The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.71 You Save: $9.28 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $6.96 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Hunger Games
Book Review: In a word: Intense
Summary: 5 Stars
I am happy to say The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins lives up to all expectations. Several people told me that I was going to love this book, that it was right up my alley. I was careful not to read any reviews or synopses so as not to ruin the experience. I am so glad I did. Still, here I am writing a review, part of which is a synopsis. I will do my best to give you an overview without giving anything away. (yes, the book was that good)
The story takes place in the distant future in the ruins once known as North America, now known as the country of Panem, divided between the Capital and it's twelve Districts. As dictated by the Capital, each year, one boy and one girl from each district are forced to play in The Hunger Games. Only the winner will survive. Every moment is televised.
This book, in a word, is intense. Put Lord of the Flies, The Lottery, Survivor and Running Man in a blender, and you'll come up with The Hunger Games. The story is told from the perspective of our heroine. I am having a hard time coming up with a comparable female protagonist as powerful as Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is from the poorest neighborhood of the poorest District in Panem, and already knows a bit about survival. For one thing, she knows what it feels like to be hungry. For another, she knows how to hunt. She is brutal, cold, and cunning, yet I was still able to really like her and root for her. Sure, there are a few quirks in her personality that didn't sit well with me, but I'll give her some slack. Aside from hating her name, the girl is fierce.
The games, however, are downright brutal. Twenty-four children, ages 12 to 18 go into the arena, and I can promise you that they don't all survive. We don't necessarily get a good look at all of the deaths, but I have a vivid imagination, and Suzanne Collins is especially talented with the turn of a phrase. For this reason, I have to caution as to how young the Young Adult reader should be. I think that the lessons on government and communism are strong and could launch amazing conversations about governments throughout history and throughout the world, not to mention the social and political implications of televising the Hunger Games, turning it into some voyeuristic reality show.
The pacing of this book is supersonic. I had a really hard time putting it down, and when I did, I found myself thinking and wondering about the book, the location, the characters, the government, and, especially, the Game.
The Hunger Games has huge crossover potential -- not only to adult readers, but to boys as well. You know me, I am always on the lookout for Man-Lit, but having two sons of my own, I keep my eyes wide open for books that appeal to boys. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Katniss Everdeen will be the heroes on my boys' bookshelves.
Movie Potential? I can't wait to see who gets their hands on this series! This was one powerful book, but I can only imagine how much more intense the story will be when we can see, for example, the images of the shining Capital in comparison to Katniss's gray, coal-covered, District 12. Then again, I'm not sure if putting a fight-to-the-death game on the big screen will be able retain its Young Adult audience. I can only hope that they do The Hunger Games the same justice that Chris Columbus did Harry Potter. Something tells me we won't have to wait long to find out. UPDATE: Ok, the Hunger Games fans are on the ball! It didn't take long for them to tell me that Lions Gate has optioned the movie rights, and Suzanne Collins herself will be writing the screenplay. Cool. Thanks, Amy!
There you have it. The Hunger Games is one of the best books I've read this year, and THE favorite YA book this year, hands down.
[...]
Book Review: A thought-provoking and intense read.
Summary: 5 Stars
I could not put The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, down - I had to read it in one go over the span of several hours because I was that enthralled with the story and the characters.
The novel takes place in a dystopia several hundred years in the future, in which the U.S. has become twelve Districts ruled by one Capitol. About a hundred or fewer years previously, there were thirteen Districts, and together they decided to band together and rebel against the Capitol - and they were crushed. In retaliation, the Capitol destroyed District 13, and to punish the other twelve further, they now have to participate in the Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games are an annual, televised "battle royale" between twenty-four contestants - a randomly picked boy and a girl from each District - in which the last (wo)man standing lives in prosperity for the rest of their life, and their district is showered with food and other luxuries (hence the "hunger" part). Only teenagers are eligible. Contestants, who are called "tributes," have to survive in the wild as well as battle with each other.
Our hero is Katniss, a girl from one of the very poorest and hungriest districts - 12, which used to be Appalachia, and from which there hasn't been a winner in thirty years or so. Her name isn't drawn from the hat, but her little sister's is - so Katniss steps up as a volunteer "tribute." She and a boy she barely knows, Peeta, are District 12's representatives.
I appreciate that the novel has a strong female protagonist - something that's lacking in YA sometimes. Katniss is smart, adept, quick on her feet, and quick to take action in a dangerous situation. Amazingly, she also isn't so perfect that she's boring. She's outsmarted by some characters, she's outfought by others, and she has a difficult time trusting others and forming close relationships, which reflects poorly on her and have serious consequences.
It's written in first person, which can be a gamble at the best of times. I understand that the tone/style is off-putting to some - it's written in a very matter-of-fact and dry voice (which was quite funny at times to me, but others thought it was un-relatable-to). However, I "bought" the voice because it reflects well on Katniss's personality, and it changes throughout the novel as she grows from her experiences, such as with Rue especially. I found it to be a refreshing change from a lot of YA fiction about girls, and a very engaging novel - I was completely caught up in Katniss's experiences. The pacing was also perfect for me - it's not too drawn-out, but it doesn't give the impression of it all being over too quickly. There's action, adventure, horror, and even, yes, romance.
It can be very dark at times, as well - from Haymitch's (the one living District 12 winner) constant alcoholism and oblivion to the world around him, to the violence and desperation that takes place in the competition, to the "entertainment" value of the Games, to the way relationships are manipulated out of necessity, to the effect of war and violence on the human mind, to the glimpses we see of the politics and government behind the Games, to the inherent moral grayness of winning/competing in the Games.
It's very well crafted, and a lot of it, especially the end ("End of Book One," obviously) means there's going to be a sequel. I hope the series goes farther and explores a rebellion against the government (it would be disappointing if it degenerated into a love triangle plot only), but more importantly how Katniss is supposed to return to her family and District but isn't, ultimately, the same anymore, as well as her having to cope with her own actions in the Games. In short - I eagerly look forward to more!
Book Review: You'll be hearing a lot about THE HUNGER GAMES in the weeks and months to come, if you haven't already
Summary: 5 Stars
In my Teenreads.com review of THE SILENCED by James DeVita, I noted that we have a love of dystopian novels. I think it's because we, as humans, like to be right. We like to be able to make correlations between the conditions we see in the world and possible scenarios about how those conditions could achieve Worse Case Scenario status. It's frightening, really, that we should want to be right about that. Maybe it could be that we're glad other people (authors) seem to share our concerns about our direction --- as a civilization, as a country.
I admit: I'm a sucker for a good dystopian novel. In my mind, a GOOD dystopian novel doesn't settle for simply presenting a bleak set of circumstances and warning, "This is what could happen if we don't change our ways." A GOOD dystopian novel forces us to become emotionally invested in the people who are affected by the bleak conditions. A GREAT dystopian novel goes a step further and makes us want more. THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins, author of the Gregor the Overlander series, falls into this category.
The story is set in Panem, part of what used to be North America until an epic disaster rent civilization asunder into a chaotic tailspin. Rising from the ashes is the Capitol, a nightmarish totalitarian state, and 12 Districts kept under the painful thumb of the central Capitol government. The Capitol rules ferociously after an attempt at uprising several years earlier that resulted in the obliteration of a 13th District. To keep the remaining districts in line, the Capitol devised "The Hunger Games," a brutal competition for which each district must supply two "players" (known as tributes) between the ages of 12 and 18. The 24 tributes fight to the last person standing in a wasteland-like arena where they compete for basic survival supplies while every moment is mandatory televised viewing for all citizens.
When her younger sister is randomly chosen to represent their district, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her place. She is sent to the Capitol with her district's other tribute, a baker's son named Peeta, where they are forced to participate in a macabre pageantry (complete with make-up artists and celebrity interviews) that leads up to the deadly games themselves. Once she enters the arena, Katniss must face her murderous fellow-tributes (some have been training for years in the event they were chosen) and decide if Peeta is an ally or an enemy. However, the decision seems to be a moot point because, as the rules stand, only one of them can emerge alive from the arena.
Collins's dystopia is somewhat old-fashioned --- mass, seemingly uncalculated oppression --- compared to more recent entries, such as LITTLE BROTHER, which is firmly grounded in a more clearly attainable reality. But I think the old-fashioned approach is part of the charm of this book (if, indeed, you can attribute the word "charm" to something that offers such a grim outlook). Collins crafts a vivid, frightening world where the citizens are worked to the point of exhaustion, starved to the point of collapse, and humiliated beyond the tolerance of any sane person for the entertainment of the elite. The heart of the book is the characters. Katniss is brave and caring, Peeta is smart and smitten. Anyone can scare readers by presenting a future devoid of hope, but it takes a skilled writer to create characters we dare to hope for. Collins has accomplished just that.
You'll be hearing a lot about THE HUNGER GAMES in the weeks and months to come, if you haven't already. There's good reason for that. If you're like me, you have an unrelenting pile of "to be read" books. Take my advice: nudge this one closer to the top.
--- Reviewed by Brian Farrey
Book Review: Alternate world
Summary: 5 Stars
Before starting the book I didn't let myself read any other reviews so that I could create my own opinions of the story. I hate to know too much before I start. For this reason with movies I like to only see a preview once or twice so I can be more surprised by the actual finished product. Although I enjoyed the book it didn't go as quickly as I thought it would. The first time I picked it up I only got a few pages and then put it down and read a few other books. When I picked it up the second time I got into it right away. While I understood the premise of the Hunger Games I also had an inkling of the outcome because this book is the first in a series, it might have been better to have it be a stand alone novel. Also, I didn't care for the open ended way it ended. I know it needed to be left open for the next book, and I am lucky that I waited this long to read the first since now I can move right on to the second, but it reminded me a bit of the openness of the endings for the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. Like the end of a season of a tv show that leaves you hanging so you'll tune in again in the fall. To me, if the writing is good I will go back for more by the same author and about the same characters even if I am not being teased by a cliff hanger. Perhaps with YA books this is more common to keep younger readers hooked.
The story this first called to mind for me was "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. Usually when we think of having our name chosen from a bowl winning is the desirable option, but in both of these stories it is what everyone is crossing their fingers hoping against. Kind of like sacrificing virgins to the gods hoping for favor, they seem like pointless rituals from the outside.
Haymitch, the advisor to Peeta and Katniss, the two tributes from District 12, is described as frequently being drunk. Haymitch was the winner of the Hunger Games many years before and I wondered if his alcohol abuse could be tied to the horrors he experienced and the kills he may have had to make as a player in the game. How much of themselves do the tributes give up in order to survive? Is it better to die yourself or to compromise what you believe in to win and make things a little better for your district? Do the winners lives ever go back to normal? If not should they want them too since starvation and hardship seem to be the norm? Will there be a way for the winners to share whatever they have earned by winning with their district and should they even be asked to? I also wondered how the rules worked for winners- would their names continue to be put into the lottery if they were under 18 or would they be dismissed for their prior service?
I admired Katniss for stepping forward to take her sisters place and for using what she had learned poaching in the woods to keep herself alive. Peeta's enduring love was encouraging at a time when they had so little. The alliances that were formed in the arena reminded me of "Survivor" especially in that they turned on each other and had ulterior motives for teaming up. I really had an issue with the people living int the capital. If they had so much why couldn't they share to keep people in the districts from starving? Did the people from the districts ever had the chance to more to the capital or did you have to be born there? If the wealth was shared and the fences removed would there even be a cause for the people to rebel again? Some great issues were addressed in this book. Whenever a story inspires so many questions I think of it as a good book for meaningful discussions.
I will definitely be reading the next book, "Catching Fire" to see where Collins takes the story!
Book Review: Touching, gut-wrenching, and better with every read-though
Summary: 5 Stars
I hesitate to do any sort of plot breakdown at this point, because if you read YA you've either read The Hunger Games already, or you've heard everybody and their third cousin telling you to read it. It's kind of like the Lord of the Rings of current YA: you may not have read it, but you definitely know that there's a ring, a long trip, a bunch of little guys, and a wizard.
But though Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, the future dystopia of Panem (where the evil Capitol city reigns in 23rd-century opulence while the 12 Districts it lords over are struggling with 18th-century subsistence living), and the Hunger Games themselves are well-known, they grow more interesting and significant with every re-read.
For me, one of the best things about THG is the strength of the characters--the book is a study in surprising, unexpected heroism. Katniss herself is a sacrificial hero from the very beginning, when she takes her baby sister's place in the reaping and goes off to the games with dim hopes for survival. But it's not just Katniss that I'm thinking of when I talk about heroism coming from unexpected places.
The District 12 mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, fills me with awe. Under his boorish alcoholic exterior lies a brilliant tactical mind, and you can see the exact moment when he decides that Katniss and Peeta aren't just hopeless schlubs, and that he's going to give a care about training and prepping them to stay alive. Then there's Cinna, Katniss' stylist for the pre-game appearances in the Capitol, who is incredibly heroic: his designs make her beautiful, memorable, confident, and proud (which helps psych her up for staying alive in the games), and he comforts her and holds her hand before she's about to enter the arena. He's a compassionate genius and he helps her unlock her fiery potential--there's no way you can dismiss Cinna as "just" a stylist.
And now we come to Katniss' fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark. Peeta is a beta hero--he's not aggressive, dominant, or dangerous, and he's the kind of guy who's always there when you need him. I can scarcely remember the last time I fell for a beta in fiction (really, there are so few--alpha personalities are fairly standard for leading men in YA or any other genre), but Peeta has earned my loyalty as a reader a hundred times over. On this re-read, tears came to my eyes when Katniss remembers nearly starving to death at age eleven, and the tears sprang up again when she remembers Peeta intentionally burning bread and giving it to her, getting a black eye from his harpy of a mother as punishment. And that was when he was a child--he's even more amazing in the games, and though Katniss has moments of looking down on him because he wasn't raised to hunt or to move around in the forest (as she was) she can't help but appreciate his kindness and sacrificial nature. But he's unusual for other reasons, too. One perplexingly wonderful thing about Peeta is his ability to lie very well. He's sweet and open and honest until he, or someone he loves, needs something. Then he's the smoothest liar you could imagine, and people buy everything he says.
I'd need a lot more space to go into everything about THG that makes my readerly heart go pitter-patter. The plainstyle present-tense narration is riveting, the world-building is convincing in its every detail, and the emotional resonance is extreme: even on my second read-through, a particular death scene had me sobbing my heart out, just as it did the first time. The Hunger Games is a book to read over and over. I hope it touches your heart in the same way it's touched mine.