I used to tutor a boy in grade 7 who introduced me to The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. I'd like to think (being a 24 year old adult female) that young adult series were a thing of the past...I was deadly wrong. Within the week, I had finished books 1-3 of this amazing series.



What drew me in was the main character of Katniss Everdeen. Before I go any further, the storyline is very Battle Royale-ish (I'm convinced BR had some influence on this, no matter what the author says) and totally addictive.

A 16 year old girl in a dystopian future volunteers for her younger sister to participate in this annual event called the Hunger Games where children from different districts are thrown into an arena to fight to death on national television.

The main character is this rough, tough 16 year old girl named Katniss Everdeen who basically fights tooth and nail for her family, love and freedom. Like, HOLY MOLY. Who doesn't want to be Katniss?? The kicker is that her ethnicity was kept pretty ambiguous too. "Straight black hair, olive skin, grey eyes..." I mean, that can be ME with grey contacts. I wear my hair in a braid pulled to the side ALL THE TIME. Actually, it can be anyone. Take it as you will, Katniss is a very personable character to every fangirl.

Now, not too long ago, Hollywood caught wind of this series and of course, opted to make a movie. Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) is set to direct and casting went underway. Fan made videos popped up EVERYWHERE, including this little number:



I think this set the ball rolling on fans going crazy about wanting to be Katniss Everdeen. The most popular pick was a Cinderella fantasy. Open casting to cast the perfect fan with black hair, grey eyes, no acting experience but an outstanding audition. But ALAS! The release date was set (March 23, 2012) and the auditions were sadly, closed.

I never really had an opinion about who I wanted for Katniss. I knew who I DIDN'T want...but deep down, I hoped they would cast a seasoned actress so I knew I didn't miss an opportunity.

In the end, the coveted role went to Ms. Jennifer Lawrence. Blonde, busty, blue eyed. I guess I didn't miss out on anything.