From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)

Suzanne Collins

Start date: December 1, 2010

Finish date: December 31, 2010

Discussion: Books of the Month

Why we're reading this: We voted and this one won for the category of YA.
[close] We voted and this one won for the category of YA.

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What Members Thought

May 27, 2011 Haze rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011-books-read, 2013-books-read, 2015-books-read, reread, 2017-books-read, haze-s-1000-list, 2021-books-read, audiobook, 2022-books-read, 2025-books-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2025:

Thoughts: I think sometimes it's difficult to find things to talk about when it's a reread and one that you've read multiple times and gushed about over and over again. I feel like I have nothing of substance to contribute except gushing, but gush I will 😂

All the parts that get me got me all over again! I cry at all the same places and more now because I'm paying attention to different parts of the book, including the ones where Haymitch's backstory now make me see things in a different li 2025:

Thoughts: I think sometimes it's difficult to find things to talk about when it's a reread and one that you've read multiple times and gushed about over and over again. I feel like I have nothing of substance to contribute except gushing, but gush I will 😂

All the parts that get me got me all over again! I cry at all the same places and more now because I'm paying attention to different parts of the book, including the ones where Haymitch's backstory now make me see things in a different light. It's funny how Katniss' observation of herself is so honest and oblivious at the same time. She's completely honest in the way she acts, but in denial about her thoughts and feelings. She cannot help but get frantic over Peeta, needing him to be well and healthy, rushing to get to him, wanting to sneak into his room at night when people were keeping them apart, feeling anxious without him, but she's all like, it's just a strategy, I don't like him that way. I mean, girl! Maybe I didn't know her well enough the first time reading the books and I trusted her at her word, but now I'm like, your words say one thing and your action says different, my girl!

To be clear, this series is about more than their romance to me, there were a few times rereading when the horror and trauma were more of a focus for me, but it's still hella romantic, especially now when realizing how subtle and deep the love goes 😭 He loved her forever! He remembers everything about her! And she might have been playing a part, but there is truth in her words too; "because for the first time, there was a chance I could keep him," and "I just couldn't bear the thought of being without him."

The parts with the three-finger salute got me too, as well as with Rue. I tear up every single time! When Katniss first volunteers for Prim, when the district gave her the salute. When Rue died and Katniss sang for her, put flowers on her and gave her the salute as well. When Rue's district sent bread as a thank you to Katniss. The feelings Katniss had about sleeping without Rue that night, after the night before where they both slept in comfort and feeling safe, together. When Tresh let Katniss go because of Rue, the way that scene was written, he was brutal and harsh and yet his actions spoke louder about how he felt. I am crying all over again writing these!! :catTearsCry:

It's also interesting that this time I was more affected by that last scene with Cato and the muttations, and how long he took to die. Previously, I couldn't care less about him. I mean, he was a villain, crazy, brutal in a psychotic way, not the same way we see Tresh, and after all his brutality, being scared of him, and him almost killing Peeta, we're just happy he's no longer a danger to Peeta and Katniss. But how long he took to die, knowing there was no one to save him, and the psychological effect that must have on someone in their last moments :animeShocked: I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Although to be fair, none of my enemies ever tried to kill me the way Cato tried to kill Peeta and Katniss!

Whole series slight spoiler: The more I read the series, the more I get from it. It's not a flash in the pan, popular coz of a YA dystopian trend, but rather a long-lasting story, and unfortunately, more relevant in our world today than when it was written, although we don't see as much of that in the first book compared to the next ones.

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Read the book in May 2011, listened to the audiobook July 2013. As good or even better than I remembered. Maybe I'll give this a proper review soon.

Read the book again in January 2015, on ebook this time. Listened to Hunger Games Fan podcast after. Such a great reading experience!

Reread again in August 2015! Still so many things to get from it!

Reread in June 2017 - I think this was after watching the movies again, wanted to relive the experience.

Another reread - July 2021! On audiobook again. This time it was for a reading challenge for a book with more than a million ratings and I couldn't think of another book I wanted to read! At this point, I'm still not sure if I'll write a "proper" review because I could write a book about my feelings! ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Oct 05, 2011 Maggie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-reread, young-adult, audio-with-hubs, fantasy-sci-fi, read-2011, coming-of-age, 2013-spring-challenge

I stupidly started this book in the car on a road with my husband...stupid! Now I just want to drive around by myself and finish it! He can finish it later right!?

I totally thought this lived up to the hype! Can't wait to read the next book and can't wait to see the movie next spring! ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Anne OK rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012-reads

Whoa! Not really my cuppa but surprisingly I was hooked by the end. I may just make it through my daughter's challenge and finish the trilogy before month's end. What surprises me most is how someone thinks this stuff up and arranges it on paper so well! ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 27, 2011 Destiny rated it it was amazing

What to say about this wonderful novel? Well I had it recommended to me by friends on this very site. So I added to my to read list and promptly forgot about it. So earlier this week I was in Walmart waiting for my prescriptions to be filled and I was browsing in the book section. I saw the three novels by each other. I didn't have enough money for all three, so I settled on the first one. After all you have to start with the beginning, no? So I waited until I finished another ya book and then I ...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Heather Perkins rated it really liked it

Started the book around 7 finished it at 11. I do so love having my Kindle.
It was a quick read, not only from the size, but the flow, which was well paced and also matched the energy of the action in the book. It is a general story that has been done before; I love the film Battle Royale and apparently it was a book first so I must hunt that down now. Even though it has been done before too, and the clueless female lead in a love triangle thing can be done in a way that makes me gag, I didn't ev ...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Sita rated it it was amazing

I was a little skeptical about reading this book at first because I thought it wouldn't interest me. But boy was I wrong! I absolutely loved this book! From the moment I started reading it I couldn't put it down! When the book ended I couldn't wait to know more about their lives and had to continue to the second one! ...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Becca rated it liked it

Shelves: sciencefiction, ya

I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. If I had been reading instead of listening to the audiobook, I probably would not have finished it, but I will listen to the other two. ...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Joyce rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, young-adult, the-great-american-read

Couldn't put this down. Can't wait to see the movie. Jennifer Lawrence should be amazing as Katniss after having seen her in Winter's Bone. Story is propulsive. There's also a sense that it resembles a bit too uncomfortably the 99 percent vs. 1 percent we have been talking about as a nation. Katniss is a much better female role model than Bella from The Twilight saga. I was a little disappointed in the ending as it sets up the obvious sequels. ...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

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Sep 30, 2016 Jocelyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Couldn't Stop Reading

So she this book was first published and was such a success in the US, I really wanted to read it but it wasn't easy to find in South Africa. Then it became a movie and I was afraid to read it, in case it failed to live up to the hype. But it didn't. Not one bit. ...more

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