June was a huge transition month for my life, and three of the books I read were between 400-500 pages, so as a result, I only finished five. Oh well.

1.

This was a Kid Lit Exchange book and it WAS SO GOOD. I never would have read it if I didn't have to and I'm so glad I did. You can see me gush about it on Instagram. The characters were so realistic. And in a very rare event, I get to keep this one.

2.

I used Usborne rewards credit to get this for myself due to my undying love for the 2019 movie. This is the original version, so it ends at Meg's wedding. It also took me like two weeks to read because as enjoyable as it is, it's just not a quick read. But when you read it you can see how it was GENERATIONS ahead of its time.

3.

Technically I didn't read this. I listened to it while I did housework, walked the dog, and laid with a three-year-old to get her to nap. It was the first audiobook I listened to in my adult life and all others in my future will be a disappointment because Neil Gaiman's narration was phenomenal. I also loved the story. It was so funny. But that ending 😭

4.

You might think this was another Kid Lit Exchange book, but no. I literally just randomly read it on my iPad one Sunday afternoon. I had mixed feelings about the way it portrayed foster families and social workers but everyone had good traits and bad traits, so at least that was realistic. The main character is a teenager (the synopsis is inaccurate) so this is more like YA than middle grade, but it has no romance. I would actually read way more YA if that was the case.

5.

This also took me two weeks to read. It is SO LONG. And the beginning is really slow. But I have a lot to say so consider this fair warning.

It was weird at first that this was in Snow's perspective. And Coriolanus? Really? Can't we at least call him Cory? On that subject, if you thought the names in the original trilogy were stupid, just wait till you read this one.

And since when are Tigris and Snow COUSINS?!

But I got used to all of that. As the book progressed, the worldbuilding got stronger and it reminded me how much I LOVE this universe and have since 2012. I loved seeing Panem right after the war, when the Hunger Games were brand new. It had a lot of post-war details that made it so real.

Also the evolution of the Hunger Games was fascinating to me. In the early days they would literally plunk them in an actual arena without food. It was so crude and undeveloped. And throughout the book you see the gamemakers developing later ideas, like the mutts.

I loved going back to District 12, I LOVED the Covey, and we even learn the real origin of the Hanging Tree song.

Where I had mixed feelings was Snow himself. Throughout the book you kiiiind of see flashes of who he'll become, but pretty much it chalks up to being a product of his environment. He genuinely does have a heart and while I wasn't attached to him, I liked him. And I even cared for him in that infamous scene near the end when he falls to pieces after Sejanus dies. But almost immediately after that, he goes cold and crazy and it was all so abrupt? The ending felt rushed to me. Like he went from a little calloused to straight evil out of nowhere.

And that's it for June. I'm halfway through my next book but alas it will have to wait for July.