I demand Suzanne Collins be hung in effigy! How dare she writes with a nom de plume that includes one of my favorite names in, like, forever! And she has the gall to write a story that has a slow build-up followed by a sweeping speedy scene that culminates toward an orgy of blood, trepidation, and fear as her main character, Katniss Everdeen, fights for survival not only of herself but also of her questionable partner Peeta, the butcher's son.
The above paragraph is not my true feelings, but I do have a little beef with the writing, just because I have pet peeves and they need to be aired.
WARNING: SPOILERS!
The Bad: The beginning is slow going, but just because it is background development. Without this development Katniss, the main character (and a snazzy name to boot), would not have developed properly and the reader would not have the deep connection they will eventually achieve. I just wished that the beginning had a bit bigger bite.
Whoever edited the book (I got the paperback) must have used a grammar checker instead of proofing the paragraphs because I kept running into sentences that do not stand on their own. I could see from the context surrounding these "questionable" sentences that a semi-colon would have sufficed to make a connection to the previous sentence; there were at least three instances where I stopped to reread the ink on the page. It wasn't just that clarity was sacrificed but also my speed reading through the story. (I'm impatient when I want to know what happens next.) Whenever the grammar broke I lost my suspension of disbelief, and that is jarring.
The Good: This story is a roller coaster ride after Katniss volunteers. The climb in suspense builds with the train ride to the Capitol; the twists and turns as her adviser, Haymitch, trains her in the politics of the training days leading up to the Hunger Games; and the plunge into the arena as the actually killing began. I won't go into specifics, but the effect of first person in this story is perfect for what Suzanne Collins had in store.
Her connections with the other competing tributes are also interesting because there is so much emotion tied up with these "kids" when they actually kill each other. Katniss is one character you want to root for.
In a Nutshell: This is a book you want to pick up. There is nothing subtle about the action and the "romance" is not forced nor is it unwanted. I look forward to the next book in the trilogy: the ending of this book promises much more intrigue than I initially suspected.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Always, be healthy.
Don't get sick. The time lost is horrendous, and you feel guilty for not doing anything during that time.
Drink lots of water; soda does less for your body than juice and even less than what water does for you.
Eat enough to keep your strength. Without your strength you can't move and heal. No food means no energy; no energy means weak immune system; weak immune system means stay sick longer.
Sleep. Rest when you can. If you don't, your body spends energy for your activities instead of fighting that sickness you caught.
So get to bed already!
Drink lots of water; soda does less for your body than juice and even less than what water does for you.
Eat enough to keep your strength. Without your strength you can't move and heal. No food means no energy; no energy means weak immune system; weak immune system means stay sick longer.
Sleep. Rest when you can. If you don't, your body spends energy for your activities instead of fighting that sickness you caught.
So get to bed already!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
So, I'm building a map...
One of the "hobbies" I do is play pretend in my mind. I imagine things so much that I keep thinking I should turn my imaginings into something more concrete, more tactile, more THERE.
Well, unfortunately I'm building a map for Team Fortress 2 (there goes the concrete). I say "unfortunate" because building a map for a game is very difficult work: you have to think about where to put your spawns; how many lights are in the level; where do you put the ammunition and health packs; and what path does everyone take when they play. It's a labor, for sure.
The map I'm building is for a game type called Payload. The objective for the Blue Team (the Attackers) is to "Push" a bomb cart to the end of a track where it will explode and destroy the Red Team Base. The Red Team (the Defenders) must stop the Blue Team at all costs. Standing next to the bomb either moves the bomb forward (for Blue) or stops the cart (for Red). Blue wins when the bomb reaches the end of the track. Red wins when the timer runs out. Along the way there are checkpoints on the map that the bomb rolls over. If the bomb does roll over one of these checkpoints the Blue Team gets one team point and more time on the clock to push the bomb. When either victory condition is met, teams switch sides and do the bomb run all over again in a new round.
This is a very fun type of game and it has its roots partly in an old game type called Hunted. The bonus to this is that the Red Team can set up and defend almost anywhere in the map, but the Blue Team has to commit some of its team to pushing the bomb that travels on a predetermined path. This allows for lots of replay and some tactical thinking for both sides.
The thing is that every Payload map I've played the track is always running away from the Blue Team's base. Never has the track made a circle and come closer, in terms of travel distance, to the Blue Team's original base. I am trying to fill that gap with a track that circles around and allows the Blue Team to always play from one base. The Red Team will be in an underground base and will have to leave a safe feeling cave and emerge into the open air to stop Blue from advancing.
It does sound complicated, but hopefully I get a working Payload map done by the end of this week, if I can give it enough time.
Well, unfortunately I'm building a map for Team Fortress 2 (there goes the concrete). I say "unfortunate" because building a map for a game is very difficult work: you have to think about where to put your spawns; how many lights are in the level; where do you put the ammunition and health packs; and what path does everyone take when they play. It's a labor, for sure.
The map I'm building is for a game type called Payload. The objective for the Blue Team (the Attackers) is to "Push" a bomb cart to the end of a track where it will explode and destroy the Red Team Base. The Red Team (the Defenders) must stop the Blue Team at all costs. Standing next to the bomb either moves the bomb forward (for Blue) or stops the cart (for Red). Blue wins when the bomb reaches the end of the track. Red wins when the timer runs out. Along the way there are checkpoints on the map that the bomb rolls over. If the bomb does roll over one of these checkpoints the Blue Team gets one team point and more time on the clock to push the bomb. When either victory condition is met, teams switch sides and do the bomb run all over again in a new round.
This is a very fun type of game and it has its roots partly in an old game type called Hunted. The bonus to this is that the Red Team can set up and defend almost anywhere in the map, but the Blue Team has to commit some of its team to pushing the bomb that travels on a predetermined path. This allows for lots of replay and some tactical thinking for both sides.
The thing is that every Payload map I've played the track is always running away from the Blue Team's base. Never has the track made a circle and come closer, in terms of travel distance, to the Blue Team's original base. I am trying to fill that gap with a track that circles around and allows the Blue Team to always play from one base. The Red Team will be in an underground base and will have to leave a safe feeling cave and emerge into the open air to stop Blue from advancing.
It does sound complicated, but hopefully I get a working Payload map done by the end of this week, if I can give it enough time.
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