I thought the eve of the long awaited movie release of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games was as perfect time as any to write my review of the young adult trilogy. My husband and I read the entire series together (out loud) over the course of two weeks. Would I recommend this? Yes and No. Go ahead and read it quickly - it's fast paced and easy to get caught up in. However, Collins' writing style and dialogue can be awkward especially when readling aloud.
Plot Summary - From Wikipedia
The story is written in the voice of sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where the countries of North America once existed. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds absolute power over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 from each of the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle in which only one person can survive. The series covers the events that spiral from Katniss' choices and her struggle to face fear, love and opression.Ink Thoughts Review
I knew going in that this was a young adult dystopian series so I tried to maintain the perspective that Collins' may have intended her reader to possess. However, my husband and I were probably less than halfway through the first novel when we decided that although the main characters are teenagers - this is not a 'childs' story. On the contrary it is the story of being the generation that must suffer the curses of their heritage. Collins' themes are universal although you must fully commit to the idea that what has been happening to this faction of people has been happening for 75 years with no rebellion because the last was so brutal.
Characters - 7/10
My husband and I came away from the book differing slightly on the quality of the characters. As a woman, I became more and more frustrated with Katniss even questioning her motives on several occasions. My husband was more empathetic though we both agreed that Peeta and Gale could have had more depth . If we had glimpsed the nuances of their struggle (beside the obvious love triangle with Katniss) I believe we might have championed them more.
Plot - 10/10
Collins has a fabulous albeit morbid imagination that is displayed vibrantly in this trilogy. She truly painted another world even if we are faced with the daunting task of believing that our 'pretty little society' could have crashed to such a disturbing level. Her plot is engaging, entertaining and just when you believe you understand where it's headed, she laughingly pulls the rug out from under your expectations. As I said earlier - this is an easy series to read quickly. I did agree with some critics who said the endings of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire were too abrupt. I am certainly glad that the entire series was already published when I decided to tackle the novels because I would have been impatient to wait.
Writing Style - 5/10
Here is where the book fell short for me. The voice of the story is Katniss but the first person narrative becomes annoying. I grew tired of the "I say" and "he says" after each exchange of dialogue. Plus her sentnce structure was awkward in many areas - we noticed this expecially when reading aloud.
Conclusion
I think The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay are worthy of read though I would warn parents of younger children that the violence is too vivid and intense. I am a very visual person and I still wish I could remove some of Collins' images. For that very reason it is unlikely that I will ever read the series again expecially since I felt the ending was too abrupt to be fully satisfying.
But will I be going to the opening night of the movie tomorrow - of course!
Learn more about Ashlei Ryan Jackson
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