Mockingjay: Nothing to Mock About

WARNING!!!! If you have not read the book yet, you probably don't want to read this because it is spoilery!!! Also, I warn that I wrote this right after reading the book, so it's probably emotionally jumbled... But it's pretty much exactly how the book made me feel, so... Here you go:

In one word: Devastating.

Now, I've heard from some people that they thought Mockingjay was too dark, and too bloody and um... Did you read the first two? It's a bloody story. It's a horrific story. As I said above, it was emotionally (and in my case) physically devastating. I can't explain to you how much I want to throw up and curl up into a ball and weep and retch. Mostly, because I don't think any of you want me to explain that to you.

Now, I don't like watching documentaries of war, I don't like watching war reenactments, but I've seen them. And when Collins was describing, toward the end of the book, the rush of the Rebels, the Peacekeepers, the innocents, all tangled in a mess of shooting and death... I wasn't thinking of Panem. I saw flashes of World War II, I saw the concentration camps, I saw every war that the stupid Human race has ever gone through...

I don't watch the news, I don't read the newspapers, I don't listen to the radio. Why? I can't deal with real life stuff, because I can't stop war, I can't stop people from dying, I can't do anything from my home here. But I can read about Panem, and I can read about their rebellion and I can retch and cry over them... And I wonder why that is.

Sitting here I'm tapping on a computer, a laptop, one that I own. My sister owns two laptops, my dad has one, my brother has one, plus we have two other computers. I'm listening to my sister douse herself in water, taking a shower- while people die everywhere because they don't have clean water. It made me see my life in a way I never, ever, wanted to see it. If my world were the same as the world that Collins describes, I would not be one of the districts. I would be part of the Capitol. Sure, I feel bad about stuff, but I'm okay staying where it's safe, and cold, and boring.

And that's the thing about books, about stories, about literature. It takes our world, re-names it, re-labels it, and shoves you inside to live in it. Really live in it. And it can either unaffect you, leaves you able to go back to life unchanged. Or a story can make you think, stays on the surface of your skin, but it fades after a few days. Or a story can completely ruin you, devastate you, cause you to fall flat on your butt and really look at life and ask 'Why?'

Another thing I did not expect from this book was the fact that it made me jealous. Yeah, go figure. But you see, Katniss lives in a world where it has already happened. The Capitol already took over, District 13 already rebelled... But I'm living in a world where that could easily happen, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. As far as I know, my children could live in a world very similar to that, and there's very, very little I can do about it. It reminds me of a quote I heard from someone around the blogosphere that I am not going to quote right, but he was saying that dystopian fiction is getting big right now not because it's a future that might happen sometime, but because it's a future that could be theirs.

So instead of being completely depressed (though, I still will be emotionally wrecked tomorrow, which is wonderful since I have to go to work), shouldn't I let this Story remind me to be careful about life? I still have my sister, I still have my family. I don't have to be psychologically ruined and scarred for life. I can still find a way to live my life with Meaning.

Katniss and Peeta, though severely mangled in so many ways, were still able to have some sort of decent life. And that's the thing. This story is not completely depressing, there is that ever-present light of hope.

It reminds me of the power of words, and I can only hope that one day I can do justice to that Power.

And though some would disagree with me, looking at the world through the eyes of Mockingjay, it leaves me ever more grateful that I'm not in control of the world. 'Cause even if sometimes God confuses my brain out, I still know He's in control, and I know He can use things like this book to wake me up and get me moving again.

Yup. Those are my rambly thoughts. Thanks for listening to me rant *smiles and nods off to sleep*

Fairytales and Contests

So I am doing this blogfest/contest that Miss Emily is doing over here and it is Fantasticlly so much fun. There's not much time left since it is due today, but if you have time run around and write something.

You had to take a fairytale story (one that people could recognize) and twist it and put it into a different genre. This is mine:

RoseAutumn and the Hundred Years Sleep

This pic found here

The ship shrieked silently across the void of space. Within this heap of steel and plastic a girl named RoseAutumn stumbled over to the plexi-glass stasis pod. She fumbled with the controls to close herself in, watching as the metal around her blazed into roaring flame. The gas erupted, pushing the girl’s mind to sleep so that she never felt the impact, never felt the crash or heard the grinding, shredding metal.

Meanwhile, on the planet below, a Queen watched the burning flesh of metal scream from the sky and tumble among her trees and bushes. Without hesitation she slithered a feline body through the smoldering wreck and set a taloned hand on the plexi-glass that had managed to stay intact and keep RoseAutumn safe. “You are mine,” the Queen said.

For one hundred years the Queen let her forest writhe and twine itself around the foreign ship. The Queen gave of her very own life and breath to feed the girl, though how this was accomplished none have dared to ask or seek out answer. For many more years this may have continued on to eternity had it not been for one fate-filled day.

A Prince from a neighboring region ventured near the place and heard tell of the Sleeping Girl from the birds and creatures that dwelt there. And lo, the Prince forged into the forest and made war against the Queen, hacking through vine and living bramble. The Queen stayed hidden, using her powers to move rock and tree, doing all she could to kill the Prince.

After many days and night of such fighting the Prince made his way and stood before the Queen and gazed upon her. Her lower portions resembled that of a snake; her torso was feline in nature. Her upper limbs were like that of some evil beast. The Queen’s face was as Human, though her eyes were distinct, resembling nothing. The Prince averted his own eyes and in doing so looked upon the slumbering girl. Immediately, irrevocably, he fell in love with her.

“My claim is upon her,” he spoke unto the Queen and, behold, he smote her and the stench of her death spread wide through the forest. The Prince then opened up the stasis pod and, as was the custom of his people, kissed RoseAutumn upon her ruby-red lips.

“What are you doing?” She screamed upon awakening. Immediately, irrevocably, she blasted the Prince with her ray gun.

---

Hope you enjoyed :) It was super fun to write.

This May Involve Death...

For those of you who don't know I have been generally against Blogfests (for myself, not for other people.) The only reason why is because I'm borderline schizophrenic and I'm sure the aliens can find me if I enter a blogfest.

Hey. *gets defensive twinge in eye* You never know.

But Tessa at Tessa's Blurb is having a blogfest of DEATH! Isn't that mad cool? I can't resist the chance to kill somebody. *Ahem* I mean... A chance to hone my skills as a writer. That's what I meant. Uh-huh.

So I'm entering a blogfest *swoons from shock.* I suppose that shows you that #anythingispossible. Because I never thought I would use hashtags on Twitter either, and #lookwhathappened #it'slikeadisease

I blame all of this Brain Malfunction on Mia Hayson. She does blogfests ALL the time (Read her one about the Cute Zombie Man *drool*)

*blushes* Ahem. Sorry. I will be a perfect little lady now.

PFAHHHH! Sorry, that idea totally made me laugh.

You see, my friend and I think it would be cool to insert ourselves into a Finishing School and then we could have Secret Meetings about being Rebellious and eating pickles with one's bare hands!! Ah! We would totally get kicked out and how much fun would it be to go around saying I got kicked out of a finishing school? Bwahaha...

Excuse me. I'm going to go plot some more Evil Thoughts for out Secret Meetings.

(pic from here)

Me: Look! I have dirty hands!

Prissy Lady: *squeals and faints*

Me: *laughing hysterically*

Friend: You're weird. Ooh! Look! Pickles! Let's make a smoothie.