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

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Bk 1)
zoesnicholson avatar reviewed on + 20 more book reviews


"Gripping. Relentless. An undeniable page-turner." You see adjectives like these thrown around on book jackets everywhere by publishers and marketers. Yet, some of these books aren't even good!
        Yet these adjectives truly describe one book better than almost any other. And the book that these words describe so well is none other than Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy.

Collins' book is - to say the least - simply superb. It goes above and beyond in every area of literature. The premise is one of the most creative I've seen in years, the characters are well fleshed-out and have such depth to them, and the writing is simply stunning beyond measure.

The story-line is one of the most original and creative plots I've read in a long time! Collins truly has a vivid imagination and it's such a joy to watch her use her talents!

Once there was war. Terrible war. The people of Panem rose against the Capitol; against their country. Soon nothing remained. In punishment for what the people of Panem had done, the goverment creates a deal with the citizens of Panem. Their deal: THE HUNGER GAMES.
THE HUNGER GAMES: a televised event where one girl and one boy from each of the twelve districts of Panem compete to the death. The Games end when only one "Tribute" is still alive.
Our story follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in District 12. When Katniss' younger sister, Prim, is picked as a contestant for the Games, Katniss - a renowned archer - bravely volunteers to take her place in the Games.

One thing that stands out to me about The Hunger Games is how there is no "filter." There are no unnecessary scenes, characters, or even paragraphs in this story - and I really enjoyed that. Each chapter ends with either an unpredictable plot twist (of which there are many!) or an emotional BANG! - all which caused me to think to myself:

And the characters? They're superb! They have such depth and personality that they felt like real people to me! I enjoyed how each character not only had depth but that Suzanne gave them a backstory to explain why they are who they are. It was really interesting to read about their pre-book lives!

Katniss was a great protagonist and role model for the story! She was totally kick-butt! But more than that. She was determined, loyal to those she loved, resourceful, skilled, and talented. She's not afraid to speak her mind. Yet, she's not perfect - and, to me, this makes her so real; so relatable. And I loved her!
        Even the supporting characters had such depth! Even though they weren't the highlights of the story, they were still respectable and well-developed. I've never been able to emotionally connect to supporting characters in books - but, once again, The Hunger Games surprised me by going above and beyond. I ended up liking such supporting characters as Rue, Peeta, Gale, Prim, Foxface, Cato, Clove, and Glimmer.

This is truly a special book. It has captured my heart and the hearts of so many others. It truly is a special book to capture the interest of so many people - even those who typically despise reading. And the hype it's gotten? I say that it truly deserves every bit of it!

I cannot recommend this book enough. Everyone - even those who typically despise reading - should read this book at least once. Fans of Divergent and Percy Jackson will especially enjoy this Newberry-worthy book.