The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins
Status: Library Book
Grade: A
Genre: YA/Science Fiction

Katniss lives in a postapocalyptic world where everyone lives in fenced in districts and is essentially forced to forage, hunt, and steal for survival. Well, almost everyone. For those few fortunate enough to live in the Capitol there is plenty to eat, drink and be merry about. And the merriest thing of all for the Capitol Dwellers are The Hunger Games, a gladiator/survivor style fight to the death where the contestants are children (12-18) from each of the 12 fenced in districts. When the lottery style drawing takes place to determine who will go to the games this year Katniss finds herself drawn reluctantly forward in place of another. As she goes into the games preparing for the fight of her life she must ultimately ask herself the question-- will her will to survive defeat every shred of humanity she has? Or will being a decent person cost her her very life?

I found myself sucked into this story from the very first page. It is not just that I was drawn in by Katniss's fight to survive but that I was drawn in by the whole tale-- her battle, the people she meets, what has brought her world to this, and the question that Katniss herself asks -- can a decent person actually win these games?

Collins writing style is effortless and pleasant. She can paint a very complex picture with very few words, sucking you in quickly and easily to an alternate universe. I loved the way that she presented the whole story with no unnecessary scenes or verbage, allowing the tale to be told in an almost conversational style that let the tale really shine through. The story is anything but simple though -- there are many layers here, they are just expertly presented.

I loved her characterizations as well. It is easy to immediately hate the Capitol people who are all part of this vicious system but she gives them more depth than that, making them complex and layered without ever resorting to using people as mouth pieces. Katniss is easy to love almost instantly -- a fighter and survivor who still has heart and compassion. We know she is one in a million even before the Capitol audience does. Haymitch, Peeta, Rue and the rest of the supporting cast are also expertly drawn, enhancing the tale in just the right way to keep you invested in them while focused on Katniss.

I loved the subtle, underlying question of the "wholesomeness" of reality television. When you live in a world where voyeurism and watching people make fools of themselves for their 15 minutes of fame is a regular occurrence, is it really such a stretch to think of a time when we will be willing to do what the ancient Romans did and watch people kill each other for our entertainment? I also couldn't help comparing their world to ours, where there are societies that seem to flow with milk and honey while the very people we get much of our merchandise from struggle to make ends meet. In that sense the read was a bit uncomfortable. My family is by no means rolling in the dough but to read of moments where these people talk about not having gloves for a brutal winter makes one really take stock of just how much the majority of us do have.

Honestly, I would love to throw some qualifiers out there but I found the book great. It's the kind of tale where if I tell too much I take away from the experience of reading it (and I don't want to do that to you!) I strongly recommend it.

Tea: Black Cherry herbal tea with splenda is my fave right now. Loving it!