Hardcover, 374 pages
English language
Published Oct. 3, 2008 by Scholastic Press.
Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, …
Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Collins delivers equal parts suspense and philosophy, adventure and romance, in this searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present.
As I suspected, this is a real page-turner. Well executed. On to the next one!
Surprisingly grim for a young adult novel. I guess it is derivative of stuff like "Battle Royale," but I think that is totally okay in a young adult book.
The strength is the early world building which is surprisingly deep for a fairly short novel. The author creates an interesting picture of what appears to be a piece of a broken up United States somewhere in Appalachia. Her depictions of the how the capital works and how the districts are organized are all really compelling. The brief glimpses at the technological level of this society are intriguing, and I would love to see this explored more in the next two books. Hey, I love dystopias, and the author has succeeded in creating an interesting one.
The book can be a bit repetitive, though. There are a few too many scenes of the protagonist being put in costumes, and pretending to …
Surprisingly grim for a young adult novel. I guess it is derivative of stuff like "Battle Royale," but I think that is totally okay in a young adult book.
The strength is the early world building which is surprisingly deep for a fairly short novel. The author creates an interesting picture of what appears to be a piece of a broken up United States somewhere in Appalachia. Her depictions of the how the capital works and how the districts are organized are all really compelling. The brief glimpses at the technological level of this society are intriguing, and I would love to see this explored more in the next two books. Hey, I love dystopias, and the author has succeeded in creating an interesting one.
The book can be a bit repetitive, though. There are a few too many scenes of the protagonist being put in costumes, and pretending to be in love. I suppose that the latter is probably going to drive the plot of the rest of the series, but some of that time could have been used for other stuff.
Equally as compelling as the first book of the trilogy, perhaps even more so thanks to increased familiarity with many of the characters. Once again, I had that 'can't put it down' feeling. On with the final book!
I was a bit wary of this trilogy because of all the hype. Last time I read a book that had this much hype around it before I read it, it was The Da Vinci Code...
But anyway, I needn't have worried, because this book was GOOD. More than that, it grabbed me and refused to let go until I'd finished reading it - which I did in record time. I hadn't really noticed, but I guess it's been a while since I really had that 'can't put it down' feeling with a new book, even books I've enjoyed. Well, I had it in spades with this.
The setting is interesting and feels original, despite having familiar elements (yes, the concept has elements reminiscent of Battle Royale, but Suzanne Collins takes that concept and runs with it in whole new directions). You get a real sense of a fully-formed world …
I was a bit wary of this trilogy because of all the hype. Last time I read a book that had this much hype around it before I read it, it was The Da Vinci Code...
But anyway, I needn't have worried, because this book was GOOD. More than that, it grabbed me and refused to let go until I'd finished reading it - which I did in record time. I hadn't really noticed, but I guess it's been a while since I really had that 'can't put it down' feeling with a new book, even books I've enjoyed. Well, I had it in spades with this.
The setting is interesting and feels original, despite having familiar elements (yes, the concept has elements reminiscent of Battle Royale, but Suzanne Collins takes that concept and runs with it in whole new directions). You get a real sense of a fully-formed world here. The characters all feel like real people, flaws and all, and the plot takes twists and turns that I didn't see coming, even when I thought I was sure I had it all pegged. There's drama, trauma, and heartbreak galore, but also moments of unexpected (especially given the circumstances) sweetness. The writing is straightforward but engrossing and the pacing is brilliant, continually driving the plot, and the reader, forward. It is, as they say, a real page-turner.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone.
Man these books are so addictive. It took me about a 100 pages to get into the book, I don't like katniss or peeta much so I seem to have a little battle to get drawn in. The story is cleverly written again, it really gets you involved, fills you with blood-lust.
I now have one book left to go and I am looking forward to it with how this one ends. And then I can watch the films. Yay!
Well that's the first book in the Hunger Games trilogy finished. Thoroughly enjoyed it, a pretty impressive ride and so much better than the movie, which for some reason I have watched, I've held off watching the next two movies until I have finished the books.
For a while I was impatient for the action to start and for the fighting to get going in the arena, but the way the book is written making the tension build up with boring run-of-mill interviews is very clever, by the time the trumpets sound and the games begin you find yourself on the edge of your seat.
For once one of these books people say "you have to read" is actually really good. yay!
this was a really good book. I havent read these type of books before. Im heading onto the next book in the series. really enjoying them so far :)
First read (in one sitting) on November 22, 2011.
Reread May, 2014.
So, I saw the movie first. This kind of story really isn't my usual read so despite the hype I didn't read it. However the movie put a lot of questions into my head that the book happily answered. There was a lot going on in Katniss' mind, and while everyone I know hailed her as this great female lead character the movie kind of whitewashes that a little. I wondered if the book did a better job, happy to say it did.
I'm holding out judgement on whether or not I truly like the series until I've done all three books. How they wrap it up is going to really determine that for me.
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UUUGH this book. That's a good sort of UGH, but also just one of frustration. Looking at the series as a whole I just want to weep for humanity, because honestly …
So, I saw the movie first. This kind of story really isn't my usual read so despite the hype I didn't read it. However the movie put a lot of questions into my head that the book happily answered. There was a lot going on in Katniss' mind, and while everyone I know hailed her as this great female lead character the movie kind of whitewashes that a little. I wondered if the book did a better job, happy to say it did.
I'm holding out judgement on whether or not I truly like the series until I've done all three books. How they wrap it up is going to really determine that for me.
______
UUUGH this book. That's a good sort of UGH, but also just one of frustration. Looking at the series as a whole I just want to weep for humanity, because honestly it's not a massive stretch to see something akin to this happening.
This series is really one best reviewed as a whole because although the books are standalone, the actual story they tell is greater than each individual book.
So I read this after a friend made me watch the movie. The story's a pretty interesting one. I mean aftermath of a revolution as the Capital makes poor people fight to the death for their amusement. Plus the social commentary on reality TV? It was actually a really interesting book.
One of the very few books where I'd say that the movie is better.
I really enjoyed reading this book! Highly recommended.
A good story which is significantly hampered by leaden prose. I understand that this is young adult fiction, but the plodding along of 'I say' 'he says' with only functional paragraphs becomes tedious. As far as themes go, this is very interesting and I like the social satire.
Literatura para chavales, entretenida pero no se le puede pedir demasiado. Personajes sencillos, narraci��n r��pida sin ninguna complejidad, apta para el veranito.
I had heard a lot about The Hunger Games. There are books, there is a film. After a while I became intrigued and purchased the e-book. At first it was difficult to get ‘into’ the story, as I could not entirely place it in its temporal context, but as soon as that was over (took me a while, I admit), the book became good, and more interesting as I progressed.
I find the background of the Hunger Games shocking. Think of a society that looks nice, advanced, refined, and then there are the Hunger Games. The background of the games is laid out very well in the story, and it’s done in a way that is not boring. The story moves along at a good pace and has a nice balance between introspection of the main character, Katniss, and what happens around her. The story also shows what can go …
I had heard a lot about The Hunger Games. There are books, there is a film. After a while I became intrigued and purchased the e-book. At first it was difficult to get ‘into’ the story, as I could not entirely place it in its temporal context, but as soon as that was over (took me a while, I admit), the book became good, and more interesting as I progressed.
I find the background of the Hunger Games shocking. Think of a society that looks nice, advanced, refined, and then there are the Hunger Games. The background of the games is laid out very well in the story, and it’s done in a way that is not boring. The story moves along at a good pace and has a nice balance between introspection of the main character, Katniss, and what happens around her. The story also shows what can go around inside the heads of people when they are thrown into an arena where literally they battle for life and death.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Hunger Games. I am not certain if I shall continue with the other two books in the series. Perhaps in time.
