The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Oct 11, 2010 Angie rated it it was amazing

Good grief. I found this one on a used book store shelf. I'd heard of it but knew nothing of it other than people raved and I had something like 60 weeks of waiting list time left to look forward to before I could get my hands on it. I asked the store clerk if he happened to have either of the other books in this series and he said "No way. Those go fast." So I counted myself lucky and bought it. And DEVOURED it. I had NO idea what it was even about so I dived in blind and loved every bit of it! ...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Jeff Scott rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, overdrive-library, audiobooks, science-fiction, bleak, post-apocalpytic, young-adult

Great Science Fiction tale that combines many of my favorite works in the genre. It takes part of The Lottery, The Running Man, Lord of the Flies, and even a little of the Island of Dr. Moreau and weaves the tale of a young girl struggling against overwhelming odds.

All that is left of the United States is the small country of Panam. Fires, riots, and ill-described disasters have decimated the world into this tiny space. All that is left is The Capitol and 12 districts. The oppression of The Cap Great Science Fiction tale that combines many of my favorite works in the genre. It takes part of The Lottery, The Running Man, Lord of the Flies, and even a little of the Island of Dr. Moreau and weaves the tale of a young girl struggling against overwhelming odds.

All that is left of the United States is the small country of Panam. Fires, riots, and ill-described disasters have decimated the world into this tiny space. All that is left is The Capitol and 12 districts. The oppression of The Capitol led the districts to rebel at some point. Once this rebellion is crushed, a punishment, known as the Hunger Games is created. Two children, 12-18, are selected by lottery every year to kill each other in battle on live television.

Katniss is a 15 year old girl, relied on by her family to be the breadwinner, she poaches in a forbidden forest to supplement her family’s meager ration of grain. Katniss has had to enter her name, like all children in the districts, into the lottery of the Hunger Games. Her younger sister Prim has had to enter her name for the first time. What happens at the lottery will change their lives and put Katniss to the ultimate test, to kill or be killed.

It’s difficult to write a review without spoilers. Generally, it’s a ripping good science fiction/adventure story, but I would have liked to have seen more character development. Katniss is a cold character. It’s no wonder as she doesn’t see a future for herself, but it doesn’t really come off so clearly in the story. She has as lot of internal dilemma, but in some cases the amount of time given to these thoughts far outweighs the moment. It doesn’t seem to add to the plot, or describe her more fully. It’s just a lot of text with no payoff.

Everything is geared towards the action in the Hunger Games. The plotting in the games is great, but I felt there was opportunities for development that stop short. There are some REALLY big shockers and heartbreaking losses, but there doesn’t seem to be any reaction. As a reader, it seemed to affect me more than Katniss. There is a lot of emotion in the scene in the description, but none from the character. I think that may have been the point of the character, as is better revealed in the end, but it takes a long time to get there. I felt if there was more of what happened in the end between Katniss and Peeta was littered in the book a bit more, her character would have been a bit stronger. It’s supposed to be a mixed-up 15 year old fighting for her life in an already awkward age so it makes sense. The result is just a bit mixed.
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Feb 18, 2012 Angie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've read this before but the book club I just joined is reading it this month so I wanted to re-read it so I can really enjoy the discussion. And Ben and I are going to the midnight show next month when the movie comes out so I needed a refresher :)

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Finished reading it and loved it just as much (if not more than?) the first time! It's just such an engaging book. Completely captivating. Looking forward to the movie even more now! ...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Cindy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

Unputdownable. I put off reading this book for a while because everyone was reading it and I hate being one of those band-wagon readers. But once I finally decided to read it I was kicking myself for waiting for so long. I finished reading in the middle of the night and the next day I immediately went to the store and bought Catching Fire! I would have bought Mockingjay too but it wasn't published yet. ...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Cindy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Unputdownable. I put off reading this book for a while because everyone was reading it and I hate being one of those band-wagon readers. But once I finally decided to read it I was kicking myself for waiting for so long. I finished reading in the middle of the night and the next day I immediately went to the store and bought Catching Fire! I would have bought Mockingjay too but it wasn't published yet. ...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Jenny rated it it was amazing

Loved the suspense and how primitive it was!

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Oct 04, 2010 Julie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Couldn't put this book down, pretty addicting. I avoided the book for so long because of the whole 'fight to the death' premise, but this was tastefully done and really connected the reader to Katniss, her world, and her struggles. Looking forward to finding out what happens in the next two books. ...more

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