One of the advantages of being in a book club, I find, is that it sometimes makes me read books I might not select on my own. The Hunger Games is a perfect example. Judging by the short content on the back cover, I would never ever have picked this book to read. Gruesome, terrible, not at all 'my kind' of book. I am not at all a fan of science fiction (if that's what this is).
However, my book club decided that we should read this first book in the series, mostly to find out what all the hype was about. My book club consists of about 6 - 8 women ranging in age from 19 to 80.
And so I took The Hunger Games home from the library and, hesitantly, starting reading.
I don't remember now how long it was before I was completely, totally hooked: 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 Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place 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 will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
I could not put the book down. The writing was superb, the story riveting. And with today's popularity of reality TV shows, scary as it is, even has a ring of truth to it.
When my book club next met we discovered that the story had gripped each of us in a similar way. Each of us read all three books in a row:
Part 2: Catching Fire
Part 3: Mockingjay
Powerful writing! Highly recommended for YA and adults of all ages. Good discussion material in highschool.
I had no need at all to see the movie: as with all good books, I had already seen the movie in my head while reading.
http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/ (for games, downloads)
1 comment:
Definitely gripping. Disturbing. But I realized some elements of truth there. We DO send our young people to war. There are evil, ruthless regimes in this world.
I liked the first book the best. The third one, the least.
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