From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)

Suzanne Collins

Why we're reading this: Great read about a much different America where formerly rebellious districts have to send a male and fem…more
[close] Great read about a much different America where formerly rebellious districts have to send a male and female youth to the capital to fight to the death in a popular and televised show for everyone to watch. Great main character and sweet romance thrown in. This is a young adult book but I think any age would like it.

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Aug 21, 2010 Eric rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

This was a fairly good book and I can see why people are absorbed by this series. I know because I look forward to reading the other two book, as well.

The concept was interesting with the setting being a rebuilt and alternate western United States. I hope that the author expands on this in the next books, as I suspect that she will.

The characters were interesting and fun to read about and the story kept you moving forward and wondering how everything will be resolved. My only complaint is of th ...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Alison rated it it was amazing

I'm not ready to write a full review yet, not least because I will have to word it carefully to avoid spoilers, but there are many good reviews out there (including my friend Holly's here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...), and here's a few thoughts:

On the trilogy: The first book is brilliant, particularly in its look at the way authoritarian governments wield control, through entertainment, violence, division, repression, poverty, and isolation. The second has much potential, but thrashe ...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Katie Kenig rated it it was amazing

Shelves: suspense, ya, dystopia, book-club

(technically this is a re-read, though I wasn't active on the site when I read this in 2010)

After recently seeing the Hunger Games movie, I had a strong inclination to plow through the series again. They are fast reads, even for me, and I knew that even with other books bouncing around being read that I could polish these off.

And I wanted to see if the movie was really missing the important details I was remembering, or if I was filling things in that the later books in the series actually conta (technically this is a re-read, though I wasn't active on the site when I read this in 2010)

After recently seeing the Hunger Games movie, I had a strong inclination to plow through the series again. They are fast reads, even for me, and I knew that even with other books bouncing around being read that I could polish these off.

And I wanted to see if the movie was really missing the important details I was remembering, or if I was filling things in that the later books in the series actually contained. Turned out I was right; if you haven't read this book, then much of the movie isn't going to be that compelling. The characters will likely seem shallow, and the action difficult to understand. The backstory that gives the world of the Hunger Games such a rich tapestry in the books is sadly lacking in the movie, and there are several details in the book that I think were significant enough to be introduced.

Tessarae: This is never explained in the movie at all, but is a major factor in the book. Tessarae is a small allowance of extra grain and oil rations that can be signed up for by entering a name more often in the Hunger Games drawing. It is discussed in at least a half dozen places in the book, and becomes an important element in understanding the characters of Gale, Katniss, Madge, Peeta and others.

Madge: This small character, the mayor's daughter, who gifts the mockingjay pin to Katniss is eliminated completely from the movie. The contrast between their lives growing up and the fact that they became somewhat friends despite their different statuses is an imporant part of understanding Katniss, and may be why some people who only saw the movie thought her character fell a bit flat.

The Capitol: I wasn't wrong; the books clearly make out the people in the Capitol to be a bunch of freaks. And I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. These people work hard to dehumanize themselves, partially in a well designed metaphor - to distinguish themselves from those in the districts and the games. In the movie, while there is some odd fashion and the strange hair color here and there, there is little sign of the surgical alteration in the books. This is even more profound when you consider that at the end of the games, Katniss is altered surgically to erase everything that was done to her in the arena, every scar buffed away, every sign of her delicate humanity and the precarious line she walked to survive erased, to hide from the viewing audiences the reality of what goes on.

Rue: I love Rue so much in the books, but the movie? While she is adorable and exactly as I pictured her, too much of the relationship between Katniss and Rue is eliminated or glossed over, as is all of the talk of District 11, how it works, and the history there.

Katniss' Father: Where are the tales of the Mockingjays? Where are the stories about his music, how his father almost wed Katniss' mother? This important part of Katniss' life and character development are again eliminated.

Mockingjay: Need I say more?

Overall, I was renewed in my memory that these are fantastic books, charming, well written, and excellent examples of YA literature that can appeal to all ages. ...more

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Mar 17, 2012 AJ rated it really liked it

The Hunger Games is a fun young adult novel. Set in a dystopian future where the people have lost a rebellion against the Capitol and are not forced to pay tribute to the capitol by sending two children from each district to participate in an annual gladiatorial style battle.

Death, a love triangle, fashion and a totalitarian government made for an enjoyable read.

There are two more books in the series that are in my read pile and I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series plays o ...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Alison rated it really liked it

Shelves: apocalyptic, ya

While this is definitely a very similar plot line to Battle Royale, it was still a very enjoyable read. It's fast and a bit like candy. Or crack. I now need more and I'm not even sure where it will go for the next two books. ...more

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May 13, 2012 William rated it it was amazing

Shelves: series, action-adventure, apocalyptic, suspense, ya, dystopia, favorites, read-in-2012

I am usually not all that enthused about top selling popular books because I feel they are mostly a critical let down. This is an exception. Bi found this book gripping, emotional and horrifying. It served to anchor my distrust of government further than it already is.

This is a tale of a governments punishment of its districts in what can only be described as ritualistic slaughter of its citizens children as a method of control and punishment for previous rebellion. Yes, there are some mistakes ...more

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