I have read the Hunger games and started MockingJay. I have to say I REALLY like Gale and Prim and Roe.

I hope they make a decent movie out of them to ...

I think you may mean "Rue", americangirl? She was probably my favourite character in all three stories, and

Oops did I spell it wrong????

Yes Rue is who I meant...
americangirlemmie

Arwenel, about the Mockingjay spoilers: And, about actors, actresses and directors for the movie: I really have no ideas. I'm hoping for at least relative unknowns for the leads, but like you said, I have nothing against more famous actors and actresses for the rest of the characters.

Booky:
Jo, how far are you? And how are you liking Mockingjay so far?

Liberty, I hadn't thought about that part in the Marks of Secret before. Very interesting.
Do you know how close you are to getting The Hunger Games?

Glad you liked it, PrincessMia! Anything in particular stand out to you? And are you going to read the other books now?

Hullo, americangirlemmie! Have you also read the Underland Chronicles, or has the Hunger Games been your introduction to Collins?
Also, why do you like Gale, exactly? I'm curious, because I don't think I've really heard anyone say why they like him.

Well, I am only part of the way through the 2nd book. But, what I can see of his character so far I like.

americangirlemmie, you know that the second book is Catching Fire, right? Cuz I saw on the other page that you said you'd read The Hunger Games and now you're on Mockingjay, which is the third book.

I'm seeing a lot of references to both The Hunger Games and Mockingjay but barely any of Catching Fire, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone mistook Mockingjay for the second book.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Yes, I know the correct order. I kept getting them mixed up

Oh, okay! I just wanted to make sure. I've made that mistake before. I'd pick up a book and star reading it, only to realize after a few pages I had no idea what was going on because it was the second or third book in a series.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

*peeks in and hopes there aren't any Mockingjay spoilers*

I noticed a bit further up the page you guys were talking about ideas for actresses/actors for a movie...all I can think of is Saoirse Ronan would be perfect for Katniss. She's the right age--and also can look quite young, so even if a movie didn't get made for a few years she could still pull it off well. Yup, she's been in quite a few films already, but she isn't what I'd consider a "big star"--her star is still rising (haha, at Rising Star posting above ) Katniss would be a majorly awesome role for her and I think it would bring her to major fame which I don't think she has now...if that makes sense.

Another thought would be Bonnie Wright--who plays Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter films. I don't know, I could see her pulling off the character well. And while she's in HP, she doesn't have a ton of screen time or anything, and isn't a famous-famous actor like Emma Watson or something.

Those would be good actresses, Val! If only Katniss had red hair. Doesn't she have black hair with sort of coal-gray eyes?

P.S."Brooklyn!"

^Yep, Katniss is described as having black hair and gray eyes; i think that's something of a rare combination in America today, though.

A number of people on youtube have put the songs from the books to music. Some are better than others, of course, but these are the ones i liked -

Rue's Lullaby 1
I think this one is my favorite. It's set in a minor key, which seems to clash a bit with the lyrics, but then a lot of songs do that.

Rue's Lullaby 2
This is the best-known version on youtube, often used as the background for music videos or other people singing their own version of it. It uses the music from another song i've never heard of, "Kiss the Rain", by some group i've never heard of.

Rue's Lullaby
I like this one quite a bit, but it's a little strange. Not really what i would picture a mountain lullaby to sound like.

The Hanging Tree
This song is from the third book, Mockingjay, and is another original melody.

I adore Hunger Games! I love that it's YA fiction with a strong and complex female lead. Katniss is light years better as a role model than most other YA heroines, it's fabulously written, and it doesn't shy away from harsh realities. Some people will object to the violence, but the major theme of the book is the effect violence has on young adults. Catching Fire was especially centered on this, showing how the other victors dealt with life after the Games.

Also, I just really like that Katniss is an archer! I've been shooting since middle school, and it's awesome to have a GIRL in the famous archer category with Robin Hood and Legolas!

I'm nervous about the movie. Even though Collins wrote the screenplay herself, it still gets re-written by someone else. I'm worried the suits (guys with the money) will want to reduce it's impact to a lower rating just for marketing purposes. It should be a strong PG-13, but I can easily see them wanting to lessen it to make more money. As for casting, I really, really hope they go with unknowns for most of the roles. If I was casting, the leads would all be unknowns and some of the adult roles would be big names. Someone suggested Uma Therman to play Mrs. Everdeen, and that would be a really good choice. I just hope they cast Katniss by acting ability and not by how much money her celebrity can generate (ie; Kristin Stewart would be a disaster!) I'd also like it if most of the actors were American, as the story takes place in the former US. People can always do accents, but it's never as natural. It's not a ridiculous demand either. Rowling insisted on all British actors for Harry Potter. Plus, being limited to Americans will make it more likely to find good unknowns.

^Maenad, i'm more concerned about them upping the intensity than lowering it, considering the intended audience. If it were aimed at children, i could see them toning it down, but Hollywood seems to think that a movie aimed at teens/young adults can't make money unless it's got loads of questionable content.

I'm fairly confident about Suzanne Collins' involvement, though. She had a lot of studios courting her for the rights, so she could make a lot of specific requirements about how much say she would have. And before she wrote books, she wrote for TV series', so she has some familiarity with that medium.

I don't know how they could up the intensity much more, but if they manage it I'll be thrilled! The questionable content is an integral part of the story. No one's character arc works without it. It's a story about uncomfortable things, so it needs to be uncomfortable.

It'll be interesting to see how they represent the Games. In the book all we get is Katniss' perspective, but will they stick with that in the film or show us some of what's going on in the Districts and with the Mentors? That's going to add a new dynamic. And oh, I hope the marketing campaign is in theme with the whole reality-show bit! That would be clever.

I recently read Mockingjay, and I have to say I am very disappointed.

The Hunger Games was a good book and while I realize that the story couldn't really have ended there, in ways I wish it was a stand-alone, because I didn't like either of the other books. Catching Fire had far too much overwrought teenage romance for my tastes (

In summary, I think Collins is a talented author, but somewhat overrated, and The Hunger Games series as a whole isn't nearly what it could have been.