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The Hunger Games – Book Review
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Okay, so wow. I guess Trish and Amy were right about this book.
“The Hunger Games” is set in a dystopian future/alternate present(?) of the United States. Instead of the country with which we are familiar, now all that is left is Capitol City and 13 districts surrounding it. Oh, except that District 13 was annihilated when the districts attempted to revolt against the Capitol as a show of the Capitol’s power.
After the ill-fated rebellion, the Capitol instituted the Hunger Games to remind the districts of their power on a yearly basis. Each year, one girl and one boy are selected from each district to participate, with the odds of being chosen ‘favoring’ older kids from poorer families. Kat’s family is certainly poor since her father, a miner, died, but she never imagined that her younger sister would be selected as a representative, a ‘tribute’ in the games. When Prim is selected, Kat volunteers to take her place without even thinking and is thrust into the world of the games, an arena in which 24 teenagers compete to survive and to kill off their competition, to be the last person standing and be the champion, all televised for the enjoyment/subjugation of the populace.. Think Survivor meets The Running Man meets The Most Dangerous Game.
Against her better judgment, Kat ends up in an alliance with Peeta, the boy tribute from her district, playing at being star-crossed lovers to win the approval of the audience and a greater possibility of sponsors and gifts that will help her survive. As her feelings for Peeta become more complicated, so too does the thought of her possibly having to kill him in order to survive and win the games.
I knew all along that I was enjoying the book, although I didn’t really pick up on just how much I was enjoying it until it ended (the fact that I read the whole thing in 24 hours during the work week should have clued me in). I suppose I was too caught up in it to even realize that I was so caught up in it. When Collins left me with her cliffhanger ending, I wanted to yell “no!” and curse the fact that the sequel, “Catching Fire,” won’t be out until September. “Catching Fire” isn’t even in my library’s system yet, so I’m currently checking every day, waiting for it to be added so I can get at the front of the holds list. However, I’m actually tempted to go ahead and preorder “Catching Fire” from Amazon, something I’ve only ever done with the last Harry Potter book, because I just want that badly to read it. (Okay, since I wrote this, “Catching Fire” DID become available at my library, I’m the 8th hold on 5 copies, although I’m still tempted to preorder this, Harry Potter 7-style).
“The Hunger Games” is a young adult book, but with enough depth, character development, and excitement for adults. I’d tell you to go read it now, but perhaps you should put it off until September, when you can jump straight from “The Hunger Games” to “Catching Fire.”
Buy this book on Amazon.
Preorder the Sequel on Amazon.
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Normally I would agree with your strategy Jen, but I have read Catching Fire and I think the cliffhanger there is even worse than the one in The Hunger Games.
Nicole´s last blog ..Horrid Henry, by Francesca Simon
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Great review. I am hearing nothing but rave reviews of this. I may wait until Sept so I can read both.
Jess´s last blog ..Review — Curse of the Spellmans
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Great review. It’s already on my list and I’m looking forward to it.
stacybuckeye´s last blog ..My Friendly trip to the DC area
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What the other Nicole said. The cliff hanger for Catching Fire is really, really evil.
Nicole´s last blog ..July’s Contest – Bookapalooza
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Well, at least if people read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire together they’ll only have to worry about one cliffhanger, even if it is the worse one. Maybe everyone should wait for all three books to be published.
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No don’t wait! Then you don’t get to join in the fun of the anticipation.
Amy @ My Friend Amy´s last blog ..Tube Talk : Supernatural Season 2 Episode 21
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So glad you enjoyed this one as much as I did. I’ve been recommending it to people right and left.
I also thought of Running Man while I was reading it. Did you ever read The Long Walk? It was also by Stephen King as Richard Bachman. It and The Running Man were both in The Bachman Books. The Hunger Games reminded me a bit of that one too.
SuziQoregon´s last blog ..Reflections on Reading Challenges
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I think I’m going to be the last person to read this!
Kathy´s last blog ..Wondrous Words Wednesday
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I think I’m going to wait until the next one is out, if not the third, before I read this – it sounds too good, and too cliffhangery!
Tara´s last blog ..The Midwife
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Wow. I cannot stand it when authors don’t finish a book. I don’t mind a string or two left hanging for a sequel, but I’m far too big a fan of instant gratification to even pick up a book that I know I cannot finish for a year or two.
Count me out, no matter how well it’s written.
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Yep, it’s THAT good. Right now I’m trying to decide if I should read Catching Fire when it comes out, or just wait for the trilogy to end and read them all. I don’t know if I can STAND a bigger cliffhanger!!
Elizabeth´s last blog ..The Nonfiction Files
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I keep reading more and more good reviews about this book. I might be one of those who waits until Catching Fire comes out. I dont own this one and I have a bunch of books I own that I haven’t read on my shelf.
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I had to wait almost 3 months for this from the library. I have it here now and plan to read it in the next few days.
Beth F´s last blog ..Thursday Tea (July 2): A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
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I loved this too, everyone was seriously right about it. I can’t wait for Catching Fire to come out. At least we’ll all be anticipating together!
Meghan´s last blog ..Review: Land of Marvels, Barry Unsworth
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The sprinkling of post-BEA posts about reading Catching Fire have really amped up the anticipation for me for it to come out. And, even though I keep hearing that the cliffhanger in it is even worse, there is no way I won’t be able to resist buying it the day it comes out and probably staying up too late that night to read it.
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YAY! I’m so glad you read it and liked it!
I’ve been deseperate to get my hands on a copy of the ARC of Catching Fire that’s floating around. Truly. LOL
Thankfully September isn’t that far off. When you pre-order do you actually get the book on the day of release? Or is it better to chance it and go to the store in hopes of getting one?
Michelle´s last blog ..Mansfield Park – Everything Austen Challenge
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devourerofbooks Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Sometimes Amazon will do that, like with the last Harry Potter book, but I’m actually not sure that it will be the case with Catching Fire. They do have it for a pretty good price, but I may have to head to a bookstore on release day to be sure.
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I just reviewed this book! I loved it and can’t wait to read Catching Fire. I want to get my hands on a copy soon.
Serena (Savvy Verse & Wit)´s last blog ..The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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I finally read it! I loved it! Great review, BTW. I already preordered Catching Fire. I don’t want to wait months before I can snag a copy from the library.
Beth F´s last blog ..Thursday Tea (July 15): Rapture in Death by J. D. Robb
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