In defense of If I Stay

Sometimes, I really like BuzzFeed and the fact that it doesn't feel like it's written by professionals or media experts.

Sometimes, I don't.

This post, unfortunately, is because of the latter.

Apparently, this compilation of hateful misinterpretations appeared on BuzzFeed the day the If I Stay movie came out, claiming to be a list of reasons why If I Stay is upsetting "for all the wrong reasons." It is not what it claims to be.

This is a list of reasons why the author of this particular list did not like the movie. Period. That is all it is. And because this is the book that got me into YA literature and therefore I'm super protective of it, I am now going to go through the entire list and tell you why the list is a flagrant disregard for the actual things the movie— but more importantly, the book— is about.

So. Here we go.

1. "If I Stay is no The Fault in Our Stars." Okay, then. Right off the bat we're making a comparison that is not being asked to be made, does not need to be made, and frankly should not be made. If I Stay is not trying to be The Fault in Our Stars, and saying that it is is like saying that the Chronicles of Narnia are trying to be Harry Potter. Gayle Forman's book came out three years before John Green's book did, and frankly this whole trend of determining one YA book's or movie's value by comparing it to another one is not doing anything for anyone. These two books are not about the same thing, they don't have the same tone or the same characters or the same questions or the same answers. The only thing they have in common is their genre: contemporary YA. By comparing them, you're saying that all contemporary YA novels and movies are derivative and in competition with each other, which they are not.
2. "If I Stay is an effort to capitalize on the same audience as TFiOS." Um, so basically this "second" point of yours is the same thing as the first, only now you're affronted by the fact that the movie studio wants you to see this movie if you liked TFiOS. Here's the thing: they also want you to see it if you didn't like TFiOS. They want you to see it if you didn't even see TFiOS. You also seem upset by the fact that the movie wants you to cry, but didn't pack enough punch for you as "OK? OK," or whatever.  [By the way, it's not "OK"; it's OKAY. Get it straight.] But you know what? That's a subjective opinion. I don't give a monkey's toenail about "Okay? Okay," but I sure as hell got all sore-throat trying-and-failing-not-to-cry over "You still have a family, Mia." You're angry that the movie didn't have the same effect for you that TFiOS had, fine. But that's your fault, because you went in with the wrong expectations. Maybe you should have read the book first.
3. "If I Stay's romance is shaped by a particular kind of wish fulfillment" Aren't all romances,
   
   
   fictional or not? Because that's what romance is: wish fulfillment. If the person you're with isn't fulfilling your wishes, why would you be with them? If you're attracted to someone, or have chemistry with someone, or are in love with someone, it's all wish fulfillment. If they're not who you want or need them to be, the romance is not there. It does not exist. What you have instead is tension. Tension between the characters who realize that something isn't working— which is what happens when Mia might be leaving Adam to go to Juilliard. He doesn't get mad at her because she might be moving; he gets mad at her because she lied to him about it. She didn't tell him, and it's something that affects his life too. They're supposed to be in this together, and she completely shut him out. So yeah, he acts like a jerk for a second. He's a teenager. First you complain about wish fulfillment and then you complain when Adam has a realistic reaction to something that upset him. He is not Augustus Waters; his moment of weakness was never going to be the part where he sits in a gas station parking lot in the middle of the night, crying because he couldn't do one simple thing for himself. If I Stay is more about relationships than people; sure, all of the characters have their own crap that they're dealing with (I, for one, loved that they gave Adam more family backstory in the movie), but the central focus when it comes to Adam is that he and Mia are in love with each other but it might not work out anyway. It's about how inconvenient it is to fall in love and stay that way when you're 17 years old and your dreams are taking you in different directions. Functionally, their relationship could not be perfect all the time. It wouldn't have made sense. Mia had to deal with this whether or not there was a life-or-death scenario involved— Adam even says it, in both the movie and the book, when he realizes that if Mia gets into Juilliard, her decision is already made. She has to go. The issue is wrestled with completely separately from the ramifications of the car accident; Adam came to terms with the possibility of a long-distance relationship, even if he wasn't happy about it, long before he learned that Mia was in the hospital.
4. "Mia's mom and dad, unexpectedly, turn out to be the most charming part of the movie." Yeah, so? I think your complaint here is that the "Family Ties element" of their relationship with Mia "gets funneled into Mia's constant feelings of self-doubt." I keep trying to make sense of that so-called sentence, honestly I do, but it seems to be mostly just words arranged in what you think is an appealing way. Mia's relationship with her parents is fantastic; that's the whole point of the whole book. She feels insecure because she's not like them and she wishes she were— but that doesn't mean she thinks they don't love her. In no way does her self-doubt overshadow her relationship with her parents or make it less important, because if it did that, there would be no story. Her parents encouraged her to go out with Adam not because they liked him and wanted him to be their new son, but because they could see that Mia liked him, and they didn't want her to be afraid of him. "She shouldn't be afraid to hang out with those guys; they're us," her mom said. They simply pointed out that Mia had been hanging out with people like Adam her entire life.
5. "And why is Mia so plagued with doubts?" You know what? This paragraph doesn't deserve a response. All this paragraph does is complain about the female protagonist and how passive and boring she is, never mind the source material. Never mind that the character herself is actually witty and talented and loyal and fighting for her life. How dare Mia be insecure, even though you've just listed every single thing that's wrong with her? How dare she agree with you about herself? But I'm sure that if she were less "passive" (you know, while she's IN A COMA) and had more confidence, the problem would be that she was too unrelatable like Katniss or too headstrong like Clary or too annoying like every other female character ever. I'm done.
6. Blah blah blah death is not a choice blah blah milquetoast blah blah why does she need encouragement to live when the most important people in her life are dead? I'm rolling my eyes so hard right now. We get it. You hate Mia. You hate the idea that people can choose whether they live or die— which, just to be clear, is an idea that the book refutes, understanding that people like Mia's parents would never have chosen death— and you hate that someone with such a good life still ahead of her would consider giving up. But those are your opinions, not incontrovertible facts. The book is written in first-person for a reason: it puts us in Mia's shoes. We see everything from her perspective, and we know why she might choose to go. She's unsure about whether her relationship with Adam will last; she doesn't know yet if she got into Juilliard; and her family, her main source of encouragement and love, is suddenly gone, ripped out of her life so suddenly and heartbreakingly. They've always been the ones helping her decide what to do, because that was their job and they were good at it, and they're not around anymore. She doesn't know what life looks like without them and she isn't sure she wants to. So yeah, she needs to be encouraged to live. I would too.
7. "If I Stay turns out to be the ultimate they'll-miss-me-when-I'm-gone fantasy." No?????? It
   
   doesn't??????? This story is not about Mia sitting around and watching everyone cry over her while she laughs maniacally from beside her comatose body. It's not about her self-pity and it's definitely not about spite— she has no one to spite. Not once in the entire movie (or book) is she happy to see these people crying and pleading with her to live, telling her how much they need her. The story is about how much she needs them. Adam didn't "run frantically back to her side, apologizing for being a jerk." He apologized to her, as I said before, long before she was in a hospital bed, and he ran frantically back to her side because he wanted to see her. I'm sorry you don't understand how love works, but Adam didn't promise to move to New York because he wanted Mia to open her eyes; he promised because he wanted her to know she had a future. The car accident that killed Mia's family did not win her anything, and how dare you imply that it did. Yes, the movie makes it seem like she won the fight with Adam, but she didn't. She didn't even stay for Adam. Aside from the fact that (spoiler) they break up after the first book/movie ends, the fight was never about whether Adam would come to live with Mia in New York. It was about whether their relationship could survive their divergent paths. That fight doesn't end just by virtue of their living in the same city.

All of this is not to say that I didn't have problems with the If I Stay movie, especially when it comes to the things they changed from the books. Adam was not supposed to promise to come with Mia, he was supposed to promise to let her go. That was important to me. But these problems that supposedly make it upsetting for the "wrong reasons"? Judgmental, subjective, and wrong.

30-Day shipping challenge in 1 day

I decided to do this 30-day challenge in addition to the Friday Night Lights one (which I've kind of been neglecting), because it looked like the kind of thing that might rip my heart out and dance on it... in a fun way.

I'm kind of cheating because I hate having the responsibility of being required to come back and add something every day, so I'm doing all the days at once.

Day 1: What is your current favorite ship? 

I don't really know what you mean by "favorite," but I'll go with the S.S. Nick & Jess.

Day 2: What was your very first ship?

Either Cory & Topanga or Ross & Rachel.

Day 3: A pairing that needs to happen now. 

I'm good. I tend to be weary of making my ships happen "right now" because then they might not be done right.

Day 4: The pairing with the most chemistry. 

It's hard to say because not many of them are actually together yet haha. Maybe I'll go with FourTris.

Day 5: The pairing with the least chemistry. 

It breaks my heart to say this, but Booth & Bones. What happened?

Day 6: The best kiss. 

I'm not one for judging that kind of thing. I'm going to say Mara and Noah because it left me wondering if they actually had even kissed. 

Day 7: The most heartbreaking scene. 

CLOCKWORK PRINCE, CHAPTER 20.

Tessa had begun to tremble. This is what she had always wanted someone to say. What she had always, in the darkest corner of her heart, wanted Will to say. Will, the boy who loved the same books she did, the same poetry she did, who made her laugh even when she was furious. And here he was standing in front of her, telling her he loved the words of her heart, the shape of her soul. Telling her something she had never imagined anyone would ever tell her. Telling her something she would never be told again, not in this way. And not by him.

And it did not matter.

Day 8: The pairing with the most baggage.

Will and Tessa. I mean, I do not think you get much more baggage than "I'm engaged to your blood brother who is dying" and "I spent the last 5 years pushing everyone, including you, away because I thought I was CURSED BY A DEMON."

Day 9: The most believable relationship. 

Coach and Mrs. Coach. (aka Eric and Tami Taylor) !!

Day 10: Why aren’t these two married? 

They are...

Day 11: What is your dream pairing? 

Isn't that the same as my favorite ship? If I have to pick a different one, let me go with Frankie and Alpha from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks... those two are totes m2b.

Day 12: Who had the best wedding?

I wasn't actually at any of their weddings.

Day 13: What is your favorite movie pairing? 

I honestly have no clue.

Day 14: What is your favorite book pairing?

Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace Lancaster.

Day 15: What is your favorite real life pairing?

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield.

Day 16: What is the absolute worst pairing? 

Booth and Cam... it skeeves me out just thinking about it.

Day 17: A pairing you never thought would work, but did. 

Bev and Colby in The Disenchantments. I really didn't think they were going anywhere (figuratively).

Day 18: What is the cutest pairing? 

LOLA NOLAN AND CRICKET BELL. You do not get much more adorable than Cricket Bell.

Day 19: A pairing you’ve rooted for since the beginning. 

Luke and Lorelai

Day 20: The can’t-stand-the-sexual-tension pairing.

Pre-baby Booth and Bones.

Day 21: A pairing you like and no one else understands why. 

Yeah, I don't really have any of those. My ships always make sense.

Day 22: A pairing you hate and no one understands why. 

Well, I wouldn't say nobody understands this, but Lena and Julian. I just... even if Alex were actually dead, I would hate it. Julian has the personality of a rice cake.

Day 23: A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out great.

Uhh, this one is hard because I haven't really found one of these yet. Maybe Michael/Em/Kaleb in the Hourglass series, because it didn't actually turn into a love triangle like you'd expect.

Day 24: A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out badly.

Lol, Lucas/Helen/Orion in the Dreamless series. Because, you know, they all became blood brothers and started a war with the gods. Ooops.

Day 25: A pairing that was/would-be adorable, but could never work out. 

Jem and Tessa. I'm sorry. It can't work out because 1) Jem is dying, 2) Jem's best friend and his fiance are in love with each other, and 3) It JUST CAN'T. Poor Jem.

Day 26: A pairing that you hated and ended up loving.

Helen and Orion... I mean, I don't ship them, but I like Orion a lot. Which says something, because I usually can't stand the guy who intrudes on my ship (coughJuliancough).

Day 27: A pairing that you loved and ended up hating. 

Ethan and Clem in Unbreak My Heart. They had a good thing going, and then he had to go and be a jerk when his girlfriend found out LOL.

Day 28: A pairing that you will never understand. 

Lorelai/Christopher or Rory/Logan. HOW CAN ANYONE SHIP THOSE?

Day 29: What ship had the best proposal? 

Again, not many of my ships are actually married. Jim and Pam. Highway gas stations FTW!

Day 30: Your favorite pairing forever and ever and ever!

This is hard. Katniss and Peeta (Everlark) or Rory and Jess (Literati).

NOoooooOOOOoo

Okay, while my blog is still ruminating on my fear of change, I'm going to run with that thought. And talk about my fear of my favorite books becoming movies, which I'm pretty sure stems from my fear of change.

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When I really like a book, I like it the way it is. I like my experience of it, and don't want it to be tainted by seeing other people experience it differently. Do I get happy to find out that certain books are going to become movies? Yes! Like, for instance, If I Stay. The whole time I was reading that book, I wanted it to be a movie. The Sky is Everywhere? Sure, why not! These are books that I know aren't going to become big, huge, blockbuster movies. They're also books that don't involve a lot of picturing of the characters-- like, I honestly couldn't tell you what the physical description of Adam is, or what Joe Fontaine looks like other than that galaxy-brightening smile. So my versions of the characters can't really be changed by the casts of the movies.

But say, like, Anna and the French Kiss were to become a movie. I know that Nickelodeon has bought the rights to it, and that totally freaks me out. Not only because Nickelodeon is for little kids and so they'd have to change a larger fraction of the content than you'd think, or because Nickelodeon could turn it into a crappy half-hour television show or a crappy hour-and-a-half television movie, but because I know in my head who these characters are to me. I don't want everyone else to see them differently; I want people to see them as they are in the book. It terrifies me to no end to think that Anna Oliphant and Etienne St. Clair could become household names to teenybopping Nickelodeon-watchers or scowling know-it-all television/movie critics. Or, even if that didn't happen and viewers and critics alike loved Anna, I'd still hate it because I'd feel like these people don't know, you know? They just wouldn't get it. Plus the characters would look different and the story would feel different and just, agh, I can't.

And now I'm starting to make no sense. Let me backtrack and explain what brought on this panic attack:

Apparently, Delirium is in the process of becoming a movie. As in, the script has been written and there are people working to make it happen, including Lauren Oliver, who has been "brainstorming" cast ideas. I'm even more afraid for this series to become movies than I was for The Hunger Games, because deep down I knew that The Hunger Games couldn't really be interpreted as "another Twilight" (yep, that again). I'm not so sure with Delirium. Personally I don't think it is another Twilight-- by which I mean it's not all about a swoony nonsense romance. It's about a society that has outlawed love, where they do procedures on your 18th birthday to make sure you can never love anything or anyone. It's actually really twisted! The main character starts out a passive 17-year-old who's afraid of getting the "disease" (amor delirium nervosa), but she ends up a totally kick-butt character who's dared to defy everything she has been taught to accept, and adore everything she's been taught to reject.

I don't want this to become a movie because, okay, I have a fear of narrow-minded people. The people who will watch the movie and label it as "this thing that's been done before" or "that thing that's been done before," just because of the romance. The romance in this story is actually necessary to the character and plot development; without it, nothing would happen. Yet I'm afraid that people will criticize it for the focus on Lena and Alex's relationship-- how Alex watched her from afar until she noticed him and they fell in love, how Lena ends up willing to leave everything she knows behind because of him. They won't see that Alex helped her find the fault in life inside the fence, or that Lena isn't only willing to leave so she can be with Alex, but so she can be without the wrongness of forcing people to live without love. They'll hone in on "girl sees mysterious boy, mysterious boy shows up again, mysterious boy gives her a mysterious amount of attention, girl and mysterious boy fall in love, plan to run away together." Which is wrong.

There's also the problem of movies changing the characters, even in the slightest ways. If I'm attached to a character in a book, I want to be attached to that character just as much in the movie, but it doesn't tend to happen that way. Here comes an example you probably didn't see coming: Peeta Mellark. Don't get me wrong, I loved The Hunger Games movie. I'm seeing it a fifth time this weekend. But... Peeta. Josh Hutcherson does a wonderful job with the role, but I felt like he wasn't given enough of Peeta's material to work with. A lot of the dialogue in the cave scene was cut out, as were a lot of Peeta's funniest moments that made him seem like more of a real person to me. Movie Peeta just isn't the same as book Peeta, and I always fear that happening with my favorite characters.

Not to mention, if they make Delirium a movie, they'll have to make Pandemonium a movie. Which is going to SUCK A LOT (Julian, ugh) but I'll have to see it. And also they'll have to find a way to get whoever plays Alex to be okay with a lot less screen time in the second movie.

And then there's the whole phenomenon where a book series that becomes a movie series eventually becomes, to most people, only a movie series. People think Twilight, they don't think of the books-- they think of KStew and RPattz and Taylor Lautner's abs. Which is a big change, if you ask me. And have I mentioned I hate change?

But who knows? Harry Potter and The Hunger Games have certainly done well enough to vouch for books-turned-movies. But they're in the smallest section of the Venn-diagram:

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes, Hollywood needs to learn to leave well enough alone. Or make sure that not leaving it alone is the best choice for everyone.

Rules.

So, I've now heard the song Rules by Jayme Dee at least 10 times, and it just hit me. I always vaguely knew what it was about, but I wasn't really listening until just now, and OH MY GOD. Yet another perfect Song from District 12.

Let's do another line-by-line analysis, shall we?

You say you know love, but you are just reflecting words you hear

No iron in your veins to give you any sense of pain or fear

Hokay, so it's obvious from the first two lines that this song is from Peeta's perspective. Which is good, because we've got a bunch from Katniss's perspective, one from Gale's (or so I interpret it to be), and even one from the Capitol's perspective.

It's just another lie, it's just another calculation

And when the power's out, we're just another old sensation

This so accurately depicts how Peeta feels at the end of the first book, when he says, "It was all for the Games, how you acted." He goes from thinking Katniss is in love with him to thinking she doesn't actually care about him at all and was only calculating how to win the Games.

This blood keeps me alive, but what is it that runs through you?

Electricity and wires, dictating everything you do

This kind of shows how harshly Peeta judges Katniss at the end of the book, but he's still asking questions about her because he still loves her. THE NEXT LINES ARE MY FAVORITES:

You tell me that you hear me and all your memories are real,

But how do I know you don't just feel what you've been told to feel?

GAH. *breathes* These lines are so perfect. "Memories"-- "I don't want to forget"-- He wants her to remember them as real too, but he's afraid she only thinks of them as steps toward a destination. Also, the whole memory thing applies beautifully to Mockingjay, but I can't say how. And then the word "real," obviously, applies to Real or Not Real, which is SO PERFECT I CAN'T HANDLE IT. And then "how do I know you don't just feel what you've been told to feel" is kind of obvious, but I'll explain anyway. Peeta has just figured out that Haymitch has been telling Katniss to be in love with Peeta for the audience, so he doesn't know if her feelings are, you know, Real or Not Real (not a Mockingjay spoiler, don't worry).

Then there's the chorus:

We run around the rules

We run around the rules

We run around the rules

Round and round, two by two, we run around the rules

Running around the rules is exactly what Peeta and Katniss do, from the moment they held hands in their flaming chariot, to the moment they put the nightlock berries to their lips and get the Gamemakers to allow two victors.

There's water in your eyes, and I know I'm the reason that it's there

But still I don't feel bad, because I know that you have more to spare

On some level, Peeta knows it wasn't "all for the Games," but he's too upset to care. And he knows that Katniss isn't (figuratively) going to cry out all of her tears over this. She has "more to spare" for other things, like Rue and all the fallout from the Games.

And just behind your eyes are switches that can turn back on

To clear away today 'til all your memories are gone

He's convinced that she's going to "try to forget," which means leaving behind all memories of Peeta from the Games. She's not going to remember that part of it was real. Again, he's being harsh because he's hurt, so he sees her as a kind of emotional lightswitch-- flip the switch, and she loses all emotional attachment to him.

And then it repeats the chorus twice, emphasizing how heartbroken Peeta is. He's like, yeah, we run around the rules, but what do I have to show for it?

The Twilight Problem

There is a severe problem in the world of fiction, or rather fiction reviewing, that needs to be fixed.

This problem, I like to call "the Twilight Problem."

"I know he's a vampire, and I know he's standing behind me looking at me like he wants to eat me, but I'm gonna stay right here in these creepy woods with him because I think I love him even though I just met him."

The Twilight Problem is a classic problem of comparisons-- no matter what, books are always compared to other books. But this one is unique, because it clumps a wide variety of books into a single category that is harshly and unfairly judged based on the mistakes of ONE book. More specifically, any book that involves any kind of romance is deemed "Twilight-esque," for some reason.

I am not only talking about The Hunger Games here, although that comparison is the one that bothers me the most because it is so completely unvalidated. I'm talking about every young adult book that involves some level of romance, or a love triangle. Cassie Clare's books. Divergent. Beautiful Creatures (okay, yeah, that one I get). Delirium. Starcrossed. Mara Dyer. Etc.

IT NEEDS TO STOP.

Twilight did not invent romance. It did not invent the love triangle. Anyone who dismisses a book because it has a "Twilight-esque" romance should take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask themselves, "Is this the kind of person I want to be?" Someone who will leave a harsh review of a book based on how similar it is to another book? Someone who maybe will not even read a book because of those comparisons? Someone who avoids romance and the beautiful lie that true love conquers all, because of one book that took it a bit too far?

I have never read two stories in which the romances were exactly the same. Meaning that a very small percentage of them were comparable to Twilight-- by which I mean insta!love, obsessive love, destructive love. Usually love stories are sweet and believable and romantic, which is how they should be. I'm not going to avoid a love story just because it might be like Twilight. Because chances are, it won't. After all, it's not the romance that makes Twilight bring on The Cringe Factor; it's the relationship. The fact that Edward and Bella own each other. The fact that Edward is dangerous and for some reason Bella isn't as concerned with her own safety as she should be. That he literally has to change who she is in order for them to be together. That's the problem.

Not the fact that there's a love triangle.

Not that fact that it's a romance.

It's the characters themselves, which have never, not once, been replicated in another book. You don't see the love interest stalking the girl from afar, or watching her while she sleeps before they even know each other, or having to constantly weigh his desire to be with her against his desire to kill her. THAT is all Twilight.

Here is where I contrast the books to prove that comparing them is useless:

You want to tell me that Peeta and Katniss and Gale are like Edward and Bella and Jacob? Tell me, when does Katniss ever say she needs them? Because Bella's a blithering fool when Edward leaves-- she walks hunched over, with her hand to her stomach at all times because she has a PHYSICAL AFFLICTION when he's gone. She thinks she needs him. Katniss knows that she won't die if Peeta and/or Gale were to leave or die. The one she chooses, she doesn't need him because she has an unhealthy attachment to him; she needs him because he helps her. He makes the world better for her. 

You want to tell me Jace and Clary and Simon are like Edward and Bella and Jacob? Jace is rude; Edward is annoyingly polite. Clary is full of fire and art; Bella is full of dissatisfaction and dependence. Simon is a vampire; Jacob is a werewolf (sorry, cheap shot, but I had to. Simon is also smart and geeky; Jacob is... Taylor Lautner).
You think Will, Tessa and Jem are like Edward, Bella and Jacob? Will is self-destructive because it helps everyone else. He will not let people love him, no matter how bad he must make himself seem. Edward gives a halfhearted warning about how loving him is a bad idea, and then he lets her do it anyway. Tessa is selfless like Bella, admirably, but she also thinks more logically about her decisions. Jem is the safe choice, like Jacob, but if he knew about Tessa's feelings for Will, he would never try to tear her away from him. Heck, he probably wouldn't even make her decide. And here's the kicker: Will and Jem are best friends. They have a relationship, whereas Edward and Jacob do nothing but fight with each other.

You think Tris and Four are like Bella and Edward? PLEASE. Tris wields a gun and beats people up. Four loves that she wields a gun and beats people up. Bella would probably end up shooting herself with the gun, if Edward were to ever let her near one. Which he wouldn't.

Think Lena and Alex and Julian (blegh) are like Bella and Edward and Jacob? Snort. Lena doesn't decide to join Alex's world because it's the only way to stay with him; she does it because she realizes that her world is dead wrong. Julian's certainly no Jacob (this one, actually, is a compliment to Twilight. Sorry, I really don't like Julian).

Think Helen and Lucas are like Bella and Edward? I admit, the love story in this one is reminiscent of Twilight in the most superficial ways-- they're thrown together, he brings her to school every day, his family is big and strange-- but these two are literally destined by the gods to be together. This story is one of the most original things I've ever read.

Finally, you think Mara and Noah are Bella and Edward? Excuse me while I *sips water* SPIT OUT MY WATER AT YOU. Mara Dyer is the antithesis of Bella Swan. She's seriously screwed up, and dangerous, and awesome. Bella wishes she were Mara Dyer. Noah Shaw, like Edward, has a mysterious bad boy reputation. But, unlike Edward, he earned it. It's not gossip; it's fact. He doesn't write poetry in script or talk about death as a romantic ideal, and he certainly isn't the 100-year-old virgin. Hah.

So, there you have it. I'm sure there are more examples of the Twilight Problem, but these are the 7 I chose to address.

Me, I'm not going to be influenced by it. I'm going to read love stories. I'm going to revel in the healthy relationships in books. I'm not going to be the cynic who confuses Twilight romance with romance in general. 

Book Survey!

One rule: You can't use the same answer twice.
1. What book are you currently reading?
Well, I'm between books. I'm waiting for Pandemonium to get to my house on Tuesday, and I finished The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer yesterday (review to come).
2. What is your favorite book?
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire (I say this not because Mockingjay isn't also my favorite, but because I saved it for a later answer)
3. Who is your favorite character in any book?
Augustus Waters.
4. What character are you most in love with?
Peeta Mellark.
5. What character are you most like in personality?
Katniss Everdeen.
6. What character do you look like?
Tris Prior. Small, with a plain face that competes with blond hair and blue eyes.
7. What character do you wish you were more like?
For some reason I want to say Alaska Young, even though I know she's all tortured and whatnot. It's the self-assured thing.
8. What book do you think is underrated?
Mockingjay. Severely.
9. Favorite bad boy character?
Noah Shaw. Because he actually did earn his reputation.
10. Favorite bad girl character?
Mara Dyer. She crazy. (Those two are such a pair)
11. Favorite English character?
Etienne St. Clair ("But he's not English! He's American! And he lives in France!")
12. Favorite author?
This is such a hard question to answer. Because my favorite books are The Hunger Games books, Suzanne Collins. Because he and his books are both made of awesome, John Green. Because I agree with her on everything and I love her books more than is probably healthy, Stephanie Perkins. Because she talks to her fans more than any author I've seen, and treats them like their questions are worth her time and their theories are valid, Cassandra Clare. And because she's completely crazy, Maureen Johnson.
13. Name a character with a psychological problem that you share (be it serious or not).
Anna Oliphant, obsessive compulsive.
14. Name a character you will/would defend to the ends of the Earth.
Will Herondale.
15. Favorite redheaded character?
Finnick Odair.
16. Favorite love triangle?
Will/Tessa/Jem.
17. Favorite blue-eyed character?
Cricket Bell.
18. Name a character people wouldn't expect you to love, but you do.
Gale Hawthorne.
19. Favorite book you've read this year?
The Fault in Our Stars
20. Favorite villain?
President Snow.
21. Name a book you could/would not finish.
Incarceron.
22. Name a book that made you angry.
Imaginary Girls ...I'm still not over what a waste of time that one was. I want to wring the main character's neck, as well as her sister's, as well as EVERYONE ELSE'S.
23. Name a book that made you happy.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
24. Name 5 books you're looking forward to.
1. Insurgent, 2. Mara Dyer #2, 3. Promised, 4. Isla and the Happily Ever After, 5. Clockwork Princess
25. A random fact about your book preferences.
I am fascinated by books involving secret societies (especially within schools) or factions, i.e. the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks; the territory wars in Jellicoe Road
26. Favorite childhood book?
Well, I didn't really read that many books as a child. There was the Series of Unfortunate Events, but I was 11 when I started reading those. In 4th grade I read this book Wait Till Helen Comes and I loved it (early sign of my taste for the dark and twisty).
27. Bad book habits?
Lately I have not been timing my book-reading correctly, so I'm left without one to read for a couple days until I get back to my dad's. Also I buy them instead of, like, getting them from a library, so I have a lot of books and not a lot of money. Also I buy them on Amazon instead of from real book stores :/
28. Do you have an e-reader?
No.
29. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
One at a time. I feel like I'm cheating on them if I don't do it that way.
30. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
No.
31. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
My comfort zone is pretty expansive, so not often.
32. What is your reading comfort zone?
YA.
33. Can you read on the bus/in the car?
No, unfortunately.
34. Favorite place to read?
Don't have one.
35. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No.
36. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Only school books.
37. What makes you love a book?
Above anything, I have to care about the characters and they have to be interesting. And then the plot has to be interesting. And then the writing has to be awesome, obviously.
38. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
Depends on the person I'm recommending it to.
39. Favorite genre?
Don't really have one, other than YA.
40. Genre you rarely read?
Adult. haha
41. Have you ever read a self-help book?
No
42. Most inspirational book you've read this year?
Considering I already said TFiOS, probablyyy... The Sky is Everywhere
43. Favorite reading snack?
Pretzel M&Ms
44. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I kept expecting it to get better instead of appreciating what I actually did like about it.
45. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don't have exact percentages, but usually I do.
46. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I'll only do it if I really, truly hated the book and want to stop people from wasting their time on it. If I'm lukewarm about it, I'll usually give it 3 stars and try to focus on the things I did like.
47. Most intimidating book you've ever read?
I don't really read intimidating books. Buuuuut I just had to read one about the politics of the Swat Valley for political anthropology, and it was not fun.
48. Books you're most likely to bring on vacation?
Ones I haven't read yet. If it's a beach vacation, summer books. Obviously.
49. The longest you've gone without reading?
Recently? Probably a weekend.
50. What distracts you easily when you're reading?
My FATHER intentionally TALKING TO ME when he can see that I'm REALLY INTO a book.
51. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Water for Elephants. I liked the movie better than the book, I think.
52. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Twilight. Obviously.
53. The most money you've ever spent on books at one time?
Huhuhuhuhhh... about $220.
54. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Well I never just buy a book on a whim. I make sure I'm interested first, either through reviews or reading the first chapter on Amazon.
55. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?
Only boredom can do that.
56. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I like to keep everything organized.
57. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them?
If I liked them, I keep them. If I didn't, I try to sell them.
58. Are there any books you've been avoiding?
That I already own? Yes. That's all I'm willing to say on the matter.
59. A book you didn't expect to like but did?
Birthmarked. I avoided it for a while but got it for Christmas and was surprised by how much I liked it.
60. A book that you expected to like but didn't?
Tiger's Quest, the second in the Tiger's Curse series. It was pretty horrible.
61. Favorite historical fiction book?
The Book Thief
62. Hardcover or paperback?
I don't care. A book is a book.
63. Favorite book nobody has heard of?
Well, I know people have heard of her, but I feel like Deb Caletti is seriously overshadowed by the likes of Sarah Dessen. So anything by her.
64. Favorite classic book?
The Great Gatsby
65. Write something that only people who have read a certain book will understand.
Okay.

I'm feeling Divergenty tonight.

I should clarify: "Will" is not Will Herondale. Different series.

This is wrong for so many reasons.

1. Will is a pretty unimportant character.

2. Peeta... Peter... Peeta... Peter.

3. He would be going backward, from a LEADING ROLE in a GIGANTIC movie to a medium-sized role in a medium-sized movie.

4. I am pretty sure there is no description of Will that says anything like "Will looks exactly like Josh Hutcherson."

5. Josh Hutcherson DOES NOT DO ANYTHING EXCEPT ADORABLE. I will not stand for it.

Everything's on fire

So, it's just about 2:00 in the morning and there is no possible way I am going to sleep anytime soon. Because I must write about this song.

At approximately 1:00, Taylor Swift tweeted the announcement that she wrote and recorded a song with The Civil Wars for The Hunger Games soundtrack.

Um, WHAT WAS THAT?!

Yes, Taylor Swift. Lyrical and musical perfection. Plus The Hunger Games. Literary perfection. Plus the movie, which I'm sure will be pretty close to theatrical perfection. Needless to say, I have been listening to this song on repeat for the past 50 minutes or so. It's currently on its 9th play, totally screwing up my most-played songs, but I don't care. Because this just became my favorite song.

That's right. I picked a favorite of something. This song is gosh-dang gorgeous. Like, the acoustic part is so District 12. But the drums are so Arena. And her voice in the song sounds so innocent, but also like she's facing something so dark and horrible and people are counting on her. And the lyrics... they're my favorite part.

I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said don't leave me here alone

But all that's dead and gone and past tonight

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Don't you dare look out your window, darlin' everything's on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold on to this lullaby

Even when the music's gone, gone

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Just close your eyes

You'll be alright

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

If you've read the book, I'm sure you have an EXACT scene in your head for this song to be played in the background. Actually, I have two, but I think it applies most to one in particular (Hint about this scene: it particularly relates to the "Hold on to this lullaby" part).

Every single lyric has a significance though. I knew Taylor Swift could do things like this, but that doesn't stop me from being wide-eyed in fascination over this song. I just... I'm still having trouble coming up with words, even as the song starts playing for the 11th time. It's got the perfect mixture of creepy, scared, innocent, dark and haunting. The guitar. Her voice. The lyrics. "Everything's on fire" --YEAH? LIKE WHAT? Oh, you know, some characters, some trees, some logos. "I remember you said don't leave me here alone" --This relates not only to The Hunger Games, but to Catching fire too ("Stay with me?").

It conveys perfectly how hopeless the situation is. It sounds hopeful, because that's what the person in this scene is trying to do for the other person, but in reality it's not. "Just close your eyes, you'll be alright, come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound" ...using this for the scene I have in mind, it's heartbreaking. Because the person she's talking to won't be alright. She's just trying to comfort him/her. "When all those shadows almost killed your light" --she won't let the "shadows" (aka the Capitol) kill the light (innocence) inside of this person. She doesn't leave; she stays and does something about it. She saves the light by not leaving.

It makes me wonder how they are going to top this for the movies that follow the first one. Lionsgate has done every single thing right so far. They gave us the moving poster. Then the teaser trailer. Then they made us wait in frustrated anticipation for the trailer, but not for too long. The trailer is perfect. I was just saying I will probably even buy the soundtrack the other day, and now I find out they've put Taylor Swift on it. So now I HAVE to buy it. I honestly don't think Suzanne Collins could have picked a better production company to give the movie rights to.

I think I have calmed down sufficiently to attempt going to sleep. After the song is done playing for the 14th time. (P.S. Please note, on my blog I have the tags "My obsession with The Hunger Games" and "Taylor Swift is not human." I never thought I would be able to use both at once. AHHHH)

On the first day of the Hunger Games, Lionsgate gave to me

A new poster to look at for the next 98 days!

I just have to take a moment to talk about this. My first reaction to it was OHMYGODTHAT'SSOCOOL, probably just because it shows more than the mockingjay pin on fire and it's NEW and SHINY. But now that I'm looking at it longer, I'm not sure how I feel. I mean, I like the general idea of it, with Katniss and Peeta and how it looks like they're eyeballing the flaming mockingjay and whatever. But then there's the "The world will be watching." Um, wrong. That is more of a reference to the fact that this is a movie, than a reference to the movie itself. The world doesn't watch the Hunger Games; only Panem does. We don't know anything about the rest of the world. And then there's the fact that there is an audience on either side of what I'm guessing is supposed to be the Arena? What? Maybe it's not the Arena, but then why is Katniss wearing her Arena clothes? And if it is the Arena... there's not supposed to be an audience. There are supposed to be cameras.

And oh, now that I think about it more, why is the mockingjay symbol in the sky? I like that it kind of seems like it's replacing the Capitol seal, but then again the pictures of the dead tributes go in the sky right after the Capitol seal. Putting the mockingjay symbol where the dead tributes are supposed to be... it seems a little bit like saying that what it symbolizes is dead too. Which it's not.

But either way I still like that there's a new poster. Makes it seem CLOSER.

What the...

I really have no idea why critics, of all people, are calling this the best Twilight movie yet. Granted the bar isn't set very high, but this movie was... not one I even want to own on DVD, really. I own the other ones because, yeah, I'll watch them if it's late and I'm bored and haven't watched one in a while. But this one, my god.

I'll start off with how completely ridiculous it all was. I knew it was going to be ridiculous, based on having read the book, but seeing it on screen I felt like my face was going to get stuck in "WTF?" mode. The wedding was alright, if way over-the-top for a wedding where half of the guests thought it was only happening because the bride was pregnant. Which she wasn't... at the time. The honeymoon was actually pretty amusing, and not in the "this is so stupid I can't stop laughing" way. I actually thought they did the honeymoon scenes well, with the checkers and Bella walking around in her skimpy clothes that Alice put in her suitcase (because Edward refused to sleep with her again) and whatnot. The whole thing with the Spanish lady was kind of exactly how it was in the book... by which I mean it was unnecessary.

I liked that we got to see more scenes without Bella because half of Breaking Dawn is from Jacob's point of view. I liked that they showed Charlie getting suspicious about things (all the graduation caps, Bella going to a "medical center,"...). That's about the extent of what I liked though.

Oh, and the scene with the wolf pack. All of them talking, fighting... as wolves. We see the CGI wolves looking at each other and showing their teeth and everything and we can hear them snarling, but then over the snarling we're supposed to hear what they're thinking? I could barely understand any of it. And it looked like a cartoon. So stupid.

In addition to the complete ridiculousness of it all, it was disturbing. I mean, when you're surprised at how they can make an only-average-looking female lead look totally repulsive, that probably means something is wrong [it would have been an impressive feat if Kristen Stewart were drop-dead gorgeous, but she's not]. She looked disgusting. It was still a little bit awe-inspiring but mostly it made me want to throw up. And then she drinks blood out of a fast-food cup with a straw. That just made everyone laugh. And that's the thing... you don't really know if the funny parts are supposed to be funny. They just are.

And then the birth scene. Oh my god. Those noises were not necessary. The part where Bella is lying on the table and Edward is trying to revive her... ew. She looks like a corpse. Stop touching the corpse, Edward.

The most disturbing thing of all? This movie made me like Jacob better than Edward. The whole time, Edward is just being all broody and annoying. A compilation of all his contributions to the story would probably be along the lines of "I killed people. Yes, no, no, no, fine, Jacob please help me even though you hate me. Bella wake up. I won't let them hurt my family. Bella wake up. Is it working?" While Jacob actually had a personality. Also he kept his shirt on throughout nearly all of the movie (the only time it was off was when he was turning into werewolfJacob), so that was a plus. Sorry girls, I just don't see why a guy needs to have his shirt off for us to know he is attractive. Also I liked that he was more comfortable around the Cullens-- seriously, he starts just walking into their house unannounced, without even grimacing because of the "smell"-- and that he didn't really hold a grudge against Bella for marrying Edward. He accepts that they're all a family and seems to just want to help. And then the scene where he imprints on Renesmee (oh, and I liked the part where Rosalie was arguing with Bella about what a ridiculous name that is) wasn't even awkward. He walks in the house ready to kill her and then he sees her eyes, which are supposed to be the same as Bella's, and he just drops to his knees. I mean, he's not crying or anything, but he just gives up. He knows he can't kill her anymore.

Meanwhile, when Edward learns through Jacob's thoughts that Jacob has imprinted on his daughter, he doesn't even seem mad. He just seems a little agitated. WTF? A werewolf is forever going to attach himself to your daughter! I want a little more than a scowl!

Cut back to Bella, who still looks like a corpse, but then there's all this House-like internal activity going on with special effects and again it looks like a cartoon, and we're supposed to know that the venom is working. The color comes back to her hair and she turns into a porcelain doll and then there's a close-up on her eyes and you know the movie's going to end as soon as they open, and then they open, red, and BAM. It's over.

And then the end credits completely do not match the movie at all. The music makes it seem like it's some kind of dark indie comedy. More like a dark, twisted, expensive, romantic supernatural accidental comedy.

To top it all off, they didn't even show The Hunger Games trailer in my theater like they were supposed to. WHAT THE HECK. I am not over it.

The Games... will change... everyone.

I have been trying all day to think of a way to properly express my excitement over the Hunger Games trailer, but it has just been coming out in fangirlish Tumblr posts and inarticulate "AHHHHHHH"s. Which is perfectly fine, for if I'm going to fangirl about something, it should be The Hunger Games. But here is my attempt at a mature reasoning behind my jumping and screaming and tumbling:

My 13 Favorite Things about the Hunger Games Trailer: A Coherent List

1. It basically starts the same way the book starts. Yes, the book starts with Katniss waking up and noticing Prim has gone to sleep with their mother, but immediately after that she goes to the woods with Gale and they talk about the reaping and the Capitol and the [im]possibility of running away together.

2. It explains the story just enough. It gets people interested (although, the people who didn't know anything about it until they saw the trailer and are now interested because of the trailer... yeah, I'm giving them the stink eye) without giving away spoilers. It does this by only including footage from the first half of the film. The Games themselves are a mystery. We only see glimpses of Rue and Foxface and the rest of the tributes, rather than seeing Katniss's interactions (or lack thereof) with them.

3. The reaping. Amazingly, it's exactly how I pictured it. I'm not even just saying that. I pictured Effie up on the stage with her crazy getup, picking the names from the glass bowl and reading them with a note of triumph in her voice, seemingly ignorant of what that little piece of paper means for the people whose names she's reading. I pictured all the people in their nicest clothes, which are still pretty casual, and I pictured Katniss and Gale looking at each other before the names are read, knowing that if one of them gets reaped, it's up to the other one to keep both of their families taken care of. I pictured Prim starting to walk up to the stage with her head down and Katniss running up and screaming "I volunteer!" (P.S. the crack in her voice when she says this= SO heartcrushing), and the Peacekeepers trying to haul her away until they understand what she said. And Peeta. God, J-Hutch, how do you do it? His face when he walks up to the stage. He's not a killer. Nobody is going to volunteer for him, and he's certain he's going to die. Welcome to life as a regular District 12 tribute. We'll come back to Peeta later in this list.

4. Actually, we'll come back to Peeta now. The look he and Katniss give each other on the stage... I'm sure only people who have read the books will understand its full impact, so here are a couple excerpts:

"Oh no, I think. Not him. Because I recognize this name, although I have never spoken directly to its owner. Peeta Mellark.

No, the odds are not in my favor today.

I watch him as he makes his way toward the stage. Medium height, stocky build, ashy blond hair that falls in waves over his forehead. The shock of the moment is registering on his face, you can see his struggle to remain emotionless, but his blue eyes show the alarm I've seen so often in prey.

...Why him? I think. Then I try to convince myself it doesn't matter. Peeta Mellark and I are not friends. Not even neighbors. We don't speak. Our only interaction happened years ago. He's probably forgotten it. But I haven't and I know I never will.

...The mayor finishes the dreary Treaty of Treason and motions for Peeta and me to shake hands. ...Peeta looks me right in the eye and gives my hand what I'm sure is meant to be a reassuring squeeze. Maybe it's just a nervous spasm.

We turn back to face the crowd as the anthem of Panem plays.

Oh well, I think. There will be twenty-four of us. Odds are someone else will kill him before I do.

Of course, the odds have not been very dependable of late."

"Peeta and I know the other's survival means our own death."

5. Prim. I don't know why, but I never really became that attached to her reading the books. But watching the trailer, and seeing her face while she's fighting Gale as he's carrying her away from the reaping, I felt so bad for her.

6. Effie's accent. It's exactly how the Capitol accent is described... and I always imagined it sounding a little British.

7. The Capitol. It's supposed to be this bustling metropolitan center where all the luxuries are enjoyed, but it just looks like an over-industrialized place where nothing is real. Looking at it for too long would probably make you feel like you can't breathe.

8. The timing of all the Training Center footage. First with Katniss saying "So you're here to make me look pretty?" and Cinna saying "I'm here to help you make an impression." And then the President Snow voiceover explaining the tradition of the Games, saying "One young man" --insert shot of Caesar Flickerman holding up Peeta's hand and Peeta looking slightly more confident than when his name was first called-- and then "and woman"-- they show Katniss and then, for an instant, Rue-- and then "trained in the art of survival, to be prepared to fight to the death"-- footage of Cato being a killing machine-- and then cut to Peeta giving his speech on the roof about not wanting to be a piece in their Games and showing them they don't own him and, if he's going to die, he wants to still be him.

9. Katniss's reaction to Peeta's speech on the roof. I'm so glad they didn't have her immediately understand what he was saying. It's important. "I just can't afford to think like that" shows the difference between Katniss and Peeta. Katniss is focused on making it out alive at whatever cost; Peeta is more concerned with being the right person, showing the Capitol they can't change him. Not because Katniss is selfish, but because Peeta genuinely doesn't believe he stands a chance.

10. The three-fingers-to-the-lips-and-then-up-in-the-air signal. "At first one, then another, then almost every member of the crowd touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love."

11. I love that they show the people in the square watching the Games on the jumbotron. I also love that the trailer shows things we don't get to see in the book, like Gale in the woods by himself and people's reactions to what happens in the Games back in District 12.

12. How it ends with all of the tributes running either to or away from the Cornucopia and then the Hunger Games logo shows up and baaaa-baaa-baaa-baaaa, Rue's 4-note tune that sufficiently creeps me out and makes me squee with joy at the same time. I just love it.

13. #HeadForTheSquare ...????? Intrigue!

Additional noteworthy components:

-Cinna's head nod before Katniss enters the Arena

-The soundtrack

-It shows the *twirl* during Katniss's interview with Caesar

-The fact that the Training Center itself is not at all how I pictured it. Which is to say, it does not look like a gymnasium.

-"THE GAMES... WILL CHANGE... EVERYONE." =O EPIC.

Meh.

"From the director of Twilight"-- Oh really? I couldn't tell. Everything about this movie screamed Twilight, from the aerial mountain shots to the focus on people's facial expressions, even down to the CGI wolf and certain parts of the plot (two possible suitors for one girl, hmm). And most of the parts that didn't scream Twilight, to me, screamed Hunger Games. I really don't even think that's just because I've had The Hunger Games on the mind lately; I am pretty sure that whoever wrote this movie had recently read it. First of all, those two possible suitors looked and acted shockingly like the descriptions of Gale and Peeta. Peter, Valerie's friend she MET IN THE WOODS when they were KIDS and with whom she BREAKS RULES and GOES HUNTING, wants to RUN AWAY with her, and is JEALOUS that she has been fixed up with someone else. Enter Henry, the guy Valerie's town has arranged for her to marry, in whom she has to PRETEND she's interested even though HE DOESN'T. Poor Henry's not pretending, he'll go ahead and RISK HIS OWN LIFE to make sure she's protected. He'll even WORK WITH Peter when necessary, even though he KNOWS Peter and Valerie have a history. Peter and Henry don't like each other AT FIRST, but then come to ACCEPT each other. Peter has dark hair and dark eyes, Henry has light hair (and dark eyes, which is one difference because Peeta has blue eyes). While these two seem to be complete knockoffs, Valerie doesn't compare with Katniss at all, except for one point which I will get to later. Basically all we know about her is that she loves Peter and is willing to accuse anyone of being the wolf... except the person who actually is the wolf. The attraction to her seems to be inexplicable and therefore chalked up to only her looks, while Katniss is pretty much the best central character ever created. Just saying.

Secondly, there's the whole concept of Valerie becoming pretty much the symbol of everything her town hates, and the red riding hood being the symbol upon the symbol-- aka mockingjay pin-- but they are divided on whether or not to use her as a way of getting rid of the wolf. Those who care about her don't want her to go, those who care more about their way of life are ready to literally feed her to the wolves. This is oddly familiar. [If you can't figure out why, don't ask. I can't tell you.]

I found these comparisons distracting during the movie, to the point where I was actually laughing at the ridiculousness of it. Especially seeing she threw away a perfectly good guy (or should I say Good Guy), for a guy who turned into a werewolf in the end-- oops, did I give it away?-- when the explanation for the main character's ultimate choice in Mockingjay was explained much better and made more sense.

Getting away from the comparisons now, I didn't totally hate Red Riding Hood. There were a few plot twists I found intriguing that, believe it or not, actually helped move the story along. As a different take on the old, so-called "children's story," I thought it was more than sufficient, if a bit unforgiving (a little comedic relief would've been nice now and then, for a story that was so laughable). Frankly I never enjoyed the whole wolf-ate-my-grandma idea anyway. Not to mention Amanda Seyfried is never awkward or annoying to watch onscreen. I think there will be mixed reactions to the open-endedness of it, but I liked it because it left room for a sequel while also being enough of a conclusion to stand on its own, considering its numbers at the box office probably won't encourage the production company to jump at the chance to pay for a sequel.

All in all, it depends on what kind of love story you like. If you want it to be a happily-ever-after, nobody-gets-hurt, we-all-hold-hands-in-Whoville type of ending, don't watch. If you're a fan of Twilight or, you guessed it, The Hunger Games, go ahead and watch it, but I don't guarantee you'll be satisfied. C+