Battle Royale by Koushun Takami (Translated by Yuji Oniki)

As you probably know, one of the most popular book series out right now is The Hunger Games. While I'm not a huge fan of The Hunger Games (kind of like Harry Potter - tried to read the books, watched the movies, still a little bored), I do enjoy the dystopian genre so when I heard that there was a book similar to The Hunger Games I thought, "What the hell? I'll give it a shot." So here's the book that I've been meaning to blog about for two or so months now...

 

Battle Royale
Summary: A class of Japanese students is taken to a deserted island where the government is forcing them to fight to the death. Each student is provided with a weapon and some rations. The students are forced to kill one another until there is only one left. And if no one dies within 24 hours? Every student is killed. Now the students have to decide whether they are going to play the sick game or if they are going to fight back - even if fighting back means certain death. Who will have to strength to survive? And does anyone truly win in Battle Royale?

What I thought of the book:

I honestly don't think I can put into words how much I loved this book. Heart-breaking, thrilling, suspenseful, and full-on creepy, this book rocks. There are great plot-twists and not to mention some amazing characters. The author did a great job with the bad guys especially - they're the kind of people you love to hate but at the same time feel a little bit sorry for. Seriously, probably one of my favorite books of all time (which is saying a lot, seeing as my own mother called me a "book snob").

When I describe the book to my friends they're always like, "So it's a Japanese Hunger Games." NO. If anything, The Hunger Games is actually an American Battle Royale. You know why? Because Battle Royale came out in 199-freaking-9 and the first Hunger Games book came out in 2008. Nine years, Battle Royale was out before The Hunger Games.

Now, I'm not saying the two books aren't similar. In fact, they are suspiciously similar. Am I saying that Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games, copied Battle Royale? Um, hell yeah. At first I didn't think so - I just thought they had a similar idea going on and I was totally fine with that. It happens all the time in the world of writing. But then I found more and more and more little details that happened to be the same in both books. Let me give you a list of a few of them:

1.      They use bird calls and fires to communicate.

2.      Someone who is a small hero (not necessarily a main character, but someone you wanted to live) dies while using said bird calls and fires to communicate.

3.      The really pretty people are the most cruel and the most willing to kill/start killing first.

4.      A boy and a girl who sort of knew each other before being forced to kill each other (but not really) team up.

5.      A best friend dies.

6.      Said boy and girl develop romance.

7.      Said boy gets a leg injury.

8.      Said boy and girl are given help from a person who has "won" the games before.

9.      Two people survive. Guess who they are.

10.  There is an even ratio of boys to girls.

So yes, I think Suzanne Collins copied a great amount of ideas from Battle Royale. This is greatly disappointing to me because I absolutely love her other series The Underlander Chronicles. But now all I can do is wonder what book those ideas came from. *shakes head in utter disapproval*

There are some differences though. Battle Royale is set in a more modern-day Japan (though the technology is much cool than the stuff in The Hunger Games). Also, Battle Royale is way more violent and heart-wrenching than The Hunger Games. And the point of view is different (Hunger Games is first person while Battle Royale is third).

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that before you start declaring that The Hunger Games is the best goddamn book in the whole entire universe, just give Battle Royale a try. You might actually like it better. I sure did (if you couldn't tell).

Later, Sarcastic Chick

PS Battle Royale was made into several comic books and also into a movie in 2000.

Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Who doesn't love zombies?  I'll tell you who: losers.  Because I am not a loser, I am an avid reader of zombie books (I am seriously reading about five right now).  Now, some zombie books are stupid and cliche, but there are some zombie books that have true quality.  They have a solid plot, realistic and believable characters (except for the zombies, of course), and a good message at the end.  Two of these amazing zombie masterpieces are Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry.

Jonathan Maberry is a multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, playwright,and writing teacher/lecturer.  His other books include Patient Zero, Ghost Road Blues, Dead of Night, and Zombie CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead.  You can find out more at his website.



Rot & Ruin
Summary:  Everything changed on the First Night.  Everything changed when the dead were no longer the dead.  Benny Imura has grown up in the zombie infested world of Rot and Ruin - what used to be America.  Now that he is fifteen, Benny must find work.  Despite his loathing of his older brother, Tom, he ends up joining the family business - namely, killing zombies (or "zoms").  Benny's view on zoms and people rapidly change as Tom teaches him and Benny finds out about Gameland - a place where kids are forced to fight zoms.  Now Benny has to determine who the real monsters in the world are.

What I thought of the book:
As you could probably tell, I absolutely loved this book.  The characters were great, especially Nix and Lilah.  Girl power!  And the villains rocked too - they were hard-core, bad to the bone kind of guys.  I mean, forcing kids to fight zoms?  How evil is that?!  I recommend this book to any high schoolers who aren't squeamish.



Dust & Decay (sequel to Rot & Ruin)
Summary:  After months of training with Tom and seeing the jet fly across Rot and Ruin, Nix, Benny, Lilah, and Tom are ready to leave their home.  Chong goes along for the first night, planning on just saying good-bye (and spending a little quality time with Lilah).  Unfortunately, their trip doesn't start well.  Wild animals are now roaming Rot and Ruin, there are swarms of zoms heading toward them, and, oh yeah, there are a couple of insane murderers after them.  Just when things couldn't get worse, Chong, Benny, and Nix are forced to fight in Gameland.

What I thought of the Book:
Honestly, this one was even better than the first.  Probably because this one had Sally Two-Knives, my personal favorite bounty hunter.  And I think the villains are even better in this one - more crazy, if you know what I mean.  If you liked Rot & Ruin, you'd love this book.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Hello, people with Internet!  Sorry I haven't been posting - crazy teachers assigning homework and me having a life and all.  Weird, right?  Anyway, to make up for it I'm going to show you probably the funniest book ever.  It also has a good lesson for girls so bonus points!  (By the way, this really is a girl book.  Boys, you might like this, but I kinda doubt it.)

Title:  Beauty Queen
Author:  Libbra Bray (also wrote Going Bovine, A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing)
Summary:  Fifty girls go to compete in The Corporation's "Miss Teen Dream" Beauty Pageant, but end up crash landing on an island in the middle of nowhere.  Will the beauty queens cave and give up because of  weird fruit, eating grubs, and battling giant snakes?  Or is this just the thing some of these girls needed to find themselves?  And what are these girls to do when a bunch of sexy pirates show up?  Worse yet, the Corporation seems to be up to no good....  Will these Miss Teen Dreams survive or will they end up a fabulous disaster?

What I thought of the book:  So, so, so good!!!  I've read a few of Libba Bray's other works and I'm not that big of a fan or anything, but this was really fun.  It wasn't a hard read, but it wasn't at a fifth grade reading level either.  Sometimes I thought there was too much going on (the pirates kind of threw me for a bit, but I'm better now), but I think Ms. Bray did a good job of describing what was going on and when.  The book was a bit, um, different with a transvestite and a lesbian, but it added character and depth to the story that I thought was very refreshing.  Honestly, I think every girl should read this book because of the lesson from the book - just because you're a girl that doesn't mean you are worth any less than a man.  (Whoo-hoo, girl power!)  To top it all off, this book is just freakin' hilarious.  I don't think I can describe it so instead I will show you some examples of the best lines in the book (calm down, I won't give anything away).  Enjoy!

"Ahem.  Dear Jesus," Taylor intoned more fervently.  "We just want to thank you for gettin' us here safe-"
There was a loud, gurgling groan.  Somebody shouted, "Oh my gosh!  Miss Delaware just died!"
"- for gettin' most of us here safe," Taylor continued.  "And we pray that, as we are fine, upstandin', law-adidin' girls who represent the best of the best, you will protect us form harm and keep us safe until we get rescued and can tell our story to People magazine.  Amen"

"Hi, y'all!  I'm Tiara Destiny Swan from Jackson, Mississippi, which is spelled M-I-double-S-I...um...shoot."

"Tiara..." Adina had lost all steam.  "What's your favorite color?"
Tiara's eyes darted left and right in fear and her smile was strained.  "Um.  Thank you, Fabio.  I personally believe that we have a duty such as... as Americans... to help other people who are not Americans such as the peoples of China and the Alaska and the freedoms we enjoy in our great nation and such and that is my opinion which I personally believe will make us a stronger nation.  Thank you."
Adina squeezed her hands against her head.  "What are you even saying?  You just made my brain die a little.  You know, people, just being beautiful isn't enough."
Tiara looked confused.  "But... it always has been."
(Funny, Tiara sounds a lot like Miss Teen USA South Carolina 2007.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Check out this video)

"Hi.  I'm from Arkansas, the cantaloupe state.  And tonight, I hope you will hold my melons close to your heart and vote me your Miss Teen Dream."

Miss Mexico took a big bite and rolled her eyes in bliss.  "OMG, this is so good, I'm not even going to make myself barf it back up."

"They're gonna kill us?"  Tiara said.  "That's so mean."

Tiara gave a small wave of farewell.  "You know what?  Dumb is better than dead."

Agent Jones frowned.  "Men have feelings, too.  You bruised the petals of my man flower."

Well, I hope you are now happy and laughing!  This was just a taste of the book - there are many more wonderful and knee-slapping funny quotes that can be found inside the book.  Read and enjoy :)

ox, SC

Answering Machines

Here are some of the best answering machine messages of all time.  Please, please, please use these for your own phones.  It will make calling people so much more fun.

• A bubble in the space-time continuum has connected your line to a channeler in the 23rd century.  Any message you leave will be broadcasted into the future.
• Hi, I'm not here, but my answering machine is, so talk to it instead.
• Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how we wonder who you are.  Leave a message at the beep.  We'll call back before you sleep.  Twinkle, twinkle, little star, bet you're wondering where we are.
• Greetings!  This is not an answering machine - this is a thought-recording device.  After the tone, think about your name, reason for calling, and a number I can reach you, and I'll think about returning your call.
• Hello.  Now you say something.
• Hi!  Bob's answering machine was broken.  This is his fridge.  Please speak very slowly.  I'll stick your message to myself with one of these magnets.
• Hi.  I'm probably here.  I'm just avoiding someone I don't like.  Leave me a message and if I don't call back, it's you.
• I'm not here, I'm rarely here, and when I'm here, I'm on the phone, so please leave a message at the tone!
• Hello, this is Suzie's microwave.  Her answering machine just eloped with the DVD player, so I'm stuck taking her calls.  If you want anything cooked while you leave your message, just hold it up to the phone.
• You've reached Alpha Centauri Space Station.  Commander Larry can't come to the phone right now.  He's either saving the universe from some dreaded, nameless peril - or perhaps he's taking a nap.  Leave your name and number and he will return your call.
• This is you-know-who.  I am you-know-where.  Leave your you-know-what you-know-when.
• (said very fast)  Hi, I'm not here right now.  If you want to leave a message, please wait for the tone.  If you want to leave your name and number, please press pound, press 3, then dial your name, then press 6, and dial your number.  If you want to leave a name and just a message, press star, press 6, ask for extension 4443, then leave your name and message.  If you want to leave your number and the time you called, please press star twice, spin in a circle, press 1 twice, talk loud, and.... *BEEP!*
• So long as phones can ring and eyes can see, please leave a message and I'll get back to thee.
• After the tone, please leave your name and number and tell me where you hid the money.
• Hello, I'm Brenda's answering machine.  What are you?
• Hi there.  This is Will speaking.  In a moment I have a decision to make.  Leave your name and number and I'll think about it.
• Thank you for calling.  If you wish to speak with Lily, press 1 now.  If you wish to talk with Lily's family, press 2 now.  If you have the wrong number, press 3 now.  All this button pushing does nothing, but it's a good way to work off frustration and it makes me feel like I have a big-time phone system.

You can find these and more wonderful answering machine messages in Uncle John's Bathroom Reader.  Leave your favorite answering machine message in the comments.

More Quotes (Aren't you lucky?)

I found these quotes at Smith Magazine and from the book I Can't Keep My Own Secrets.  All of these quotes are six words long - which is why they are called "Six Word Memoirs."  Some funny and some sad, I encourage you to read and come up with a few of your own.  You'd be surprised how much you can say with so little words.

• Super powers would make things easier.
• I giggle to cover all emotions.
• I'm army boots.  Ready for battle.
• You're the parent, act like one.
• Rather be alone in my room.
• They screamed "nobody."  I believed them.
• I looked it up on Wikipedia.
• Wikipedia didn't know either.  Oh well.
• Spent more time reading than living.
• I will be that cat lady.
• In love with best friend's boyfriend.
• I resent people who ignore grammar.
• Sick of being the good child.
• Can't live without a little insanity.
• Finally learned "weird" is a compliment.
• I'm just a simple human.  Being.
• Googled what he called me.  Ouch.
• Slowly becoming everything I hate.
• Learned that friends sometimes aren't forever.
• Fell in love with best friend.
• We're the family you gossip about.
• I miss all my imaginary friends.
• Replaced Prince Charming with someone real.
• Called walrus.  Should probably feel insulted.

Comment and leave some of your own Six Word Memoirs down below.

Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson

(inside cover of book)  Bobby isn't afraid of a little danger.  He thrives on it.  Smoking, drinking, racing stolen cars:  All the cops in Dublin know him and his gang.  But the real danger might not be in Dublin after all.  Bobby's mother has just moved their family to a quaint house in an idyllic village where he's meant to reform.  Only something's not right about that house.  The previous tenant mysteriously disappeared.  Stories of murder surround the family who lived there for years.  And now even Bobby's little brother talks about a strange visitor who comes to the house at night.  Bobby isn't afraid of a little danger.  But this danger isn't like the of dangers in his life.  This danger lurks and creeps and won't go away.  This danger is more like the suffocating hopelessness of his own future.  Bobby isn't afraid, he just wants to know: who is the Creature of the Night?

Review:  I won't use the inside cover description a lot on this blog, but I had to use it in this case.  Based on the description, you'd think it was a creepy, chiller book that will have you at the edge of your seat and keep you up at night.  It wasn't.  As a frequent reader and lover of scary stories, I was very disappointed.  But to be fair, the writing wasn't bad and neither was the plot.  Some of the characters weren't too realistic but for the most part they were pretty good.  Just be warned: if you're looking for a scary story skip over this one.

Twifail

*'Kay, so I realize that some of you out there may be Twilight fans.  That's fine.  I'm just expressing my opinion.  Please don't freak out.  If you're going to then just stop reading.  Right now.  Still reading?  Then I'm not longer responsible for your freak out.


So Breaking Dawn: Part 1 just came out yesterday (I was not aware of this until during class one of the girls was like, "OMTwilight, I saw Breaking Dawn last night!  *squeal*").  I believe this would be an excellent time to tell you I strongly dislike Twilight with a passion.  There is no plot, Edward is an abusive stalker, Bella is a whiny, ungrateful, self-absorbed, self-destructive little girl who needs to get a grip, Jacob is just plain creepy with a capital CREEPY, and vampires should never, ever sparkle.  Ever.  It's just gross and wrong.  Plus, it's so poorly written.  Ugh, it's almost painful to read.  Sometimes I wonder if Stephenie Meyer just woke up one morning and go "Oh, I think I'll just ruin vampire novels for everyone and at the same time set back feminists about 100 years."  Oh, that's right, SHE DID (she got the book idea from a freakin' dream).  Anyway, here are some of my very favorite anti-Twilight sayings:

• Jacob Black, I want to 'La Push' you off a cliff.
• Stephenie Meyer is my hero.  If she can publish a book I know I can.
• Then Buffy staked Edward.  The End.
• Team Tyler's Van
• Twilight: Bram Stoker is rolling in his grave.

And here is a great musical based on the books by Gliff Productions!  Enjoy!

One of the Survivors by Susan Shaw

Joey Campbell survived and 24 others did not.  He should feel lucky that he and his best friend, Maureen, survived.  But he doesn't feel lucky.  Not when he can't stop thinking about the fire that killed the other kids in his history class.  Not when people stop outside his house to throw things at him and yell, "Murderer!"  Not when they think he started the fire.  Just because he survived.  Just because he is one of the survivors.

This was one of the most powerful books I've ever read.  I kept asking myself "What if?" along with the characters.  The suggested age group for this book is 10-14, but I personally think that adults and older teenagers should read this story too.  I think the best part of this book was when Joey wrote about his sketch in his journal.  Very strong writing right there, folks.