The Hunger Games

Reviewer: Kristen 
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages: 374
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Hardcover (paperback is available)
My Rating: 10 out of 10. 


Summary: This novel takes place in a futuristic time, where a war has destroyed civilization as we know it. The Capitol has taken over, and organized the Panem into twelve districts. Each of the districts face hardships of poverty, hunger and controlling peacekeepers that can kill as they see fit. As a reminder to each of these districts of what was caused because of their rebellion (the war), they are required to send a male and female 'tribute' into the Hunger Games. Once they are reaped and arrive in the Capitol, they have a mere few days to prepare for the slaughter that awaits them. When the games have begun, you must fight to the death. "You must kill or be killed." The last person alive wins - the prize is their life. They receive a lifetime of riches. 


The Hunger Games follows the life of Katniss Everdeen. From her point of view, the story is told. The 74th Annual Games have arrived, and her sister, Primrose Everdeen has been chosen as a tribute. Before one can even understand what happens, Katniss has volunteered for her. Katniss is going into the Games. Also reaped is Peeta Mellark, a bakers son. Unbeknownst to us at the time, Katniss owes this boy a lot. Peeta and Katniss are sent to the games where they have little time to prep for the oncoming slaughter they will inevitably face. Survival, however, has become a second nature to Katniss. At a young age, her father died, and she had to find a way to provide for her family - she found this through hunting. If she wants to win she is going to have to make choices that weigh survival against moral.

"Winning means fame and fortune,
Losing means certain death.
The Hunger Games have begun..."


My thoughts: This was not the type of book that I usually looked for, or read. The plot kept me reading, and once I started I could not put it down. Katniss is such a complex, strong character that I became attached to her. Peeta is her character foil, kind and caring. I think that these two compliment each other perfectly. The writing is first person, and is extremely easy to read. The plot is perfectly paced, and Suzanne Collins knows exactly how to leave you wanting more. I loved to watch Katniss grow as a character through the most unlikely circumstance. Also, I felt that the rest of the characters were developed perfectly alongside her. The deaths are brutally described, so if you have a weak stomach, this novel is not recommended to you. Suzanne Collins created such a realistic feel to this novel, I felt as though I was looking into our current worlds future. This also happens to be my favourite novel, so read it! It has been one of the few books that I literally could not put down. I still think of this book to this day, and I read it in 2008. The amount that I have re-read this is actually shameful. 


Conclusion: If you haven't read this book... what are you waiting for? If you love suspense, a budding romance and a good read this is the novel for you. This book surpassed every single one of my expectations. Seriously, if you're still reading this... why haven't you left to go and buy this book?

UPDATE... I just couldn't resist. If you haven't already seen it, this is the official trailer for the upcoming movie which is released March 23rd, 2012. I am shamelessly in love with this. 


I don't want to review the rest of the series, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, because I'm afraid I'll spoil it for some. So, I'm not going to give it a full review, just my rating out of ten. 

Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
My Rating: 10 out of 10 


Brief Summarization: Personally, I didn't think that Suzanne Collins had what it took to top her first novel. I loved it that much. Suzanne did that rare thing were the sequel topped the original. This book played with my emotions, and let me tell you... not a fair cliffhanger. I loved Catching Fire just as much, or possibly more so, as The Hunger Games. 







Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins
My Rating: 10 out of 10


Brief Summarization: This book was given poor reviews because of the way it ended the series. Remember, this is a book about war and destruction, it can't have a happy ending for every single character. Readers thought that Suzanne didn't give us enough information to end the series with. I completely and totally disagree. Suzanne stayed true to Katniss' character which is the danger of first person narrative. Katniss didn't care about what some of the readers did anymore, and Suzanne reflected that. Mockingjay was the perfect end. There was enough information given so that the reader has a pretty good idea of what happened and not too much that readers couldn't conclude their own things. Mockingjay was my favourite book out of the series, though I had to read it more than once to fully appreciate what happened.