The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary (From Back Cover)
Winning will make you famous. Losing means certain death.
In a dark vision of the near future, twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live TV show called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed.
When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.
Review
Where to start! I picked this series up just before the first film came out and I read them all in two weeks. I couldn't put them down! There's something for everyone - you've got the love triangle and a strong family aspect, with epic fight scenes and a futuristic world that not only seems vivid and real, but magical and full of fantasy all at the same time.
The story itself follows a young girl - Katniss - as she has to fight in a live TV show. I loved the connection between this world and our current obsession with reality TV. Now days you can watch everything live, from 12 strangers in a house to a trial in court - for the record I don't agree with that last one. No matter what they put on our screens someone out there will watch it! Which of course makes The Hunger Games all the more terrifying, because deep down, you know that under the right circumstances a future like this is completely plausible!
Now for those of you who don't know, The Hunger Games is a live battle between 24 children (tributes) that takes place every year as a way for the government to keep control of the country. To remind them who's in charge. The 24 tributes are chosen from each district, 2 from each. One girl and one boy, but the further you get from the Capital (District One) the more poverty stricken you become and you're chances of survival dwindle. Only 1 person has ever won the games from District 12. Twenty-four go in but only one can come out of the arena, and no matter what that child will come out a killer. Katniss (District 12 tribute) goes into the Games after volunteering when her sister gets chosen. She'll have to fight to get home.
The other tribute chosen from district 12 is Peeta - now I love Peeta and his burnt bread. Even though I know that a lot of people are routing for Gale. This is where the tragic YA love triangle comes in. Gale is Katniss' best friend, but he'll never understand the situation that she finds herself in. Peeta on the other hand. You'll have to make your own mind up on what team you're on!
However, unlike a lot of other books I couldn't stand the main character. I disliked her so much that there are moments when I'd be happy to see Katniss die in the arena. She's irritating and frustrating. She gets under my skin and I think that's why I had to rate this down slightly. Because if you can't get behind the heroine of the story then somethings got to be wrong.
Other character's to look out for are the eccentric Effie and the grumpy drunk that is Haymitch. These two give the book some humour, which is needed in a book like this. Effie with her naive outlook on the world and Haymitch and his bitter views. They're the polar opposite of each other and the book wouldn't be anything without them!
Overall it's a must read for any lover of YA fiction and will make you question a lot of things, or maybe I'm just thinking too much about it. It's a good easy read though, and when you get into it you wont be able to put it down.
Now for those of you who don't know, The Hunger Games is a live battle between 24 children (tributes) that takes place every year as a way for the government to keep control of the country. To remind them who's in charge. The 24 tributes are chosen from each district, 2 from each. One girl and one boy, but the further you get from the Capital (District One) the more poverty stricken you become and you're chances of survival dwindle. Only 1 person has ever won the games from District 12. Twenty-four go in but only one can come out of the arena, and no matter what that child will come out a killer. Katniss (District 12 tribute) goes into the Games after volunteering when her sister gets chosen. She'll have to fight to get home.
The other tribute chosen from district 12 is Peeta - now I love Peeta and his burnt bread. Even though I know that a lot of people are routing for Gale. This is where the tragic YA love triangle comes in. Gale is Katniss' best friend, but he'll never understand the situation that she finds herself in. Peeta on the other hand. You'll have to make your own mind up on what team you're on!
However, unlike a lot of other books I couldn't stand the main character. I disliked her so much that there are moments when I'd be happy to see Katniss die in the arena. She's irritating and frustrating. She gets under my skin and I think that's why I had to rate this down slightly. Because if you can't get behind the heroine of the story then somethings got to be wrong.
Other character's to look out for are the eccentric Effie and the grumpy drunk that is Haymitch. These two give the book some humour, which is needed in a book like this. Effie with her naive outlook on the world and Haymitch and his bitter views. They're the polar opposite of each other and the book wouldn't be anything without them!
Overall it's a must read for any lover of YA fiction and will make you question a lot of things, or maybe I'm just thinking too much about it. It's a good easy read though, and when you get into it you wont be able to put it down.
Bellow is the official movie trailer:
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