The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 1)
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
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Disturbing but a fascinating concept. Loved how they played to the camera. Showed where "reality tv" may be going.
I just finished it, and while I'm basking in the glow of having finished a fantastic, satisfying read, I feel compelled to write this review. I don't often dole out 5-star reviewed, but Collins' THE HUNGER GAMES deserves every last one of those stars.
I'll admit that I needed some time to adjust to the present tense, deep 1st-person POV the book is written in. It brought me in so close, maybe too close for my initial comfort, to Katniss Everdeen, the novel's heroine. Once the adjustment was made, however, and the history of Panem and the Games explained, I was on board. The choice of POV and tense are perfect for it brings the reader directly into the heart of it, and layers them with the skin and eyes of Katniss herself so that you feel as if it's YOU struggling to survive this ordeal.
The novel artfully guided me through any number of emotions, and every chapter ended with a one-liner that created a need to turn the page and read on. In a way, the idea of teenagers fighting to the death on national television bears a nightmarish slant of our obsession with reality TV today. A combination of Survivor and war, death, mayhem, unfairness, love, friendship, and the basic needs of all people - to eat, to sleep, to establish connections with others, and to survive. This novel is fantastic from the second you're hooked all the way through the minor (and major) triumphs and setbacks of the Games.
THE HUNGER GAMES is woven seamlessly with action, suspense, thrill, and romance. It is beautifully orchestrated and expertly executed. The novel's end, while satisfying in one sense, definitely leaves me anxious to reach for the second book in the series. If there's one YA you read this year, make it THE HUNGER GAMES.
I'll admit that I needed some time to adjust to the present tense, deep 1st-person POV the book is written in. It brought me in so close, maybe too close for my initial comfort, to Katniss Everdeen, the novel's heroine. Once the adjustment was made, however, and the history of Panem and the Games explained, I was on board. The choice of POV and tense are perfect for it brings the reader directly into the heart of it, and layers them with the skin and eyes of Katniss herself so that you feel as if it's YOU struggling to survive this ordeal.
The novel artfully guided me through any number of emotions, and every chapter ended with a one-liner that created a need to turn the page and read on. In a way, the idea of teenagers fighting to the death on national television bears a nightmarish slant of our obsession with reality TV today. A combination of Survivor and war, death, mayhem, unfairness, love, friendship, and the basic needs of all people - to eat, to sleep, to establish connections with others, and to survive. This novel is fantastic from the second you're hooked all the way through the minor (and major) triumphs and setbacks of the Games.
THE HUNGER GAMES is woven seamlessly with action, suspense, thrill, and romance. It is beautifully orchestrated and expertly executed. The novel's end, while satisfying in one sense, definitely leaves me anxious to reach for the second book in the series. If there's one YA you read this year, make it THE HUNGER GAMES.
I wouldnât say Iâm a literary snob but thereâs definitely a little criteria that I employ in choosing books. You generally canât include them on a grocery list as theyâre not found next to the tabloids section which a cheesy cover and Fabio-esque protagonist. And although I always love me some Dr. Seuss, the intended audience of the book should be a bit older. Other than that, sprinkle a little je ne se quoi, and you have a rather poorly tailor-made list of my reading preferences. So when my girlfriend had devoured The Hunger Games trilogy in practically a weekâs sitting and peer pressured me into jumping on the bandwagon, I had a hard time knowing how to gauge my own reading buds and produce a proper review since it definitely was not in the same realm of the books I generally choose (just take look at my list!).
After initially complaining that the storyline sounded like it couldâve been conjured by a fifth grader rather led by his imagination (I was only about 30 pages in), I was ever-so-humbly reminded that this is indeed a young adult novel. Nevertheless, that Collins is a colorful storyteller and every bit as masterful in creating compelling characters, there is no doubt. To be honest, I was blindsided by the accessibility of Collinsâ story and how seductive her post-apocalyptic world was becoming. I was like a kid with his nose pressed up against the candy store window, becoming increasingly enveloped into the world of District 12, Panem, and the arena with its tracker jackers, masochism, conflict, and an éclat of both culture and personalities.
Like every good novel, The Hunger Games also divulges some rather important themes and social focal points, and packages it in a way so as to regale young readers rather than bore them. Overall, however, The Hunger Games is a recurring prompt in history, and perhaps a more chilling version of the present, as it showcases what happens when the lives and willpower of many are influenced by the whims of a few, powerful elite.
After initially complaining that the storyline sounded like it couldâve been conjured by a fifth grader rather led by his imagination (I was only about 30 pages in), I was ever-so-humbly reminded that this is indeed a young adult novel. Nevertheless, that Collins is a colorful storyteller and every bit as masterful in creating compelling characters, there is no doubt. To be honest, I was blindsided by the accessibility of Collinsâ story and how seductive her post-apocalyptic world was becoming. I was like a kid with his nose pressed up against the candy store window, becoming increasingly enveloped into the world of District 12, Panem, and the arena with its tracker jackers, masochism, conflict, and an éclat of both culture and personalities.
Like every good novel, The Hunger Games also divulges some rather important themes and social focal points, and packages it in a way so as to regale young readers rather than bore them. Overall, however, The Hunger Games is a recurring prompt in history, and perhaps a more chilling version of the present, as it showcases what happens when the lives and willpower of many are influenced by the whims of a few, powerful elite.
UGH. so good. i always thought this was going to be too juvenile. also i’ve seen the movie before (been a long time) and then watched it again after i read. UGH WHAT. THE END IS SO DIFFERENT!!! I actually really like Peeta. remember hating him in the movie growing up. was very hesitant.
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