The Hunger Games, most likely you have seen the movie, or maybe even read the book, but do you understand it or realize why you love it so much? For many this answer is no. They just know that the book is great and that they enjoyed reading it. This review will hopefully give some understanding to this epic book and address the many qualities and disappointments that fans had for this dominating series. Be aware for those who have yet to read this book, many spoilers will be included.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was published in 2008. Since then it has become the favorite book of many as well as a box office hit. The book starts off through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year old living in District 12 of Panem, formally known as America. Panem is a very poor nation with all who live there suffering and starving, with the exception of the Capital where all the rich people live. To remind the 12 districts who is in control, the Capital holds the annual Hunger Games where each district must submit to children ranging from ages 12-18 to fight to the death. Only one will win. Each child gets one entry in the Hunger Game pool when they turn twelve and an extra entry each year until they are eighteen. Many children are entered in more, however, for they can enter themselves in more times in exchange for food.
Katniss, who is a known law-breaker by hunting for food, has many entries into the Hunger games, though it is not herself that she fears for. She fears for her sister Prim who just turned twelve with only one entry and her best friend Gale who is eighteen with many entries. When the time comes for to select the Hunger game participants, shockingly Prim gets selected. Katniss is overcome with emotion and will not allow for her younger sister to be shoved into an arena of death, so she volunteers herself in her sister's place. The second person chosen is a boy named Peeta who has always shown Katniss kindness. She is sad for him to because she knows that if it comes down to it, she may have to kill him.
Peeta and Katniss are then whisked away to the Capital where they are to prepare for the Hunger Games. Both participants know that they have almost no chance of winning since in many other districts the participants spend their life training for these games. Nevertheless, they try their hardest and soon learn that Peeta is very skilled when it comes to strength and that Katniss is skilled with a bow and arrow.
Peeta and Katniss then have to make their live appearance to the public, where they are the talk of the nation for their costumes make them appear as if they were actually on fire. It is then that Katniss receives the long lasting nickname of The Girl on Fire. Next, during the live interview process, Peeta makes remark insinuating that Katniss and he are star-crossed lovers who will never get the chance to be together. Though this is false, and quite frankly makes Katniss mad, it earns them many fans who will be great help during the game for they are allowed to send them supplies during many parts of the Hunger Games. It is soon after this interview that Katniss and Peeta are lowered into what is assumed to be their death, The Hunger Games.
There are many themes to this book that aid in its popularity. The first of many would be family sacrifice. There is no love that is truer than family, and this book is the perfect example of it. By stepping up to take her sisters place, Katniss is essentially dying for her sister, for she has no expectations of making it out alive. I feel that many current books focus on the romance side of love and completely forget or leave out love when it comes to family. It is very refreshing to have a book show this kind of love at its truest form and the emotions that come with it. This part of the book gets two thumbs up from me!
The second theme that I really loved in the book is female empowerment. Instead of having Katniss playing a helpless damsel in distress, she is out there with the rest of the boys kicking butt. When she found out that she was going into the Hunger Games, she had the mentality that if it comes to it, I am ready to die, but until then I am going to try my hardest to live. I know that many book characters would have the girls crying their eyes out, but instead they show Katniss as a strong willed person with the mentality to do whatever it takes. Also when she finally gets into the arena, she shows that she is just as good if not stronger than the men.
The last theme that I enjoyed in this book is being true to yourself. Katniss showed over and over again in the Hunger Games that even put in the worst circumstances, she would not let the capital change her. She had many chances to kill people to better herself in the game, but she refused to unless she was protecting someone that she loved. For example, when the little girl named Rue, who reminded her of her sister, came up to her, she had every chance to kill her, for Rue was an easy target and it would have been a quick fix to better herself in the games. Instead Katniss helped her and did everything that she could to keep her alive. Also in the last part of the book, it is only Katniss and Peeta left. When the game makers says that one of them has to kill the other, Katniss refuses and they both try to kill themselves before they try to kill one another. If that's not staying true to yourself, then I don't know what is.
Many critics of the book many say that this book is not well written and is very adolescent. In response to not being well written, is it Shakespeare? No. But it is obviously written well enough to sell over a million copies. Those critics sound a little jealous to me. And when it comes be adolescent, they are correct. It is a young adult book, so it's supposed to be adolescent. I would, however, not let anyone younger than 14 read this book because there are some very graphic parts and adult themes tied into it.
In conclusion, my review of The Hunger Games can be summed up in one word, Amazing. It gives me everything I want in a book and still brings something new to the table. For the one percent out there who has not yet read this awesome book, I beg you too. I can almost ensure you that you will love it, and if you don't then you can at least join into the conversation that the rest of the planet is having about these books.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was published in 2008. Since then it has become the favorite book of many as well as a box office hit. The book starts off through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year old living in District 12 of Panem, formally known as America. Panem is a very poor nation with all who live there suffering and starving, with the exception of the Capital where all the rich people live. To remind the 12 districts who is in control, the Capital holds the annual Hunger Games where each district must submit to children ranging from ages 12-18 to fight to the death. Only one will win. Each child gets one entry in the Hunger Game pool when they turn twelve and an extra entry each year until they are eighteen. Many children are entered in more, however, for they can enter themselves in more times in exchange for food.
Katniss, who is a known law-breaker by hunting for food, has many entries into the Hunger games, though it is not herself that she fears for. She fears for her sister Prim who just turned twelve with only one entry and her best friend Gale who is eighteen with many entries. When the time comes for to select the Hunger game participants, shockingly Prim gets selected. Katniss is overcome with emotion and will not allow for her younger sister to be shoved into an arena of death, so she volunteers herself in her sister's place. The second person chosen is a boy named Peeta who has always shown Katniss kindness. She is sad for him to because she knows that if it comes down to it, she may have to kill him.
Peeta and Katniss are then whisked away to the Capital where they are to prepare for the Hunger Games. Both participants know that they have almost no chance of winning since in many other districts the participants spend their life training for these games. Nevertheless, they try their hardest and soon learn that Peeta is very skilled when it comes to strength and that Katniss is skilled with a bow and arrow.
Peeta and Katniss then have to make their live appearance to the public, where they are the talk of the nation for their costumes make them appear as if they were actually on fire. It is then that Katniss receives the long lasting nickname of The Girl on Fire. Next, during the live interview process, Peeta makes remark insinuating that Katniss and he are star-crossed lovers who will never get the chance to be together. Though this is false, and quite frankly makes Katniss mad, it earns them many fans who will be great help during the game for they are allowed to send them supplies during many parts of the Hunger Games. It is soon after this interview that Katniss and Peeta are lowered into what is assumed to be their death, The Hunger Games.
There are many themes to this book that aid in its popularity. The first of many would be family sacrifice. There is no love that is truer than family, and this book is the perfect example of it. By stepping up to take her sisters place, Katniss is essentially dying for her sister, for she has no expectations of making it out alive. I feel that many current books focus on the romance side of love and completely forget or leave out love when it comes to family. It is very refreshing to have a book show this kind of love at its truest form and the emotions that come with it. This part of the book gets two thumbs up from me!
The second theme that I really loved in the book is female empowerment. Instead of having Katniss playing a helpless damsel in distress, she is out there with the rest of the boys kicking butt. When she found out that she was going into the Hunger Games, she had the mentality that if it comes to it, I am ready to die, but until then I am going to try my hardest to live. I know that many book characters would have the girls crying their eyes out, but instead they show Katniss as a strong willed person with the mentality to do whatever it takes. Also when she finally gets into the arena, she shows that she is just as good if not stronger than the men.
The last theme that I enjoyed in this book is being true to yourself. Katniss showed over and over again in the Hunger Games that even put in the worst circumstances, she would not let the capital change her. She had many chances to kill people to better herself in the game, but she refused to unless she was protecting someone that she loved. For example, when the little girl named Rue, who reminded her of her sister, came up to her, she had every chance to kill her, for Rue was an easy target and it would have been a quick fix to better herself in the games. Instead Katniss helped her and did everything that she could to keep her alive. Also in the last part of the book, it is only Katniss and Peeta left. When the game makers says that one of them has to kill the other, Katniss refuses and they both try to kill themselves before they try to kill one another. If that's not staying true to yourself, then I don't know what is.
Many critics of the book many say that this book is not well written and is very adolescent. In response to not being well written, is it Shakespeare? No. But it is obviously written well enough to sell over a million copies. Those critics sound a little jealous to me. And when it comes be adolescent, they are correct. It is a young adult book, so it's supposed to be adolescent. I would, however, not let anyone younger than 14 read this book because there are some very graphic parts and adult themes tied into it.
In conclusion, my review of The Hunger Games can be summed up in one word, Amazing. It gives me everything I want in a book and still brings something new to the table. For the one percent out there who has not yet read this awesome book, I beg you too. I can almost ensure you that you will love it, and if you don't then you can at least join into the conversation that the rest of the planet is having about these books.
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