So I'm not going to lie - I read Mockingjay in about 6 hours today. I'm BURSTING at the seams wanting to talk about it, but I can't. I'm waiting until Justin (the husband) and Alyssa (the wife...er, best friend) finish it. I may wait for Jason, but he's getting his from the library, which could take forever. At any rate, I would love to tell you all how I felt about the book, but it would give too much away.
So, instead of talking about Mockingjay or explaining all the ways Suzanne Collins has changed my life, I'm going to write about a series I finished several weeks back: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison.
With this series, I did something unusual - even for me. I read the entire 10-book series in just 2.5 weeks.
The series is written in diary format and is about Georgia, a 14/15 year old girl growing up in England. The books - Georgia's dairies - chronicle her (mis)adventures wiht boys, her friends, school, and her parents. I tore through these books so fast for two reasons. First, they're YA fiction and a fairly quick read to begin with, given the diary format and large-ish typeface.
More importantly, however, they are hilarious. From Georgia's awkward forrays into the dating scene to her interesting fashion choices, Rennison's scarily accurate descriptions of life as a 14 year old girl kept me in stitches. My favorite parts of the series, however, were Georgia's cat Angus and her younger sister Libby. Angus is half domestic cat, half Scottish Wildcat and somewhat deranged. He terrorizes the neighbor's poodles, eats anything from leftovers to underwear, and generally runs amok around Georgia's neighborhood. I love that Rennison has apparently studied cat psychology, as Angus' behavior is spot-on.
As much as I love cats, the true gem of this series is Libby, an insane 3 year old. Now, to be fair, she's not actually insane, but she does act quite mad sometimes, as all 3 year olds must do. Everything about this little girl cracks me up, from the way she plays "dress-up" with her friend Josh (she dresses him up as a woman, complete with makeup) to her little songs (such as the famous "Sex Bomb" song.
Maybe it's because I once was a 14-year old girl, but I get Georgia in ways that surprise me. One of the last lines of the 10th book (Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?) is something like "I'll be the last to know." Georgia's talking about her sudden realization that the guy she wanted wasn't her Sex God, Robbie, or the Lurve God, Masimo, but someone who was her friend (and right in front of her damn face) all along. I can seriously relate to what she means here. I spent much of my life chasing after boys that were all wrong for me (I could make a list, but that's pointless). At any rate, like Georgia, I finally realized that I what I wanted wasn't just another pretty face or an excellent snogger. What I wanted was a friend and companion (and the good looks and fantastic snogging).
Even if Georgia doesn't always make the right decision (or the smart one), she's a very teenager, which speaks volumes about Rennison's writing ability. Though I loved the series, these probably aren't the books for everyone. I don't often read "gender-specific" literature. Most of what I love to read can be enjoyed by either sex (like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games). However, I think Rennison's series is far more likely to be read by girls. Boys just don't get 14-year old girls, whether they're real or fictional.
Up Next: Though my extensive review (and feelings-palooza) about Mockingjay will be forthcoming, I think that I'll spend my next entry talking about a tv show. Yes, I watch those sometimes. Justin and I just finished up Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I LOVED it.
