Review: the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

♦ What it's about ♦

(Taken from back cover)

  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 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 weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

♦ Why I read it ♦

  I can be a little slow on the draw when it comes to reading the newest teen/young adult books, especially if they're the hot thing.  The Hunger Games was no exception.  But, sure enough, a good portion of my friends started recommending the book, though some of their information was not conveyed in the clearest way possible.  Yes, I'm the one who thought Peeta was a girl until the movie came out.  

  Anyway, I saw the movie before I read the book.  Judging by the movie, I had little interest in the book.  While the movie had undeniable special effects and was well-made, it was formulaic and I could tell that it was based on a book; the story's transition to the big screen was not without various bumps in pacing.  Nonetheless, I was curious, and even though present-tense doesn't appeal to me in fiction, I decided to bite the bullet and see what everyone was raving about.

♦ What I liked ♦

  Suzanne Collins does not disappoint.  Her writing style is charming, her characters believable, and it's not hard to let oneself get lost in the civilization just beyond our own.  I finished the book in a 24-hour period, despite already knowing the story after watching the movie.  District 12 is a wonderfully deceptive setting for the first part of the book, and the different tiers of social status have been perfected with the careful eye of a very attentive author.  In places, the book gains an ironic tint not dissimilar to a work of satire.  All the while, somewhere above the false sky and mockingjay calls, an air of utter decay settles over the story, a reminder of the dysfunctional, desperate society of Panem.  This time, I'll be reading the sequel before I see its movie adaption.

♦ What I didn't like ♦

   As mentioned before, present-tense does not appeal to me.  Collins does a good job of it, though there are passages that left my brain a little frazzled, and I had to reread certain parts to get the feel of the narrative voice.  

  While District 12 is enchantingly horrible, the Capitol is a bit of a letdown.  The movie does a good job of translating its complexity to the big screen whereas the book left a lot to be desired.  But Collins isn't out to describe scenery--she's trying to convey a deeper message, one important to all societies both past and future, so there's little to complain about here.

♦ Quick stats ♦

Overall rating: 4 of 5 stars

Favorite character: Peeta, because he (SPOILER ALERT) becomes a freaking cyborg.  Who doesn't like that?

Favorite quote from book: "To death.  I sang until she died."