The Hunger Games

By Suzanne Collins

2008

 

 I snagged the first Hunger Games out of a discount bin at the Superstore. Everyone was telling me to read it, but after the Twilight debacle of 2008 I was still feeling weary of Young Adult Fiction as a genre. But it was only six bucks so I figured why not.

A week later I read the entire series, just to note, I work full time and have a variety of extracurriculars. I had things to do. Once I had finished reading the novels I fell into a dark, three day depression. I had read them too fast. It was all over so quickly.

So let’s start with book one

The Hunger Games is set a post-apocalyptic North America where the new nation of Panem has been built. There are thirteen districts in Panem, all fuelling the Capitol with some sort of necessary resource (coal, lumber, firearms, etc.). Many of the districts are very poor and there is an unfair class system going on, as there needs to be to have a rebellion story work. The Capitol people are all well fed fashionistas whereas many of the districts are poor.

The story starts off 74 years after some huge revolt by the districts has been crushed by the Capitol. As part of the punishment for the uprising those in power demolish District 13 as a show of power and start a tournament called the Hunger Games (see title). Two teenaged children from each district (a boy and a girl) are randomly selected for the Games where they are taken to the Capitol, paraded in front of all the districts then put in an arena to fight to the death. It’s the Capitol’s way of continual punishment toward those rebellious districts. Ya with me?

Part of the dealio is that you can volunteer for the Hunger Games if you so wish, which is what some of the richer districts do. By training up their youth going to the Games becomes some sort of sick honour. But not in District 12, where our heroine Katniss lives. The novel is also told in first person through  Katniss’s voice which is fun for everyone. She’s described as being kind of prickly person. Her dad is dead, her mom is weak, and her younger sister, Prim, is super loveable, or something. So she’s all tough and she goes out to the woods and hunts in order to feed her family. Got it? Strong female protagonist, it’s nice to read.

This is Prim’s first time having her name go into the pool to be drawn for the Hunger Games, so naturally Katniss says something like “don’t worry, I promise you won’t get your name drawn.” Obviously it does. Way to jinx it Katniss, no wonder you have no friends. Then Katniss has to volunteer to take Prim’s place because she is just the bravest chickie who ever walked the earth.

The boy drawn for district 12 is some dude named Peeta who we don’t really know. They go to Capitol and make a big show and everyone loves them. They’ve got one of those “nobel drunk” character’s in Haymitch who is their mentor. He’s supposed to guide them through their games and send them gifts in the arena to help them survive. Haymitch is by far my favourite character.

They do these group interviews before the Games so the audience gets to know the tributes, and Peeta comes out and tells everyone he’s in love with Katniss. I’m all like, dude, you’re sixteen calm down. But Katniss is super pissed off because she’s too strong and defensive to take a compliment.

They all end up in the arena in a big ol’ fight to the death. It looks like Peeta’s betrayed her but then of course he hasn’t (refer to the love stuff). The Game master pulls some foolish trick like “Oh hey guys, remember how there’s only one winner? Well now there can be two, but only if they’re from the same District.” I’m thinking, yeah right, like this crazy society is actually going to let that happen.

But Katniss is all like “phwef now I don’t have to kill Peeta” and she goes and finds him. But he’s super injured and she has to take care of him. Whoop Whoop! Ok she’s a really strong character you guys. The amount she internalized not crying makes me cry.

Katniss is really kick ass but she also uses her feminine wiles the entire book. She really wraps boys around her finger, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not. But at the same time, in this world her provocative behaviour goes as far as kissing Peeta to get him some medicine. So I think we can all forgive her that slutty behaviour.

I’ll give Katniss and her crazy adventure 4.5 lightning bolts!

Reviewed by Meg!