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Book Review of The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Bk 1)

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Bk 1)
mindspike avatar reviewed on
Helpful Score: 1


This is an interesting book, quite a fast read, and very engaging. But make no mistake, this is chick-lit - if chick-lit were violent.

All of the action is filtered through the POV of the main character's first-person voice, and this teenage girl has a teenage girl's perspective of the world. The story is generally appealing, and the setting certainly has promise, but the execution leaves most male readers out in the cold with its focus on the emotions and feelings of the protagonist in place of more attention to action and detail. The book suffers from the absence of a strong male lead, presenting Katniss as the perfect balance between the violent hunter who was her friend back home, and the sensitive baker who becomes her partner in the Hunger Games. Girls looking for sci-fi and action will love this material. Boys are likely to be disappointed and feel the story to be lacking substance.