Hardcover, 374 pages
English language
Published Aug. 24, 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.
I found this book to be mediocre. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, but it certainly doesn't deserve all the hype.
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.
I'm afraid after finishing this, my opinion is one of a somewhat overrated, low-brow book. There's no doubt that it's incredibly enthralling and more or less impossible to put down (I've read it within 2 days). But there was something about the book which didn't really convince me, something somewhere between the mediocre writing style of the author and the facepalm-worthy naiveté of Katniss (when it comes to some topics). In addition to that, it is ridiculously predictable and the graveness of the situation never really sinks deep. You could say it's a bit shallow for a dystopia. I've read all the dystopian masterpieces from 1984 over Brave New World to The Handmaid's Tale, so I suppose I have high standards.
I will probably read the sequels anyway...
While the content as well as the morality within is a bit heavy handed, I appreciate the fact that it was extremely tightly plotted. Only 3 or 4 times did the author feel the necessity to repeat scenes to heighten the tension. Some scenes seemed a bit to heavily borrowed as well, with the protagonists fighting a pack of human wolves atop a brass sculpture in the sunset.
I suppose that I am willing to forgive a bunch, so long as it doesn't ramble.
I really liked it. It was surprising from beginning to end. It's nice to read an YA book that was fun, thought-provoking, and entertaining.
An interesting setting houses an action-packed plot and some intriguing sci-fi ideas. But, the writing is clearly aimed a teen girl audience and to be sounds clumsy, particularly the narrator's inner monologue. I assume the movie will be retooled for a blockbuster's general audience by omitting the narration but keeping the violent action and will be, as a result, better than the book. If that turns out to be true, I will avoid the book sequels but see the movie sequels.
A great book with an unfortunately weak and predictable finale.
Great story. Recommended by Minda K-W. Unfortunately the first volume of a trilogy - so there is no ending.
This book reminded me why I enjoy reading young adult fiction. Yes, you have to deal with a little teenage angst, but I prefer that over some of the adult novels which try to hard to mask their characters in a confidence which I'd be willing to bet doesn't really exist.
Very engaging book. Fast-paced and a quick read. The main character can be frustrating, and I agree with Stephen King's take that "displays of authorial laziness that kids will accept more readily than adults". I have never read Battle Royale, but am familiar enough with the book and the movie to note the similarities. Still, I will be picking up Book Two.
I read this book because the movie is coming out, but I had no expectation that I'd like it. I thought it might be a version of the Twilight books. My expectations were completely unfair. Although it's clearly for the "Twilight" era young reader, it's a much better book. Strong women characters, a slightly unrealistic world, but still interesting. A main character who is complicated, flawed and well worth rooting for. A fun read!
I was encouraged to read The Hunger Games by some very enthusiastic fans of the book and after finishing it I just don't get the level of praise the book is getting. It's not bad. It's even quite enjoyable once you get to chapter 6 or so, but it's nothing special.
The early chapters are poorly written info dumps and it's kind of obvious that the author should have gone back and given them another re-write. A failure on the editor's part too then. Once you get to the Hunger Games themselves things pick up a lot. The central character is a little self-involved (almost an inevitable failing of the chosen first person, present narrative), but generally sympathetic and the situations she is placed in carry some emotional weight.
It's a slight tale and reads quickly. I suspect it will work better in movie form than it does as a …
I was encouraged to read The Hunger Games by some very enthusiastic fans of the book and after finishing it I just don't get the level of praise the book is getting. It's not bad. It's even quite enjoyable once you get to chapter 6 or so, but it's nothing special.
The early chapters are poorly written info dumps and it's kind of obvious that the author should have gone back and given them another re-write. A failure on the editor's part too then. Once you get to the Hunger Games themselves things pick up a lot. The central character is a little self-involved (almost an inevitable failing of the chosen first person, present narrative), but generally sympathetic and the situations she is placed in carry some emotional weight.
It's a slight tale and reads quickly. I suspect it will work better in movie form than it does as a book. It kept my attention to read it in only a few days, but I don't feel any urge to re-read and having got this first book via Amazon's lending library I'm not inspired to actually pay for the sequels.
Yeah, I read it. And I liked it, for the most part. I'm not a big fan of present-tense writing, but it does give the story a quick pace. The character pissed me off with her inability to understand her own feelings, but it seems like that's the way the author wants it, so I suppose it's forgivable.
Quiconque aura lu ou vu Battle Royale reconnaîtra une intrigue très proche entre les 2 livres : des ados balancés dans une zone de bataille où ils devront s’entretuer par tous les moyens possibles jusqu’à ce qu’il ne reste qu’un seul survivant. Le tout étant filmé façon téléréalité, dans une société dictatoriale où chaque individu est obligé de regarder et de suivre assidument The Hunger Games. Bref, cette trilogie étant destinée à la jeunesse, on pourra être déçu par le réalisme édulcoré de la chose, car Battle Royale ne nous épargnait pas grand-chose. Passé cet éventuel a priori, on peut (ou pas) profiter du premier volume de la trilogie. Des ados donc, qui en bavent dans leur district, qui luttent pour survivre. Katniss, notre jeune et intrépide héroïne, nous narre son histoire au présent et se révèle une jeune fille responsable, aimante, mais habituée à garder ses émotions et ses …
Quiconque aura lu ou vu Battle Royale reconnaîtra une intrigue très proche entre les 2 livres : des ados balancés dans une zone de bataille où ils devront s’entretuer par tous les moyens possibles jusqu’à ce qu’il ne reste qu’un seul survivant. Le tout étant filmé façon téléréalité, dans une société dictatoriale où chaque individu est obligé de regarder et de suivre assidument The Hunger Games. Bref, cette trilogie étant destinée à la jeunesse, on pourra être déçu par le réalisme édulcoré de la chose, car Battle Royale ne nous épargnait pas grand-chose. Passé cet éventuel a priori, on peut (ou pas) profiter du premier volume de la trilogie. Des ados donc, qui en bavent dans leur district, qui luttent pour survivre. Katniss, notre jeune et intrépide héroïne, nous narre son histoire au présent et se révèle une jeune fille responsable, aimante, mais habituée à garder ses émotions et ses sentiments pour elle. Pour éviter à sa petite sœur une mort certaine et publique, elle se porte volontaire à sa place pour participer aux « Jeux de la faim ». De prime abord l’histoire m’a paru assez simpliste, surtout dans son traitement : jeune fille débrouillarde, une ado pleine de promesses encore à l’état de chrysalide qui va devoir se révéler devant un peuple tout entier, devant des millions de gens opprimés obligés d’assister à la romance naissante des principaux protagonistes. Au-delà de ces aspects cucul-la-praline, on peut voir une inquiétante version de nos téléréalités toujours un peu plus trash et indignes. Suzanne Collins porte cet art à son paroxysme, les participants meurent massacrés, les plus aimés du public reçoivent des « cadeaux » de la part de sponsors émus par leur personnalité, leurs récompenses étant conditionnées par leur comportements et tactiques de survie. Le soin que met l’équipe des stylistes pour présenter les candidats au mieux démontre à quel point l’apparence est un point crucial du déroulement des jeux. Chacun doit non seulement paraître à son avantage, mais doit correspondre à une image bien précise à donner au public. Ainsi Katniss, à moitié fille des bois à moitié garçon manqué, apparaît féminine, délicate et innocente lors des présentations. Car au-delà de la nécessité de se défendre, d’attaquer afin de survivre par les moyens, il faut aussi plaire au public et lui donner des frissons, en assurant un spectacle de tous les instants. Katniss devra elle aussi jouer un rôle, au point de se perdre et de perdre (un peu) le lecteur au passage. L’auteur essaie de jouer avec les nerfs du lecteur, mais les grosses ficelles sont vraiment très visibles, même si sur la fin elle s’en sort avec une ou deux pirouettes, toutefois pas très fines. Dans tous les cas, la sauce prend assez bien, malgré tout, pour me pousser à lire la suite dans la foulée.
Incredibly well written and suspenseful from beginning to end. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy
