The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Hunger Games
Book Review: A WONDERFUL READ
Summary: 5 Stars
This book got me on my feet and slapped me in the face(a good slap.) I loved this book so much and how it caught my attention and made me want to read more. Katniss is a strong character and easy to relate to. She knows how to think and act for herself. No spoilers here, just read it for yourself. I was sad to see it end, but happy that it soon continues. I can't wait to see what happens in Catching Fire!!!Book Review: A Wonderful Read for Teens, a Solid Read for Adults
Summary: 5 Stars
This post-apocalyptic novel is part of a long tradition of dystopic worlds. Adults are going to recognize a number of the themes from other novels, but that doesn't diminish the fact that Ms. Collins did a superb job of pulling the pieces together in a new way. The main character is a girl who is flawed, afraid, and verging on losing her morality. That's hardly surprising given that she's been forced into the Hunger Games, a series of gladiator-style battles used to demoralize the colonies who once had the nerve to rebel against the capital. I really enjoyed watching Katniss struggle with her feelings, her need to kill and her reluctance to do so. Peeta is a little less believable--putting himself into terrible situations in order to advance Katniss' chances in the games, but self-sacrifice and naivete are staples in YA romance, so that didn't distract from how much I enjoyed the story.
The world building really is remarkable. Rather than dump a lot of information at once, the story slowly lets details slip until we realize that this is America after the fall of the government. We figure out that Katniss is from a part of the country that has always been impoverished and short on hope, and that hasn't changed. The way Katniss slowly learns that hunger and discrimination can be advantages is believable and powerful.
The ending is just as ambiguous and complex as the book. Katniss herself doesn't understand her feelings, and that makes sense considering the trauma she has just been through. For adults, I think that the characters are going to feel a little shallow just because Ms. Collins has done a credible job of creating ego-centric teens who don't always see past the end of their own nose. For teens, I think this is going to be a real favorite.
Any reader who enjoyed The Giver in grade school should definitely read this in high school (and then hopefully move on to Brave New World, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, The Handmaid's Tale and all the other more subtle books that deal with similar themes).
Book Review: A Young Adult Novel That Everyone Can Enjoy
Summary: 4 Stars
Book Review: A book you'll want to devour
Summary: 5 Stars
The Hunger Games is one of the best books I've read in a while. Well-paced action, excellent character development, and clear prose make this novel stand out. Best of all, the sixteen year-old female protagonist is believable and as a character, she is peerless in this genre.Book Review: A brief stint on the YA bandwagon
Summary: 4 Stars
The Hunger Games was a pleasant surprise. Some plot points were painfully obvious from the beginning, but there is a tendency to get so wrapped up in the NOW, that you might not even notice something until you're right on top of it.
I agree that the premise is brutal...philosophically, for a dystopian young adult novel, The Giver is better in execution; if it's action (and romance) you're out for, try the Hunger Games. I find the present tense annoying, but I rather rarely see that device used and it probably does a lot to add to the immediacy and pace. I won't say that it was written in such a way as to make me particularly emotional about any of it, but I will say it was a fun ride.
As to the brutality of it, I think I was expecting a bit worse. But I'm a jaded adult, and this book is not written for adults. I also think the ending could have been wrapped up more neatly while still reasonably leading into the next two, but it also wasn't the most annoying cliffhanger I've ever seen. I do believe I will read the next two, though I'm not tripping all over myself to get to hit the "buy now" button on my Kindle.
Truly, I got more out of it than I expected.