The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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Book Reviews of The Hunger Games
Book Review: Dystopian Fabulousness
Summary: 5 Stars
In a society where reality programming reigns supreme readers should feel somewhat comfortable with the main premise of this novel. The Tributes are but twenty-four tiny fish swimming in a barbarically dark bowl where morality is pitted against the basic instinct for survival. Readers are simply one of the outsiders looking in completely enthralled by the complexity of character and plot.
This book was spectacular in a myriad of ways not the least of which was the vivid imagery. Collins writes so eloquently that the reader is transported directly into The Seam where the District 12 lower class lives. We could smell the rancid air, feel the dirty grime on our skin, and hear the rumbling stomachs as if we were standing in the center of town ourselves.
The scenery was so clearly painted that physical locations became characters of the story as much as were Katniss, Peeta and the many people they encountered. District 12's darkness in contrast to the shiny brightness of The Capitol was so profound readers couldn't help but be struck by how misleading their characterizations really were. You see, while the citizens of District 12 were certainly suffering they were still inherently happy because they were together. On the other hand even though it appeared that The Capitol's populace was happy, that is all it was the appearance of happiness to maintain a State sponsored image.
Even so, the most compelling character of the novel is Katniss. A young woman of such an impressionable age she's faced with more than the usual pre-teen questions of what boy she should date, what fashions she should wear, and whether she should skip class or not. Here she was the breadwinner, doting sister, best-friend, coveted love and figurehead all at such a tender age. She's hot tempered, outspoken, strong-willed and, despite the vulgar circumstances she's thrown into, resoundingly tender and caring. Readers root for her from start to finish.
Surprisingly it is all of these traits that turn the readers eyes towards a focus on love. Among all this gore and savagery a great many people love Katniss. It is the love of her family that sustains and motivates her. The love of her best friend Gale that helps her fight to get back to District 12 to see if things aren't strictly platonic. The adoration and respect of new colleagues when Cinna and his team of publicists help transform Katniss into the image of whom she'll portray in The Games. Then most significantly the real and abiding love of a boy interested in her for more than friendship.
The beginnings of this love story are strung through a heavy and dark story. The trip readers take is not an easy journey but one that is well worth the effort. In forewarning readers need to be prepared to handle heavy themes. It questions morality and focuses on aggression as a way to not only punish but to entertain as well. Specifically, the actual Hunger Games pit children against children in a violent and brutal challenge for survival. Death is seen closely and described in detail on several occasions throughout.
In the end the reader will find that while themes are dark and sometimes violent the beautiful prose and characterization from which they are derived makes the ride edge of your seat exciting.
Book Review: The Hunger Games
Summary: 5 Stars
To be honest, this book shocked me. I'd been hearing nothing but great reviews about it from everyone, and when the online book club that I belong to selected it to read, I was happy to have a reason to pick it up. I didn't really know anything about it, just that everyone kept saying what a powerful book it is. And they aren't wrong.
The Hunger Games takes place in an undetermined future, in a country that is now known as Panem (once North America). Panem consists of the Capitol, the ruling city, and 12 districts surrounding the Capitol. Once, there were 13 districts, been during an uprising, the Capitol demolished the thirteenth district. As a constant reminder to the remaining twelve districts of its authority and power, each year the Capitol requires a pair of tributes from each district, one boy and one girl, be selected in a reaping and then be sent to participate in the Hunger Games, the ultimate in reality television; the Games are broadcast for the entire country to see. The idea is, each of the 24 tributes are places into the Arena, an ever-changing venue built each year for the Games, and they are forced to fight to the death, until there is only one tribute standing. That tribute's district is then honored for the next year.
Katniss Everdeen, 16, has been providing for her family ever since her father's death in a mining accident. Her best friend, Gale, has been providing for his large family as well. This will be Gale's last reaping. At the age of 18, he will no longer be required to participate if he is not chosen this year. Katniss' younger sister, Prim, barely has a chance of being chosen. At just 12, Prim's name will only be in the reaping once. However, when Prim's name is chosen, Katniss jumps to her defense and volunteers to go in her place. The other tribute from District 12, Peeta, helped Katniss years before, when she was on the edge of starvation, and she hates that she feel that she owes this boy and is still required to kill him if the opportunity presents itself.
Beyond this, I don't want to say much more, because any more that I reveal about the story will lessen it's impact when you read it. Needless to say, Suzanne Collins does not sugar-coat the necessity to kill your rivals in the Hunger Games. This is not an easy task for the participants, and Collins makes you aware of that every step of the way. The tributes are all very real, three-dimensional characters, each with their own agenda and tactics for staying alive. Collins does an amazing job of creating the conflicting feelings in Katniss; is it possible that she can be a good person, and a cold-hearted killer at the same time? Underneath the brutality and the crooked means by which the tributes are placed into their predicament, you can't help but feel pity for them; that they are forced into this situation against their will, and are forced to make such adult decisions at such a young age seems almost intolerable for them at times.
With a bleak and sometimes desperate story that is sprinkled throughout with glimpses of hope, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games is a fast-paced, no holds barred thrill ride of a book, that will leave you literally hungry for more at the last page.
Book Review: Recommended to everyone!
Summary: 5 Stars
In a dystopian future North America as we know it has been destroyed and from its ashes rose the Capital and it's 13 Districts. The Capital was powerful and greedy and ruled the districts with an iron fist. When the districts rose up against them the Capital completely destroyed District 13 and subjugated the remaining 12. To keep the Districts in check they force each one to give up one girl and one boy between the ages of 12 and 17. The children must participate in The Hunger Games, a live televised fight to the death aired for the enjoyment of the residents of the Capital, the Districts are forced to watch in horror as their children are murdered right in front of them.
Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old who lives in District 12. She has been forced to provide for her family all her life as her father passed away in a mining accident when she was young. Her mother went into a catatonic state of depression afterward leaving Katniss to care for herself and her younger sister alone. Feeling abandoned and alone Katniss ends up drawing on the skills her father taught her: using bow and arrow, foraging and hunting in the forest, and surviving and supporting a family. When her younger sister Prim turns twelve and gets entered into the reaping for The Hunger Games the worst happens. Her little sister is chosen. Katniss sacrifices herself and volunteers in her sister's place. Now she needs to see if her survival skills can transfer from providing for her family to staying alive in the arena as she faces the cruel carnage and inhumanity of The Hunger Games.
This book was absolutely riveting. I could not put it down. Every chapter ends on a cliff hanger and in between the plot is kept hopping and everything from the action, to the dialogue, the character development to the back story are written in very neat and tight leaving just enough left over so that you are asking for more. It is the very definition of a page turner.
The over arching themes about modern day reality television and violence as entertainment, combined with the dystopian ones of control, power and helplessness in a controlled state added a lot of depth and meaning to the book. At first glance the premise seems impossible but within two chapters you are utterly convinced of the viability and reality of such a world existing. I thought the world building and back story that built up this book were very well done and realistically portrayed.
The very premise of the book is one of violence for pleasure, and for a book like that to be done in such a way that still shows respect for the characters lives and the readers who are reading the book, I think, shows true talent. The deaths were handled very tastefully and with true feeling. Everyone's death, from the most helpless child to the most dangerous bloodthirsty opponent on the field, is portrayed in a very compassionate and in some cases touching way.
I have been recommending this book to everyone to read. The writing is vivid, fast paced and packs quite a punch. This is one you will read in no time flat but be left thinking about for a long time. If you haven't read it yet, you really need to. This is not one to miss out on!
Book Review: Harrowing Story of Survival & Humanity
Summary: 5 Stars
This is definitely a first for me, I bought and thoroughly enjoyed a book recommended by Stephen King! King wrote a positive review of the book for Entertainment Weekly. I was skeptical, as the premise sounded like The Lottery and Other Stories meets Lord of the Flies (50th Anniversary Edition) (with a little of King's own "Running Man" thrown in for good measure), but when I found it half price at a store closing I took a chance. What this book has, that I found lacking in the first two I mentioned, is hope. The heroine of "The Hunger Games" holds tight to her integrity and the good things in her life, like her sister. I was gripped from the very first page, and riveted until the last page. I am so glad there will be a sequel.
Collins creates a very realistic future dystopia. Global disaster and war have destroyed civilization and a new nation has arisen from the ashes - Panem. The ruling Capitol is surrounded by 13 districts. These districts rebelled over 70 years before, and were defeated - one completely wiped out. The remaining districts were forced, in addition to providing goods and materials to the Capitol, into providing two tributes to annual Hunger Games. A girl and a boy between 12 and 18 years old who will fight to the death on live television. When Prim "wins" the lottery, Katniss steps up to take her little sister's place. Her fellow tribute is a boy who once did a selfless act of kindness toward Katniss that she feels indebted for. How will she be able to kill him?
At first the concept seems outrageous - would people really watch young children fight to the death for entertainment? What makes the book so scary is that people likely would. Reality TV has been riding a wave of popularity. Millions tune in to Survivor to see them lie, manipulate and sabotage one another to win. Horror movies rake in millions at the box office and the more blood and death, it appears, the better. Is it so difficult to imagine people killing for not only a prize, but to save their own lives? Gladiator games were the number one entertainment during the golden years of the Roman Empire.
Yet, the author never lets the absolute depravity of what the Capitol is doing stray from readers minds. Katniss believes it is wrong, even as she fights to survive, and her acts of bravery are only equaled by her acts of humanity. The story is simply, and powerfully told. Katniss is realistic and her dialog and thoughts are those of a sixteen-year old girl, albeit a mature one. The book has a lot of action, and the emotional content is strong.
Overall, I can't recommend this book enough. However, the subject matter can be disturbing so parents may want to be sure their young adult is ready for it. I have already pre-ordered the sequel, Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games).
Book Review: Wish I'd been able to read this as a teenager
Summary: 5 Stars
I believe I first read about "The Hunger Games" in a book review newspaper at the library. It sounded intriguing even though written for young adults. I have always liked post-apocalyptic fiction so I thought I'd give this a try. I am so glad I did. I liked everything about this book and book two of the trilogy Catching Fire. The characters are exceptionally well drawn with a strong female protagonist; it has an absolutely fabulous plot; AND I've been able to share the books with my teenage granddaughter and she has liked them as much as I do. Book three of the trilogy Mockingjay is coming out August 24, 2010 and both my granddaughter and I are waiting impatiently.
I did feel that "Catching Fire" was a little slower than "The Hunger Games" but still exceptionally well written.
Both "The Hunger Games" and "Catching Fire" were fairly violent in spots. There were some slight hints at sexual references. If you are a parent reading this, you know your child the best. Either read the books yourself and decide if content is appropriate - I think you will be surprised on how well the different situations are handled. Or if I was making a decision for my own children, I would have probably read the books, discussed a couple of the areas with them, and then let them read and ask me questions if they wanted. I did discuss the books beforehand with my son to get his okay to send to my granddaughter and then she and I have discussed since.
Young adult fiction is changing since I was a teen. It's not Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys any more but then the world has changed, too. There's a lot of really great YA fiction out there. Another set my granddaughter and I have read is Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras; or the boxed set Uglies, The Collector's Set: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras. Another great plot line with memorable characters.
ADDED COMMENTS: I just reread both "The Hunger Games" and "Catching Fire" to jog my poor old feeble memory before I started on the last book of the trilogy Mockingjay. I enjoyed both books just as much the second time around and discovered details and nuances I missed the first time. I'm about 100 pages into "Mockingjay" and will review it separately when I finish. But this trilogy is right at the top of my list of all-time favorites - of any genre.