(Stock photo. I don’t own this image.)
I’m excited to dive into this series, both the spoiler-free reviews and the in-depth analyses. This book series has influenced me so much as a person, an academic, and a professional. Well, I’m way too excited, so let’s just jump straight into this review. 🙂
Overall Review . . .
The Hunger Games is the first book in the trilogy of the same name. It follows Katniss Everdeen, the teenage girl from the Seam, as she is pulled into the world that is known as the Hunger Games — a battle to the death for two tributes from each of the twelve districts, orchestrated as an instrument of retribution for the rebellion that happened 74 years prior. The oppressive Capitol, filled with overly-privileged citizens who have never known hardship or hunger, cheers on the Games, complete with bets on which child will survive to the end. Throughout the preparation and subsequent fighting in the Hunger Games, Katniss must hold dearly to her will to live, but she must also learn who to trust and who the real enemy is. This book is action-packed, and full of political intrigue, love, courage, sacrifice, what the will to live means, and eye-opening experiences for both Katniss and reader.
I think the writing in this book is stunning, and exactly what this kind of story needs. Suzanne Collins writes in an active, present tense voice that puts the reader in the moment with Katniss, experiencing everything in real time. Because of her phenomenal writing skills, this story just sucks you in completely. It’s a totally immersive reading experience — which is something that I’ve mentioned before that I love. This book does not disappoint. From the very first page, the high stakes are established as well as the emotional weight of the decisions that are to come. The plot and themes are sometimes woven in so subtly you have to read the book more than once (as was the case with myself).
The Hunger Games has strong messages of familial love and commitment, sacrifice, standing up for what is moral and just, and discovering who the real enemy is. These are themes about topics that can sometimes be quite dark, so a trigger warning is in order.
Content warning for this book includes: mentions of starvation and physical abuse, and descriptions of injuries, killings, and deaths. Not everything is explicit or graphic, but there are a few scenes where the author was a bit more descriptive. If you, or your family, are not okay with violence and death described a bit bluntly like this, then please be aware before you dive in.
My Opinions . . .
I absolutely loved this series. This book is a 5/5 for me, and has earned the position of all-time favorite series for me. The Hunger Games is gritty, gripping, and suspenseful, with refreshing sprinkles of humor and love throughout. I’ve said this in my review of White Stag: I’m not a big fan of reading romances regularly – just not my cup of tea all the time 🙂 – and I appreciate that the romance that is discussed in this book is something pushed to the side as there are far more pressing matters for the characters to attend to. The minimal romance is something that I liked about this book, and not because I don’t like romance or that love isn’t important in this book, but because they are in an arena fighting to survive. Romance should honestly be the last thing on anyone’s mind when thrust into a dire situation like that.
The romantic relationship depicted is not necessarily one to be emulated, but that’s because of the context and the nature of how they get together, what they continue to go through together, etc. To explain further would be to expose some spoilers, so I will save that for my full, opinionated review. I will say that the romantic relationship does become much healthier in the following books, so that’s a plus for sure.
Action, gore, and death are a huge part of this book for obvious reasons. The point of the gore, death, and violence in these books is not to glorify them, but to show just how horrific and terrible they are and why the people must rise up to stop it. As horrible and upsetting as it is, I appreciate how the violence and traumatic incidents were handled. That being said, these books do actually get fairly graphic in their detail and explanation. Many parents in particular refuse to let their children read these because of this highly intense world, trauma to children and adolescents, and detailed violence. I would like to highly suggest these books to anyone older than 14 for sure. The moral messages here are crucial for maturing teens, but I digress for the time being.
Book Synopsis
“In the first book, The Hunger Games, readers meet heroine Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl who lives with her mother and sister in the poorest district of Panem — the ruins of what once was the United States. To keep the districts in check, the Capitol forces each district to send one boy and one girl to battle it out on live TV. Katniss bravely volunteers in her sisters place. But now Katniss must choose: kill or be killed.”
(Scholastic book synopsis. https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/book-lists-and-recommendations/hunger-games-series-books.html)
A Word from Me . . .
Again, I give this book a 5/5 stars. I think it’s fantastic, even though I am not a fan or gore and violence at all. This book shaped me as a teenager when I first read it, and when I reread it last year it again changed me. This story (the first book and the complete trilogy) really helps change my perspectives on life. Seeing how privileged my life is comparatively really makes me appreciate where I’m at, but it also lights a fire within me to fight back against injustice and wrongdoing. I could go on and on about that LOL.
A Word From You . . .
What are you thoughts on this? Do you agree or disagree? Is this a book you think is not only important for young adults to read, but necessary? How do you feel this book is or is not affecting current young adult literature? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 🙂
And, in case you’re interested, here’s my ThriftBooks link to purchase The Hunger Games: https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/?code=3RzwAY203zlZCGetHohqJw%253d%253d
*BONUS*
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