The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy) Book

The Hunger Games Review- Book

The Hunger Games has recently launched itself into the public eye with it's high profile movie release which gained five star reviews from several critics. The film however was in fact based upon a book by Suzanne Collins, released in 2008, which tells the story of Katniss Everdeen and her involvement in the "Hunger Games."

The setting of the book is "Panem" a post apocalyptic country which rose out of the remains of North America and was divided into thirteen districts surrounding a central "Capitol" in which the leaders of the new country reside. Quickly the idea of a dictatorship is established and we meet our main character Katniss who is a resident of District 12, a poverty stricken area in which she has to hunt for her family to ensure their survival. We soon learn that the thirteenth district was destroyed 74 years ago after an attempted revolution which began there which in turn gave birth to the feared "Hunger Games." I personally find the idea intriguing and it is executed well providing an excellent setting for a thought-provoking and in points heart-twanging plot.

The novel follows Katniss Everdeen in her journey through the "Hunger Games," a yearly competition where two citizens, deemed tributes, from each District are chosen to compete in a battle to the death in an elaborately crafted arena; whilst being filmed the entire time. These games are all in remembrance of how the revolution was so brutally crushed and too discourage any further attempts at rebelling.

Tributes are drawn at a annual "reaping" by a "choosing a name out of a hat" method. At this years Reaping Katniss' sister is chosen and out of a passionate & desperate impulse she volunteers in her place and hence is picked for the Hunger Games. Her fellow tribute is Peeta and throughout the story an interesting relationship of fake/real love emerges that is an effort to play to the cameras for the "sponsors" who are rich betters who can send supplies to their favourites to help ensure their survival.

Peeta and Katniss are trained by Haymitch, a previously victorious tribute, who instructs them in strategy and appearance. Each tribute has their own stylist to make them appear dominant and striking. Each costume is meant to be representative of the District's main industry. District 12's is mining and so Katniss and Peeta's costumes are designed to make them appear on fire with synthetic flames, each detail of the plot is eloquently described with vivid descriptions that immerse you fully into the plot.

There are a range of characters and each is well developed with very few stereotypes. The aspects of what really is good and bad are constantly discussed and brought up through ever increasingly dramatic dilemmas. Katniss' surly demeanour is developed as we see her true caring side and how strong and detached she has had to become since her father's death and her mother's mental breakdown.

The plot arches perfectly with the survivalist nature of the Hunger Games drawing out man's basic instincts and then creating the ultimate oxymoron of the modernistic surrealist aspect of wealth and showing the books real allegorical message of the sins that wealth and greed can bring to modern society. A great read and well recommended, well written with an excellent story.

The Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy for young adults [but that old adults would like too!] written by Suzanne Collins. The book is set some time in the near future where the world has been pretty much destroyed and people are struggling to survive. The hero is a young girl called Katniss Everdeen who lives in the country of Panem [used to be America] which has a rich capital city and also 12 poorer districts. As punishment for a rebellion some time in the past all of the 12 poorer districts have to send one boy and one girl for take part in the Hunger Games - a reality tv series where the kids have to battle to the death until only one is left. Katniss volunteers to represent her district in the games so that her younger sister doesn't have to. Peeta Mellark is the boy from the district who is also chosen to go. This is a really good book. My friend recommended it to me as I normally wouldn't read this kind of thing [i prefer romances really - soppy moo!] but I am glad that I read it. The Hunger Games is very exciting and I liked the relationship between Katniss and Peeta and the idea of the games.

The post-apocalyptic setting for The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a chilling one. As the novel starts, we meet the heroine Katniss who will be joining a televised fight-to-the-death featuring 24 participants, aged between 12 and 18. Katniss will have to fight a boy from her area and after the first event, 11 of the youngsters have already been killed. Can Katniss survive? Young teen readers will race through this gripping, unputdownable book!

Set in a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss