Back to the Books Giveaway Hop!

*GIVEAWAY IS OVER*

It's that time! My FIRST EVER giveaway combined with my FIRST EVER Hop! I am so excited, you have no idea. The Back to the Books Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Buried In Books and will be running from September 1-7. I am so excited to be a part of this Hop and I hope everyone has a blast!

So I have a few options for ya'll. The first two are the FIRST books in a series.

One is from a series I absolutely love. I love spreading the love of books I, well, love. So yes, book option 1 is a paperback copy of City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments book 1) by Cassandra Clare! If you'd like some paranormal romance, action, drama and pure awesomeness, pick this one!

Book option 2 is one that I've heard amazing things about, but have yet to read: a paperback of Uglies (Uglies book 1) by Scott Westerfeld. If dystopias are your thing (I know I love them), this might just be the one for you... besides, I'd love to fall in love with a new series with ya!

Options 3 and 4 are the LAST books in a series. Now I know this sounds like a weird idea, but I wanted to do this to maybe entice someone to read the series. I mean, I know when I get a last/middle book, I like to check out the previous ones. These last two options are books I quite enjoyed, so I hope someone else will like it too.

Anyway... book option 3 is from a splendidly ridiculous and absolutely hilarious series: a paperback of Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson book 10) by Louise Rennison. If you're looking for a quick, goofy getaway series, this is definitely one to choose. I'm laughing just thinking about it!

And last but not least, the 4th book option is a hardcover of Blessed (Tantalize book 3) by Cynthia Leitich Smith. If you think you might enjoy a vampire/angel/were-creature novel full of interesting mythology and mysteries, check this one out!

Now for the rules/directions... dun Dun DUN! Okay, but seriously. Since I'm new to this whole hosting-a-giveaway thing, I'm going to make it super easy for you to win 1 of these 4 books. All you have to do is leave a comment with your email address. That's it! For an extra entry, you can tweet about my giveaway and add the tweet link thingie in the comment along with your email. Pretty simple, isn't it? I will not require you to be a follower, but it is definitely appreciated. Just a little note, if I get enough followers, I might just draw another name/do another giveaway... just so's ya know. (Remember, this is a US only giveaway. However, if you have a US address, that works too. Must be 13 or older to enter. Contest ends on September 7th and I'll draw a name on or around the 8th.) Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

***Giveaway Closed***

Tune in Tuesday (3) - 90's Edition!

Tune in Tuesdays is a weekly music feature hosted by the fabulous Ginger at GReads. As you may know, I am ridiculously addicted to music... so much so that I think I may love it more than books. *Gasp!* Shocking, I know. Anyway... Each week you can post about a new or old song to share the love of music! So link up and join the fun!

Greetings again, music lovers! Last week I did something a little different and featured three songs from artists in the 90's that I still love. Let me tell you, it was seriously difficult to narrow it down. This week I wanted to do another "something different" and pay tribute to those artists/songs I didn't know existed in the 90's, but I love today! This was also incredibly difficult to narrow down, but here goes nothin'! Aaaaaaaand cue music!

Oh Travis, how I wish I had known you back in the day! This is very possibly my FAVORITE of their songs... of all time. Well, thus far anyway. I will forever thank my friend Bridgie for introducing me to the wonderful world of Travis!

(psst... did you see the kilt? :D)

Another band I wish I knew of is Carbon Leaf. Sure, I found them in my first year of college (2000-2001... yes, I know I'm old. lol), but I wish I had been savvy to them in '95 when their first album (Meander) came out. I love their sound and each album they've produced is amazing, in my opinion. Though 2004's Indian Summer is my favorite, 1999's Ether-Electrified Porch Music has one of my favorite Carbon Leaf songs ever. I hope you enjoy!

Thank goodness for the accessibility of the internet and a voracious appetite for music! Without those two things I would probably have never discovered Guster. Finding them a few years ago, they're definitely considered one of my better-late-than-never bands.

I can't believe I didn't hear about this next band when they first came out. I mean it. I must have been the only person who hadn't heard of Weezer back then! Okay, I'm sure this isn't true, but it certainly feels like it. It took until 2002 for me to get my first (that I can recall) taste of Weezer... at a talent show... where a guy sang a revamped, Christmas version of Say It Ain't So. When my roommates found out I had no idea that was a cover of a real song, they insisted I listen to the album. From then on I was hooked. Thank you, you fabulous roomies!

I'm so sad the 90's edition of Tune in Tuesday is now over, but I'm looking forward to sharing more current favorites with ya! See you next week, music lovers.

For more 90's music awesomeness, check out these:
Week 1 featuring: The Cranberries
Week 2 featuring: Green Day, Matchbox Twenty, Muse & Sarah McLachlan

Button Button Who's Got A Button?

I DO! I finally did it... I made a blog button. Okay, I actually made quite a few and then had to narrow it down; such a hard decision for a decisionally challenged person like myself. Thanks to the help of some Twitter pals, I narrowed it down to two. AND because I like variety (and couldn't pick between the two... ahem), I decided to post both and let people choose. If you'd like to grab one, the code is on the side bar! I'm so excited! (Notice the excessive use of exclamation marks? Yeah, I'm that excited.) It took me ages to make the dragonfly & everything, so I hope you guys like it!

 

Aren't they cute?! 

ALSO, I hit 25 followers! I was so excited about this one that I started jumping around my apartment... my pets were looking at me like I was crazy. My little blog is growing up. *sniff sniff* Oh happy day!

Tune in Tuesday (2) - 90's Edition!

Tune in Tuesdays is a weekly music feature hosted by the fabulous Ginger at GReads. As you may know, I am ridiculously addicted to music... so much so that I think I may love it more than books. *Gasp!* Shocking, I know. Anyway... Each week you can post about a new or old song to share the love of music! So link up and join the fun!

Seeing as there is only one more week of 90's Edition, I've decided to do something a little different. This week I'm going to feature a few songs that I loved during this decade and still continue to adore today.

Let's jump right in! I thought the perfect way to start this edition was with some Matchbox Twenty. I mean, seriously... who doesn't like them (and the yummy voice of Rob Thomas)? I thought I was going to drive my family absolutely mad playing this album on repeat, but nope! This is one album my entire family enjoyed... and I'm pretty sure we all have a copy. Enjoy!

This song came out my freshmen year in high school and somehow (considering it seemed everyone but me listened to nothing but RnB and/or Country) became a sort of anthem for my class. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with a little Green Day...

I promise I don't listen to music by guys only... as proof, here's some Sarah McLachlan! Oh my word, I love her voice! This video in particular was one of my favorites in the 90's... it's just so amazing! This album is still my favorite of hers, too. Enjoy!

I still don't know how I lucked into finding this next band. All I know is it was my senior year in high school and I was wanting something different from all the lame music my classmates listened to. So what did I do? I went hunting. Then I struck gold and found what I was looking for in a new band called... Muse. And the rest, as they say, is history...

Be sure to tune in next week for another "something different" to celebrate the last 90's Edition of Tune in Tuesday!

For more 90's music awesomeness, check out these:
Week 1 featuring: The Cranberries
Week 3 featuring: Carbon Leaf, Guster, Travis & Weezer

Tune in Tuesdays (1) - 90's Edition!

Tune in Tuesdays is a weekly music feature hosted by the fabulous Ginger at GReads. As you may know, I am ridiculously addicted to music... so much so that I think I may love it more than books. *Gasp!* Shocking, I know. Anyway... Each week you can post about a new or old song to share the love of music! So link up and join the fun!

For my FIRST EVER (yay!) Tune in Tuesday I am pleased to share with you a song from one of my favorite 90's bands: Dreams by The Cranberries! (Actually, they're still one of my favorite bands to this day.) Though the song came out when I was about 10 or 11, this song was definitely in my top favorites and I played the whole album on repeat pretty much all the time. And yes, I am fully aware that this is an odd video... but it is one of their more normal ones. Haha! Enjoy!

For more 90's music awesomeness, check out these:
Week 2 featuring: Green Day, Matchbox Twenty, Muse & Sarah McLachlan
Week 3 featuring: Carbon Leaf, Guster, Travis & Weezer

Review: "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books, 7 June 2011

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. (quoted from Goodreads)

While attending University, I took an old-school, black-and-white photography class. I learned how to roll and develop my own film, work in the darkroom (one of my favorite parts!) and actually use my camera properly. I enjoyed nearly every single one of our assignments, but there was one that always fascinated me. We were asked to find three old photographs, ones we had no prior knowledge about, and create a story around them. I remember thinking this assignment, if done properly, would make a wonderful idea for a novel. I cannot explain how excited I was when I saw that was exactly what Ransom Riggs did with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The fact that he executed this idea of found-photographs-turned-fictional-story so well is nothing short of spectacular. I'm not exactly sure I can adequately express how much I love this quirky, wonderful debut novel, but I shall try my best.

Jacob grew up listening to Grandpa Portman's magical childhood tales. Abraham Portman had wondrous stories of children who could float, create fire in their hands, had super strength and were invisible. He even had photographs to back them up! But, as Jacob grew older, he realized how silly those stories were. Children can't have special abilities like that. Monsters don't really exist. The photographs were obviously doctored. Grandpa Portman just stretched the truth a bit because - having been a Jewish refugee from Poland during World War II, sent to live at a Children's Home - fantasy was much more appealing than reality. None of this stuff could possibly be real... or could it? When a tragic event happens, Jacob has to sort out whether or not to believe logic or his Grandfather.

Jacob was a witty, strong, well-fleshed out character. He had a great personality, was very likable and absolutely believable. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could resist liking him. Though he was made to believe he had lost his mind after the family tragedy (his family put him in therapy to cope with the trauma), Jacob still searched out answers. When he finds a letter at his Grandpa's home from Miss Peregrine, Jacob decides he is going to figure out, once and for all, what is truth and what is fiction. He talks his father into taking him to the remote island in Wales where his Grandfather grew up. I liked that he was so determined to figure out what was real that he wasn't afraid to go looking for it, even in the creepy old Children's Home. He took action instead of waiting for something to happen and boy was he rewarded. The kid has guts, let me tell you.

*Warning: this paragraph contains some spoilers*
I was so happy when Jacob discovered that his beloved Grandpa's stories were true, and the children and Miss Peregrine were still alive! And not only were they all alive, they hadn't aged a day since Abe left due to living in a time loop. What an ingenious idea! I fell in love with all of the peculiar children and Miss Peregrine the second I met them. Their abilities and personalities made the story even more wonderful and intriguing. The setting(s) was perfect and very effective to the mood of the novel. In Jacob's time, the Children's Home was creepy and falling into disrepair after a bomb landed on it during the war. In the loop, the Home was a magical place full of laughter and learning; I know I would love to go there! Even the island itself added to the story with it's craggy cliffs and rolling fog. As for the antagonist... well, let's just say that Ransom certainly knows how to write some seriously scary villains!

I loved how the author utilized the vintage photographs to create such an amazing tale and fantastic characters. I was a little worried, after looking at the photos on the cover, that I might get too scared to enjoy and finish the book (I don't do well with scary). Although most of the photos really creeped me out and I did get spooked in some parts of the novel, the story and characters captivated my imagination and planted itself deep in my heart. I absolutely adore Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and I recommend it to anyone looking to get swept away in a charming, thrilling and unique read.

A favorite quote: "I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."

A Work in Progress...

Hallo to my eight *giggle* followers and to all you wonderful people stopping by! *cough*FollowMePlease*cough*

I'm still getting the hang of this whole blogging thing, but I believe things are starting to look up. I've been working on blog and button designs (and getting used to Paint.net), book reviews and trying new things. I hope to start getting more stuff up as soon as possible, but I have to be honest... it may not happen this month due to my impending move to the surface of the sun (aka Phoenix). Then again, I hate packing so much that I might postpone it to blog more. Who knows?!

There are a few things coming up that I would like to share with ya'll. First, I've decided to take the plunge and join a blog giveaway hop! What better way to check out other blogs and advertise my own than with a hop, right? Not to mention the fact that I have a few killer ideas (in my humble opinion) for my own giveaway... so stay tuned! The Back to the Books Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Buried in Books. Be sure to check it out!

Second, I've decided that if I can get enough followers (and retain them) from the giveaway hop, I'll do a SECOND giveaway shortly after! I love sharing the love of books. *sigh*

Wanderlust strikes again! So yes, I'm moving at the very Beginning of September... a three day trip. Ugh. Which reminds me, I may have to post my giveaway hop a little early or a little late, depending. Maybe I should check on that... Anyway! I will soon be leaving the picturesque mountain and Bay views of Bellingham, WA for new adventures in Arizona. Am I excited? Not entirely, but I'm strangely okay with it. Most of my family live in Arizona, so they're all ridiculously happy I'm coming back. Will I finally plant myself in AZ? Highly doubt it. I'm sure I'll be looking for a way to get back up to the Pacific Northwest before long; my heart belongs to the ocean and trees and gloriously mild temperatures.

So are you pumped about what's to come? If so, spread the word! And remember: more followers=more motivation for me. Hee hee. Thanks in advance!

Review: "The Goddess Test" by Aimée Carter

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Reading Level: Young Adult
eBook ARC: 297 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 19 April 2011
Source: Netgalley

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. (quoted from Goodreads)

As far back as I can remember, I have been in love with mythology. When I heard The Goddess Test was a new take on Hades (but without Persephone), I was immediately intrigued. I love when authors are able to successfully take a myth (or fable, fairy-tale, what have you), turn it on its head, and create something magnificent. Aimee Carter is one such author and she did a fantastic job giving the Hades-Persephone tale a new and refreshing spin.

Aimee sure knows how to populate a novel with wonderful characters! Kate, as our heroine, was no less than amazing. She was caring, strong, smart and resourceful. Though her struggles were many - and her situation unusual - she remained true to herself and tried to see the best in everyone and everything around her. And when Kate wants to know the truth of something, she goes searching for answers instead of waiting for them to come to her. Fantastic. Her relationship with her Mum was sweet and touching; Kate was so willing to do anything to make her as happy and comfortable as she could be under the circumstances. I also liked her relationship with Henry and how the pacing of it was fluid and realistic. Though she was promised to marry him (if she passed the tests), Kate still took the time to get to know Henry, making it possible for her to truly care for him.

Speaking of Henry... another aspect of The Goddess Test that I really enjoyed was how Aimee depicted the well-known character of Hades. Quite frequently Hades is seen as this villainous Lord of the Underworld who takes pleasure in playing with and torturing the souls of mankind. As a god who kidnaps a beautiful young woman (Persephone), forces her to marry him and keeps her trapped for half the year against her will. I, on the other hand, have maintained the belief that Hades is just lonely and terribly misunderstood. With that said, Henry was pretty much how I always imagined his character to be. He can be powerful and firm when need be, but is ultimately a tender guy who is quite lonely and vulnerable. I loved every single moment Henry was in the picture. I found myself hoping like mad he would be able to find true happiness by the end.

The other supporting characters were also a wonderful compliment to the story and Kate herself. All of them were well fleshed out and interesting. Ava was a difficult character for me to like at times, but I think she had her charms. James was fantastic and I found myself wishing I had a friend like him; any time Kate needed him, he was right there. Kate's friends, teachers and even servants brought such lively humor, serious drama and touching moments, that I found myself completely engrossed in this enchanting novel.

The Goddess Test was an amazing ride! Though I was able to predict some things, I was still pleasantly surprised by others. I kept an eye out for Kate's tests, but I got a bit confused and gave up looking for them, which was a little frustrating. I mean, wasn't that one of the reasons why she was in Chateau Henry to begin with? Thankfully, everything was cleared up and resolved most satisfactorily by the end. So many amazing twists and turns, mysteries and wonders, relationships and emotions! The Goddess Test is a fantastic, well-written debut novel full of wonderful characters and an engaging plot. I highly recommend it to any and all ready to get lost in myth, mystery and romance.

Now I just need to wait (im)patiently for the sequel, Goddess Interrupted. I'm so excited to see where Aimee takes us next!

A favorite quote: "Whatever obstacles you face, remember you can get through anything if you want to badly enough."

The Hunger Games: 74th Hunger Games Tributes

As a follow-up to my Katniss and Peeta post, I thought I'd pay tribute to the Tributes! Though we know very little about most of these kids, they still play an important role in the story. So without further ado (as I've noticed I say a lot), here are the 24 Tributes in the 74th annual Hunger Games! (Warning! Major spoilers!)

District 1

Boy Tribute: Marvel (Jack Quaid) Though we don't learn his name until Catching Fire, we do know that Marvel is part of the Career pack (brutal, tough kids trained specifically for the Games). He kills Rue (see District 11 below) by throwing a spear into her stomach. Katniss kills Marvel by shooting an arrow into his neck and he drowns in his own blood. Marvel is the first conscious kill for Katniss. I don't know much about Jack or his acting ability, but he's the son of Dennis Quaid & Meg Ryan... odds are he inherited at least some of their acting skills, right? I'm excited to see if this happy lookin' kid can pull off a ruthless Career Tribute.

Girl Tribute: Glimmer (Levin Rambin) Glimmer is also part of the Career pack. She is described as tall, blonde and sexy. She's also not opposed to cheating, as she tried to sneak in a ring with a hidden bit of deadliness as her District token. When the Careers catch Katniss up in a tree, they camp out underneath. During the night, Katniss saws down a tracker jacker nest to drop on the sleeping kids. When the nest breaks on the ground, Glimmer is stung many times and does not survive. As for the actress, I've read that she has plenty of experience on television and she certainly looks the part. I don't envy her fate in the games, but I'm sure it will provide for an awesome acting experience.

District 2

Boy Tribute: Cato (Alexander Ludwig) Cato is one of the Careers and Katniss considers him to be her fiercest foe. He is described as being very large and strong, with a quick, fierce temper. Katniss was right to predict it would come down to herself (and Peeta) and Cato in the end. At the Cornucopia he was attacked and tortured by the muttations through the night. Katniss shot him in the head with an arrow to end his suffering. I saw Alexander in Race to Witch Mountain and The Seeker and I think he is a very promising actor. I can't be sure how well he can portray such a brutal character, but he certainly has the build to be intimidating.

Girl Tribute: Clove (Isabelle Fuhrman) Clove is also one of the Careers. She is strong, arrogant and especially skilled with a knife. Clove has dark hair and seems to take pleasure in killing the other tributes. She was able to overtake Katniss at the Feast and threatened to torture her slowly with her knife. After she bragged about how Rue died, Thresh charged in and took revenge on her by crushing her skull with a rock, thus saving Katniss. I have yet to see Isabelle's acting, but she is most well-known for her role in the movie Orphan in which she played a murderous little girl... so I think she can pull off a murderous teenager just fine. Right?

District 3

Tribute Boy: Name Unknown (Ian Nelson) This tribute was able to ally with the Careers because of his knowledge of electronics. He disarmed the explosives under the platforms (used to discourage Tributes from getting a head start at the opening of the Games) and used them set up landmines around the Careers' food pile. Katniss was able to trigger the landmines and demolish the food supply. When the Careers came back to find their food stash obliterated, Cato took out his anger on the District 3 boy by snapping his neck. Not much is known about Ian.

Tribute Girl: Name Unknown (Kalia Prescott) Not much is known about this tribute. She is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Not much is know about Kalia.

District 4

Tribute Boy: Name Unknown (Ethan Jamieson) Not much is known about this tribute. He is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Not much is known about Ethan.

Tribute Girl: Name Unknown (Tara Macken) This Tribute is one of the Careers. She dies from tracker jacker stings after Katniss drops the nest on the Careers. Not much is known about Tara, though I think I read somewhere that she has done stunt-work.

 District 5

Tribute Boy: Unknown Name (Chris Mark) Not much is known about this Tribute. He is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Chris has experience as a stuntman.

Tribute Girl: Foxface (Jackie Emerson) Foxface is actually a nickname that Katniss gives to the wily-looking female Tribute, thus her real name is unknown. Foxface is an amazing competitor, though she never utters a single word throughout the book. She stays hidden away from the other Tributes, sneaks bits of food from others (but not enough to tip anyone off) to stay alive, and even outfoxes (heehee) the landmine setup at the Careers' camp. She is described as being petite with bright red hair and fox-ish features. It is unknown how deadly she truly is, but Katniss is unable to bring herself to trust her. Foxface dies when she pilfers some food from Peeta and Katniss, including poison berries gathered (unbeknownst) by Peeta... making her Peeta's (accidental) kill. She is the second to last Tribute to die. Jackie is a newcomer to acting, but there's already a buzz about her. I know I am definitely looking forward to seeing Foxface brought to life on the big screen and I believe Jackie will do a wonderful job.

 District 6

Tribute Boy: Name Unknown (Ashton Moio) Not much is known about this Tribute. He is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Ashton is a freerunner and has appeared in a few television shows.

Tribute Girl: Name Unknown (Kara Petersen) Not much is known about this Tribute. She is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Kara is an experienced stuntwoman.

 District 7

Tribute Boy: Unknown Name (Sam Ly) Not much is known about this Tribute. He is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Not much is known about Sam.

Tribute Girl: Unknown Name (Leigha Hancock) Not much is known about this Tribute. She is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Not much is known about Leigha.

District 8

Tribute Boy: Unknown Name (Samuel Tan) Not much is known about this Tribute. He is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Not much is known about Samuel.

Tribute Girl: Unknown Name (Mackenzie Lintz) This Tribute starts a fire on the first night of the games, near the area where Katniss has tied herself up in a tree for the night (much to her chagrin). Her fire attracts the Careers and they attack her. Unfortunately for her, her initial attacker did not successfully kill her, so Peeta (who was with the Careers) went back to put her out of her misery. Mackenzie is a new actress and I have heard she's one to keep an eye on.

District 9

Tribute Boy: Unknown Name (Imanol Yepez-Frias) Not much is known about this Tribute. He is the first to die at the Cornucopia. While fighting over a backpack with Katniss, Clove throws a knife into his back and kills him, thus saving Katniss. Not much is known about Imanol.

Tribute Girl: Unknown Name (Annie Thurman) Not much is known about this Tribute. She is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Not much is known about Annie.

District 10

Tribute Boy: Unknown Name (Jeremy Marinas) Not much is known about this Tribute, but it is mentioned that he has a crippled leg. He dies the morning after Katniss allies with Rue. I assume he was killed by the Careers, though it make no mention how he died. Jeremy has experience as a stuntman.

Tribute Girl: Unknown Name (Dakota Hood) Not much is known about this Tributes. She is one of the 11 who die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Not much is known about Dakota.

District 11

Tribute Boy: Thresh (Dayo Okeniyi) Thresh is described as being very strong and intimidating. He is very large in stature and build and has dark skin. He refused to join with the Careers and remained on his own. Not much is known about how or where he survives during the games, but he is one of the last five remaining in the arena. It is assumed that Thresh dies at the hands of Cato - possibly as revenge for killing Clove - but the details are not mentioned. Dayo has some acting experience, but little is really known about him as of yet. He looks pretty much how I imagined him... he's so big! I'm sure Dayo will do a great job as the silent but deadly Thresh.

Tribute Girl: Rue (Amandla Stenberg) Rue is one of the youngest Tributes at 12 years of age. She is described as having dark brown hair, eyes and dark skin. She is small, making it easy for her to quietly climb around in trees like a little bird. She is most fond of music and loves to sing to the mockingjays. Rue reminds Katniss of her little sister, Prim, which endears the little Tribute to her almost immediately. Eventually Katniss and Rue form an alliance and they come up with a plan to destroy the food pile belonging to the Careers. It is Rue who sets the decoy pyres so Katniss can get to the stash without the Careers being present. This little Tribute runs into trouble before she can light the third pyre when she gets ensnared in a net and then pierced through the stomach with a spear by District 1 Tribute, Marvel. Katniss kills Rue's murderer and then sings a lullaby to her until she passes away in her arms. After Rue has died, Katniss covers her body with flowers to honor her friend. Amandla can most recently be seen as young Cataleya in the movie Colombiana. I think Amandla is simply adorable and she's pretty much exactly how I pictured Rue. She has that sweet innocence about her that I associate with her character. I'm sure she'll do a fantastic job.

District 12

Tribute Boy: Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson)

Tribute Girl: Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence)

Check out the Katniss and Peeta post for more information on these two. Love them!








I know there is a lot missing about some of the actors and/or characters, but I will try to update as I come across more information. Also, should "official" photographs be released of the kids, I will update the images as soon as I can. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about the Tributes and actors portraying them. I look forward to seeing how much of the Tributes we get to see in the movie!