Believability In Dystopias

Lately, a lot of dystopian fiction has been flooding into the market. I think this is a good thing; I’ve never liked Paranormal Romance, and I’ve always loved Dystopia (even years ago, before it became popular.) The dystopian genre is different from paranormal in that it is supposed to be realistic. Most dystopians are set in a futuristic world, often after a sort of apocalypse, that’s either defined by chaos or by a strict totalitarian government. Scientific advances often play a role, but most of the time this is just ‘fake science’ and has no real science behind it.

 

In short, dystopia is a sort of ‘What if?’ genre. What if love was considered to be a disease? (Delirium) What if kids had to fight to the death in an arena? (The Hunger Games) What if everything was decided by a Society, including the person you were supposed to marry? (Matched) What if a virus makes females die at twenty and males at twenty-five? (Wither) What if only teenagers could get pregnant? (Bumped) What if your entire life was defined by what faction you decided to join? (Divergent) Those are just several examples of the ‘What if?’ questions raised by recent dystopian releases.

 

Like any genre, dystopia gets its share of bad reviews. I’ve read negative reviews for all of these books, and most of them seemed to center not around the writing or characters, but on the believability of the story. Lots of people didn’t like Wither because it doesn’t make sense that a virus would kill all girls at exactly twenty years old. People thought The Hunger Games was unrealistic because there’s no way a society would enjoy watching children fight to the death. One of my biggest issues with Matched was that I never understood why the Society needed to control every aspect of life.

 

My question for you is… does it matter? Can you still enjoy Divergent even if you think there’s no way a society could ever evolve into five factions? Would you still buy Delirium even if the idea of ‘curing’ love by frying part of your brain seems just a little far-fetched?

For me, it all depends. I haven’t read Bumped or Wither but I don’t think I’ll mind either of them since they’re obviously ‘What if?’ books. The science behind them may be absolute baloney, but I like the idea. I think creating a world where the teens need to get pregnant is a cool (if somewhat sketchy) setting. In The Hunger Games I think the idea of the tributes having to fight the death is cool enough to make up for the minor lack of believability. However, I just finished Matched and I was annoyed because I never understood why the Society needed to control everything and why they were so lenient with some things but so strict on others.

What’s your take on believability in dystopias? Does it bug you whenever a book’s premise is a little unrealistic? Or do you think that a cool idea is even better if it couldn’t happen in real life? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this popular genre.

Why Book Reviews are Useless (and how to make them less so)

This isn’t exactly a post on writing, but I thought it needed to be said, and I just finished my six-part series, so now’s the time for it.

I assume that all of you have a favourite book, or at least a book that you really, really like. I’m also guessing that you have some books you really dislike, ones you think aren’t worth reading and you can’t imagine how anyone could like it. For instance, I absolutely love The Hunger Games and I hated Shiver, and I really don’t get how anyone could dislike The Hunger Games or like Shiver. But lo and behold, if you go on Goodreads, they’ll be a lot of people who disagree with me.

On the whole, people do agree with me on those two books. The Goodreads rating for The Hunger Games is 4.54 (quite high for Goodreads) while Shiver is rated 3.96 (fairly average). When you average it out, The Hunger Games is ‘better.’ However, if you look at individual reviews, Shiver is going to have some five stars (I just check, and some of my friends gave it four or five), and The Hunger Games will have some one-stars (a couple of my friends gave it three). Some individuals will drastically disagree with me.

If that’s the case, why should you bother reading my reviews? Why read reviews at all? I can tell you a book if awful, but then you could go and read it and love it. I’ve read books that people have told me they loved, but I couldn’t stand them. Is there any reason to pay attention to goodreads/amazon ratings?

The thing that a good book review does is give you a sense of why the reviewer (dis)liked the book. My review of Shiver makes clear that I am not a werewolf fan, so that could well be why I didn’t like it. When I read reviews on Amazon for I Am Number Four, I saw that most of them talked about how terrible the characterization was. When I got the book, I had to agree, the characters were boring (though I have had some people say they loved them). If you’re more interested in a fast-paced action story than in riveting characters, then I Am Number Four would be great. If you like characters better, then you probably won’t enjoy it.

Basically, a good book review should do three things:

1-      Make clear that this is only one opinion (Don’t say ‘The only people who would like this book are ones who think Twilight is great literature’)

2-      Show how the reviewer’s personality affected the review (For instance, ‘I don’t normally like Paranormal/Romance, but I loved Paranormalcy’)

3-      Showcase both the books strengths and weaknesses (even the best book has some bad things, and even the worst has some strengths)

I’m not sure if my book reviews always fulfill those criteria, but I try to include them all. It may feel egoistic, but it’s essential to let your readers know what kind of reader you are, so that they know if their tastes are similar or not. You also need to temper that with a fair bit of humility, admitting that yours is only one opinion and even your favourite books have bad parts and even the ones you hate have good points. Basically, think about how your book reviews can be of the most help to your blog readers.

As for you, my loyal followers, is there anything I could be doing with my book reviews to help you out? Do you have any tips, either for me, or for other book bloggers out there? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment! 

Book Review: Mockingjay

By Suzanne Collins

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

Why I read it: I’m a huge fan of The Hunger Games series and I was really exciting for the release of Mockingjay. My parents gave me this book for Christmas.

What I liked: Unfortunately, not much. Perhaps if the first books hadn’t been so amazing I would have enjoyed this more, but as it is I just found it a bit of a letdown. There were certain things that I liked, such as Finnick’s characterization and the way the Capitol was manipulating everything. The whole political situation was confusing on purpose, and I liked that.

What I disliked: The plot was not near as good as the first two books. For starters, Katniss was hardly on the front lines. As the mockingjay, she was kept safe for most of the book and all the action happened when she wasn’t around. The stakes also seemed much lower; before the book was half done the rebels knew they were going to win, it was just a matter of who was going to die. On the whole, there didn’t seem to be a concrete purpose to anything that happened.

Katniss by this time is so changed from the girl in the first book that I didn’t like her anymore. All her spunk is done and the smallest thing sends her into a fit. Something has also happened to make Peeta awful. Finnick was the only character that improved but I didn’t like any of the others. There were also a number of characters introduced who seemed to be part of the story just so they could die.

The conclusion was hardly satisfying. I’m not a person who likes happy endings, but Mockingjay’s ending was a little too bitter. The love triangle with Peeta and Gale is finally resolved but it felt a little empty and rushed. On the whole, ‘rushed’ seems to be the word for the ending. Everything happened so quickly, in short snippets separated by long periods of time.

From a Christian Perspective: Like the other books, there is no sexual content or swearing. However, the violence is even worse; people are killed in some of the most gruesome methods I could possibly have imagined.

To buy or not to buy: If you weren’t completely in love with the other two, don’t bother getting Mockingjay. I bought it simply because I wanted to complete my set, but I found it more of a disappointment than anything. 

Boring Main Characters: Improving Relationships

Last week I talked a bit about how to develop your character’s traits by making a list of traits and figuring out how all those things affect your character’s lives. Now I want to take a moment to talk about how to develop relationships between your characters.

The example I used in this post was of Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games. Whatever you think of the books (I loved the first two and hated the last one) one thing Collins does very well is relationships. Katniss has a clearly defined relationship between all the other characters. She is protective of her sister. She hates President Snow. She looks down on her mother. She admires Cinna. And, of course, there’s the whole love triangle with Gale and Peeta.

Think for a second of your own life. Think of people you know and figure out what you think of them. Maybe there’s the girl in your school who you’ve hated for as long as you can remember because in grade 6 she told you that you were weird. What’s your relationship with your parents? Your siblings? Do you admire your best friend? Are you jealous of him/her? What about your girlfriend/boyfriend?

My guess is that you can’t think of a single person who you don’t have some sort of mental association with. Hopefully there are very few people who you flat out hate, but there are going to be a lot of people you don’t like that much or find slightly annoying. Your characters will be the same.

Before you write a scene (especially when it’s dialogue between two people) figure out how the characters relate to one another. What I did in WANDER was to write out a chart where I plotted the characters relationships to each other for all the major characters. Even if you’re writing a book in first person, it’s still important to figure out the other character’s perspectives. Also, keep in mind that people change. Katniss’s idea of Peeta is constantly changing throughout the story. It’s a good idea to make a chapter-by-chapter outline of what your MCs think of each other, or at very least to find the major turning points and figure those out.

If you’re a seat-of-your-pants writer, you may not care for all this pre-plotting advice. That’s fine. You don’t have to do this all beforehand. What I’d suggest is that you take your finished draft and then figure out all the relationships. Through writing freely you can find out new things about your characters that you wouldn’t have in the plotting stages, and using character charts you can apply it to your novel.

However you decide to do it, inter-character relationships are definitely important to having interesting MCs. Next week, stay tuned for one last post on how to make your characters come to life on the page. 

Book Review: Catching Fire

By Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Why I read it: I had read and loved The Hunger Games and so I was eager to read Catching Fire as soon as it came out. My parents gave it to me for Christmas.

What I liked: I was a little worried about this book. After all, the first one had brought a whole chapter of the story to a close and so Collins would have to come up with something different. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the plot of Catching Fire ends up being quite close to The Hunger Games without giving us needless repetition and it works just as well.

More characters are introduced in this story and they’re all interesting in their own way. To begin with I found both Joanna and Finnick annoying, but as the story progressed I grew to like them. The old characters were just like before: Peeta is just as amazing, we finally see a bit more of Haymitch’s real personality, Cinna continues to be one of my favourite characters and Prim, even though we don’t see her much, is still so sweet.

What I disliked: Very little. The plot seemed a little repetitive of the first book but the ending completely opens it up in a whole new way and increases the stakes, which makes me a little worried about the third book. Like the first one, this is a very violent story so I wouldn’t give it to anyone under around 13.

From a Christian Perspective: Like the first one, this book is quite clean. There’s no swearing and no real sexual content. This book is a little edgier however; Peeta and Katniss do share a bed (although it seems like it doesn’t go farther than that) and Joanna strips naked at least once.

To buy or not to buy: To anyone who liked the first one, this is certainly a worthy sequel. If you haven’t read The Hunger Games, go read that first and then buy this book. 

Book Review: The Hunger Games

 By Suzanne Collins

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When her sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place. 

Why I read it: Every month a lady in my church would give us a scholastic catalog and I would eagerly look through the teen section. One book that I noticed over and over was The Hunger Games. So I went and got it from the library (after waiting forever despite the one week loan policy) and wow…

What I liked: I won’t keep this a secret: I love The Hunger Games. Katniss is a wonderful protagonist, strong and defiant but she has her softer side. All the other characters are also three dimensional and I grew to love or hate them all along with Katniss. The world that Suzanne Collins creates is detailed and all too realistic.

This novel basically runs on plot, which is fast-paced and almost impossible to put down. I loved how she managed to spend at least half the book on the preparation for the games and it was just as riveting as the action in the arena. Throughout the whole book there is a very anti-violence theme; I appreciated how Collins uses a semi-gory, action-packed story to show just how terrible this violence is.

What I disliked: The easiest answer is ‘not much’. The story is obviously quite violent, as you would expect when you hear about 24 teenagers fighting to the death on live TV. This makes it not appropriate for younger readers.

From a Christian Perspective: Another thing I liked is that this story is quite clean. There’s no swearing and no sexual content other than kissing (which seems impossible to avoid in a YA novel). Haymitch is drunk regularly, but it’s portrayed as a fault. There didn’t seem to be any religious themes in this novel.

To buy or not to buy: Yes! I got lucky and found this book for $1.00 (new!) at Value Village, but I would have paid the list price. Anyone who likes YA or action stories will absolutely love The Hunger Games.

And in case you haven't already heard, the movie's coming out March 23rd, 2012, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. I'm excited already!  

Boring Main Characters: A Few Examples of Cool Characters

ng Over the past two weeks we’ve considered the problem of boring MCs, and what won’t fix the problem. This week we’ll take a look at a couple books that have really interesting MCs and start to figure out what makes them so fascinating.

  

Since I started out this series by bad-mouthing Twilight, it’s only fair to use another Paranormal book as a good example. In this case, let’s take a look at Evie, the MC in Kirsten White’s debut novel Paranormalcy. Evie has an unique job at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s got a funny ‘voice’, and she’s got a well-developed character. She has a favourite TV show. A favourite colour (pink). A best friend. She likes to paint her walls. She has a certain taste in clothes. All these little things come together to make her a really realistic character. (annoying, perhaps, but what real person isn't annoying sometime?)

 Now let’s consider Katniss, heroine in Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games, which is perhaps my favourite YA book. Katniss has an interesting role in the story and a recognizable voice, she has a real personality even before she gets thrown into the Games. She likes hunting. Her father is dead. She and Gale have an interesting relationship. She wants to protect her little sister. She resents her mother. She hisses at her sister’s cat. Relationships play a dominant role in the story and from the very start of the book we already know what Katniss thinks about those close to her.

One of my favourite examples is a Fantasy published in 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Despite the older style of writing and the fact that this book is written in third person (rather than first like my other two examples) Bilbo’s character comes out clearly from the beginning. He completely forgets about Gandal’s promised visit, he hospitably lets the Dwarves come in to tea, he likes fireworks, and when he gets sent off on an adventure his biggest worry is that he forgot a pocket handkerchief. At Bilbo resembles a stuffy English gentleman but as the story progresses he becomes more of an adventurer; this change is part of what makes the story so interesting.

All of these stories have strong MCs and what makes them so good is that they’re not ‘flat’. They have numerous aspects to their personalities and their relationships to other characters are well defined. Next week we’ll look at how you can use small details to build up your characters.