The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)

Dec 17, 2009 Ceridwen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everybody?

Recommended to Ceridwen by: Meredith, some other folks

Shelves: america-and-environs, the-future-is-now, young-adult

Before I start into this review, I would like to pose a question. Why is it so hard to talk about the books we love? I have been having just an unrelenting bitch of a time writing this review. I keep falling into holes and back-pedaling, not wanting to sound too squee or insincere and bring ruination on my real love for this book. Maybe it's because it's YA, about a plucky girl who surmounts incredible obstacles – but then, there, I'm doing it again – implying in my flip description that I'm som...more Before I start into this review, I would like to pose a question. Why is it so hard to talk about the books we love? I have been having just an unrelenting bitch of a time writing this review. I keep falling into holes and back-pedaling, not wanting to sound too squee or insincere and bring ruination on my real love for this book. Maybe it's because it's YA, about a plucky girl who surmounts incredible obstacles – but then, there, I'm doing it again – implying in my flip description that I'm somehow too adult and worldly to fall for this narrative. (And, I did it again.) I did fall for this narrative, hard, and I'm going to have to just suck it up and soldier on.

I read this book in a swoon, compulsively. It was the kind of reading experience where I totally screwed myself by reading far into the the night, nervously checking the clock thinking “damn” as 1:15 flew by, then 2:45, knowing full well that kids would be up and jumping on me in six hours, five hours, just put the book down and sleep! If you could somehow concentrate and aerosolize this feeling, you would find me down by the railroad tracks, under a bridge, huffing powdered books out of bag, their glitter mixing with my drool and b.o.

And here's where the digression comes in. So, here, in my city, at some point in the last five years, it became a thing for the homeless to stand at the entrances of freeways and other major roads holding signs. They tend to say things like “wounded veteran” and “trying to get home” and “God bless.” In my driving about, I've seen that the cardboard signs lay folded in the shrubbery, waiting for the next person to come along, unfold, and stand on the edge of the frontage road. There's one on 54th and Nicollet that reads “absolute desperation.” At first this set me giggling, because I'm an asshole, but then it got me thinking. This is a true statement, and terrifying all the more because the sentiment is interchangeable; something that can written on a piece of cardboard and reused by any person standing on that corner. Not that I need to justify this, necessarily, but I live in a pretty extreme climate, and the people standing on these corners are not doing this for kicks, but because it's cold and they're hungry or jonesing for something or whatever, and this seemed like the best option available. The best option. Yikes.

I've had a long running joke with my husband about how we all live in bubbles of like-minded people, the kind of people with whom you argue vehemently about the nuances about how you all totally agree. We sort ourselves into the blindness of our own comfort, and I don't mean this just in the happy, healthy, developed world sense of comfort that I was born into. We take it farther, drawing bright red lines down the political aisle and using those lines to determine whom we respect and where we live. It's not a new thing, certainly, but in early new millennium America, I'm just floored by the widening gaps in our political discourse and how they are made manifest in the very real physical embodiment of the completeness of the gerrymander and the ease we all acquiesce to that reality. Taken as a whole, the country is awash in purple, but as you look from locality to locality, they flame bright blue or bright red as we sort ourselves into two Americas that exist in the comfort of local smugness balanced against that old, hoary American favorite, massive paranoia about what the other half is doing. This book takes the bubbles of our acquaintance and schematizes them into a distopian hell-hole.

It's a post-American America, with the center, the Capitol, ruling 12 districts that each supply their different products: electronics, coal, agricultural goods, etc. Maybe 75 years before, there had been a civil war, a rebellion by the districts ending in vigorous and complete quashing. As a reminder of the sin of rebellion, every year the Capitol chooses 2 children from each district, between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight in the Hunger Games. They fight to the death, until there is one kid standing. The whole event is, of course, televised. (I know that there has been some criticism that this plot has been used before, but this is sheer bone-headed stupidity. So what if Ice-T did it first?) This is not an economic/political system that makes a ton of sense, if you look at it too closely, but that's not the point, or it is the point exactly. Collins takes our American disconnects and makes them manifest, relocates the people with cardboard signs reading “absolute desperation” from the arteries of our Interstate system and concentrates them into concrete ghettos of poverty and subjugation.

And now for my love of the protagonist. I can see why this happens, because writers have to live with the people they create, but so often a writer's love of the character strips them of moral ambiguity, even while that ambiguity nips at their heels. This may be even more true for YA lit, with things like Bella Swan's clumsiness standing in for an actual character flaw, even while Bella herself wallows in self-centered satisfaction at her flattened aspect to everyone around her but Edward. (Yup, gotta get in the Twilight dig.) Katniss is competent and clueless and savage, a reminder to us old folks that sometimes the young have worlds of understanding that isn't based on experience, but on character. Or it is based on experience, but simply because they have less of it, doesn't make it something you can measure using the yardstick of duration.

I was nailed to the floor when Katniss made her first kill in the arena and doesn't have a what-have-I-done? melt-down, but is instead gratified by a horrible act that can never really compensate for the horrible acts enacted by the events preceding. We, as readers, are gratified, because it's what we want, some good Old Testament justice that spills a little blood to try to even the odds in a seriously unjust system. The writerly propensity to fig-leaf this murderous satisfaction with an immediate “Oh no! I'm so bad for loving this” is absent. This is not to say that Collins sees these actions as having no moral, personal impact – Katniss's mentor, who also survived the Hunger Games, is a constant, alcoholic reminder of how something like this might mess a brother up good.

There are plenty of themes I hate with a passion – say, “crazy makes you deep” for example – but one that's pretty high on the list is “you, reader, are a voyeur, and I, the author, will dish out a bunch of sick shit and blame it on you.” This is generally some lazy, lazy stuff; the kind of stuff used to plug the holes in the leaking boat of D-grade action films and misogynist bullpucky. This book could be that, easily, in less adept hands. But I'm still not through worrying about my intense reading pleasure in relation with a story that makes children fight to the death. No, of course the children aren't real, but to mangle a quote, they are living in imaginary gardens with real toads in them.

It makes me think of the short story by Ursula K LeGuin called “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”. In the story, LeGuin conjures a utopia whose perfection is tied, in some undefined yet concrete way, on treating on single child with the most unbelievable cruelty – never touched, never allowed to see the sun, nothing. Children, upon reaching the age of 16, are brought to see this child, as the basis for their adulthood. Most see and stay, but some simply walk away. I read this, and it felt kind of bloodless and psychomythic. Like, okay, whatever, fictional world. It felt like one of those indictments of people who are not abjectly impoverished that says, “No one should party while other people are suffering” I thought she was valorizing the walking away. Some time later, I freaked out, because I felt like I'd missed her point entirely. We all live in a society, in societies, where, right now, there are people living in the most shit-hole injustice, untouched, hungry, brutalized. I think probably the brutalized child is a fact of all societies, like it or not. Walking away doesn't make you better, it just makes you end up in another society with a different kind of kid in the basement. And if you're the child, walking away simply isn't an option.
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Apr 21, 2012 Dija rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone who hasn't. Seriously, READ IT!

Recommended to Dija by: Everyone who has read it!

Shelves: 2008, buddy-slash-group-read, favorites, wow, childhood-friends-turned-lovers, ya, authors-i-stalk, my-reviews, first-in-series

My "Epic Book Recipe" Checklist for The Hunger Games:

1. A sharp and intelligent heroine with just the right amount of emotion who gives in to absolutely nothing and no one?

2. A sweet and sensitive hero who loves and supports the heroine unconditionally?

3. An original setting with a unique and thrilling plot?

4. A couple of earth-shattering shocks every now and then to keep the readers' mind reeling?

5. Extraordinary side characters from interesting backgrounds who possess the much-needed Voic...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Kira rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-ya, ya, dystopian, awesome-heroine, not-amazing-but-not-shit, sentimental-value, so-action-packed-i-peed

I have got to stop poking fun at this series with memes. Someone take them away from me!

Nah, I didn't love this book. I know I'm in the minority, and part of me is glad about that. I mean it when I say this book deserves recognition, and honestly, I'd rather people were reading this and following a heroine as independent as Katniss, rather than a simp like Bella or Bethany. The Hunger Games is high-quality YA, intelligently written, and despite its flaws it's worthy of success.

Seriously.

Here's...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Nataliya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of GOOD YA dystopias

Shelves: awesome-kickass-heroines, dystopia-postapocalyptic, for-my-future-hypothetical-daughter, i-also-saw-the-film, first-in-a-series

Suzanne Collins has ~~balls~~ ovaries of steel to make us willingly cheer for a teenage girl to kill other children. In a YA book.
Two reasons why this book rocks: (a) It is not Twilight, and (b) I really hate reality shows.

Seriously, how long would it take for reality shows to evolve from "Survivor" to "Hunger Games"?

Yes, this book is full of imperfections. It often requires a strenuous suspension of disbelief. It can cause a painful amount of eye-rolling and shaking fist at the book pages. Its...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Saniya(Will Herondale is mine) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Hahahahaha, Totally! xD

HAHAHAHAHA! Laughed my ass off on this! XD

OMFG. HUNGER GAMES. CINEMA. O.O IT.WAS.FREAKING.AMAZING. ♥
Am I...am I still alive...? o.O *pinches myself* -ouch! Yes, I can stay alive for the next movie.
And I was crying before the movie even started. Damn cinema, showing 'The Titanic 3D' movie trailer. >.<
OMG, there were sooo many moments where I was crying. And God, I love my Pakistani people, they were so much fun to watch with :') <3
Go and watch The Hunger Games mov...more

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Oct 29, 2008 elissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone (age 12+) who likes dystopic SF, and can handle some violence

Recommended to elissa by: 2008 buzz

Shelves: youngadult, 2008favorites, sciencefiction, survival_stories, 00s_re-readswith_j, my_00s_reads, 10s_re-readswith_l

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I've said to a few people that if I wasn't married, I'd have to marry this book. :) I read the 400 page ARC in a less-than-24-hour time period (so quickly that it was never even on my "currently reading" shelf), which I've only done before with HP books, and I've just officially put the first book on my 2008 favorites shelf. I feel pretty safe in saying that if this isn't still my favorite book of the year when next January rolls around, that I'll eat a hat. As soon as I finish...more I LOVE THIS BOOK! I've said to a few people that if I wasn't married, I'd have to marry this book. :) I read the 400 page ARC in a less-than-24-hour time period (so quickly that it was never even on my "currently reading" shelf), which I've only done before with HP books, and I've just officially put the first book on my 2008 favorites shelf. I feel pretty safe in saying that if this isn't still my favorite book of the year when next January rolls around, that I'll eat a hat. As soon as I finished reading it, I turned around and read it a 2nd time, which I've never done before in my life. I loved all of Collins' GREGOR books, and think she's a wonderful writer, but she's ratcheted it up to another level with this one. Even though it's the first in a trilogy, this one definitely stands alone, and I'm not sure how she can keep it up for another 2 books, but I suppose it's possible (think: THE GIVER, although I loved GATHERING BLUE, and liked THE MESSENGER--HUNGER GAMES is much more brutal than THE GIVER, though). It's got some very meaty issues to chew on, not the least of which is reality TV taken to extremes. There's a chaste and unresolved romance (think: TWILIGHT, but I don't think I will make it past the first in that series--HUNGER GAMES has much more action, more of a plot, lots of well-developed secondary characters, as well as extremely likeable main characters. I will miss Katniss until I can read about her again.). What more could you possibly ask for out of a book? It doesn't actually come out until October 2008, but if you can get your hands on an ARC, definitely do! I think that the violence in this will be easier for kids to take, since they probably won't see it quite as clearly as an adult will. None of it is particularly graphic, but it is definitely brutal. This is on the edge of too dark for me, which is my favorite kind of book. There aren't many writers who can push it right to the edge for me without going over (Zusak comes to mind immediately), but Collins is definitely one of them. Another book that I loved, and think of to compare this to is HOUSE OF THE SCORPION, but that fell apart slightly at the end for me. HUNGER GAMES didn't lack anything at all for me. OK, I'll stop gushing. I may have to re-write this review when I get some perspective. (2012: Obviously, I never did rewrite it, and this is my most-"liked" review :)

My 10 1/2 yr old son asked to read this with me, so I read it for the 3rd time with him in Oct 2008. Still my definite favorite book of the year, but all the typos in the finished book were pretty disappointing. Still, it's my choice for just about any award out there, come January, including the JHUNT.

Update May 2009: I am dying because the CATCHING FIRE ARC has just been released, and people are saying it's at least as good at HG. I've had 2 teenaged boys at my library read this on my recommendation, and both of them came back asking me for more books like it (really there isn't anything). One of them has pre-ordered CATCHING FIRE on Amazon.

May-June 2011: I'm reading this for the 4th time, with my younger son, who's finishing up 5th grade. Still as good as ever!! Can't wait for the movie!!

Update 2012: Between them, HG and CATCHING FIRE were the pinnacle of my 20-yr career as a YA librarian! I've seen the movie twice so far, and definitely liked it better the 2nd time, when it didn't have to try to be my favorite book. :)

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Jul 04, 2012 Cecily rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, sci-fi-or-futuristic, children-read-with-son, overrated, american-canadian

If I were a teenager or recommending this to a teen, I might give it 3*; as an adult, I give it 2*.

PLOT

It's a potentially exciting but gruesome story, but most of the characters were rather flat, much of the plot was predictable (it's not hugely original; in particular, it is VERY similar to the Japanese "Battle Royale"), and there were too many flaws in the plot. I fail to understand its very high ratings.

Post-apocalyptic America (Panem) is divided into a wealthy and technologically advanced Ca...more

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view all 144 comments

Caryn Derek made some good points, refuting the details you didn't like; but I think you've made it clear, you found those little things indigestible becaus...more Derek made some good points, refuting the details you didn't like; but I think you've made it clear, you found those little things indigestible because the central premise was unbelievable to you. That such a weird, barbaric tool for control could not have lasted for 74 years! I'd have to agree, although in reading this book, I was easily able to suspend my disbelief even on that. I read this when it first came out 2 years ago. My then 12 year old begged me to read it, so my expectations of it were definitely through that lens of a 12 year old's book. Through that lens, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I've not read all of the comments, but some on the first page and then these last few latest ones. I'm a little disturbed at Sarah's comments. As a teacher, I would have expected quite a better grasp of 'Lord of the Flies', and a choice of books for her students that will, well, TEACH them as opposed to just entertain them. One of the reasons LotF is so constantly taught in middle schools is because it is pure allegory, and therefore a clear example for the kids to 'get' what an allegory is, exposing them to different types and styles of literature. THG: I'm not sure I would call allegorical. Yes the games are 'like' reality TV, (within the story, they ARE a form of reality TV, so not 'like' at all) What are the other representative or allegorical, metaphorical elements?

Anyway; The only other thing I wanted to chime in about was the lack of female characters in LotF. (Sorry, this seems to be the more prominent of your LotF forums, although it is not your main review).

The boys come from an English boarding school, written in 1954 a co-ed school would have been unheard of. Feminism itself was unheard of. There would have been little to no concern then for a lack of girls in the story.
* and I wanted to interject that the 'English Boarding School' was also an important point: English Public Boarding School, especially in 1954 would have held the children of privilege, the (perceived) creme-de-la-creme of civilization. The most civilized of the civilized.
Most importantly: The whole story is an allegory. Each primary and secondary character (and the main "props") represents something: Ralph = democracy, Jack = dictatorship, Piggy = Intellectualism, Roger = brutality, criminality, Simon = spirituality, the beast = fear, the conch = the tools of law and order/ (money?).....

These facets of civilization represent humankind, which evidence in both males and females. My kids's middle school just did a play adaptation of the book including boys and girls and it was equally plausible with girls included. I think Golding may have chosen to simplify the cast to only boys because these symbols are relevant to both sexes, (and it was pre-feminist 1954). Why muddy the waters, when the point of the story is the allegory of political evolutions and de-evolutions. The plot is also allegoric. It is the rise and fall of different political systems. We may disagree here, most of all, but I highly doubt a female perspective is going to change our politics at appreciably at all.

Another consideration would have been that in order for the 'Old'uns' the older boys to achieve what they did, (hunting fire-building... they would have to be at least 10 (?) Their speech and actions were perfectly suited to the middle schoolers, so I'd think 11-12(?) P5 & P6 at any rate I would think, therefore some pre- some post pubescent, which would have opened a whole 'nother can-o-worms with girls in the mix.

To be honest, I disagree with the assertion that it would have inconveniently changed his theorem of human nature. Sadly, I don't think it would have. Girls and women can be just as barbaric and cruel as boys. They are just as susceptible to fear-based prejudices and hierarchical ganging-up and bullying. Unfortunately, I think this is a very apt representation of human nature.

Hope this is not too obnoxiously late in adding my 2-cents worth. The odd thing about G.R. is that these threads stay active for YEARS! Thanks for your review.(less)
updated May 11, 2013 09:34am

Cecily Caryn, thanks for your comments, which I agree with. I know exactly what you mean about the difference it makes when reading a YA book with or in disc...more
updated May 11, 2013 11:51pm

Sep 30, 2010 Jana rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-and-creatures

Few things are really bothering me about The Hunger games. I followed screaming Goodreads recommendations and I can’t believe that I bought a book that is so stupid and violent. Some people seriously are not up to be parents if they condone this book, because there is nothing that children can learn from it. The thought about giving this to a child is just sickening.

I am more astonished with a fact that around 75.000 goodreads members read this book and that around 50.000 of them rated it 5 sta...more Few things are really bothering me about The Hunger games. I followed screaming Goodreads recommendations and I can’t believe that I bought a book that is so stupid and violent. Some people seriously are not up to be parents if they condone this book, because there is nothing that children can learn from it. The thought about giving this to a child is just sickening.

I am more astonished with a fact that around 75.000 goodreads members read this book and that around 50.000 of them rated it 5 stars. What is it that fascinates them so much.

It’s disturbing because people obviously associate and find themselves in this book. And it's about a girl Katniss Everdeen, living in the far away future, who was chosen to participate in a cruel Big Brother game, in which 24 contestants (children age 12-16) kill each other, because live TV has become demanding, and the public loves reality blood and violence. That's it. A little bit of undeveloped and unbelievable romance between her and two boys, a little bit of her abandoned family problems, a little bit of The 5th element movie political structure, mutants and pop stylists. It’s so screwed up.

In the beginning, first 50 pages were well written. There was suspense, Katniss was sweet and witty, but overall this book is a shitty meltdown. Adding the ridiculous cliffhanger ending. Some people here are using words like dystopian literature, and then write essays about how this book is the core of it.

The core is pointlessly graphic and sadistic, without any concrete message except of the negative. Katniss is a heroine so she doesn’t struggle with moral issues after the slaying. She is not enjoying it, but hey, it's a Game. Who cares anyway? I don’t see the point of reading about the fictional kids who are doing this to each other.

It's very shallow and MTV culture oriented, like a classical example of easy consummated pop-literature; I'm very surprised that this book didn't come with some trash magazine subscription. If it doesn't have savage brutality, prize money and prefix ''media coverage'' then it won't be appealing and educational because surely this is how children of 21st century survive this techno media world; through examples of true moral issues and realistic outcomes. Have another gulp of Coca-Cola along the way while you listen to dubstep shit.

It saddens me when a violent hillbillish book of this sort is so popular. What is there to identify yourself with. (less)

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Mar 17, 2012 Sparrow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Sparrow by: Stephenie Meyer

Shelves: classic-young-adult, young-adult, utopia-dystopia, girls-rule, reviewed, chosen-girls

For a long time now, I’ve wanted to rewrite my review of The Hunger Games so that I could tell you why I don’t just love this series, but why I also think it’s important. It is beautiful for the unflinching way it shows you, as a reader, your own willingness to disregard people who are different from you - how you are the Capitol audience. But, it is important as a story about girls. I had not initially thought about articulating that point because it seemed so obvious to me, and I am bad at rec...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Nilesh Kashyap rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian

My ‘The Hunger Games’ week
23rd march- movie is released
24th march- I read this review and end up watching excellent trailers, Later I downloaded the excerpt and kind of liked the first chapter
25th march- I am ~~a proud~~ owner of the book. ~~Yay!~~
26th to 27th march- I started reading the book
This is how I thought it would go:
Once I would start reading it, I would just be sucked into it and finish the book remaining awake until early hours of morning, with my bloodshot red eyes.
This is how it went:
I st...more

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Jul 29, 2009 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Alternative World August 2009 Selection

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, young-adult, read-in-my-40s, apocalyptic

3.5 Stars

I loved this book and yet at times I hated it. Several times it made me cry, nearly sobbing out loud. It never made me laugh and pricked me to anger often.

Katniss lives in District Twelve, an area devoted to coal mining in what was the Appalachian Mountains of North America. Her father died working in the mines and her mother suffered severe debilitating depression after his death. That left Katniss, at age twelve, to provide for her mother and her young sister, Prim. She sneaks out of...more 3.5 Stars

I loved this book and yet at times I hated it. Several times it made me cry, nearly sobbing out loud. It never made me laugh and pricked me to anger often.

Katniss lives in District Twelve, an area devoted to coal mining in what was the Appalachian Mountains of North America. Her father died working in the mines and her mother suffered severe debilitating depression after his death. That left Katniss, at age twelve, to provide for her mother and her young sister, Prim. She sneaks out of the confines of District Twelve, underneath a tall electrified fence, to hunt and gather in the nearby woods, keeping them from starving - barely.

The Reaping, part of the Treaty of Treason, is a lottery drawn once a year in each District, where all children between the ages of 12 and 18 are required to enter their names for the Hunger Games. A boy and a girl is selected. Against all odds, Prim's name is drawn for the female tribute to the Capitol. Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place. Peeta, the baker's son, is the other lucky winner.

They are transported immediately following the Reaping ceremony to the Capitol for a few days of training and preparation prior to the Hunger Games commencing. Twelve Districts means twenty-four competitors and the rules state only one can be the victor - and the only way to eliminate your competition is to kill them.

I wanted, most desperately, more history. I wanted to know the history of the destruction of North America; the emergence of the Panem, the Capitol, the Districts; details about the Rebellion; and, why the Treaty of Treason was necessary. No civilized society should sacrifice children simply to subjugate the rebel remnants. And not just sacrifice, but recreate a blood sport that makes the Roman Empire's gladiatorial games seem like a garden party.

The romance subplot between Katniss and Peeta mired the final third of the book. Katniss' relationships with her former hunting partner Gale and the District 11 competitor, Rue, who reminded Katniss of her younger sister, Prim, intrigued me.

I enjoyed the first two thirds of this book. The action excited and Katniss proved intelligent, honorable and heroic. The ending disappointed and frustrated, leaving much unsaid and unanswered. (less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Thor rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Teens who are looking for something almost intense

Recommended to Thor by: the entirity of GR and Tumblr

Shelves: books-that-should-be-better, dystopia, easy-read, should-be-better, young-adult, fiction, kindle, not-bad, failed-potential, almost-kick-ass, almost-bad-ass-heroine

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay... Review time.

Originally, when I first read this book back in 2009 I gave it a measly one star. I thought it was the worst kind of amateurish americanisation of every good thing to come out of Asia and I was pissed.

I am of course referring to the obvious similarities to novel, manga and film Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. However with this re-reading I have to say that it is a solid (almost, but not quite) 1.5 stars. In my opinion this book falls into the distinct kingdom of meh. It was...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, science-fiction, favorites, awesome-covers, books-made-into-movies

I want to scream to the top of my lungs and say that: THIS BOOK IS BEYOND AWESOME!!!!! Okay so maybe not that much excitement is needed, but boy this book deserves a review I probably won't be able to give. There are plenty of good reviews of this book already, but I can't resist the urge to put my own two cents in too.

You can already get the premise of the story from the other reviews so I won't bother with that. Can I just say that the author did an exqusite job of finding the right voice fo...more I want to scream to the top of my lungs and say that: THIS BOOK IS BEYOND AWESOME!!!!! Okay so maybe not that much excitement is needed, but boy this book deserves a review I probably won't be able to give. There are plenty of good reviews of this book already, but I can't resist the urge to put my own two cents in too.

You can already get the premise of the story from the other reviews so I won't bother with that. Can I just say that the author did an exqusite job of finding the right voice for Katniss? I already like her and I struggle with her while she is playing the Hunger Games. Katniss does a lot of things that will cause some people's eyebrows to shoot up, but you have to remember she has to survive. Even though she does some things that seem not totally right you know her heart is more or less in the right place. She is 16 (an aged used a lot in young adult novels I'm noticing)and still figuring out her stand on the important things.
The whole thing is kind of distrubing, but you can see the appeal it would have on audiences. I mean I got sucked into it so it isn't really that far fetched that people could actually become well... so morbid.

It's really hard for me to really get into what I want to discuss without giving away spoilers. I can say this though, the book had almost everything in it. Thrills, chills, suspense, humor (only a little but it's there), romance (kind of questionable I guess), struggle with identity, life and death situation (obviously), compassion and so much more that I'm sure I am missing.

The world Collins created is extremely believable, and the dilemmas that are presented are engaging and sometimes just painful to watch, but she pulls this off with ease. People just have to read the book themselves to comprehend what I'm trying to say. Needless to say I am agonizing over the wait for the next installment Catching Fire.

Later added: For those of you who didn't know there is a movie coming out! Oh gosh the excitement is too much, here is the link to the trailer. And they have come out with this song for the movie. (less)

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Apr 08, 2011 Lyndsey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-recommend, favorites, reviewed-5-stars, reviewed-2011

Oh no. You've awakened the beast. It's Jackniss!!

Yeah. So maybe Matthew Fox from Lost isn't exactly the person you had in mind when you thought about who they might cast as Katniss in The Hunger Games, but I was inspired to create that after I saw this site called Jackimals. You might want to wait to visit it, though, because it can suck you in like an unexplained time warp flash.

I was also inspired to create the Jackniss after I read a discussion that deeply disturbed me.

Somewhere, possibly on...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Morgan F rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi, preston-public-library, dystopian-apocalyptic, 2000s, favorites, adrenaline, its-a-girl, own, re-read, read-2010, medium-sized, completed-series, read-2012

THIS BOOK IS JESUS.

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Mar 26, 2012 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tessa by: Jameson Marriott

Shelves: dystopian, fiction

I sat down to this book prepared to be captivated in its pages. But I was disappointed. I was always expecting that finally the author would show her genius and knock me off my feet. But it never happened. Yes, it was exciting and entertaining. But it wasn't a truly great book.

I could not stop comparing this to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Like Fahrenheit 451, it was a dystopian novel set in the future, but Fahrenheit 451 had significant symbolism on every page, paragraph, and even half the...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Richard rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pearl Ruled

Rating: 1* of five (p81)

What was I thinking? I don't like books about teens. Well, that's not entirely true...I am not a Serial Killer is about a teen boy who's sure he's the evilest thing ever born, is told from his PoV, and yet that gets darn close to 4 stars. I don't like books about teen girls. Well, that's not entirely true, either...Deathless is told from the PoV of a teen girl in a magical struggle for her life, and yet it got four full and eager stars.

So why didn't I like this...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wtf, disappointment, not-worth-the-hype, waste-of-paper, gorey, bad-ending, oh-my-a-love-triangle, scarred-for-life, sucky-writing, stupid-heroine, movie-was-better

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Review Rewritten Due to Excessive Use of Exclamation Points and Caps Lock. And General Horrible Bad Reviewness.
Seriously, I wrote this over a year ago and it SUCKED.

It still does.

1.5 Stars

The Concept: A lot of people don't like the book because of the concept of kids killing each other in a big arena. When I first heard of the book, I actually thought this was a pretty cool dystopian idea. (Not in real life, but in a dystopic world) A few months after I had read the book, I heard of this new t...more

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Aug 13, 2010 Buggy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shelf-10, war, romance, end-of-days, ya

~SO THIS IS WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT~
THE HUNGER GAMES is a fantastic, breathless and somewhat brutal read that once you start you simply can’t put down again. Initially I had no idea what this book was about or what to expect in terms of YA writing, it had just been recommended to me by so many people and had such a buzz surrounding it that I had to find out for myself why. Well let me say I was not disappointed and have now joined the legions of Suzanne Collins fans in awaiting her next insta...more ~SO THIS IS WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT~
THE HUNGER GAMES is a fantastic, breathless and somewhat brutal read that once you start you simply can’t put down again. Initially I had no idea what this book was about or what to expect in terms of YA writing, it had just been recommended to me by so many people and had such a buzz surrounding it that I had to find out for myself why. Well let me say I was not disappointed and have now joined the legions of Suzanne Collins fans in awaiting her next instalment.

Written along the lines of Stephen King’s The Long Walk or Orwell’s 1984 (I may be aging myself here) this story still feels very original and sucked me in completely with its modern day Survivor-esque retelling. The Hunger Games is the ultimate in reality TV, suspense, scripted realism, romance and survival that you should not miss.

Set in a post apocalyptic future (although we frustratingly never learn the why's, how’s or even when of this future.) This new communist-type America known as Panem has been divided into a Capital and its 12 districts. We follow 16 year old Katniss as she struggles to keep her starving family alive, hunting and gathering with her best friend Gale. Unbeknownst to her these are valuable skills as the annual hunger games are about to begin.

Each year these games require two children from each district who are chosen based on a lottery system for compulsory participation. These televised games are then broadcast throughout Panem (with mandatory viewing) as the 24 contestants fight each other to the death, leaving just one victor at its violent conclusion. It’s kind of like Survivor but instead of being voted off the island you have to kill your competitors. When Katniss’s younger sister is chosen as the female contestant from their district Katniss volunteers to take her place. Then together with Peeta the other lottery winner they travel to the capital and begin preparations for the opening ceremonies and ultimately their death in The Hunger Games.

Oddly this has been written without paragraph breaks and I have to admit the first part of it dragged for me, as Katniss is groomed, clothed, and schooled by her entourage within the capital. However as soon as the games begin, lookout! By this point in the story you have become attached to several key characters and its then that you realize things can’t end well as there will be only one winner. Over a period of about 2 weeks and against overwhelming odds we watch 24 victims dwindle as they struggle to survive. Simultaneously avoiding and hunting each other they form alliances, face hunger and mind numbing thirst, mutant animal attacks, friendship, love and ultimately a distrust of everyone as Big Brother raises the stakes to keep the audience interested.

This is an exciting book that will keep you up late into the night and resonate with you long after you’ve finished. Cheers(less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everybody

Recommended to Tatiana by: VBC

Shelves: 2009, ya, favorites, dystopias-post-apocalyptic, ala-ya-2009, 2010, 2012, nostalgia

Original, 2008

This book was recommended to me after I read Unwind by Neal Shusterman and although maybe it is not as emotionally affecting as Unwind, I still think it is a fantastic book. The story has just the perfect combination of action, drama, and romance. It has a great message that you can stay human even in the most inhumane conditions. Needless to say, I am anxiously awaiting the sequel. I am sure even greater things are to come in the next book.

Update 9/09. Just finished rereading thi...more

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Jun 06, 2009 Annalisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, young-adult, dystopia, speculative, sci-fi, cover

I started this book thinking the idea was preposterous: a government choosing to squelch rebellion by forcing its citizens to give up their children as contenders in the ultimate reality show of death to the last survivor. Yeah right, and yet it reminded me a lot of the absurdity of the Nazi party, child armies in Africa, and even back to the gladiators of the Roman empire. I realized I believed a government could be this arrogant and wrathful, that society could be this absurd, that the common...more I started this book thinking the idea was preposterous: a government choosing to squelch rebellion by forcing its citizens to give up their children as contenders in the ultimate reality show of death to the last survivor. Yeah right, and yet it reminded me a lot of the absurdity of the Nazi party, child armies in Africa, and even back to the gladiators of the Roman empire. I realized I believed a government could be this arrogant and wrathful, that society could be this absurd, that the common people would be too afraid to fight back. When people are pitted against each other instead of turning on the establishment they often fight each other within the failed system, fighting for that elusive top spot or ignoring the pain of others grateful to escape tragedy themselves.

I soon found myself intensely involved in the Hunger Games and hoping for a certain outcome that would certainly bring about the death of many children but save our brave heroine. Once you're in, what option do you have but to play and survive? Collins did an amazing job of taking an unbelievable and predictable storyline and making it believable and unpredictable. Complete with an impossible love interest, twists in the arena to keep you guessing, and both sympathy and hatred for the other characters, the book is hard to put down. I stayed up late to reach the conclusion that would seem obvious but was still evasive when I could conceive many alternate endings. In some ways the story reminded me of Lord of the Flies, but without as frustrating of a dues ex machina ending.

I found it interesting that even in this life and death situation, the kids refused to do anything that would displease the Capitol and make them look rebellious or unwilling to play, or worse emotional and disturbed by death. They did not bond with each other, help each other, or ever want to be indebted by anyone's kindness. Sad that the gravest error would be vulnerability of spirit because the tough ones are the ones to survive. While Katniss gets out of having to do a lot of the killing, she still plays her part, and even being the cause of one death is too many. I found it interesting that they switch to survival mode and kill without thought or regret. I'm sure the regret and nightmares will come later, but we as the readers have to feel the sadness of the deaths now, and live with our own relief that a child died who wasn't Katniss. There is obviously a lot of death hashed out, but only a handful experienced by our narrator. There is one death that is rather gruesome, but for the most part, I thought the subject matter handled appropriately for YA. Nonetheless the subject matter is not appropriate for younger children.

My one compliant about the novel would be the overuse of fragments. As a grammar freak, I'll let powerful fragments go. On occasion. As a literary device. But you throw five and six back to back. Just for effect. And all I'm doing is counting. How many are going by before we're back to complete sentences. There were a few paragraphs with way too many. But that's just a style difference. And the story is worth it. A good tale and a thinker.

Even after I closed this book, I found myself mulling over the statements about society, our gruesome need for reality TV, our shallow obsession with looks, how much a community will let others suffer as long as they are safe, and the strength of the human spirit when backed up against the wall. I enjoyed Katniss' emotionally detached character, Peeta's vulnerable goodness, and Rue's small but fighting spirit. Now I want to learn more about Gale. A good strong female protagonist and a great set up for the sequel which I will be reading. How will the Capital be brought down? Who will Katniss chose? Can she stand by and let another gruesome show go by training the tributes from her village without action? Can this society be saved or is it beyond redemption? I'm intrigued.

ETA: I've been thinking a lot about the messages in the Hunger Games with all the hype for the movie. Good dystopias are warnings, something to make you mull over trends in society by making these public wrongs absurd and larger than life. Here are some of the comparisons I found between Panem and our society:

-Overindulgence. The plastic surgery, the bright peacocky colors, the time and money spent primping, the obnoxious outfits that one could never work in or survive in come catastrophe. The shoes Effie Trinket wears in the movie are popular today and nobody can walk properly in them. Our obsession with looks is headed toward the unimaginable level of the Capitol. And the overindulgence doesn't stop at appearances. The overeating, the mcmansions, party-the-time lifestyle. Our shallow, keeping-up-with-the Joneses society is heading there.

-Entitlement. The people of the Capitol don't care where their resources come from, who works and dies for it, or how limited the supply is. They don't conserve; they don't say "thank you"; they don't look beyond themselves. The degree of separation from them and their food and resources means they have no appreciation for it. It's like us with our grocery stores full of already slaughtered food and the diamonds we were fought hard for in Africa. You can say the entitlement is a lesson for the 1% out there and you can say the entitlement is a lesson for the anti-1% who feel entitled for their government to support them. Even the poor in America are still better off than most of the world. We are all the 1% and the sense of entitlement from Americans could be our downfall.

-Desensitization. Reality TV, video games, gruesome movies (like the Hunger Games :) ) have desensitized us. As horrific as the Hunger Games is (not the book but the actual Games in a society), how far off are we when girls throw parties to watch other girls get their hearts broken on The Bachelor, or when we feel nothing as people starve through a month on Survivor, or break out in fights on shows on MTV. We stop shy of death, but how long before push the envelope there too? How long before a gladiator-style game becomes popular for us too? After all, we are following the footsteps of the Roman Empire. I've been reading articles on Yahoo! like crazy the past few weeks about how to do Katniss' braid or what food to eat in celebration of the movie release. We are as bad as the Capitol in some cases.(less)

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view all 24 comments

Elizabeth Hertzberg Excellent review. I read this book more out of curiosity than anything else in the beginning. I work in the entertainment industry and my hairdresser'...more
updated Dec 29, 2012 01:50am

Annalisa My daughter is 11 and I finally broke down and let her read it this year since all her friends have. Initially, I had intended 13, but even her teache...more
Dec 29, 2012 05:42pm

Jan 13, 2013 Brad rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, sci-fi, dystopian, exceeded-my-expectations, young-adult, worth-reading-twice, read-in-2012

WARNING: This review contains some vulgarity. Please don't read this if you are have a delicate sensibility. Thanks.

8 Things I liked + 1 I didn't + 1 I hated

8. It's cinematic. -- I don't know if I'd have appreciated this if I hadn't read The Hunger Games in anticipation of the film's release, but the March 23rd premiere precipitated my read, and I could see the action of this book on my "head screen." It's going to work as a movie, and Collins' successfully tranferred the action she saw moving i...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Meg ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, z-2011-reads, books-2-movies, favs, own-copy

Good luck to Hunger Games in the box office today!

Yay HG killed it at the box office breaking all kinds of records woot woot!

I don't care how much violence is in this book. It got my 9 year old (who hated reading) to read a full novel! Oh wait, he's read 3! His teacher is really impressed and I thank this book for that.

Let's hope this girl playing Katniss can do justice to our favorite heroine. :D

3/28/12 just seen it. Jennifer Lawrence was an amazing Katniss! Every character was well done in...more

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Aug 24, 2011 mark monday rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teenworld, navel-gazin-reviews, after-the-fall

i just woke up from a disturbing little nightmare that strangely involved The Hunger Games. in the dream, i pull Hunger Games off of the shelf and out slips a paper thin cell phone. it is my sister's phone. she has recently come up from los angeles to visit and i know she's returned home while i was at work; clearly she's forgotten her phone. i'm amused, knowing how forgetful she can be, realizing that i'll now have a phone that i can use (my cell phone just died in real life - and in my dream t...more i just woke up from a disturbing little nightmare that strangely involved The Hunger Games. in the dream, i pull Hunger Games off of the shelf and out slips a paper thin cell phone. it is my sister's phone. she has recently come up from los angeles to visit and i know she's returned home while i was at work; clearly she's forgotten her phone. i'm amused, knowing how forgetful she can be, realizing that i'll now have a phone that i can use (my cell phone just died in real life - and in my dream too), and immediately call her husband on her cell to tell him that Sheila forgot her phone. before i can say anything, he says in a small voice, "Where's Sheila? I've been calling her and you for hours. The boys are scared". in the background, i hear the tv talking about murders. and then about plane crashes. and then about disappearances. i try to say something to him but my voice isn't working; i start to yell but nothing comes out. i know something has happened to her and i know that i have somehow failed her. my mind bends at the awful possibilities and i wake up, sweating.

so i took down Hunger Games and suddenly flashed back to that short, dreadful scene of Katniss hearing her sister's name called during the reaping. i knew it was coming; hell, it says so right on the back cover. nevertheless, it is a scene that is in some ways a moment out of time for me. short, basic, horrifying, primal...the idea of Prim being chosen, being slain, is not even a possibility on Katniss' mind. her mind doesn't accept the idea of her sister in danger, and so without thinking, she volunteers to take her place. i remember reading that scene, and that little shiver it gave me. Katniss acts in the way that all people who love those in their care would act: immediately and unthinkingly putting themselves in harm's way to protect their loved ones. it is an automatic, human reaction. it doesn't take an expert on the human condition to understand that. but it does take an excellent writer to convey such a basic human response so simply and yet so meaningfully. Katniss' action defines her completely, as it defines all people who would seek to protect others. throughout the novel, she does not veer from this course.

i was in alaska recently, camping. there was a person with us during this trip who was extremely worried abouts bears and bear attacks; and so conversation took place to reassure her, to keep things light. we talked about bears off and on throughout the day and then around the campfire. i've never been the sort to be paranoid about bears, but man when i went to sleep, that's all i could think about. and then twigs started cracking, followed by the sound of an animal snuffling and rustling about, right next to me; it happened throughout the night; i stayed awake until dawn. the next day i noticed some dry animal shit and discovered that i had placed my tent only a couple inches away from some little creature's burrow, one that clearly had much work to accomplish during the evening hours. not so frightening to think about now, sorta cute actually. but gosh, it is something else to be locked in fear for so many hours straight. my mind went through various stages, finally settling on a (now hilarious) acceptance that i would be attacked. i clutched my knife and waited, exhausted but somehow at peace that i could run, i could fight, i could live, i could die, but strangely content knowing that what will happen, will happen...as ridiculous as this particular situation turned out to be, i have had that same feeling during other situations where i felt Okay, well this is it, i suppose i'm going to die. this is a basic human response. you can only quiver in fear for so long until you weary, you become resolved to accept things.

on the plane ride back, i noticed a kid reading The Hunger Games and remembered my own enjoyment, and knew how gripping and intense the experience could possibly be for him. he certainly clutched the book as if his life depended on it, as if the rest of the world didn't exist. and then i also remembered those scenes in the arena, that acceptance that Katniss had: she may die, she may not die, but what will happen, will happen. i remember reading her thoughts about her future in the arena, her probable death, and realizing her thoughts felt right. The Hunger Games manages to get across a very complex yet also very basic human response, in a way that is direct, crystal clear, and thoroughly realistic in its detailing of a person's actual mental and emotional reactions.

so why do i ramble on about things in my life that have barely anything to do with Hunger Games, that only tangentially reminded me of this novel? well, i suppose to make a point about the book. if you are the kind of person who became lost in The Hunger Games, you know that it stays with you, it affects you in an emotional way...it comes back. but i'm also rambling to make a point about all quality Young Adult Fiction. this genre is well-loved, but it also takes its critical knocks as well. folks talk about the simplistic writing, the boiled-down tropes, the lack of complexity, the earnestness, and the basic, almost black & white palate of emotions and principles on display. but to me, these are the virtues of the genre. if done well, these are the reasons why these books connect with their readers in a way that feels right, that feels honest. no matter whether the setting is a wizard's school or an alternate england or a post-apocalyptic north america.

i think of YA Fiction as our own modern version of fables and mythic adventures, stories that have as their purpose the telling of straightforward morality tales, tales of right and wrong and fighting back and loving others and being an individual and finding community. the best ones are transparent in their goals and do not clutter their prose with stylization, complicated narratives, writerly game-playing, ambiguous theme-building, and the like. the best ones tell a tale that resonates with readers at a deep and elemental level - and so the reader responds in kind. i suppose this is why many people can become obsessed with this genre's bestsellers - they speak to the reader in the most direct way imaginable. they may come with a context that is relevant to today's world (as does Hunger Games), but the best ones are also timeless (as is Hunger Games). the best of this genre warmly illustrates the strength of the human spirit yet can also be surprisingly unsentimental; often swiftly-paced and action-packed yet carefully, lovingly detailed when examining the things that matter to its protagonists; often despairing and full of a palpable sense of resentment and anger, yet open to the inevitable change and growth that can happen and that make us more connected to the world around us and to whom we truly are, at the heart of us.

The Hunger Games' place within all of this is obvious: it is a modern classic of the genre. and as with all classics, it is relevant and suitable for all ages. it is the kind of novel that grows in the memory.(less)

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Apr 03, 2012 B0nnie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Mister Jones

Recommended to B0nnie by: somebody naked

*****spoilers*****

Like everyone else, I was drawn to the underdog of The Hunger Games. The unfairness of the games is probably the thing that bothered me the most, how some of the contestants were so much better prepared than others.

Look, here you have a bunch of kids, yanked from their homes, sent to fight to the death. There is the underdog contestant. She had little chance of winning. And there's that other contestant who's by far the most qualified to win, and has basically been trained from...more *****spoilers*****

Like everyone else, I was drawn to the underdog of The Hunger Games. The unfairness of the games is probably the thing that bothered me the most, how some of the contestants were so much better prepared than others.

Look, here you have a bunch of kids, yanked from their homes, sent to fight to the death. There is the underdog contestant. She had little chance of winning. And there's that other contestant who's by far the most qualified to win, and has basically been trained from birth, fully hard-ass enough to survive. This other character has such astonishing intuition that it is almost on par with Edward Cullen's mind reading skills (oddly though, except when something is completely obvious). Further, any moral dilemmas - such as having to kill friends - are taken care of by outside forces. And cornered? No problem, there'll be something handy within reach to solve the problem. Talk about born under a lucky star.

So yeah, things always worked out for Katniss.

Then you have that other contestant who is far less lucky. Smaller, yet shrewd, observant, intelligent, able to replicate complicated patterns, at first able to avoid getting killed. Not attacking the others. Having no weapon skills, just hoping to survive by default. Her clever and risky idea at the Cornucopia worked so well that it brought on a fit of jealousy from Katniss - probably in the same mean spirit that inspired her to come up with the nickname "Foxface". Why not something less catty, say for example "Vixen" - which still plays on the fox reference yet also to female beauty and cleverness. Vixie for short, I should think.

Vixie never, ever called Katniss "Arrowheadface". Nor Peeta "Doughface".

I felt the full weight of the evil of this contest when Vixie died so tragically and so very ironically. Her laughter, her unique abilities, her sleek red hair, gone, gone with a handful of berries. The mean trick fate played on her with those berries was so opposite to the luck that always went to Katniss. Here I felt the pain of living in a dystopia like Panem, where some are given advantages and others are not. My tears were flowing as I read Miss V's final moment: "What’s left of Foxface’s emaciated body is lifted into the air. I can see the red glint of her hair in the sunlight."

And then later when attacked by the mutts, all Katniss can think of is “It’s her!” continuing her weird jealous obsession with the one girl that could've beaten her - if the games hadn't been so fixed in Katniss's favour.

Poor poor, unlucky thing. No fantastic Mr. Fox for you, no Jamie, no D. H. Lawrence, dear Miss Vixie. No, life is not Fair & Balanced.

I leave this musical tribute for you.(less)

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Jun 26, 2008 Betsy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Betsy by: Monica Edinger

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Clearly Gregor was merely the prelude. Suzanne Collins, you’ve been holding out on us, missy. As an author we were accustomed to your fun adventures involving a boy, his sister, and a world beneath our world. I think it's fair to say that we weren’t really expecting something like The Hunger Games. At least I wasn’t. But reading it gave me a horribly familiar feeling. There is a certain strain of book that can hypnotize you into believing that you are in another time and place roughly 2.3 second...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Manny marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: lists-glorious-lists

SOME BOOKS I ALREADY OWN WHICH I PLAN TO FINISH BEFORE BUYING THE HUNGER GAMES

John Lanchester, Mr. Phillips
Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake
Steven Weinberg, The First Three Minutes
Jean-Jacques Sempé, Le Petit Nicolas
Merritt Ruhlen, The Origin of Language
Pernilla Stalfelt, Le petit livre de caca
Hubert Reeves, L'univers expliqué à mes petits-enfants
Gustave Flaubert, Trois Contes
Dominique Lambert, Un Atome D'Univers
Jean-Pierre Luminet, L'Invention du Big Bang
Francis Collins, The Language of God
~~Ben Ma~~...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Kemper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, young-adult, 2012

When it comes to The Hunger Games, I feel like I’m walking into the ballroom in my tuxedo with a bottle of champagne in each hand only to find no one there except for a lone janitor sweeping up confetti along with a couple of people passed out under tables and there's only a bottle of crème de menthe left at the bar. In other words, I’m late to the party.

Since I’m so tardy, I don’t think there’s anything I can add, particularly since YA isn’t my usual thing. So I’ll just give it four stars and n...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, sci-fi

First, welcome to reading, I'm glad this could be one of 5 books you read this year along with The Help. Please stick around, there are many more worlds to explore and adventures to have. But I'm glad peer pressure can at least get you to read something. I know this is super elitist, I'm sorry, but I don't like pop music either and this is the Katy Perry of the literary world. I know, reading is always good blah blah blah it's still a good book blah blah you're kind of being a jerk here. I know...more

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Jul 25, 2008 Colleen Venable rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008-read, ya-fiction, books-that-made-me-cry

Fantastically Written? Ooooh yeah! Compelling? Yup! Super Quick Read? Most definitely! Original? Um...well *shuffles feet, since I seem to be a rare non-five star-er* not original at all really....

Man, I wish someone on my friends list here has also read Battle Royale and this book! The Hunger Games WAS pretty fantastic, hence the four stars (though I would have given 3 1/2 if the choice was available.) I ate it up, shouting into other rooms and offices that I was going to be shoving the book i...more Fantastically Written? Ooooh yeah! Compelling? Yup! Super Quick Read? Most definitely! Original? Um...well *shuffles feet, since I seem to be a rare non-five star-er* not original at all really....

Man, I wish someone on my friends list here has also read Battle Royale and this book! The Hunger Games WAS pretty fantastic, hence the four stars (though I would have given 3 1/2 if the choice was available.) I ate it up, shouting into other rooms and offices that I was going to be shoving the book into their hands as soon as I was done, but as it went on desha vu was a little too common for me. I know there are major story types out there, ones that are repeated over and over again. Shakespeare retold 200 different ways. The bible reinterpreted to 2,000,000 varieties of tales....but when it comes to YA dystopia, which is by far my favorite genre of any book, originality is one of my main ways I judge a book. FEED felt utterly original. The world of UGLIES felt new. LITTLE BROTHER was just plain amazing. If it's going to be about "the future" we don't know about, make it original. In my mind dystopia novels survive on "idea" more than "excecution" and while the execution of this was beautiful, the idea was hardly new.

While I have a really good feeling Collins never read, or maybe even heard of, Battle Royale, The Hunger Games was 90% the plot of Battle Royal, minus the guns, the extra blood, the ability to get to know all the other players. In Battle Royal (short explanation of BR plot: 40 students put on island forced to kill each other and winner is set for life and put on TV etc...), the main focus is a love story between two students trapped in the game, two students bonding together with no real urge to kill others...one of whom had a crush on the other forever and it is only revealed during the game. There are so many other similarities, from the ways the gamemakers manipulate, to the ways the media encourages, to one character having a fever and the other taking care of them with soup. There are even "career" battle royal players. In BR you see the emotions before and after someone is killed, their last thoughts, the feeling of the person who killed. It's actually really beautiful the way it is done, and so believable that put in an arena teens WOULD turn into savages. In The Hunger Games, yes the main characters were fantastic, and many of the lesser as well, but Foxface is only Foxface, and the Careers are never more than random 1-dimensional bad guys.

The Hunger Games was very Battle Royale, very The Long Walk (Richard Bachman book), and very much current reality shows. I am not saying it wasn't a GREAT read, I'm just saying it shouldn't shake the publishing earth the way I am pretty sure it is going to. I anticipate this is the next Twilight series people are going to gush over. In a few years we'll all be hosting Hunger Games final book parties. I'll be amongst the attendees I'm sure.

Also in terms of female main characters, Katiniss may surpass Bella in me wanting to shake sense into a character. Talk about a smart girl being utterly clueless!

Yes, it was great, but eh, maybe I'm just bitter because I think BR is the better book of the two and while Hunger Games will get tons of praise and likely a rather deserved award or two, BR will continue to be banned in many libraries. Amazing what subtracting guns can do to a story. Suddenly it doesn't feel as violent, but rather is more reminiscent of stories we heard growing up. The number of swords and arrow deaths in traditional fairytales is nothing to freak out about, but if bullets are flying, it will give "too many ideas" to teens and therefore must be dubbed an adult book.

I'm pretty sure if I hadn't read BR just a few months back this exeedingly long review would have been just as long only instead of a rant it would have just been one long squeeeeeal of delight over how much I loved the book.

Original Comment: Peer pressure, peer pressure, peer pressure. Geez guys! Alright, alright I'll read it!
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