Mike’s Reviews > The Hunger Games > Status Update
Mike
is on page 240 of 374
Rue's characterization is interesting, because in other hands, her portrayal might've been considered infantilized, and as a result, somewhat racist. But Collins is smart enough to give her a full palate of characteristics - remarkable, for how little time she's in the story. The result is that although she's physically small and weak, she's not helpless, and her weakness doesn't feel like it encompasses her.
— Jun 11, 2017 05:05PM
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Mike’s Previous Updates
Mike
is on page 360 of 374
I've run out of things to say, except, "This book is excellent and everyone should read it."
— Jun 15, 2017 02:15PM
Mike
is on page 330 of 374
I know a lot of people think this book is overrated, probably due to overexposure after the movie came out. But please, try to re-read this with fresh eyes, because it deserves every bit of praise it gets, and then some. I'm not qualified to say if this is one of the best books ever written, but it's certainly among the best I've ever read.
— Jun 14, 2017 02:59PM
Mike
is on page 300 of 374
Katniss' interactions with Peeta are so much more nuanced than I realized when I first read this book. As a kid, I took Peeta's declaration of love completely at face value, but when you realize that Katniss has no way of knowing if he's playing to the cameras or not, the interactions take on a whole new meaning.
— Jun 13, 2017 10:06AM
Mike
is on page 270 of 374
The first chapter had some awkward exposition, and Collins' attempts to capture Katniss' voice in present-tense sometimes lead to some awkward run-ons and sentence fragments. Other than that, I'm having a lot of difficulty thinking of anything you'd call a flaw, or a problem with this book. I know this is kind of a cliché book to call your favorite, but... goddamn, there's a reason it's so successful.
— Jun 12, 2017 11:24AM
Mike
is on page 210 of 374
On one hand, this series makes me happy because it's so good and I feel like I never read good books anymore. On the other hand, this book makes me sad because it's extremely depressing and all of the characters either die or spend the rest of their lives with PTSD.
— Jun 10, 2017 07:50AM
Mike
is on page 180 of 374
I've seen people complain that the book takes its time too much in the beginning, that Katniss doesn't get into the arena fast enough. But honestly, the parts in the arena wouldn't be nearly as engaging if we didn't have the context of the world Katniss grew up in, and the Capitol. People misunderstand why this book works - the stakes don't just come on a personal level, they're on a societal level too.
— Jun 09, 2017 12:29PM
Mike
is on page 150 of 374
Returning to this book for the first time since I read Battle Royale, I can confirm that there is absolutely no way that Collins stole from that book, intentionally or not. Collins' inspiration for the Games was clearly Roman gladiator fights, and the two books are completely different in tone, structure, and theme. If their premises are similar, it's coincidental - this book doesn't feel redundant at all.
— Jun 08, 2017 04:28PM
Mike
is on page 120 of 374
I don't even have any observations, I just really love this book. The Chaos Walking trilogy and maaaaybe V for Vendetta are the only other speculative fiction works I can think of that come to this quality level.
— Jun 07, 2017 02:44PM
Mike
is on page 90 of 374
I LOVE THIS BOOK. Usually, when I re-read a book from my childhood, it's not as good as I remember, but if anything, this is even better. I am convinced that this trilogy is the closest thing to perfection that YA will ever achieve.
— Jun 06, 2017 12:08PM
Mike
is on page 60 of 374
I'm honestly surprised that so many people don't get the allegory here. Maybe it's just because I see this kind of politics a lot, but the allegory has to be the best thing about this book. It's just so ridiculously on-point, and it's the thing that makes this book truly great. (Although even if it was gone, Katniss as a character might be enough to carry the book on its own.)
— Jun 05, 2017 08:28AM
