The Hunger Games Review

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 





"Winning Means Fame and Fortune. Losing Means Certain Death. The Hunger Games Have Begun..."




*There are no spoilers in this review, if you want to know what happens you MUST read it lol*





"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, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead 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."




I've heard about this book for about the past year now and it has always intrigued me but I never took the time to pick up a copy and read it. After seeing the trailer for the movie at the end of 2011, I decided I had to read it and I have to say I am glad I did. This book is not like any book I have read before, mainly because it is a sci-fi/fantasy/dystopia novel. Before reading this book, I never had a taste for that genre of novels.


This is probably one of the best books I've read recently. This novel is geared towards young adults but I think anyone of any age would enjoy. I will say, I took me about 3 weeks to read this because the beginning did not keep me engaged. Also because the beginning of the book was a little depressing. Just the way that this society is, its just horrible. Once I got to the "meat' of the book (which is the actual games), I could not put the book down. The story line definitely keeps you engaged when it comes to the action and suspense. 


I loved that the plot was not predictable like some novels can be. There were many twists and turns that I did not see coming. I also loved that this book provoked emotions in me, especially when it came to the Gamemakers and the Capitol. It really shows that their world is really messed up and we could be in the same situation if we keep making the decisions we are making as a society. 


I know that this is a fiction novel BUT I think there were numerous parallels to our world today. How we are such a consumer society and do not even realize that there are people in other parts of the country or world who are having financial hardships and some of us do not even care. I love that this novel showed how reality television and entertainment is taking over and it can be detrimental to our society. Although The Hunger Games showed reality television on an extreme level, there were many things that were a reflection of how our reality television is today.  I do not remember where I heard this, but the author (Suzanne Collins) got the idea from the book from seeing a reality television on one station and then flipping the station and seeing people in the middle east at war 




This is one novel I would recommend you to read. It was a great read and I cannot wait to see the movie and also to read "Catching Fire", which I know will be great. 


Below is The Hunger Games Trailer for the movie which comes out March 23







What books are you guys reading?




Ashley


xoxo






Also Check out another book review I did months back


Midnight and the Meaning of Love

Midnight And The Meaning Of Love Book Review

Midnight And The Meaning Of Love is the 3rd novel from author, Sister Souljah. This book is the sequel to Midnight: A Gangster Love Story and a prequel to the Coldest Winter Ever.

If you aren't familiar with any of these books I'll give you a brief synopsis.

The Coldest Winter Ever is about Winter Santiaga is the the teenage daughter of a notorious drug dealer in Brooklyn, NY. Winter is used to getting what she wants and is kind of promiscuous. She likes this boy, Midnight, who works for her father but he wont give her the time of day. This book really deals with Winter getting her world turned upside down and how she deals with losing some things that are important to her. If you haven't read The Coldest Winter Ever, you really should.

The second book, Midnight A Gangster Love Story, is actually the prequel to the Coldest Winter Ever. Midnight was brought up in an Islamic African family in the Sudan but him, his mother, and his sister move to Brooklyn, NY. This book is about Midnight adjusting to living in the States, taking care of his mother and sister, staying true to his religious beliefs, and falling in love. He ends up falling in love with a Japanese girl, Akemi, and marries her. At the end of the story Akemi's father kidnaps her and takes her back to Japan. Midnight then decides he is going to Japan to get his wife back.

In the current book, Midnight and The Meaning Of Love, Midnight takes us on an adventure as he tries to get his wife back. There are three parts to the book: The Brooklyn part where he makes sure his mother and sister are safe and secure while he is away and takes us on the journey before he leaves New York. The second part is in Japan. It takes us through the process and obstacles he faces while trying to get his wife back and the mercenary who helps him find her and learn more about the Japanese culture. The third part is in Korea where he tries to find Akemi's grandmother.

This book is pretty good. Since the first book, I pretty much fell in love with Midnight. He is different from most males in the United States and has different values, which makes most of the women attracted to him in these novels. In this last book I really felt like I am travelling around the world with Midnight as I was reading it. It is a great love story that everyone can relate to no matter where you live, what your religion is, or what your economic status. There are so many different aspects in this book.

This book really made me have a respect for people of different religions and cultures than me. You will also learn few Arabic, Japanese, and Korean words. It really teaches you a lot about different cultures and how they view different people.

I also loved that the book had pictures (lol). Having pictures of the characters really helped me connect to them even more.

I don't want to give away too many details or spoilers just in case anyone wants to read it but there were some things I didn't like about it.

I didn't like that there was really no link from this book to the Coldest Winter Ever. Sister souljah didn't really explain how Midnight came to work with Winter's father, what happened to his wife, or some other things. Maybe she will come out with another book but I'm not sure...

I'm not really down with polygamy, which I'm sure most of us who are of this generation and in most countries agree with me...but that is just a personal reason. I did enjoy reading about it though, it was a very interesting aspect.

The book was 600 pages, which is A LOT (in my opinion lol). It took me about 5 days to read. I think it could've been condensed and there were some things that should have been left out and didn't need much explaining.

Despite those cons, it was a really great novel. The author really draws you into what you are reading.

Some people may consider these "hood novels" but they are so much more. I think if you open your mind you can actually learn from these books. Personally, these books made me reevaluate how I may be perceived by males, what some qualities I should look for in a man, and I learned that I need to be more dedicated to God and seek him more.

The meaning of love deals with many different issues like love (hence the title lol), religion, adjusting to different cultures, and polygamy.

I love that you can read all of these separately without reading any of the previous novels. Although reading them all helps you become closer with the characters.

I would recommend this book to anyone, especially if you are looking for a good fictional read.

Here is an interview the artist did about the book a few months ago

What are some books you have been reading lately? I'd love to know because I'm really trying to get back into reading.

Ashley

xoxo