a blaze of glory. The Girl on Fire will ride into the sunset (like The Last Crusade and Return of the Jedi did) with no regrets, for this franchise shall close with dignity and on top.

Yes, I'm aware that spin offs or continuations may happen. However, Mockingjay Part 2 concludes the series at it's best. That's why I don't count The Force Awakens as Star Wars's proof that it "still has it." Star Wars peaked YEARS AGO. Whether Force Awakens delivers or fails, it doesn't matter. It made history already. I feel Mockingjay Part 2 will do that; cement the movie series into greatness forever.

If you're reading this, Kara, we are doing a podcast review for the film. It deserves one.

I CAN NOT believe I never posted in here. I'm just going to post what I said on the Panem Propaganda facebook page. Everyone knows I'm such a big fan of the books and movies.

Drawing, Drawing, Drawing. While a lot of my friends liked reading, I was drawing constantly. Growing up, I actually hated reading books. I actually had a difficult time learning how to read and write while I was in school. I didn’t learn my material as fast as the other kids and it was hard for me to catch up. I didn’t even have a favorite book up until 2008. Art is what I did and went to College for and will do until the end of days. This is my Hunger Games story and how it changed my way of reading, my life and imagination.

2008 into 2009, I was in college, majoring in Graphic Design. I was uploading my artwork to my Deviant Art to update my portfolio. I came across a series of images that consisted of a golden bird. I had no idea what it was but I loved the logo design of it. At the time, there wasn’t a lot of images for the Hunger Games since it was just released that year, but it was enough to grab my attention. I looked into what the bird was about and found out that it was called a Mockingjay, sure enough I came upon a book. At the time I didn’t want to read anything at all, but just the cover alone pulled me into a world that was going to change my life. A couple of my classmates mentioned that they were reading that same book and how great the story was and the author. It was just the first book and the others were going to be released in the next couple of years. I ended up borrowing the book from them in class and sat down to read it during class change. Katniss? I remember thinking what the heck kind of name was Katniss and the name Peeta made me extremely hungry. I was sucked in, for the first time ever I liked a book! I liked a book and I wasn’t forced to read one in school.

I ended up finishing the book and couldn’t stop thinking about it and if there was going to be more after that. I didn’t keep up with it as much as everyone else did but eventually I bought all three books whenever I heard there was going to be a movie about it. This was the age of Twilight still so I was really kind of scared to think how a movie adaptation was going to be like. I read all of the books before the first movie was released and went to see the movie a few days after it came out. I was blown away by Jennifer Lawrence’s performance. I had never heard of her before these movies came out and I couldn’t believe how she captured Katniss so well. I loved every bit of that movie. So much so that I went home and practiced the art of Digital Painting. I graduated from college in 2010 and was never taught how to painting in Photoshop. I used Katniss as my tool for learning. I kept drawing and painting her until I got my own technique down. I kept up with it and haven’t stopped doing it ever since I started.

Catching Fire was my favorite book out of the entire series, particularly for a very angry character. Johanna Mason was introduced with this big entrance. That little scene, her few minutes of fame in the elevator with Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch, is one of my favorite scenes. Not because of what she does in the elevator but how a character like her can be so BOLD. I wanted to know everything about her and why she was so angry, what her Games were like, and her life after she won the 71st Games. I’m even in the process of making my own Graphic Novel for Johanna this year. When the movie came out, I was looking so forward to Jena Malone portraying the angry Victor. I’ve watched Jena Malone in so many movies growing up that I knew she was going to be the best actress to play Johanna. Jena hit the role out of the park and beyond. Just to know the books and how it ends, I can’t wait to see her in Mockingjay Part 2. My dream is to meet Jena Malone in the future, she has become my favorite actress ever in existence along with Jennifer Lawrence. I hope to one day be able to meet such talented women.

Deviant Art and The Hunger Games have changed my life. I’ve met so many people on that site that share the same interests as me and I’ve never had that before. I met a friend a few years ago on that site, but for different reasons. We talked and I ended up joining a forum site. After getting to know him and the community, I found out that he liked the Hunger Games just as much as I did. Over the past few years it seemed like we have bonded more over this book series and movies. I wouldn’t have had it any other way because he has become the best friend that I have ever had. We ended up seeing Catching Fire together and it was a better experience with him since we loved the movie so much. We have even visited Madame Tussauds to see the wax Katniss they have on display. This November, We’re celebrating the end of a franchise by watching Mockingjay Part 2, three times and seeing the Exhibition in New York City.

This past August I was able to meet the wonderful Willow Shields at an autograph signing. I gave her one of my paintings to sign and she absolutely loved it. It was such a great experience meeting with someone from my favorite movie series of all time.

Once Mockingjay Part 2 comes out, I’m proud to say this series is my favorite. I’ve never been able to watch movies more than once, and I could watch these all the time and never get bored by them. This story and characters have left and imprint on my heart and what better way to show my love for it than by drawing and painting them. I can’t wait to make more art pieces for myself and to anyone else who would want one made.