The Hunger Games
First off, I'm a little nervous for this to go public because I know there are a ton of people out there who absolutely loved these books. Don't get me wrong, I certainly enjoyed them. However, if all the fans of The Hunger Games were in a room and they told us to go to one side of the room if you loved the books and the other side of the room if you liked the books well, I'd be with the like group.
First things first though, here's the gist...
The trilogy revolves around a young woman named Katniss living in a futuristic world called Panem. Panem consists of 12 Districts and a central hub called The Capital. The further you head down the number line, the more dire the living situation is in your district. Katniss lives in District 12 and describes life as day-to-day survival resembling the life and amenities (or lack thereof) of very early America. Katniss lives with her mother and sister and when her father passed away, Katniss took on the role as "bread-winner" of the family. This is by far the most striking characteristic of Katniss and certainly a highlight for the author; Suzanne Collins was able to create a female protagonist who embodies everything a well written male lead would. The city of Panem holds a yearly event called The Hunger Games in which two children between the ages of 12 and 17 from every district are chosen to enter an arena to kill one another until only one is left standing. Katniss' younger sister is chosen to enter the games but Katniss, without thinking, immediately volunteers to take her place. After a mere moment of sadness and fear, Katniss accepts her fate and impending death showing true courage and strength. As Katniss prepares for The Hunger Games the reader begins to realize the sickness of Panem. The Games and the 24 children from each district are treated as entertainment for the citizens of Panem. There are costumes, make-up artists, and stylists all glamorizing every child from each district showing them off as heroes; until you realize, these kids are preparing to slaughter and be slaughtered. Oh, and every second they're in the arena is televised for everyone to see. As you follow Katniss' journey in the arena she'll mention certain things she does "for the cameras" which, again, helps the reader understand how messed up this world truly is.
Unfortunately, this is where I have to end. This summary covers only around 1/3 of the first book, however I'd give way too much away if I said more. Katniss remains the central character throughout but; that's all I'm gonna say.
The Good: As I mentioned above, Collins truly does a wonderful job writing Katniss in a very different way than many young adult authors write female main characters. The trilogy is quite thought provoking as well. You're in such shock over how horrific this world is all while finding just enough similarities to the world we know to create an ominous feeling while you're reading. It's a combination of a nagging feeling and a voice inside you constantly asking, "could this really happen?" I could see this series provoking many interesting conversations amongst students and adults alike.
The Bad (don't hate me): The books are poorly written. There, I said it, wow that feels much better. From purely a grammar/punctuation standpoint; let's just say your old English teacher who was exceptionally fond of the red pen would've gone to town on these manuscripts. I'm sure this was an attempt to add style to the writing but the ridiculous amount of fragments frustrated me greatly as a reader. I also experienced a feeling of ongoing confusion due to the incredibly complex plot. The pivotal pieces of the story necessary for moving the plot forward are too subtle to catch the readers attention which led to a sense of covering a massive amount of ground without ever stopping to enjoy the scenery. By the time I reached the third book I realized I was not connected enough to the story or the characters to care deeply about their fate.
So there you have it... an honest review that certainly goes against the general opinion of this trilogy. What can I say... I liked it, I didn't love it.
First things first though, here's the gist...
The trilogy revolves around a young woman named Katniss living in a futuristic world called Panem. Panem consists of 12 Districts and a central hub called The Capital. The further you head down the number line, the more dire the living situation is in your district. Katniss lives in District 12 and describes life as day-to-day survival resembling the life and amenities (or lack thereof) of very early America. Katniss lives with her mother and sister and when her father passed away, Katniss took on the role as "bread-winner" of the family. This is by far the most striking characteristic of Katniss and certainly a highlight for the author; Suzanne Collins was able to create a female protagonist who embodies everything a well written male lead would. The city of Panem holds a yearly event called The Hunger Games in which two children between the ages of 12 and 17 from every district are chosen to enter an arena to kill one another until only one is left standing. Katniss' younger sister is chosen to enter the games but Katniss, without thinking, immediately volunteers to take her place. After a mere moment of sadness and fear, Katniss accepts her fate and impending death showing true courage and strength. As Katniss prepares for The Hunger Games the reader begins to realize the sickness of Panem. The Games and the 24 children from each district are treated as entertainment for the citizens of Panem. There are costumes, make-up artists, and stylists all glamorizing every child from each district showing them off as heroes; until you realize, these kids are preparing to slaughter and be slaughtered. Oh, and every second they're in the arena is televised for everyone to see. As you follow Katniss' journey in the arena she'll mention certain things she does "for the cameras" which, again, helps the reader understand how messed up this world truly is.
Unfortunately, this is where I have to end. This summary covers only around 1/3 of the first book, however I'd give way too much away if I said more. Katniss remains the central character throughout but; that's all I'm gonna say.
The Good: As I mentioned above, Collins truly does a wonderful job writing Katniss in a very different way than many young adult authors write female main characters. The trilogy is quite thought provoking as well. You're in such shock over how horrific this world is all while finding just enough similarities to the world we know to create an ominous feeling while you're reading. It's a combination of a nagging feeling and a voice inside you constantly asking, "could this really happen?" I could see this series provoking many interesting conversations amongst students and adults alike.
The Bad (don't hate me): The books are poorly written. There, I said it, wow that feels much better. From purely a grammar/punctuation standpoint; let's just say your old English teacher who was exceptionally fond of the red pen would've gone to town on these manuscripts. I'm sure this was an attempt to add style to the writing but the ridiculous amount of fragments frustrated me greatly as a reader. I also experienced a feeling of ongoing confusion due to the incredibly complex plot. The pivotal pieces of the story necessary for moving the plot forward are too subtle to catch the readers attention which led to a sense of covering a massive amount of ground without ever stopping to enjoy the scenery. By the time I reached the third book I realized I was not connected enough to the story or the characters to care deeply about their fate.
So there you have it... an honest review that certainly goes against the general opinion of this trilogy. What can I say... I liked it, I didn't love it.
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