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Marshmallow reviews The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Today Marshmallow reviews The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, first published in 2008. Sprinkles has watched the movie version and is chatting with Marshmallow about the book.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, let us start with a brief overview. Can you tell us a bit about the plot of Hunger Games?

Marshmallow: The book is set in a dystopian future, in North America. There are twelve districts and a Capitol city that make up a country named Panem. Katniss Everdeen is the main character. She lives in District 12 with her mother and younger sister Prim. All the districts are very poor, or maybe, I should say, everyone is very poor, except for the people of the Capitol. Every year, the Capitol hosts the Hunger Games, which are a big spectacle. Two children are selected from each district, a boy and a girl, ages 12 to 18. And they are brought to the Capitol and are to fight to the death in these Hunger Games.

S: That sounds pretty vicious. Children fighting to the death.

M: Yeah. It is really vicious. Also because it is kind of as a revenge of sorts. The twelve districts rebelled against the Capitol a while ago, and so they are paying tribute for their betrayal.

S: That sounds terrible actually.

M. Well, I did say it was dystopian.

S: You did.

M: Anyways, so Katniss ends up being the girl representing her district in that year’s Games. Along with a boy named Peeta. The book is about their trip to the Capitol and their time during the Games. The Games are rough, violent, and sadistic. They are almost like the gladiator games in the Roman Colosseum. The audience is watching and keeping track of who is surviving and the children playing the game are creating alliances and such. However, since there is only supposed to be one winner, everyone is actually working against everyone else, and they are all trying to kill each other.

S: So some of this reminds me of the Triwizard Tournament from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.

M: Yes, but actually I think it is more similar to the Purging Trials in Powerless by Lauren Roberts. They are both more vicious and are made to honor horrific events. The Triwizard Tournament is not supposed to be lethal even though it ends up being that way in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Marshmallow is reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. — Marshmallow is reading *The Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins.

S: I know this book made a huge splash when it came out and it and its sequels were made into movies. I have not read the books yet, and only watched the first movie so far. But I think the plot and the setting of the book are quite fascinating. You watched the first movie with me. Can you tell me a bit about how the book compares with the movie?

M: I read the book before watching the movie. So I had a pretty good idea what the plot would be. But even then, the suspense built in the movie was very deep, and I really liked the way Katniss Everdeen’s world was portrayed on screen. I think the film was very well done. Maybe we can put a link to the trailer for the movie here.

S: Sure. Here it is:

The Hunger Games (2012 Movie) – Official Theatrical Trailer (YouTube).

M: Great, thanks!

S: So were there any significant differences between the book and the movie you noticed?

M: I did not notice really, but the book is written in present tense and in first person, so of course they could not really depict that style. However, I think they did a really good job creating the world Katniss is living in, and I would recommend the movie to bunnies who enjoy the book.

S: But they should read the book first?

M: Well, you did not. So maybe it does not matter too much.

S: Hmm, this is a book blog, remember?

M: Well, then maybe I should say read the book first. But the movie is pretty good too.

S: Okay, then, maybe this is a good time to wrap up this review. What would you rate the book?

M: I’d rate it 100%. It is really good. But it might be a bit too mature for some younger bunnies. It is about a very grim topic, a violent world and terrible tragedy.

S: I see. What would you say to our readers as we wrap things up?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins 100%.

Caramel reviews Buns Gone Bad by Anna Humphrey and Irma Kniivila

Today Caramel reviews Buns Gone Bad, by Anna Humphrey and Irma Kniivila, the first book in a new graphic novel series called Fluffle Bunnies, coming out later this month. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

The book bunnies received this book as an advance review copy.

Caramel reviews Buns Gone Bad, written by Anna Humphrey and illustrated by Irma Kniivila. — Caramel reviews *Buns Gone Bad*, written by Anna Humphrey and illustrated by Irma Kniivila.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you got yourself a new graphic novel series.

Caramel: Yep.

S: Why don’t you start by introducing us to the Fluffle Bunnies, who are apparently going to go bad in this book?

C: These are three little bunnies. They are called Biggie, Boingy, and Flop, and they are really nice and cuddly. But then they decide to be TUFF bunnies.

S: Tell me more. What does that mean?

C: That means that they turn evil.

S: Wait, evil? I had thought this would be kind of like the Bad Guys books. So they would be bad in some ways but actually be cute deep inside.

C: This is kind of the opposite of the Bad Guys books actually. These guys start as cute little bunnies and then they go rotten. In Bad Guys, it’s the opposite; they are bad guys who turn good.

S: Well, I like cute little bunnies, and even mischievous little bunnies, after all, you are one. But evil ones? I am not sure that I like that…

C: Well, they are not really evil. So what happens is that their mother leaves for a trip, so the little bunnies are left defenseless, so the other animals try to take advantage of them, and so the little bunnies decide to toughen up. So they are not really evil, but they are tough. I said that before. They want to be TUFF. I guess they don’t know how to spell tough. Unlike me.

S: I see. So then they are not bad bunnies; they just learn to stand up for themselves.

C: Kinda. But they go a bit beyond just that. They take over the park. They go a little bit too far, maybe.

Caramel is reading Buns Gone Bad, written by Anna Humphrey and illustrated by Irma Kniivila. — Caramel is reading *Buns Gone Bad*, written by Anna Humphrey and illustrated by Irma Kniivila.

S: That is interesting. And kind of funny, I must admit. Three little bunnies taking over a park.

C: It is funny, but it is also fun. Think of it Sprinkles; you, me and Marshmallow having our own park. Wouldn’t it be awesome? Of course the three bunnies in the book are all siblings. And you are our mommy. And you have not left home to go to Brazil to learn jujitsu.

S: Well, learning jujitsu could be really awesome. And Brazil is the heart of Brazilian jujitsu so that makes sense. Remember, years ago, you and Marshmallow tried to learn Brazilian jujitsu?

C: Yes, and that was a lot of fun. So maybe, I can understand the mommy bunny. But the three little bunnies go a little cuckoo when she leaves, so maybe she should have taken them along.. Oh well. If she did take them along, this book would not be written, and I would not have had all the fun I had reading it.

S: So you enjoyed the book then?

C: Yes. It is really funny. The way the bunnies take over is really hilarious.

S: And how about the pictures? They look like they are all black and white. Or rather all grayscale. That is, there are different shades of gray, but no other colors.

C: Yes. But that’s fine. The bunnies are very funny all the same.

S: So would you read more adventures of the Fluffle Bunnies? This is the first book of a series apparently.

C: Yes. I would. But this is a very new book, so I am afraid a second book might not come out too soon.

S: I guess we will just have to wait.

C: Yes, unfortunately. I really do not like waiting.

S: I know Caramel, but sometimes waiting is worth it.

C: Yes I guess.

S: So if you were to describe the book in three to five words…

C: Funny page-turner about three scrappy bunnies. Here I am using the “North American informal” meaning of the word “scrappy”. Like in the musical Hamilton. That’s where I heard it first.

S: I guess it is good we looked that word up together, Caramel. We also looked up the word “fluffle” right?

C: Yes, it means a group of bunnies. I really like it!

S: Me too. Okay, so let us wrap up this review then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Buns Gone Bad, written by Anna Humphrey and illustrated by Irma Kniivila, and he can hardly wait for a second book in the series so he can read more about these "scrappy" little bunnies. — Caramel loved reading *Buns Gone Bad*, written by Anna Humphrey and illustrated by Irma Kniivila, and he can hardly wait for a second book in the series so he can read more about these “scrappy” little bunnies.

Marshmallow reviews The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Today Marshmallow reviews The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, first published in 1970. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you always start your book reviews with what you call a quick overview. Can you give us one for this book, too?

Marshmallow: If you want to read about three young black girls growing up after the Great Depression and amidst internalized and externalized racism, then this is the book for you.

S: Okay, I think that is a good start. So tell us a bit more. Who are the three girls?

M: The main character is eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove, and she is a foster sister to the other two girls, Claudia and Frieda MacTeer, who are nine and ten, and live with their parents. Pecola and Claudia are close, and a lot of the book is told from Claudia’s perspective. But we also have flashbacks and so on to events in Pecola’s life that Claudia could not have witnessed.

S: Okay, so tell me more. Why is the title The Bluest Eye?

M: Because Pecola wants to have the bluest eyes in the world. She thinks that she is ugly because a lot of people tell her she is, and she thinks that if she had blue eyes, she would be beautiful too.

S: I see. That must be very hard for a young girl of course.

M: That is not all that is hard in her life though. Her parents are both alive but they are not able to take good care of her. Her father is abusive and violent. Her mother does not support and protect her. The MacTeers on the other hand are a more supportive family for their children and Pecola, too, at least most of the time.

Marshmallow is reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. — Marshmallow is reading *The Bluest Eye* by Toni Morrison.

S: I know this book has been banned in some school districts. Do you know why?

M: I think it is mainly because of two very sexually explicit scenes, which are also violent and abusive. And there are other parts where children are sexualized, and so on.

S: Hmm, I can see how those types of scenes would make a lot of people concerned about a book, especially for younger folks. How did you handle them?

M: I think the book is really hard to read, emotionally. When I was reading the book, I had to put it down several times. That is why it took me a really long time to read the book even though it is not very long and the author’s voice is fluid and captivating.

S: And yet you persisted and finished the book.

M: Yes, because I know it is an important book, and I know the author is trying to tell us something important.

S: What do you think she is trying to tell us?

M: I think she is trying to portray the chaos and the evil that results from racism. She says: “I felt compelled to write this mostly because in the 1960s, black male authors published powerful, aggressive, revolutionary fiction or nonfiction, and they had positive racially uplifting rhetoric with them that were stimulating and I thought they would skip over something and thought no one would remember that it wasn’t always beautiful.” So even though black people survived and often thrived despite the terrible oppression of racism they had to face, there were also people who did not survive, who were broken, and Toni Morrison wanted to make sure that we would not forget that.

S: I can see why you persevered Marshmallow. Sometimes we need to read difficult and heart-wrenching text to make sure we do not forget. But from what I am hearing you say, this book is probably not appropriate for young bunnies even though the main characters are young themselves.

M: Yes, definitely. I don’t think Caramel should read it yet for example. But for bunnies who are older and a bit more mature, it might be more appropriate.

S: You have read and reviewed Chains, Forge, and Ashes, the three books of the Seeds of America series, which were also about racism, or maybe more accurately, slavery. I think those books were also hard to read in some ways, but this one seems like it was a lot more challenging.

M: Yes. Possibly because in those books, even though there is a lot of pain and heartbreak, the main characters eventually overcome some of their challenges, and there is some sense of triumph, kind of like the writings Toni Morrison is referring to in the quote above. But in The Bluest Eye, both the life and the identity of Pecola are shattered. She does not survive her challenges. There is no redemption, only pain. Okay, there is some beauty too, in the book; there is solid love and affection, in the lives of Claudia and her family. But what happens to Pecola is traumatizing, and she does not survive the trauma.

S: I get that Marshmallow. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this book. So do you have some last words to say about it?

M: I think this could be a good book to read for bunnies who are willing to face the full ugliness of racism and how it hurts people’s self-worth.

S: Thank you. So let us wrap this up then. What do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow appreciated reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, though she thinks that it might be appropriate for only older bunnies. — Marshmallow appreciated reading *The Bluest Eye* by Toni Morrison, though she thinks that it might be appropriate for only older bunnies.

Marshmallow reviews One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Today Marshmallow is writing about One of Us is Lying, a novel by Karen McManus, first published in 2017 and eventually made into a TV series of the same name.

Marshmallow reviews One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus. — Marshmallow reviews *One of Us is Lying* by Karen McManus.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about mystery, murder, or high school drama, then this is definitely the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Bronwyn is shocked when she is put in detention. After all, she is a rule-follower on track to go to Yale, much like the rest of her family. But a phone that isn’t hers, that she’s never seen before, is found in her backpack, and off she’s sent to detention.

But Bronwyn’s shining school record isn’t the only weird thing about this detention. Four other kids are also put in detention that day, for the same reason: phones found in their backpacks that aren’t theirs. Of course, all of them honestly say they’ve never seen these phones before, but they are still put in detention.

In addition to Bronwyn, there is Addy (homecoming princess who is eternally “glued” to her boyfriend), Nate (well known for having a criminal history already), Cooper (perfect, popular, and propelled towards a career in baseball), and Simon.

While the rest resemble some familiar stereotypes of high school dramas, Simon stands out. Simon is the creator of Bayview High School’s infamous gossip app About That, an app on which he regularly posts the most vicious, damaging, and insidious gossip, scandals, and stories about his peers. Sure, he doesn’t say any names, but with initials and a small school, every new post practically ruins someone’s life.

So when Simon dies of an allergic reaction to peanuts in detention, the blame is placed on the four students present in detention with him: Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, and Nate. At first, his death might seem natural but somehow he died from a peanut allergy while drinking tap water; peanut residue was found on the cup. The situation starts looking even worse when it is revealed that Simon’s About That post for the day after he died was going to be about the Bayview Four. Bronwyn was accused of cheating on a test (which could ruin her reputation), Addy was accused of cheating on her boyfriend (which is unthinkable because they’re the picture perfect couple), Cooper is accused of taking steroids (which would discredit his phenomenal improvement in his pitching speed), and Nate is accused of violating his probation (by selling drugs, which would get him sent to prison). If these revelations are true, reasons the police, then all four students are prime suspects for the murder. After all, if Simon couldn’t publish the post, their secrets would remain secrets.

Then the press gets involved and the next thing you know, the “Bayview Four” become the biggest suspects in the biggest scandal ever to happen in Bayview. Soon after, Simon’s post about the four students is published, unleashing chaos. Despite their lawyers telling them to keep away from each other, the four students bond together and realize that the only way to prove their innocence is to find the murderer themselves.

Marshmallow is reading *One of Us is Lying* by Karen McManus.

Marshmallow’s Review: I really enjoyed One of Us is Lying. I found it to be an extremely interesting mystery that ended in a way I never saw coming. And as the book goes on, suspense rises and the tension increases as the mystery’s answer is slowly revealed. All in all, I think the plot was really, really well written and I definitely recommend bunnies give this book a try.

One thing that I really liked about this book was the fact that the author set up characters based on the typical tropes in high school dramas, and then she made them evolve past their basic characteristics. For example, even though Addy seems like a blank slate without her boyfriend, at first, throughout the course of the book, her character changes a lot. The same goes for all of the other characters as well. All of them start as typical, simple characters and then grow together and you really become attached to them.

The book does have some mature content since the characters do sometimes use curse words and there are some references to sexual acts that characters have taken part in. There are no explicit scenes. I think bunnies over 14 could handle this book, but it depends on the maturity of each bunny. Some might be able to enjoy it at 12 while others might prefer to read it at 15. Overall, however, there is not really that much inappropriate content in this book.

I also liked Karen McManus’s writing style and found it interesting that we got to see the same story from different characters’ points of view. Each chapter is from either Bronwyn’s, Nate’s, Cooper’s, or Addy’s perspective. I appreciated the different views on the plot and how the author shows that everyone is more complex than they seem. On surface value, people assess Nate to be a delinquent on a one-way road to prison. But the author adeptly shows his perspective and how harsh life has been for him. Addy, who is viewed as a stupid, vapid girl who only cares about her love life, is revealed to be a much more complex, multifaceted person whose family life makes things more complicated. Cooper, who seems to be living the dream life, is shown to have struggles that no one else sees. And in the chapters written in Bronwyn’s perspective, we see the pressures that she faces on her path to Yale and success. McManus does a really good job of showing the complexity, depth, and nuance of the characters. Most books I’ve read don’t show so much detail about so many different people. The book made me remember the following quote, which is credited to a large number of people including the actor Robin Williams:

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus 100%. — Marshmallow rates *One of Us is Lying* by Karen McManus 100%.