Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games

In anticipation of the new movie coming out called The Hunger Games, I finally gave in and took a dive into the recent trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. Although I’m not much for sci-fi or survival stories, I got caught up in the story of Katniss and her fight, not only to survive in a brutal world, but to define who she was to become as a person. I read all three of the books in a matter of two weeks thanks to my new Kindle Fire.

Since the movie is based on the first book, from what I understand reading on imdb.com, I’ll only go into the first book of the trilogy.

Katniss Everdeen is a 17-year-old girl living in the foothills of what was once the Kentucky/ West Virginia Appalachians, now referred to as District 12. The scene is set in a futuristic North America where war and environmental negligence has decimated the populations and the people who remain are split into 12 districts of a country called Panem and ruled by the citizens of the capital called The Capitol.

74 years earlier the districts had revolted in an unsuccessful revolution that lead to the Hunger Games, an event where two children from each district are selected to be trapped in an Arena and fight to the death. The last one standing is known as the Victor and receives a life of luxury in turn for training their district’s next victors.

Katniss is forced to volunteer in place of her sister Prim when Prim’s name is selected to participate in The Games. Her adversary from District 12 is a boy named Peeta, who saved her from starvation 5 years earlier. Together they travel to the Capitol to be put on display, interviewed and then thrown into an arena to fight for their lives.

The story is excellent and the development of characters and the colorfulness of the Capitol are brilliant. Once in the arena, the action is non-stop and it’s hard to put the book down because each chapter ends with a cliffhanger making you want more. The violence however, is a little disturbing and toward the end of The Games becomes more and more graphic as Katniss is desensitized to all that happens around her. The first book can stand alone, but leaves enough of an opening that it’s not a surprise there were other books to follow.

Have you read The Hunger Games? Will you be seeing the movie on March 26th?

Bookworm is the reading hippy who uses books to escape reality and take far out trips. In the afterglow of her trips, Bookworm is always struck with enlightenment from what she has just read. She sees how modern literature is influencing cultures, society and even future histories. If you dig it, stay tuned as Bookworm shares her thoughts and ponderings related to the books she’s reading.

6 thoughts on “Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

  1. Well I was rlleay rlleay hoping they would choose someone that LOOKED slightly like Katniss so, if they don’t dye her hair, I’m gonna be very annoyed. I must admit; she looks kinda, uh, dreamy, to be Katniss, but, um, we’ll see, I guess. (Although I was going for Hailee Steinfield (she’s a good actress (Nominated for an Academy Award at 14?) and looks like a Katniss) or Emma Roberts)

      1. I don’t agree, just because she is the main caheactrr that doesn’t mean that she will live. I find this book interesting because it talks about how people were living they’re life between living or dying. I can see why Katniss is going in the Hunger Games, she is going in the hunger games to save her family. Katniss is a brave girl, lots of people love they’re family but only some people would sacrifice they’re life for it.

    1. I’ve read the hunger games berfoe. it’s really hard to think about how they do a draw to choose one boy and one girl who have to participate in the trilling hunger games. everyone will do anything to survive even if it means certain death. there will only be one winner . Katniss who is the main character, her sister ends up being chosen but katniss would not let her younger sister prim go to the hunger games so she volunteered to take her spot in the painful and thrilling hunger games.

    2. The book Hunger Games sounds innsteritg. But I don’t really agree with you that the main character won’t die. It’s possible because the charcter is in a life or death situaition. So to make the book innsteritg the author Suzane Collins probaly did something trajic to make the reader intersted.

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