Book Review: Hunger Games trilogy
-karlalauren -sugarcanes_weathervanes hey! what are you doing rConsider being thrown in a hostile environment with twenty-three complete strangers and you all battle it to the death. Now consider falling in love with one of them; someone you have to kill and who’s also trying to kill you. Very unfortunate, right?
I have to admit I was reluctant to buy it because the plot reminded me of Battle Royale and also because Stephenie Meyer liked the book, but somehow I managed to put that aside and waited for the right time to buy it. What was that quote people always say when buying books? Never judge a book just because Stephenie Meyer has read it.
Right when I got to page two, I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down. I just couldn’t. I couldn’t even though I had only four hours of sleep left before I get up and go to work. It’s amazing how authors give you that feeling. Even at work all I think about was what was going to happen next.
To give you an idea, it’s about a dystopian world set in the future. Civilization is almost destroyed and everyone struggles to have food on the table. Some places are richer than the others that they don’t have to worry about anything except the reaping and the annual Hunger Games. The reaping is a process wherein every district of Panem – a country that was once called North America – has to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games; a battle to the death on live TV; Survival of the fittest and the smartest. The Hunger Games is the higher authorities’ cruel way of reminding their people of what would happen once they resist them. It is a way of reminding them of a once living District Thirteen that got annihilated when they rebelled against them. To some, it is considered pure entertainment, but to the people living in the districts they consider it as a death sentence. Throw in a huge reference to peace and war, rebellion, Greek mythology and put in a little romance and this book will have your eyes glued for hours.
It is perfectly paced and engrossing that I’m almost repeating the review of some of the people who have read the book because they’re right. Right after finishing the book, I knew I had to get the second and third books as soon as possible, and I did… literally just a few minutes after finishing The Hunger Games.
Suzanne Collins writes so differently from the others. She goes directly to the point, an issue I have with a few writers. She doesn’t waste her time describing in detail the room the heroine is in or what every follicle of her hair is like or what another character’s doing. An advantage and a disadvantage really. She lets you imagine the whole scenario yourself but at the same time they felt rushed, like she wanted it to be done and go right to the next scene. It doesn’t seem right. The structure of the book keeps nagging at me; it’s also one of the reasons why I felt it’s rushed. Every book is divided into three parts and each part has nine chapters, just nine; no more, no less. It somehow felt like she had to cram every important detail in a section because she can’t go over nine chapters. It’s as if she’s forbidden to.
I can also see why a lot have been saying they couldn’t put the book down; for one thing, the story itself is riveting, but another one is that Suzanne ends every freaking chapter with a cliff-hanger and a blow to the gut that you just have to know what happens next. The characters are easy to love, you can’t help but feel pity or sympathy or disgust for some of them. The action of the story is gripping. There were times when I felt my heart race as if I’m trying to keep Katniss, the heroine, alive. Sometimes I imagine myself in the arena as an invisible ally running with her to avoid danger.
It is somehow predictable though, which is somehow good because it means I’m following the author’s train of thought, but sometimes loses the suspense of the story. Maybe it’s just me but I find the story somewhat thought-provoking and I guess that’s also one of the reasons why I stay so late at night wondering about it or asking myself why this or that happened and then I try putting myself in the characters’ shoes.
The romance part is a huge thing in the books too. I’m not sure if there’s any competition though. It’s clear that Katniss will end up with Peeta Mellark. Oh my good Lord, Peeta Mellark!! Poor Gale Hawthorne, I pity you so much.
I totally recommend this for everyone to read. Something that will take your mind off the world of werewolves, vampires, angels and fairies.
SPOILERS AHEAD: Train of thought.
What the hell?! Why did Prim die? I couldn’t see the purpose of her death. Somehow, Katniss’s efforts to keep her alive since the first book have been put to waste. Maybe it was imperative for Alma Coin’s character but all in all, her death was so horrible and pointless. I didn’t really see that coming. It’s so devastating. The third book was too much for me. Too much adorable characters wasted. Too much death in one book. I have to admit that I already saw Finnick’s fate coming. I wasn’t surprised at all, but how Suzanne Collins delivered it shocked me. There was no warning. It’s actually very important that he died, so that Katniss can move forward.
Peeta’s struggle was unbearable. I couldn’t imagine someone hating me so much that they’d want to kill me.
I have a big problem with Gale’s ending. His last conversation with Katniss made me want to tear the book to pieces. There was no closure. If somehow Gale took Peeta’s place in the Games, what would happen to them and to their family? But I guess he had to choose who to protect, Katniss or her family. There’s also this part of the book that’s been bothering me ever since I finished Mockingjay, the part where Katniss only felt relief upon hearing that Gale’s in District Two. RELIEF? What do you mean? Was Katniss relieved because she can no longer see Gale because seeing him would remind her of Prim or was she relieved because Gale is safe and he’s living a life that he finally deserves. Will Katniss ever forgive him? This drove me insane. So I just guessed or maybe send Suzanne Collins a letter asking for an explanation. He’s her oldest friend, almost like a brother, but because of his possible but indirect involvement with Prim’s death my guess is that Katniss will never see Gale without thinking about Prim. Gale will never forgive himself that’s for sure, that’s why he never returned to District Twelve, it would be too much for him. Maybe Katniss will forgive Gale but there will be that dark past that will continue to sever what’s left of their friendship. She never really felt anything for him, that’s why there’s no competition for Peeta. I don’t really know, I’m just justifying their fates here.
I liked how the last few lines before the epilogue though, wherein Peeta asks Katniss if it’s real that she loves him and Katniss replies with ‘Real’. Don’t even bother to read the epilogue, it sucked. Of course that would happen, they’d have kids and the Games ended and they lived not really happily ever after but I have to give her credit for the last lines of that epilogue. I loved it.
I’m not even going to talk about the second book. The third book didn’t impress me quite as much as the first two did. It lacked something. It wasn’t exactly a happy ending and it wasn’t really a sad ending either, but there was something missing. It felt incomplete. Just like how the author ends every chapter but this time it’s final, I can’t do anything about it but figure out myself what happened.
So, if you were thrown into an arena with nothing but your survival instincts, how would you win?
Would you let someone use you as a piece of their game? Something disposable and replaceable?
How are you better than the others?
"We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction." - Plutarch, Mockingjayeading my entries like that?
I have to admit I was reluctant to buy it because the plot reminded me of Battle Royale and also because Stephenie Meyer liked the book, but somehow I managed to put that aside and waited for the right time to buy it. What was that quote people always say when buying books? Never judge a book just because Stephenie Meyer has read it.
Right when I got to page two, I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down. I just couldn’t. I couldn’t even though I had only four hours of sleep left before I get up and go to work. It’s amazing how authors give you that feeling. Even at work all I think about was what was going to happen next.
To give you an idea, it’s about a dystopian world set in the future. Civilization is almost destroyed and everyone struggles to have food on the table. Some places are richer than the others that they don’t have to worry about anything except the reaping and the annual Hunger Games. The reaping is a process wherein every district of Panem – a country that was once called North America – has to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games; a battle to the death on live TV; Survival of the fittest and the smartest. The Hunger Games is the higher authorities’ cruel way of reminding their people of what would happen once they resist them. It is a way of reminding them of a once living District Thirteen that got annihilated when they rebelled against them. To some, it is considered pure entertainment, but to the people living in the districts they consider it as a death sentence. Throw in a huge reference to peace and war, rebellion, Greek mythology and put in a little romance and this book will have your eyes glued for hours.
It is perfectly paced and engrossing that I’m almost repeating the review of some of the people who have read the book because they’re right. Right after finishing the book, I knew I had to get the second and third books as soon as possible, and I did… literally just a few minutes after finishing The Hunger Games.
Suzanne Collins writes so differently from the others. She goes directly to the point, an issue I have with a few writers. She doesn’t waste her time describing in detail the room the heroine is in or what every follicle of her hair is like or what another character’s doing. An advantage and a disadvantage really. She lets you imagine the whole scenario yourself but at the same time they felt rushed, like she wanted it to be done and go right to the next scene. It doesn’t seem right. The structure of the book keeps nagging at me; it’s also one of the reasons why I felt it’s rushed. Every book is divided into three parts and each part has nine chapters, just nine; no more, no less. It somehow felt like she had to cram every important detail in a section because she can’t go over nine chapters. It’s as if she’s forbidden to.
I can also see why a lot have been saying they couldn’t put the book down; for one thing, the story itself is riveting, but another one is that Suzanne ends every freaking chapter with a cliff-hanger and a blow to the gut that you just have to know what happens next. The characters are easy to love, you can’t help but feel pity or sympathy or disgust for some of them. The action of the story is gripping. There were times when I felt my heart race as if I’m trying to keep Katniss, the heroine, alive. Sometimes I imagine myself in the arena as an invisible ally running with her to avoid danger.
It is somehow predictable though, which is somehow good because it means I’m following the author’s train of thought, but sometimes loses the suspense of the story. Maybe it’s just me but I find the story somewhat thought-provoking and I guess that’s also one of the reasons why I stay so late at night wondering about it or asking myself why this or that happened and then I try putting myself in the characters’ shoes.
The romance part is a huge thing in the books too. I’m not sure if there’s any competition though. It’s clear that Katniss will end up with Peeta Mellark. Oh my good Lord, Peeta Mellark!! Poor Gale Hawthorne, I pity you so much.
I totally recommend this for everyone to read. Something that will take your mind off the world of werewolves, vampires, angels and fairies.
SPOILERS AHEAD: Train of thought.
What the hell?! Why did Prim die? I couldn’t see the purpose of her death. Somehow, Katniss’s efforts to keep her alive since the first book have been put to waste. Maybe it was imperative for Alma Coin’s character but all in all, her death was so horrible and pointless. I didn’t really see that coming. It’s so devastating. The third book was too much for me. Too much adorable characters wasted. Too much death in one book. I have to admit that I already saw Finnick’s fate coming. I wasn’t surprised at all, but how Suzanne Collins delivered it shocked me. There was no warning. It’s actually very important that he died, so that Katniss can move forward.
Peeta’s struggle was unbearable. I couldn’t imagine someone hating me so much that they’d want to kill me.
I have a big problem with Gale’s ending. His last conversation with Katniss made me want to tear the book to pieces. There was no closure. If somehow Gale took Peeta’s place in the Games, what would happen to them and to their family? But I guess he had to choose who to protect, Katniss or her family. There’s also this part of the book that’s been bothering me ever since I finished Mockingjay, the part where Katniss only felt relief upon hearing that Gale’s in District Two. RELIEF? What do you mean? Was Katniss relieved because she can no longer see Gale because seeing him would remind her of Prim or was she relieved because Gale is safe and he’s living a life that he finally deserves. Will Katniss ever forgive him? This drove me insane. So I just guessed or maybe send Suzanne Collins a letter asking for an explanation. He’s her oldest friend, almost like a brother, but because of his possible but indirect involvement with Prim’s death my guess is that Katniss will never see Gale without thinking about Prim. Gale will never forgive himself that’s for sure, that’s why he never returned to District Twelve, it would be too much for him. Maybe Katniss will forgive Gale but there will be that dark past that will continue to sever what’s left of their friendship. She never really felt anything for him, that’s why there’s no competition for Peeta. I don’t really know, I’m just justifying their fates here.
I liked how the last few lines before the epilogue though, wherein Peeta asks Katniss if it’s real that she loves him and Katniss replies with ‘Real’. Don’t even bother to read the epilogue, it sucked. Of course that would happen, they’d have kids and the Games ended and they lived not really happily ever after but I have to give her credit for the last lines of that epilogue. I loved it.
I’m not even going to talk about the second book. The third book didn’t impress me quite as much as the first two did. It lacked something. It wasn’t exactly a happy ending and it wasn’t really a sad ending either, but there was something missing. It felt incomplete. Just like how the author ends every chapter but this time it’s final, I can’t do anything about it but figure out myself what happened.
So, if you were thrown into an arena with nothing but your survival instincts, how would you win?
Would you let someone use you as a piece of their game? Something disposable and replaceable?
How are you better than the others?
"We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction." - Plutarch, Mockingjayeading my entries like that?
Comments