The Hunger Games (Book#1) by Suzanne Collins - Book Review

By
Zora Flatley
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The Hunger Games (Book#1)

The United States of America no longer exists. In its place is the country of Panem; a totalitarian state consisting of twelve districts in addition to the Capitol.

The districts are exploited and ruled with an iron fist, while the Capitol is the definition of extravagance and wealth where indulgence is the only thing that matters.

Every year the names of a male and female contestant from each of the twelve districts are picked from the raffle. The contestants must then compete in the Capitol’s most celebrated event; the Hunger Games, a broadcasted fight to the death with a sole survivor aiming to entertain the select few and demonstrate to the districts where they stand and who holds the power in Panem.

The Hunger Games is a Young Adult fiction book series by American author Suzanne Collins. It is also the title of the first book of the series. It is a book that sets a high standard for YA books to follow.

The Hunger Games is told in the voice of Katniss Everdeen, the teenaged female protagonist from District 12; the poorest of the districts. When her younger sister is picked to enter the Games, Katniss volunteers to enter on her behalf.

Book Details

Title: The Hunger Games (Book#1)

Format: Paperback

Author: Suzanne Collins

Language : English

Publisher : Scholastic Press

ISBN: 9780439023528

Unlike most YA novels, Katniss is not portrayed as a damsel in distress whose life revolves around a love interest and a pretty boy with a crooked smile. She is strong and dependable, but also fragile and carries a lot of emotional baggage on her shoulders.

She is loyal to her loved ones, but she is anti-social, awkward, and rarely shows her feelings. As a female protagonist, Katniss is a real character with depth and flaws but in the end, you cannot help but like her and root for her all the way.

Although the book isn’t a romance, Collins has not abandoned the romantic line altogether. We see the love-triangle, which is almost a rite of passage for every YA novel out there.

At the heart of the triangle is Katniss of-course and on the one side, there is her best friend and hunting partner, Gale, while on the other is Peta, a boy from the slightly richer part of the district who is picked to be the male representative of district 12.

What is different about this love triangle is that it does not overshadow the other aspects of the story. It is also well balanced, as you could not tell which path she is going to take if any.

The Hunger Games deserves an 8/10 rating, as the language Collins uses in the book is simple and sometimes borders on plain; the present tense and the first-person narrative used could become a bit frustrating.

However, the story itself is full of surprises and colorful characters with interesting backgrounds that would keep you on your toes until the very end and leave you wanting more, which you, fortunately, get from the franchise’s two sequels.