Jonah Mother Effing Griggs. What can I say? He's arguably Melina Marchetta's most popular hero. A teenage army cadet and leader of one "gang" in On the Jellicoe Road, he's tough and at times brutal, but he's also incredibly brave, caring and passionate. I pictured him as Liam Hemsworth.
Swoon-worthy Quotes
“How does Jonah Griggs get to be a ten? He sits on a
train with me when we’re fourteen and he weeps, tearing at his hair,
bashing his head with the palm of his hand, self-hatred pouring from him
like blood from a gut wound in a war movie, and for the first time in
my whole life I have a purpose.I am the holder of the grief and pain and guilt and
passion of Jonah Griggs and as we sit huddled on the floor of the
carriage, he allows me to hold him, to say ‘Shh, Jonah, it wasn’t your
fault.’ While his body still shakes from the convulsions, he takes hold
of my hand and links my fingers with his and I feel someone else’s pain
for the first time I can remember.”
“When I turn around, he cups my face in his hands
and he kisses me so deeply that I don’t know who is breathing for who,
but his mouth and tongue taste like warm honey. I don’t know how long it
lasts, but when I let go of him, I miss it already."
“'If you weren’t driving, I’d kiss you senseless.' I tell him
He swerves to the side of the road and stops the car abruptly.
'Not driving anymore.'”
“I don't want to let go, because tonight I'm not looking for anything
more than being part of him. Because being part of him isn't just
anything. It's kind of everything.”
-Jonah Griggs from On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, a fiercesome army cadet with a damaged past and a tender heart (le sigh). Played in my head by Liam Hemsworth.
-Jacob Coote from Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. Another rough-around-the-edges-but-deep-down-really-sweet guy (they seem to be a MM speciality!), he's a walking contradiction. A totally swoon-worthy one. Played by Kick Gurry in the movie.
My choices
Pash: Jonah. I love his passion. And his hotness. But he's one of those characters that is so obviously meant for another (Taylor) I just couldn't interfere. Much.
Pick: Tom. Maybe it was being in his head for half of The Piper's Son, but I feel more connected to him than the others. Once he gets his shit together I reckon he'd make a pretty decent pick.
Pass: Sorry, Jacob, you were my first MM love, and I'll always have a special place in my heart for you but... you've been eclipsed.
Come on MM fans, you know you want to play! Who would you pash, pick and pass?
Warning: This post contains a lot of fangirling and CAPS and not a lot of coherence because ALL THE EMOTIONS.
You guys. YOU GUYS. The Hunger Games movie is HERE! And it is AMAZING. It's everything you expect it to be. I think I love it as much as the book. Well, almost.
The cast is perfect. Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant, as expected. As soon as you see her pull back that arrow for the first time, it's like, "Oh hey there, Katniss." Liam is fine as Gale - he doesn't get a massive amount of screen time, to be honest - but Josh Hutcherson, oh my goodness, JOSH HUTCHERSON! He blew me away as Peeta. I'm not gonna lie, I had my doubts about him - mostly superficial, it's true - but he nailed it. His Peeta is full of depth, emotion, humour and charm - gah he's just so great.
The supporting cast are also fantastic. Elizabeth Banks is hilarious as Effie, Lenny Kravitz is fah-bulous as Cinna, Stanley Tucci is PERFECTION as Caesar, Wes Bentley is chilling yet surprisingly sympathetic as Seneca, Woody Harrelson IS Haymitch (and the wig isn't even distracting), Donald Sutherland is eviltastic as Snow, Willow Shields is adorably helpless as Prim and Amandla Stenberg is completely heartbreaking as Rue.
The sets are wonderful and really bring to life the world of the book, and the costumes are truly spectacular. There was clearly so much attention to detail, and the Capitol costumes in particular are standouts. As for Cinna's creations, let's just say that those who were disappointed by Katniss' fire dress in the trailer will be pleasantly surprised in the movie. The filmmakers definitely kept some secrets hidden. The one thing I didn't really like was the shaky camera movements, especially at the start, but it wasn't a major problem.
As for the story, it was remarkably faithful to the book. Some things are cut, of course, but for the most part I didn't miss anything. There were also a few changes or additions that I thought were really effective. I'll outline them below - beware, there'll be some spoilers.
Changes that worked
I really liked the "behind the scenes" aspect of the movie, with the frequent cuts to the gamemaker's room, as well as Caesar's commentary. It definitely strengthened the realism of the world. I particularly enjoyed the fleshing out of Seneca's story, and I actually felt really sorry for him by the end. The insight into Snow's motivations was also great.
Even though it was kinda sad - but understandable - to have no Madge, I thought the way the Mockingjay pin was exchanged between Katniss and Prim made the whole thing more meaningful than it was in the book.
The cut away to District 11's reaction to Rue's death was powerful and gave a hint at things to come.
Rue's death was slightly different and not quite as gruesome as in the book - it was kind of a relief not to have to see that on screen. As it is, it's still quite brutal.
The muttations didn't have the Tribute's features (I didn't really get that in the book, TBH).
Changes that didn't work (for me)
I wish the importance of the bakery scene was made a little clearer, as well as Katniss' feelings for Peeta. I wanted MORE KISSING in the cave scene, especially the kiss where Katniss realises she does feel something for him. I also missed Peeta's realisation at the end that Katniss was playing the game. A friend of mine who hasn't read the books was totally confused about the fact that one second Katniss is angry at him, and the next she's all affectionate. They do develop the idea that if they're a couple, people will like them, but perhaps the reasoning behind Katniss' actions wasn't as obvious if you haven't read the books.
There were a few cuts to Gale in key parts, but I wish they'd bulked his part up a little more, and shown him looking after Katniss' family and/or being interviewed by the TV crew. Again, my friend who hasn't read the books was like, "Gale is barely a character! Why is he made to look like one of the main three?!" And I kinda agree.
Changes that had no major impact
The Avox story was missing.
Peeta injures his leg, but doesn't lose it.
Jennifer Lawrence's singing voice isn't amazing, like Katniss' is supposed to be, but it's really only a superficial difference.
Oh boy. I’ve been putting off writing this review, partly because I just don’t think I’ll be able to do justice to this wonderful book. And also…
Seriously. So many emotions. To the point
where every time I’ve tried
to write this review in my head*, I’ve been unable to form coherent sentences. I just have all these
FEELINGS. All I can think is… oh, the
heartbreak! The pain! The love! The awesomeness! The flashbacks!
The mystery! The beautiful, beautiful language! The characters! Raff! Taylor! WEBB!
FITZ! JONAH MOTHER EFFING GRIGGS!
So, yeah, that’s what’s been
going on with me. I’m going
to try to be slightly more articulate, but please forgive me if every so often
I resort to crying in the corner.
I didn’t know a helluva lot going into On the Jellicoe Road, other than the fact that it’s supposed to be freaking awesome and
Jonah Griggs is amazeballs, if the blogosphere is anything to go by (which it
totally is, natch). I knew it centred around a girl who’d been abandoned at a 7/11 by her mum, that it involved some kind of
territory wars, and that it told two stories simultaneously – one in the past
and one in the present. I have to say, not knowing any more than that was a
really good thing. While it was initially a little disconcerting to have no
idea what was going on, it made the mystery and the final revelations all the
more powerful. One of the best parts of On
the Jellicoe Road was the way the plot was slowly unraveled and everything
began to click into place, as the events of the past and present converged.
There are so many amazing twists in the plot, and the way they’re revealed in a non-linear manner is
very effective – and totally heartbreaking.
Ahem. Yes, this book is incredibly sad. But
– importantly - it’s not
depressing. There's a big
dose of tragedy in there, but it’s also filled with hope, healing and even a touch of humour. The
very reason it’s so sad
is also part of its warmth, as there's a strong sense of connection with the characters. Like all Marchetta’s novels, On the Jellicoe Road features chracters who are extremely strong, realistic, unique and, well,
downright amazing. I loved them all – but I especially adored the five in Hannah’s story. It was so interesting to see
the way they were intertwined with Taylor’s story. And did I mention it was heartbreaking?
This is one of those books that stays with
you for days after finishing it (and possibly longer – I’ll keep you posted). Partly because of
the characters. Partly because of all the twists and turns in the plot. But
mostly because everything is so bloody perfect.
Rating:
5/5
*Random side note: Does anybody else write
things out in their head before putting anything on the page/screen?
Spoilery
talking points
I was shocked at what happened
to Webb. SUCH a good twist. Poor Fitz! I really want to know how/when he
figured out what actually happened. Sob.
I’m so glad that, by pure coincidence, I read To Kill a Mockingbirdimmediately before On the Jellicoe Road. It’s not a prerequisite, but it did make the references to the Mrs
Dubose situation all the more meaningful.
I loved the way everything was
connected – even seemingly random things turn out to be deliberate and tie in
perfectly, but not in a forced way. Like Taylor’s dream boy, the serial killer, the postman in Yass, the tunnel, the
purple book… sigh.
Eye candy
Marchetta has written the film script for Jellicoe (squee!) and Cathy Randall is attached to direct, but there's no word yet on the cast. I pictured Marny Kennedy as Taylor and Liam Hemsworth as Jonah.
Related
I'll never hear 'Flame Trees' in the same way again. I know Webb would've been listening to the original by Cold Chisel, but I love Sarah Blasko's version.
Fine Print
Genre: Young Adult Published: 2006, Penguin Get It:Abe Books
You've probably seen The Hunger Games trailer a million times by now. I know I have (well, at least 11 times, anyway). How freaking awesome does it look?! Here's what I love about it:
Jennifer Mother Loving Lawrence as Katniss Mother Effing Everdeen. Amazeballs. Perfect in every way. The moment when she volunteers... that is Katniss!
Liam Hemsworth as Gale. He doesn't have to do much other than be spunky, and he does that pretty damn well.
PRIM! She's adorable and perfect and breaks my heart.
RUE! She's adorable and perfect and breaks my already broken heart even more.
Lenny Kravitz is totally the Cinna I saw in my head.
The costumes and scenery all look amazing and definitely bring to life the world built by Suzanne Collins.
I'm still not totally behind Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, but the emotion on his face when his name is pulled out in the Reaping is spot on.
Stanley Awesomesauce Tucci. I kinda wanna marry him.
The glimpse of Peeta and Katniss talking on the roof. Squee! I love that scene.
Katniss' salute and the response from the crowd.
The way they set up the story without revealing the whole freaking movie. And the way they built up the tension and cut off the trailer just as the Games were starting. Talk about a teaser! The moment when Katniss is being lifted up and you can hear the countdown is totally gut-wrenching - as it should be.
Here's what I didn't like about it:
Whatever the hell is on Haymitch's head. Did they use the same wig department as The Twilight Saga?
Call me superficial, but Josh is still not hot enough to be my idea of Peeta... but hey, he might change my mind by the end of the movie.
It's not out till March. I can't wait that long!
In other movie news, the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman was released last week, and while it's sadly been trumped by The Hunger Games, it still got me pretty excited. The only criticism I have is that there is no way Kristen Stewart could ever surpass Charlize Theron in "fairness". But the movie looks really good!
What did you think of The Hunger Games trailer? Are you excited for Snow White and the Huntsman?
I let out a little squee when I saw these shots of The Hunger Games cast on Vanity Fair's website last week. If you haven't checked it out already, the group shot is especially worth a click through - its boring beigeness is jazzed up with profiles of each star that appear as you roll your mouse over them. Fun! I'm still not convinced by Josh Hutcherson as Peeta (is it just me or is he way too blonde?!), but everyone else is pretty spot on for me.
My favourite mag cover this week was UK Elle's, with Michelle Williams looking her usual gorgeous self. I can't wait to see her in My Week With Marilyn.
