The Hunger Games: A gripping trilogy

So the other day I told you about how I accomplished my reading of 3-and-a-bit books in the past month. I am pleased to share with you that whilst I was away lapping up the sunshine and cocktails on holiday in Porto Santo, I finally got round to reading Suzanne Collins' bestseller books, The Hunger Games. 

Unfortunately for me I only had the first two books to hand, but I didn't expect to read so much if I'm honest. It was like my Twilight affair from yesteryears all over again. It was immediately a case of me questioning why on earth I didn't get round to reading them sooner. I was obsessed. 

*SPOILER ALERT*

A really brief outline is that it's a dystopian book set in the future, in a place called Panem which was once known as North America. It is ruled by the "Capitol", which we learn is a callous and sick dictatorship ruled by President Snow. There are twelve districts surrounding the Capitol, each focusing on a different trade such as mining or agriculture. Once every year there is a live televised event which picks two 'tributes' (candidates) from each of the twelve districts, in which they are then forced to fight to death. The capitol call it a pageant, but it's far from that. The only rule is that there can only be one survivor. So it's bitter sweet to learn that the hopeful protagonist Katniss Everdeen is made publicly aware of her partner tribute's feelings towards her. It's love. Which makes the book even more gripping and potentially heartbreaking.

Collins has most definitely created a page turner book. Each of the two books took me two days in total to read. That's a record for me. I couldn't help but wonder why I liked the books so much though. Because when you consider the storyline, it's gross and sadistic. But after some serious pondering, isn't the whole of mankind that way? We ridicule people under spotlights, just look at our current versions of reality TV. Big Brother, for example. People are laughed at, we force them to fight with claws out to get the winning prize. The only difference being that prizes in current times are now promised fame, as opposed to the gift of your life being spared. 

I read an article in a magazine recently which spoke of advice for amateur budding novelists about how to get noticed and how to write a best selling novel. They said to find an author whose style and technique you like, and to attempt to mimick it in your own book. With that in mind, while reading THG I questioned who Suzanne Collin's wrote like, and almost immediately I found a likeness to Stephenie Meyer. So it was no surprise to see that Meyer wrote a review which features on front page of the second book.

Similarity #1: They both have written hugely successful teen trilogies.
Similarity #2: The love triangle. Gale's character bears a striking resemblance to Jacob, the good looking best friend whom the female protagonist never sees "in that way". But there's clearly denied chemistry. Hello Katniss Everdeen, or should I say Bella Swan. The mysterious heroic girl who keeps herself to herself. The budding beauty who doesn't realise her power. And then there's Peeta, the Edward of this trilogy. Good looking, smooth and has a way with words. It's all there.

If you're looking for a gripping read, then look no further.

Real Housewives: A dramatic success

Like it, loathe it, or perhaps you are yet to hear of it but The Real Housewives docusoap reality series created by Bravo TV has become a franchise in its own rights. What started as a “one and done” season focusing on Orange County took off with huge popularity and 6 years on the show has now followed women in New York, New Jersey, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, Miami and Vancouver. The series follows affluent housewives and professional women in America and their luxurious lifestyle and social circles.

Figures estimate the franchise is worth a jaw-dropping half a billion dollars, so what was it that made the shows so popular? Primarily, with it being a reality series, the drama itself is often the main character of the show. It follows them everywhere, and situations which demand classiness often turn into a bitter slanging match between two or more ladies. The divide between Vicki and Tamra against the other women in Orange County set the bar for the other seasons to follow. Let’s not forget that the focal point of the show is to follow attractive wealthy people and to provide insight into how they live. For the rest of the world it’s a case of seeing how the other side live. Life sure does seem exciting when you’ve got money to flash. It’s a personality driven show, and with characters as strong as Vicki Gunvalson’s (OC) and Jill Zarin (NY) it makes for explosive situations. The cast have been described as “combustible characters” which fuel drama and addictive viewing.

The success of the franchise lies not only in the shows themselves but the products that have launched off the back of the shows. Book deals, recording contracts, wine ranges and jewellery lines are to name but some of the products that have been released. Social media has also played an important role in the success of the franchise. People are riveted by their on-screen and off-screen lives and viewers can follow them on Twitter, in magazine interviews and on personal website pages.

Real Housewives shook the reality world up in America and proved just how successful a one-hit-wonder idea can evolve into something worth serious money.

It's Made in Chelsea, not Real in Chelsea

In 1992, reality TV was a novelty. In 2000, it was a fad. In 2010, it's a way of life. What better way to describe reality TV then with Time Magazine’s perfectly worded summary. Welcome to 2012. We are a nation, a world even, consumed with reality TV. From The X Factor to The Only Way is Essex to one of our most recent additions, Made in Chelsea, reality TV has become as commonplace on our TV screens as the news every evening at 6pm sharp. This genre is so fascinating because it has changed the way viewers relate to and interact with the cast of the shows. Yet at the same time this interaction is becomingly dangerously one-sided, with – guess who – the viewers. So what is it about reality TV that has the power to drag us back to the screens even though we may not even like the show itself? Well for starters we humans are natural voyeurs; we are so very curious about these characters and every little detail about their lives. And it’s only become easier to ‘stalk’ the cast with the use of Twitter and other social networking sites. Let’s not be irrational here though, it’s fine to follow them and to talk to them because that’s what they want you to do – to follow, engage and become loyal to their brands. The issue arises when, for example, after Monday’s (07/05) episode of MIC fans loyal to Jamie Laing took to Twitter in their masses to send messages of hate and even death threats to Louise thompson and Spencer Matthews. These problematic and unhealthy relationships on the side of the fans develop primarily due to reality TV having blurred the lines between reality and fiction so deeply. Whilst being hilariously entertaining, these shows distort fact and fiction. If you hadn’t already have guessed it, all forms of reality TV are in fact heavily scripted. Have you ever considered how boring it would be if someone filmed you and your everyday life? These people don’t just consistently ‘randomly’ bump into each other on the streets with a camera by their side; they are set up in such a way to put characters together in uncomfortable situations. But boy does it make for addictive viewing. The point I hope I’ve got at here is that next time you watch these programmes and see X kissing Z when she was supposed to be with Y, just remember – she’s probably with F in real life who has nothing to do with that show. Casts of reality TV shows are real people, they are however effectively actors in the shows.