Book Review: The Hunger Games

Um, WOW.  Just wow.  I really had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book.  Takes place in the future, in a sort of altered reality.  I guess technically it would qualify as science fiction.  The pace was awesome, kept me riveted enough that I polished off all 350 some pages in one day.  I DID stay up rather late.  But, I couldn't put it down!!  

Some cautions though!!!!! I would NOT recommend this book to everyone.  The girl that recommended it to me said it best when she told me she liked it but "felt guilty for liking it since it's SO violent."  I agree.  WAY violent.  But, that's part of the author's point.  She's exploring the effects of war and violence on young people.  (I seem to be caught in a rut of reading YA books all about corrupt governments lately...)  

Anyway, the story is like some sort of hideous coliseum type fight-to-the-gruesome-bloody-death-kill-before-you-get-killed reality tv show.  With 24 contestants.  Sound awful?  It is.  It REALLY is.  Again, I would NOT recommend this book to just anyone.  Yes, it's a YA book, written for teens.  That doesn't mean I think every teen should read it.  Remember, I'm closer to my 30s than I am to my teens...  

Good things: The characters deal with extreme situations and Suzanne Collins is very adept at handling that.  I think their reactions are excellent.  Good vs. Evil.  The characters deal with not being overcome by evil in the midst of it.  They struggle of course (very realistically) but I think it's handled really well.

Bad things:  Violence.  Violence.  Did I mention VIOLENCE?  A little too much romance, more than is tasteful in a YA book, in my opinion, although the romance IS a necesssary part of the plot, so I guess it's understandable.  And it's predictable.  When an author writes themselves into a corner like that and it's a YA book...  well, I'll just say that when you KNOW things are going to have to turn out ok and you KNOW that certain things will have to happen... and certain things CAN'T happen, there's usually only one road out of that corner.  Also, it's the first book in a trilogy.  And the second book only came out a few days ago.  And this ending is somewhat wrapped up, but it does leave you hanging.  Honestly, I'm kind of wondering what the second book is going to be about... but I'm anxious to read it anyway.  Even if I know it DOES end in a cliff-hanger and I have no idea WHEN the third book might be coming out.  

All in all, this book rather enthralled me.  I stayed up shamefully late to finish reading it. (Some of the riveting suspense may have been sharpened by the cold, rainy, dark, quiet night...).  And the next morning I told my sister the whole story.  She was riveted too.  


But, if you're squeamish about violence and excessive cold-blooded murder... you might want to stay away from this one.