Hey anyone here whose read the series? Maybe even seen the movie that just came out? It's one of my favourite book series! Read it years ago while still living in Australia! Just ordered all the books and planning on re-reading them all! If you've read them, what did you think of them?
I have yet to read the books. However I did see the movie and I really enjoyed it. Though I don't remember much about the movie at the moment. I do remember how cool it was how they took out the bridge. hmm might have to give it another watch or just finally get started on the series. lol
Ah if you thought the movie was good wait until you read the books! Amazingly well written and really gives you the feeling that your there also fighting for your country. It's also really interesting to see what the effects of war have on a group of teenagers.
The movie and the books are a ripoff of the film Red Dawn, only set in Australia. But at least it is a good rip off.
Have they released the remake? I heard they finished filming, but the movie company that made it went bankrupt so they supposedly couldn't do anything with it until their funds situation was straightened out.
Yeah and Avatar, Pochahontas and Dances with Wolves were a rip-off of Fern Gully. I'm yet to read them but have them on my list. I missed the entire hype with these books due to not being in the target age group.
I thought Avatar was Dune but on Jungleworld instead of Desertworld, and a good movie as well (Derivative, bah, isn't everything?). On that subject wasn't Red Dawn just a cold war take on John Christopher's young adult books from the 60's (I'm thinking mainly the Tripods Trilogy). Back on topic I thought the books were excellent. My favorite bits were when Ellie (someone I'd definitely want by my side when the inevitable zombie apocalypse arrives) wrote about her life before war, those scenes were so true to life. I loved the affection for small towns, farming and the Australian bush that that John Marsden worked into the series. John Marsden is easily one of the best writers of action I've ever read. I thought the movie and the follow up series were both pretty ordinary. Off the topic again I've always loved this quote from John Marsden about writing, I thought I'd share it. "Writing is not a job or activity. Nor do I sit at a desk writing for inspiration to strike. Writing is like a different kind of existence. In my life, for some of the time, I am in an alternative world, which I enter through day-dreaming or imagination. That world seems as real to me as the more tangible one of relationships and work, cars and taxes. I don't know that they're much different from each other."
Fantastic books. They defiantly deserve to have a much large international readership than it does. I think a lot of people who like books like the Hunger Games would really like this. Quoted for the truth, I've never understood why that comparison doesn't come up more often.
I have taught the first book in this series to a few high school classes, and although they don't do anything for me (I'm not the target audience), my students absolutely loved them. It's such a joy to find books like this that kids actually beg to read in class! One of my fellow teachers really got into them as well and brought the whole series, so I guess a lot of adults like them as well. I didn't think very much of the movie because it was all action, whereas much of the book is most about what Ellie thinks & feels about what is happening and her memories of life before the invasion - something which is very hard to portray through film as you can't have too many flashbacks & voice-overs.
Yeh they're very well written, easy to read and full of action packed adventures. We had to read them in school too. Probably one of the only books I enjoyed out of all the books we had to study. I'm quite interested in buying The Hunger Games. Are they good? I heard they're making a movie now.
