The Hunger Games Movie Cast so far

Let's recap the past few weeks in the casting world of the much anticipated first installment of the movie The Hunger Games. Here's the cast thus far:

 Stanley Tucci-Caesar Flickerman

  Jennifer Lawrence-Katniss Everdeen

 Woody Harrelson-Haymitch Abernathy

 Donald Sutherland-President Snow

 Liam Hemsworth-Gale Hawthorne

 Josh Hutcherson-Peeta Mellark

Willow Shields-Prim Everdeen

  Paula Malcomson-Mrs. Everdeen

Lenny Kravitz- Cinna

 Jack Quaid-Marvel

 Leven Rambin-Glimmer

 Amandla Stenberg-Rue                       Dayo Okeniyi-Thresh  

 Ian Nelson-District 3 Tribute             Kalia Prescott-District 3 Tribute

     

Elizabeth Banks-Effie (OFFICIAL)

 Wes Bentley-Seneca Crane

Toby Jones-Claudius Templesmith

Latarsha Rose-Portia        Brooke Bundy-Octavia

Amber Chaney-Avox Girl
 

Ethan Jamieson-Tribute District 4       Tara Macken-Tribute District 4

Chris Mark-Tribute District 5     Jacqueline Emerson-Tribute District 5

 Ashton Moio-Tribute District 6      Kara Petersen-Tribute District 6

Sam Ly-Tribute District 7          Leigha Hancock-Tribute District 7

Samuel Tan-Tribute District 8   Mackenzie Lintz-Tribute District 8

Imanol Yepez-Tribute District 9  Annie Thurman-Tribute District 9   

Jeremy Marinas-Tribute District 10 Dakota Hood-Tribute District 10    


I will be updating this post whenever a new cast member is announced, so please return for updated information.  Let us know what you think of this cast!!!  Plus tell us who you wish had been cast for this trilogy.

Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien

So this was a tough review to do, probably because I had mixed feelings about it. On one hand I was intrigued and curious on the other I was completely and utterly creeped out. I heard once that if after you finish a book if it doesn't leave you with a reaction, any reaction, then it didn't do it's service. So if that is true, then in this case I did have all sorts of reactions, not all so good but they were reactions just the same.

This is a post-apocalyptic near future, where a world war has occurred and nerve gas unleashed.  This part of the story to me personally was minimal in comparison to the interaction of our two main characters. We get a 1st account detail from our protagonist Ann. Having lost all her family, she's left alone, going a year now, in their country farm where the nerve gas has not reached its air, a little far fetched but it is fiction so I'm not going to scrutinize that. Just when she has accepted her lot in life, Ann, receives a visitor. Writing in her journal this is how the book begins:

              " I am afraid. Someone is coming. That is, I think someone is coming, though I am not sure, and I pray that I am wrong."

That's when things get creepy. This mysterious man  is perhaps a dream come true for Ann or her worse nightmare. She doesn't appear to the stranger right away, she watches him up in a cave where she's hiding. . Despite being a country girl she's not easily trusting. As the book progresses we become quite aware of how naive she is. The question through out the book is, whether or not Ann is in danger of this stranger, called Mr. Loomis. The ending is not an obvious one and I appreciated Mr. O'Brien making sure of that.

Ultimately I was right in the middle with this one. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. It was just strange. If you like books with an ending that you don't see coming, then, this just might the book for you. If you've read it I would love to hear your opinion on it. I f you decide to read it, please come back here and share what you thought.   

Enclave (Razorland Series book 1) by Anne Aguirre

Did you love Katniss in The Hunger Games? Did you love reading The Forest of Hands and teeth? Well, if the answer is a resounding yes, than this is the book for you! As I mentioned before in my other reviews I hate giving too much away, so I won’t. Know this; this is an amazing, edge of your seat ride. 

Our protagonist here is Deuce; she is as tough as they come and no wonder she’s given the title of Huntress.  The book is a fast-paced read and left me wishing for more.  Good thing Miss Aguirre has a second book up her sleeve for a later release or else I’d be driven mad.  

The premise is a future society forced to live underground in subway tunnels known as the Enclave. After a flu vaccine causes a devastating worldwide affect, as a result humans are surrounded by chaos.  Pressed and weight down by deceit, lies and denial, living in the enclave, Deuce is forced to take matters into her own hands.  In her case ignorance is NOT bliss! Deuce’s fight for survival leads her to make hard decisions along the way. Enclave has three elements I love in this book: Action, survival and a love-triangle that will have your mind spinning.     

I absolutely feel this series will be the next wave of incredibly successful literature and I personally can’t wait for a movie.  A studio head out there needs to get a hold of this action-packed story and put it on screen, so it can make them the big bucks they enjoy so much to become blockbuster.  Personally, I pictured Kristen Bell as Deuce, Adrian Grenier as Fade and Hunter Parrish as stalker. 

As I mentioned on the onset the 2^nd book Outpost (Razorland Series) coming out in 2012 should give us some answers left in the 1^st book and I’m sure, by the end of the 2^nd we’ll still need answers, which I’m sure is exactly what book 3 in the series Horde, coming in 2013, will bring it all to a full circle. I hope you’ll enjoy this amazing dystopian book as much as I did. Please let me know you’re thoughts on it.     

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

The Glass Castle is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It is a true story of Author Jeanette Walls heartbreaking, dysfunctional, at times comical upbringing. The book begins with Jeanette standing on a chair cooking a hot dog in boiling water to feed herself. Jeanette is 3 years old.

Jeanette is one of four children born to Rex and Mary Walls. Rex is a highly intelligent dreamer that could be quite charming when sober. He preferred the nomad lifestyle and at times would dissapear  from his family for lengths of time. Mary although physically present much preferred writing and painting to the mundane chores of being a mother. The children more often then not had to fend for themselves as things become more and more chaotic.

The Glass Castle although a true story memoir reads like a novel...a fascinating page turner at that.The triumph of Author JeanetteWalls will leave you amazed. I have actually given this book to several people as a gift, it is really that good. Everyone has gone through hard things in their lives and I don't want to minimize any persons individual hardships but I will have to say once you read this book you will likely come to the conclusion, "I guess my life wasn't so bad after all."

So go ahead and click on the link to buy the book and once you've finished reading it pass it on to someone you care about. That's what I did.

Uglies and Pretties by Scott Westerfield

Uglies is a story of a future world where at the age of sixteen every teenager must undergo an operation to make them "pretty". The story centers on Tally an "ugly" waiting anxiously for her operation so she can be pretty and follow her best friend Paris to Pretty Town and live a life of fun and leisure.

While she waits she meets an ugly named Shay who shockingly doesn't want the operation. She tells Tally of her plan to run away and be with the Smokies, a group of people against the life of forced prettiness. This friendship puts Tally on the radar of a scary governmental agency called the Specials who present Tally with a life altering ultimatum.

Uglies leaves you with a huge cliffhanger so you will probably want to follow up right away with the sequel, Pretties. I don't want to tell you too much about it so as to not give much away but I enjoyed both books. It is an especially good read for the teenage reader. It really makes them think about beauty is really nothing when you lose your true self.
I give it 2 Justin Biebers and 1 Selena Gomez!

Greens Market/Delicatessen

Today it appears I have found in the heart of Modesto, specifically on the corner of Tenth and Needham,  an oasis of sorts. When I walked in I was taken back 10 years ago when I lived in a quaint little studio in a brownstone in Brooklyn.

This was truly a magical place, no division of market to delicatessen. An organic explosion from fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats and so much more.  The delicatessen had an amazing array of organic roasted chicken breast, salmon, flank steak all awaiting to be savored. The variety of salads consumed me, anything from orzo salad, beet salad (like nothing I've tested before and they were yellow too, huh!), grilled asparagus and vegetables, red cole slaw( made of course out of red cabbage), quinoa salad and my ultimate favorite risotto cakes. The risotto cakes were a highlight and brought my taste buds to a higher level of sophistication. All reasonably priced! their lunch special was $6.99 for one protein and two sides Do I need to remind you that it was all organic?

They had amazing pastries and also possibly the best carrot cupcake I have ever had. They also scored very high with the coffee, and I had a mocha that did not disappoint.  As I had mentioned on the onset It took me down memory lane, It reminded of a little marked I used to go to in Brooklyn Heights, full of character, culture and quaint. 

I recommend you either have your breakfast there or lunch, you will not be disappointed and while there give their mouth watering spinach and bacon quiche a try. Hope you make it out to Greens Market located at 1508 Tenth Street on the corner of Tenth and Needham, you never know we might just bump into each other.  Please feel free to come back here and share your thoughts on Greens Market and what fabulous, amazing dish you recommend we try.       

Hanna

I was incredibly disappointed in this movie. The previews were very deceiving, but aren't they always? Despite the movie's potential and intensity the story line fell flat, in fact it was so flat that it was invisible.  There were allot of unanswered questions. Don't get me wrong it had moments but they were few. By the end of the movie, I was asking myself, "what"? "why"? and my favorite, "can I have my money back"?  It was so bad that I wouldn't even bother getting it on Redbox unless you have a code for a free movie and even then, I'd consider it...  Now the caliber of amazing actors that were in the movie was impressive, but even they couldn't save this movie. I give this movie 1 popcorn for Eric Bana's bare chest!

Jane by April Lindner

First off, I loved this book!!! It’s become my new obsession and it’s not going away anytime soon. After I finished this book, I started re-reading it 2 hours later. You will do the same! I’m not going to give every detail in the book as a review and give away too much. I hate when I’ve read a review, that obviously had too much information, and sit there waiting for every detail to pop up, that I’m already expecting. I want you to be shocked, happy and sad all on your own.

Jane is a modern take on Jane Eyre, think about it this way; what if Jane Eyre lived in 2011 and fell in love with her rocker boss who she worked for as a nanny? You will have your mind blown. It is a beautifully written tale full of mystery, romance and laughter.  Yes, it is very funny and I found myself laughing out loud often!

Jane’s character is written so well, she’s smart, complex, intuitive, especially for being only nineteen, and without even meaning to she is funny, and a type of dry humor that is sure to make you smile. The rocker, Nico, is mysterious, dark and extremely frustrating when interacting with Jane. As the book progresses he becomes light, humorous and gentle. Even though this is a modern take, it has all the elements of a classic. April Lindner, Thank you, for opening up our minds and hearts to this amazing book and characters. 

I hope this book gets picked up for a movie because it deserves to become an instant classic movie, as is, in the case of the book. Please share your thoughts on the book and what you loved about it. I give this book a hundred thousand stars on Amazon if I could!    

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Our Protagonist is Rhine, a sixteen year old whose story takes place in a not so distant future where humans are plagued with an early death.  Cancer has been cured but it comes with a price. Generations born after the cure begin to die, males at age 25 and females at age 20.  With life being cut so short and desperation running rampant, females at age 13 and over are being kidnapped and sold as wives for procreation.  Rhine   finds herself in this desperate situation when one day she’s thrown into a van and sold as a wife to Linden along with two other girls.

I feel the story here really centers on the relationship of the three girls and the bond they forge. Rhine becomes engrossed in this creepy make belief world where freedom is only an illusion. In her journey she finds that people are complex and not at all what it seems.  She finds herself torn between her past and her short future.

I absolutely loved this book. Rhine was such a powerful inspiration of determination, strength and purity.  I found her relationship with Linden frustrating and confusing at times but never does her reach for freedom flicker. I savored the last pages because I didn’t want it to end, but I’m happy that this is a trilogy and there are going to be more amazing books written by the talented Lauren DeStefano.

New Release

PLAGUE BY MICHAEL GRANT

Synopsis

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.
But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape—or even survive—life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?
Plague, Michael Grant's fourth book in the bestselling Gone series, will satisfy dystopian fans of all ages.

Gone by Michael Grant -Teenagers Perspective Review by Madison Dejulio

Sam is sitting in class when his freshmen history teacher Mr. Trentlake simply disappears before their eyes. Disbelief turns to confusion and rushes into fear as they soon realize that everyone over the age of 15 in their coastal town of Perdido Beach has vanished. Babies are left alone and uncared for, kids are crying in the streets for their parents. The only ones that can help them are the teens. They are left to care for the younger kids while they try to figure out what happened to the adults.
Fourteen year old Sam Temple is one of the teens living in the what they now call the FAYZ (Fall Out Youth Zone). Sam finds out he has special powers before the FAYZ. He discovers he can shoot beams of light out of his hands. He begins to see that in the FAYZ that there are some others that also have powers. If the powers are not useful they are described as one bar, or up to four or five bars if it is super powerful or maybe even dangerous.

Sam, who now takes charge in the FAYZ tries to figure out where the adults went and how he can get then back. Along with him are a few other teens, Quinn, Edildo, and Astrid. Along the way they face challenges involving some trouble with teens from a school called Coates Academy who try to take charge which only leads to disaster. But one of the most terrifying issues for Sam is his fifteen birthday is fast approaching....will he disappear too?

For me this book brought a whole new perspective on how children can survive without adults. When I first heard about this book, I thought about how with no parents or adults around, kids would be free to do whatever they want with no rules to stop them. Author Michael Grant brings on a whole new meaning to the situation. Kids can only try their best to stay alive and face the real dangers of bullying.

I give Gone a rating of 4 out of 4 cupcakes!

The Hunger Games cast Peeta and Gale officially!!

Entertainment Weekly has announced that the pivotal roles opposite Jennifer Lawrence have been cast! Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. We want to hear from you. How do you feel about the casting and will you still watch the movie? I personally feel that in most cases that books adapted for the big screen does not equal accuracy in plot or character descriptions. Share you're thoughts here on this latest news. 

The Hunger Games Casting of Peeta and Gale

Alleged front runner Liam Hemsworth is being considered to play the role of Gale Hawthorne in the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games. In January Liam was interviewed and had mentioned reading a Hunger Games script and an interest in the role of Peeta Mellark and not Gale. Josh Hutcherson another alleged front runner has auditioned for the role of Peeta. Hunter Parrish also has auditioned and is a fan favorite to play the role of Peeta. Lucas Till's has also auditioned for the movie. There are several things to consider as to whom would be the best fit.  

First, CHEMISTRY! The actors being considered have to ooze chemistry with Jennifer Lawrence, fans wouldn't want it any other way. In the book Chemistry between Katniss & Gale, Katniss & Peeta is what makes the book amazing and without it we may find ourselves watching a blend movie. Second, CREDENTIALS! The actor needs to have the same acting caliber as Jennifer Lawrence. Third, the right LOOK! I cannot stress this one enough, Lawrence is a great actress and her age widened the options of actors to be considered to play Peeta and Gale. It made it possible to look at older established actors in their 20's instead of teens. One thing I feel many have been overlooked, is that even though age was a plus in casting Jennifer, her height has been a minus. Let me explain, Jennifer is 5'10" many of the actors being considered are shorter than that. Case and point, both Hunter Parrish and Josh Hutcherson are 5'7"  and therefore way shorter than Jennifer. Liam Hemsworth seems to be the only "height" appropriate actor, at 6'4", with maybe a couple others. I know it sounds trivial, but an actor 3 inches shorter than Jennifer would not fit the description of Peeta and Gale.

Now we want to hear from you! What are your thoughts? Do you feel the height would be an issue?  Don't forget to Follow our blog, we will be posting further Hunger Games discussions and want to hear your thoughts on it.

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner Trilogy Book 2) by James Dashner

Obviously if you're reading this review, you have already  read, The Maze Runner, the first book in this trilogy. If not, SPOILER ALERT!!! Please read the book first. Now that we know what the Maze was for and that the Gladers are safe, if you're anything like me, you feel a sigh of relief! The first book was a roller coaster and I wanted it over with. Well, well so much for getting off the ride! James Dashner would have nothing of it! The Scortch Trials, unlike the first book which took a few chapters to get in the thick of it, is a wicked roller coaster from beginning to end. Right away you're immersed into action.Our protagonist, Thomas still reeling from nightmares about the Grievers in the maze is also having flashbacks of his past and the memories he once had lost are flooding back to him. The outside world is introduced to us further. The earth has become a waste land brought about by Sun Flares. A disease called the Flare has  infected the world and now instead of having to deal with the Grievers the Gladers have a new enemy the Cranks, who are diseased humans roaming the earth. Even though there's no maze in this book there is a puzzle of a sorts to be solved and a time frame. Again the Gladers are thrown into a life and death situation and like the maze many won't make it to the end. Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did! Let me know what you thought about it in your comments. 

The Maze Runner (Book 1 of the Trilogy) by James Dashner

I do have to warn you that it starts slow probably for the first 5 chapters. I think really those chapters gives us, the reader, insight into the characters, perhaps even to develop an attachment. Once the book gets going though, I suggest wearing gloves because it’s on fire all the way through!!! This book is anything but basic; in fact, there’s a complexity to it that boggles the mind. The protagonist of this book is Thomas, who holds the key to unlock the many mysteries in book 1 and 2. There are six things I can tell you without giving too much away. First, there’s an elevator with special cargo. Second, the special cargo has no memories. Third, the elevator leads to a compound, called the " Glade" with food, shelter and freedom (really?). Fourth,  the Glade is smack in the middle of a maze. Fifth, the maze is very dangerous, deadly even. Sixth, some will stand and some will fall.  There are so many twists and turns in this book. It’s smartly written and a brain teaser. I heart this book because it made me think, laugh and cry.  You don’t get the sense that this is a dystopian book until the second book, because most of book two takes place in the Glade and the maze with very little knowledge, if any, of the outside world.  I will review the second book later this month, so keep watching for it! Please read the book and let me know your thoughts of what you liked or didn’t like about the book.