The Hunger Games Review

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release date: September 18, 2008

Source: Bought

Other books in the series: Catching Fire, Mockingjay

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Katniss' sister is chosen by lottery, she steps up to go in her place.

Review:

What can I say about The Hunger Games that hasn’t already been said a thousand times? I’m not sure but I’m going to try and do justice to this amazing book.

I feel as though I’m one of the last people on the planet to have read this, but I’m so glad I took the jump and picked it up off my shelf. There’s no reason I’ve been putting it off, just that I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it. Luckily with a bit of peer pressure from Katie and just not being able to wait in general I started reading it… and couldn’t stop. I probably could have devoured it in a day, but unfortunately I started it just as Winter Break was ending, so not much time to read. I still finished it after a couple of days and it’s definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read. Katniss was a remarkable character with all the power and stamina needed in a strong female role. I really liked Peeta as well. I didn’t get enough of Gale to completely choose whose side I’m on, but for now I’m Team Peeta. He and Katniss balanced each other out. There wasn’t a ton of romance in the book, but I like Peeta and Katniss’s relationship. I liked most of the characters in this book. It was easy to dislike the bad guys and to get attached to the likable characters. There was a lot of emotion in The Hunger Games and the plot kept me at the edge of my seat throughout. It was such an original plot idea and although at first I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, I definitely did. Collins drew me into the Games so I felt like I was watching them myself. Rooting for my favorite contestants and grimacing at the bloodshed. I can’t imagine living in that time, and I don’t know how I could fare in the Games- not well I can say that. The ending was definitely a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to get started on Catching Fire.

In Catching Fire I’m hoping to hear more about Gale, even though I’m pretty attached to Peeta! As well as finding out more about Prim and some of the other characters I liked in The Hunger Games. A 5 Star read that I’m going to recommend to anyone and everyone. If you’re on the fence about reading The Hunger Games I suggest you hop onto the reading it side right now, it’s a book unlike any other!

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars