The Hunger Games

Started and finished this book in 5 1/2 hours - couldn't put it down! I was incredibly fascinated by the world the author creates in this novel. It's one that is so far in the future and yet starkly more primitive than that of today, where the privileged and poor are pitted against one another in order for the government to remain powerful and unchecked. Katniss Everdeen is unlike any 16 year old female character I've encountered. The scenarios faced by Katniss and the other main characters are frankly horrific at times, especially considering it's all for sport and as a reminder of the government's power (read the book to find out more). The ending definitely left me ready for the next book to see where the story leads next.

This was lovely. I know that's not the first word that comes to most people's minds when they think of The Hunger Games, but to me it applies. To me, it was a small, intimate story told on a grand stage.

Its a shame that Twilight is mostly seen as Harry Potter's pop culture rival, mostly because of timing and that its the only other book series that created even remotely the same kind of phenomenon. But The Hunger Games feels far more in HP's league, as it is a tightly-wound, sophisticated story, expertly packaged for young people. Which was refreshing, and also kind of threw me off, as most YA authors seemed to dumbing down their content in order to appeal to the teenage mindset, instead of just simplifying their sentences and story structure (Not gonna lie, I was kind of blown away by the amount of exposition this book has. Its a bit like being handed floaties when you've been doing laps in the deep end for an hour), which has created a market of vapid, overly verbose work. HG is as simple and straightforward as the games it is about; it may be rough, but there's enough hand-holding (literally, as well as figuratively) that the marks aren't too bad. I've heard some people complain about the violence, which completely boggles my mind. I know I'm desensitized - seriously, look at the books I've read - but this is by no means graphic. What it is is sincere enough to play it straight. To do otherwise would be a disservice to great characters and relationships Collins created.

It's probably obvious by now what kind of protagonists I like. I like my heroes focused, with uncluttered motivations and no fear of getting dirty. Katniss Everdeen is Will Perry is Ellen Ripley. I should probably start including this in my online dating profiles. I like that Katniss stays simple even when her situation is complicated. Her whole life has been based on survival, and that's not something you can turn off - nor should you - when someone puts you in a pretty dress. I love her - and really, the whole book's - fixation on food. Her meals, whether they be scarce or plentiful, are practically characters all on their own.

But Katniss isn't hard, and in a way she's suprisingly unguarded. She seems to understand how easy it is to lose people, so she doesn't let relationships go to waste. She allows herself to bond with people she views as good, even though they're part of a system that's trying to hurt her and the people she cares about. She's not afraid of her emotions, only wary of how people will see them. And she never really learns how to play politics even though she has to, even when she puts on a performance effective enough to fool the Capitol audience.

I like that there were several different stories going on and we as readers are only privy to one. It makes me very curious as to how the movie is going to come out. Maybe I've watched too much reality TV, but as I read, I found myself also writing the Capitol's commentary, anticipating where the crowd's oohs and aahs would be. Was that just me? Seeing that at work in the movie theater I think will be amusingly metatextual.

This is a solid four stars for me because while I loved the story, the writing consistently had me thinking “This is totally written for kids.” As such, it wasn't as impressive as it could have been, but it was quite nice.