Katniss Everdeen's having survived the Hunger Games twice makes her a target of the Capitol and President Snow, as well as a hero to the rebels who will succeed only if Katniss is willing to put aside her personal feelings and serve as their pawn.
I've enjoyed reading all of the Hunger Games books. Kind of surprised because I can be very contrary when it comes to all things faddish. (re Twilight) But these books definitely kept you reading to find out "what happens next". While this is certainly not the most high-brow literature, they are enjoyable and entertaining. And really, that's about all I want from a book. So there you go.
Let me start with the things I liked: Too often heroes/heroines seem to have too much influence that they realistically should have. Essentially, the author has to bend the rules to make sure the hero can win against all odds. I actually liked that Katniss is a bit helpless and struggling to have an impact on the situation and events. (This is actually one of my only complaints about the Harry Potter franchise... you have to make the adults inept (unrealistically so) in order for the kids to be the heroes).
Unfortunately, that's probably the only good thing. Katniss is extremely unsympathetic throughout the entire book and never redeems herself. The ultimate resolution feels contrived and predictable. I still have to recommend it for people who've read the first two books because you'll want to find out how it ends, but I don't understand the high …
Ugh! What a disappointment!
Let me start with the things I liked: Too often heroes/heroines seem to have too much influence that they realistically should have. Essentially, the author has to bend the rules to make sure the hero can win against all odds. I actually liked that Katniss is a bit helpless and struggling to have an impact on the situation and events. (This is actually one of my only complaints about the Harry Potter franchise... you have to make the adults inept (unrealistically so) in order for the kids to be the heroes).
Unfortunately, that's probably the only good thing. Katniss is extremely unsympathetic throughout the entire book and never redeems herself. The ultimate resolution feels contrived and predictable. I still have to recommend it for people who've read the first two books because you'll want to find out how it ends, but I don't understand the high reviews this book has received.
Based on the first two books, I was expecting much better from Collins.
The last book in the Hunger Games trilogy, wrapping up the story as the rebellion escalates and Peeta and Katniss are once again forced to act as figureheads. I think I liked this book least of the three, Katniss's stubbornness becomes less likeable and some of the plot seems a little forced in order to wrap up the story, but overall this is still a really good trilogy for younger readers and an enjoyable quick read for older ones.
I don't know if, after reading these books so long ago, I could write a review for each one...so I'm going to write and all-encompassing review of The Hunger Games Trilogy.
The Hunger Games (Book #1) - The best of the three. Catching Fire (Book #2) - Gets better from about the half-way point on. Mockingjay (Book #3) - Not that great. Probably the weakest of the three. Then the ending sucked HARD.
The Hunger Games is a story about North America after a horrific war has wiped out life and government as we know it. The survivors have banded together to form the Capitol City and various outer Districts, each with its own jobs/manufacturing tasks. The Capital City controlled everything to the point that the Districts rose up and revolted. And they were crushed. To remind the Districts that they must never revolt again, the Capital initiated The Hunger …
I don't know if, after reading these books so long ago, I could write a review for each one...so I'm going to write and all-encompassing review of The Hunger Games Trilogy.
The Hunger Games (Book #1) - The best of the three. Catching Fire (Book #2) - Gets better from about the half-way point on. Mockingjay (Book #3) - Not that great. Probably the weakest of the three. Then the ending sucked HARD.
The Hunger Games is a story about North America after a horrific war has wiped out life and government as we know it. The survivors have banded together to form the Capitol City and various outer Districts, each with its own jobs/manufacturing tasks. The Capital City controlled everything to the point that the Districts rose up and revolted. And they were crushed. To remind the Districts that they must never revolt again, the Capital initiated The Hunger Games. Each District must deliver one boy and one girl to fight to the death against the other District children for food.
All this happens before our story begins...
We begin with the 74th annual Hunger Games and our main character, Katniss Everdeen from District 12, is competing in the Games. While it won't shock readers to know that the main character wins the Hunger Games, there are still surprises, twists, and gut-wrenching scenes of loss and heartbreak. This is the first book. It was fantastic and an exceptional read. The Hunger Games could stand alone without the other two books and still be a knock-out first novel. In fact, I kinda wish I stopped reading here.
The second book picks up with the Victory Tour that follows the Hunger Games. Katniss, am anti-authoritative rebel, ended up pissing off the leaders of the Capital City with her actions in the 74th Hunger Games. So during the Victory Tour, she has to deal with the consequences of her actions from her Hunger Game win. This part really seemed somewhat repetitive and boring, especially after all the excitement of the first book. Then, everything changed from the middle of the book on. And it was almost as good as the first book. Definitely full of unexpected surprises until the cliffhanger ending...
The third book picked up from the cliffhanger ending of book two and completely different than the other two books. Mockingjay deals mostly with Katniss Everdeen being the figurehead of a District-wide revolt against the Capital City. The difference in plots alone doesn't make the book bad, just not as interesting as the other two. Then came the surprise "dramatic" conclusion to the trilogy and...IT SUCKED HARD. The ending was SO BAD it pretty much ruined the entire trilogy for me. I don't think I'd ever read these books again, cause I know how it ends and IT. IS. HORRIBLE.
My advice to anyone...Read "The Hunger Games" book #1 and THEN STOP.
The biggest issue with Mockingjay is that it takes far too long to get going. This 400-page book could easily have been turned into a 200-page novella that conveyed the same punch, but without the sense of characters overstaying their welcome.
It feels like it was written to be a movie, with plenty of filler that could be cropped out to fit a two-hour runtime.
I don't even know what to say about this series. I started The Hunger Games hopeful, wanting to get sucked into the narrative. By the end of the last book I felt completely disconnected from all the lifeless, one-dimensional characters. The writing was just... off. There were moments in all three books where I was genuinely interested in what was happening but most of the time I was half-heartedly skimming passages waiting for something to actually GRAB MY ATTENTION. If only Suzanne Collins had taken some more time to flesh out the world of Panem and the core cast of characters/victors rather than assaulting the reader with a barrage of forgettable Katniss Whiney Moments and boring battle scenarios... if only. I really wanted to like this series but overall it just left me yawning and hungry for something more substantial.
Rien ne va plus à Panem, les destins de Katniss, Peeta et Gale sont des plus incertains. Leurs vies sont encore et toujours le centre d’intérêt du pays et la révolte gronde. Katniss doit gérer ses deux prétendants et l’image qu’elle doit renvoyer aux districts. Devenue l’emblème de la révolte, la jeune fille continue d’encaisser les coups durs. L’auteur insiste sur l’importance des media, et leur rôle est si prépondérant dans la société que la téléréalité se mêle au cours de l’Histoire, car non seulement tout est filmé de manière à nourrir la propagande, mais tout est calculé, mis en scène. Là encore, notre jeune héroïne est mise à rude épreuve, l’histoire d’amour compliquée aura pu rester mièvre mais elle s’intègre parfaitement à l’intrigue et prend tout son sens au fil de l’histoire. Katniss se révèle de plus en plus humaine, rongée par la culpabilité, la peur de mettre ses …
Rien ne va plus à Panem, les destins de Katniss, Peeta et Gale sont des plus incertains. Leurs vies sont encore et toujours le centre d’intérêt du pays et la révolte gronde. Katniss doit gérer ses deux prétendants et l’image qu’elle doit renvoyer aux districts. Devenue l’emblème de la révolte, la jeune fille continue d’encaisser les coups durs. L’auteur insiste sur l’importance des media, et leur rôle est si prépondérant dans la société que la téléréalité se mêle au cours de l’Histoire, car non seulement tout est filmé de manière à nourrir la propagande, mais tout est calculé, mis en scène. Là encore, notre jeune héroïne est mise à rude épreuve, l’histoire d’amour compliquée aura pu rester mièvre mais elle s’intègre parfaitement à l’intrigue et prend tout son sens au fil de l’histoire. Katniss se révèle de plus en plus humaine, rongée par la culpabilité, la peur de mettre ses proches en danger, et un choix amoureux impossible. Ce dernier volume est mené tambour battant, le rythme est plus que soutenu et nous mène à un dénouement magnifique et intense. Une excellente trilogie jeunesse exempte de mièvrerie et redoutablement efficace. Vivement le film !
Horrible ending. The problems of the first two books are repeated here, but with greater intensity. Also, could've done without Harry Potter-esque epilogue (I didn't like it in Harry Potter and I think it's even crappier here). At least she finally makes a decision, but it feels incidental, given that the other choice isn't available anymore.
Another riveting read...I obviously enjoyed this series immensely, even though I would have enjoyed a few more details here and there. Overall, very much worth reading.
The final book of the Hunger Games trilogy does not disappoint. We see a lot more depth into the world and get to see some cool action. The story still revolves around Katniss, which means we don't get to see things she doesn't, but we get deep into her mind. We can see that she, along with some of the other victors, have been greatly impacted by the Games and the subsequent events. This is not your typical escapist fantasy where the hero goes and chops up his/her enemies and then goes back home to a normal life. I was very satisfied with the ending and the plot events. The only downside I can think for the book is that the pacing is a bit uneven. Some parts fly by, while others drag a bit. Still, it's a very engaging read. I was a bit worried since book 2 had …
The final book of the Hunger Games trilogy does not disappoint. We see a lot more depth into the world and get to see some cool action. The story still revolves around Katniss, which means we don't get to see things she doesn't, but we get deep into her mind. We can see that she, along with some of the other victors, have been greatly impacted by the Games and the subsequent events. This is not your typical escapist fantasy where the hero goes and chops up his/her enemies and then goes back home to a normal life. I was very satisfied with the ending and the plot events. The only downside I can think for the book is that the pacing is a bit uneven. Some parts fly by, while others drag a bit. Still, it's a very engaging read. I was a bit worried since book 2 had a bit of a romantic vibe to it, but while it's present in book 3, it is a bit more subdued.
