The Hunger Games Review (Book)

So, I've heard all the buzz about The Hunger Games Saga...and I'm a fan of YA Sci Fi/Fantasy...read a lot of it, actually. Own rows and rows of them in paperback still. :) So, a few weeks ago I purchased a 3 in 1 set of the Hunger Games for my Kindle Fire. Last week, I started to read the first book and finished the 3rd book last night. After I've had the night to sleep on my thoughts...I'm going to review each book.

Here we go...w/o any real serious spoilers either.

BOOK 1 - The Hunger Games

Brilliant concept! Love the layout of the post apocalyptic world. There is a lot of very clear, thought out imagination at play here that wraps you as a reader into the story. It's barbaric for sure. Who has children kill each other for sport? It's almost too hard to swallow that people would allow this...almost. Suzanne Collins paints a world for us where the people have so little, being kept at a point where they aren't even strong enough to fight back, that you can just barely see how this is tolerated/allowed by the people on Panem, aka North America many MANY years later from now. It held my attention from begining to end and I was invested. I was willing to read them all.

One of the things this book has that Twilight is missing is that Katniss, our leading lady, is self sufficient. She depends on no one and nothing, almost to a fault at times. She independant and though there are two men vying for her attention who she totally can't make up her mind on (isn't that always the way?), instead of needing them to save her, she is up to the task of saving herself, and them if needed.

But...and if you're so in love with Katniss you can't hear a bad word spoken, now is the time to go to the next paragraph...I have HUGE issues with how stupid this girl is other than her ability to survive. I can understand she's closed herself off to show no emotion...but if so, how can Peeta even be in love with her? How can he say, "She has no idea the effect she has on people?" If she shows nothing and has low social skills (which really is our only explanation for why she's totally ignorant to the reason Peeta does things for her) how does she trade in the HOB and work with people? I was so turned off by her inner rambling where she questions things, but never questions it in a well rounded manner, that I wanted to strangle her...often.

That said, I am in LOVE with what we'd call the "supporting cast." Cinna and Peeta being the faves. Do you know why they're the faves for most who read this book? Because they bring out actual personality and emotion from Katniss. THEY make HER look better. They make us care about her. The more we get interaction with them, the more we enjoy her. Added to that is of course Rue and Prim, but as we spend more time with Peeta and Cinna through out the first two books, they are who we connect to in order to like our leading lady.

I don't know about you, but I fell in love with Peeta. How does she not? You can't help but fall in love with him. He's such a good guy and he'd do anything for her. He's our hero, if not the typical one. And because of that, you love who he is. He makes every scene he's in carries a strength of emotion we don't receive from Katniss (unless her sister is involved). So you fall in love with him. My question is...how does she not? How can she not even question if she is? It never seems to occur to her that she's having feelings for him past the "I can't let him die, I owe him for the bread." My only 'tsk tsk' at him is that he's a wee bit too wrapped up in his love of her that he puts up with her cluelessness...but he's a teenage boy, so he's excused.

In the end, she breaks his heart and yours with her honesty...but you understand it's for the best. She honestly is torn between her budding feelings for Gale and her on screen love for Peeta that also is taking root in her heart, or so we hope. And you're left anxious to see who she will choose, what the world will do with the way the Games were won, and the fate of the boy you love so much.

Not so anxious with concern to Katniss herself though...she's likeable, don't get me wrong. Strong female characters are likeable and admired. I admire her. However, she's just not endearing enough to care about as much as Peeta. If he'd been our main character...my love for this book would've been much grander. But, as it's not him...I give the book 4 stars out of 5. AND...the boost from 3 to 4 comes from the imagination fo the world, the concept, and the amazing writing that comes into play during the games. This woman can write battles! Wow!

I recommend reading it! I am looking forward to seeing the movie. I know I'm going to cry my eyes out when the mockingjay's sing Rue's song. I will drink in Peeta's character and I pray to like Katniss more on screen than on paper.

I'll review the movie when I do! :)

Happy Reading!

Tamsin :)

P.S. If you click the title of this review, it'll take you to the character list on Wikipedia.