The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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Book Reviews of The Hunger Games
Book Review: The Games of the World Are True
Summary: 5 Stars
The Hunger Games is set in futuristic North America in a country called Panem. Life in North America is over as we know it. Panem has a center of operations called The Capitol and twelve outlying districts that are titled merely by number. Each year the Capitol requires two tributes, or sacrifices, from each district to participate in the Hunger Games. Every name of every boy and girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen are put into a lottery, and one boy and one girl is chosen at random to participate in the annual televised fight to the death.
The story is told from the perspective of Katniss, a sixteen year old girl living with her mother and twelve-year-old sister in District 12. Her father was killed in a coal mining accident several years ago, and Katniss is now the sole provider for her family. She feeds her family by hunting illegally in the woods beyond the wire fence that keeps residents from escaping from the District. When her sister's name is drawn in the lottery, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place.
I first heard about this book from a friend who clipped a review about The Hunger Games and the sequel book, Catching Fire, from Time Magazine. The idea that struck me most in that review was the last three lines: "Kids are physical creatures, and they're not stupid. They know all about violence and power and raw emotions. What's really scary is when adults pretend that such things don't exist."
In this incredible novel, violence and power are central in the lives of all citizens. The Capitol holds all the power and the citizens of each District live within the prisons of their cities. People are left to starve to death or are routinely killed for such actions as killing a deer for food or trying to run away. Medicine is scarce and even the baker's family eats the stale food that doesn't sell. Children in District 12 live in fear of losing a parent in the coal mines, because without a provider they are doomed to starvation.
When Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place in the Hunger Games, she is joined by Peeta, a boy who she barely knows. Within a few days of the lottery drawing, Peeta declares to the world that he has always loved Katniss, and suddenly the fight to survive the Killing Arena becomes a game of cunning, violence, love, power, and skill.
Ms. Collins takes us into a world where things are exactly as they seem; corrupt, unfair, destitute and violent. Nothing is sugar-coated and at least everyone knows where they stand. Through Katniss, the reader discovers that there is a piece of personal power that can be wielded in a world that seems bent on the destruction of dignity, friendship, compassion, justice, and love.
I wasn't sure if this story would be difficult to stomach and hesitated to begin reading once I bought it from the bookstore. After several weeks of psyching myself up, I quickly discovered that I couldn't put this book down, and read it even during meal times. The on-screen romance that Peeta and Katniss purport is strangely non-erotic and entirely believable. They realized that romance was what the viewers in the Capitol wanted, and they conspired to deliver, realizing that their performance bought them good-will and gifts from sponsors.
I hesitate to categorize this book. Is it Adventure? Romance? Suspense? Young-Adult? Truthfully, it is all those things, which is what makes this such a good read. Young adults will love this, but adults will enjoy this as much as they enjoyed the Harry Potter and Twilight series. Suzanne Collins joins the ranks of J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer in understanding what kids innately know; the world is a scary, violent place, and no amount of reassurance from parents will change that fact. She dives head-long into this post-Apocalyptic world, and invites the reader to experience the raw human emotions of greed, violence, power and will to survive. The world is just as it seems; bent on destruction. The question is; who will be the winner?
Book Review: The romance factor mixed in with thrilling adventure sequences
Summary: 5 Stars
Daniella, 8th grader: North America. When you hear those two words, what are the first things that enter your mind? Technology? Hollywood? Fast food? Well, for Katniss Everdeen, a 16 - year - old girl who survives on the animals she hunts, those two words won't bring up anything. She lives in the future, which changed North America into Panem. Panem is separated into 12 districts and it's Capitol. In Katniss' district, which is District 12, the space is barren. District 12 specializes in coal mining, so it's not exactly the cleanest place on earth. District 12 got the worst end of it all since some districts above it live a life that is more luxurious.
Though, in the Capitol, the technology is phenomenal. They've conjured up any type of medication for any type of disease. They had it all. So why would they leave some districts as they are if they had enough money to make it as shiny and spotless as the Capitol? The districts had to produce. And with each district, there's always something different.
Katniss is one tough girl. She knows how to handle things with intelligence and grace. Since her father died in an explosion, her mother has been an emotional wreck. She won't cook for her family and she won't provide for them. So it was Katniss' job to bring food home and onto the table and to take care of her little sister, Prim.
The title of the book says it all. To keep the people of Panem entertained, the Capitol issues a boy and a girl from each district to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised " game " where the " tributes " have to compete for the prize - their lives. They are put in a wasteland where you have to fight for all the essential needs: food, water, medicine and weapons. If you can't fight, then you're a goner.
Suzanne Collins really captured true love through Peeta Mellark's eyes. Peeta is the boy drawn for the Hunger Games from District 12. He's had a crush on Katniss since forever. What's ironic is him feeling lucky being picked to participate in the Hunger Games. But only because he would be with Katniss. During the course of the Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta strive to keep each other alive, and this shows all the feelings he has for her.
Katniss wasn't actually picked to be in the Hunger Games. Prim was. Katniss couldn't bear to send her little sister there, though. She knew it would be painful for her and her mother to see another one of their family members die, so Katniss stepped up to the plate and offered to replace Prim to keep her safe.
To me, the start of the book isn't that interesting compared to the body and the end. I like reading about romance more than adventure and action, so when Peeta and Katniss were reunited in the Hunger Games arena, it got me biting my nails more than ever to find out if their crushes would blossom into something more. I have to say: I think I have a crush on Peeta Mellark than on Edward Cullen. But they're both different individuals and both have different attractive qualities to them. Peeta would be the sweet boy who's real and Edward would be mysterious mythical creature.
Katniss and I are pretty different. I don't know how to hunt, or how to fend for myself let alone my whole family. She's got a lot of guts to do that. Katniss would conceal her true feelings, whereas I would let mine spill and show. And when it comes to survival in the forest, I wouldn't stop and think twice about eating berries because I'd be too hungry to.
If it weren't for the romance factor mixed in with thrilling adventure sequences, my rating wouldn't be a 4.5. The Hunger Games really captured my attention, but at first I thought it wouldn't be something I would like to read. This book wouldn't really be good for anyone younger than 10 for they wouldn't understand the story as much and there are too much big words for them to know. I, for one, love it and hope after you've read this review would find it thoroughly exhilarating and love it, too.
Book Review: The Hunger Games
Summary: 5 Stars
My Thoughts: Wow, what a book. I'm one of the people who jumped on the Hunger Games train very late. I read this book on September 1st, 2010 which is a long time after it was released. It had the dystopian feel to it so I was unsure about reading it since I'm usually not too into those types. I was so afraid I would be let down after all the hype building up about these books. I was so surprised how much I loved The Hunger Games! We meet Katniss who is truly an inspiration for girls everywhere. She's so strong, determined, sincere, and has a big heart even though she has to be tough. She is best friends with Gale, who goes hunting with her. We don't get much info on Gale, just that he has a big family and he is the sole provider for his family. We meet Katniss's mother and sister Prim. Prim is just 12 years old. Katniss comes from a very poor family and she hunts illegally to feed her family and trades just to keep them going day to day.
The Hunger Games take place every year. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen are called upon to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Of course that year, Katniss is worried that her or Gale's name will be called because they have their names so many times in the draw. But, unfortunately her sister is called and Katniss stands up and volunteers to take her place. She can't imagine her sister making it, or having to try to survive. She can't see her sister go through that. Another boy is called, Peeta. What can I say about Peeta? He's pretty awesome to me. Katniss is vaguely familiar with Peeta, they sure don't hang out with each other and she's just glad it wasn't Gale.
Anyways, they go to get ready for The Hunger Games, and the small interactions between Peeta and Katniss were nice especially when it would dawn on her, she needs to stay away from him since he's basically the enemy. The talent section where she shows them how she can shoot a bow and arrow cracked me up! I actually reread that passage a few times! They go onto The Hunger Games. It starts out simple enough with supplies out in the open and players going after what they want. And, some of the participates band together which is just pointless since only one can walk away the champion. The things they have to endure are painful to watch, painful to feel.
I don't want to give away the whole book. Lets just put it this way, The Hunger Games is wonderful. The trials Katniss has to go through and she never gives up no matter what. She knows back home there are people waiting for her and she must defeat this! She must win.
Peeta was likable at the beginning and by the end I really really really loved him. There has been so much talk about Team Gale and Team Peeta and I guess I do like Gale but I just don't feel much of a connection to him at this point (maybe because he wasn't in book 1 much) and Peeta just made me fall for him. The things he said, his personality, it was all there. Katniss is still brave and I am glad we saw things through her point of view. I really liked a lot of the characters. I really liked Rue. I didn't like Foxface very much. She just annoyed me I guess. The characters are likable, the plot is wonderful, the suspense was awesome, and I found myself happy, sad, crying, mad, hurt, and wanting to throw up throughout the book! Not many books make me feel all those emotions! In other words, hands down it was one of the best books I've ever read!
Overall: I loved loved loved loved this book! Way to go Collins for making me fall in love with this novel because not many books like this do! I started reading this and finished it within a day, I kept telling myself every time I needed to set it down, just a few more chapters than I'll stop! Well, I didn't stop too often! It was so addicting!
Cover: Like it, its simple but neat.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
Taken from Princess Bookie
(Hardcover Edition)
Book Review: Profoundly disturbing and profoundly wonderful
Summary: 5 Stars
The Hunger Games is a book that seized me by the throat and didn't even let me go, even when I read the last word on the page. It is the kind of book that I had to force myself to put down so that I could go to sleep, and that I immediately picked up again upon waking. It is the kind of book that demanded that I sit down and read and read and read until I finally discovered what had become of the characters. It is vividly and masterfully written, the kind of book that is guaranteed to stick with me for quite some time, the kind of book I am sure to read again and again.
Though I had been aware of the book's popularity before I read it, I didn't really know anything about the premise--and I'm actually glad that I didn't. The brutality of it shocked me in a very visceral way. I was horrified by its depiction of such a grim future, and by the very thought of a society that would pit children against one another in a fight to the death. Needless to say, this is a very intense book and one that is very violent as well. I don't think that it's a reason to prevent a mature child from reading it, but I do think it's a reason for a parent to read it as well. This is a book that needs to be discussed, whose themes need to be explored.
Yes, The Hunger Games is a work of fiction, but it does contain many elements of truth that are relevant to our world today. The brutal regime that controls Panem is not that different from the brutal regimes that control many parts of the globe even as I type these words. I think it is only natural to want to shelter our children from this kind of violence, but I feel the book provides a very good jumping off point for such discussions. If the plight of those who are oppressed and whose human rights are violated by their own government isn't an issue important for children are aware of, I'm not sure what is.
The book also has a lot of important themes about compassion and complicity. In a world like Panem, compassion might seem like a very dangerous emotion, as it may distract a person from their fight for survival at any cost. But is the moments of compassion and grace in the book that underscore our capacity as human beings. Even in the face of a world gone mad, compassion is the one emotion that guarantees there will be some light, some hope in that world. As the book shows, the act of complying is far more dangerous because it removes something essentially human from us, leading us down the path toward indifference to the suffering of others. As children enter their difficult teen years, these are extremely important themes. It is at this age that children are first beginning to learn that, while it may be easier to comply, the only way in which to be able to live with one's actions is to live with compassion.
As powerful as the novel's themes are the novel's main characters. Though Katniss is the embodiment of the survivalist and Peeta is the embodiment of compassion, they are both more than that. Katniss especially is extremely complex. She is neither a hero nor a villain, but a very human character trying to cope in a brutal, heartless world. Her actions are sometimes selfless and sometimes selfish, but she is always someone with whom the reader can identify. How could anyone possibly know what is truly in their heart when dealing with the sort of reality with which Katniss has been forced to deal?
I was simply blown away by this novel. It deals with so many important issues without being at all preachy. Instead, by making the world in which Katniss and Peeta live so violently, disturbingly real, the reader can do little else than think deeply about the issues central to the book's themes. By allowing the reader to live vicariously through Katniss and Peeta, it enables us to form a deeper, more profound understanding of what it means to be a human being, and what it means to be truly courageous.
Book Review: Just like true love, this book will hit you in the gut
Summary: 5 Stars
Hunger Games and it's second part ( Catching Fire) were Christmas gifts from my boyfriend but I must admit that I haven't really heard much about them prior to last year's holiday. Once I had them all sorts of wonderful reviews started to come to my attention and I wondered: what is this book, why is it so special? All I had to do was read it to find out for myself but I read it without knowing too much of the plot and I have to say it was a wonderful way to go about it. The book was a pleasant surprise, but be warned, once you start reading it you won't want to put it down, I realized that Suzanne Collins was a writer for one of my favorite tv shows when I was growing up, Nickelodeon's quirky Clarissa Explains It All which I love to this day, so I was ecstatic to see that this was her creation, it certainly had a richness and spunk that most YA books lack even if they are entertaining, it had a layer of depth that gave me chills, it's a book that you want to be rude with, meaning you want to whip it out while you're out socializing and read it at the dinner table or when people are trying to chat with you, it's impossible not to think about it once the first few pages are turned.
Not knowing anything about this story can be great so those who want to go in blind please do so, it's a great way to enjoy this story but to summon it up I will say that it has courage, hope, gruesome deaths ( somehow it works, don't ask me how) and plenty of tension, not to mention layers of themes that make it feel like dinner and desert all in one. If I had to categorize these genera I'd call is science fiction but with an organic feel, there is blood and sweat, not just metal and batteries. Post apocalyptic America is transformed into Panem and there are twelve districts who specialize in different things ( some are about agriculture, others about minerals or different types of labor) and each year a boy and a girl is chose form each district to be taken to an arena, well a landscape, to battle to the death and only one wins, if they refuse gruesome end will come to the whole district and all of the inhabitants. Even though they are just kids many are ready to battle, fame and glory is showered upon the contestants and of course especially on the winner, some harbor a hunger to kill while others cringe at the thought of hurting anyone, there can only be one winner and the contestants are chosen at random. Our heroine is Katniss Everdeen from district twelve, her problem is that her battle partner is her neighbor who starts to grow on her, how on Earth do you battle twenty three teens, one of them being your friend or even something more and survive with a clear conscience and still come out being the same person is beyond me, but that is the task. Hunger Games reminded me of a movie that I loved, Battle Royale, it's a wild read but somehow it works, the glitz and glam of winning makes some of the kids stand out from the crowd, some grow more vicious while others develop guts, but it's too late for all of them except for one...the adventure begins and let me tell you, it's a wild and exciting ride, as gruesome as it sounds.
This is easily one of the best books of 2010 and I think I will remember it for a very long time. The second I was done reading it ( I actually woke up early on a Saturday morning to read the last hundred pages) I pulled Catching Fire off my shelf and read the next chapter, it's good.. I had to stop myself from reading it all in one sitting, I got the third book last week but I plan to stretch them over a few weeks,a pleasurable torment! This is going to be made into a film trilogy and I'm very curious to see if the pictures all those words created will match those in my head, books are always nicer but the more Hunger Games I get the better, enjoy!
- Kasia S.