I totally forgot I read this! I picked it up after The Poisonwood Bible, devoured it & then forgot to blog about it. Oy! Okay, The Hunger Games. Man, I loved this book! It's the first book in the trilogy, & from what I hear, it's the best. I COULD NOT put it down. I read it in 2 days, which actually isn't that impressive since it's written for tweens & weighs in at a generously-spaced 384 pages...
In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing.
This review is from the School Library Journal, Grade 7 Up (ha!). I highly recommend this book for a quick, surprisingly intense read. For the first part of the book, you'll wonder why you're reading this & possibly curse me, but keep going dear friend, because by the end, you'll be singing my praises.
You're welcome!
In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing.
This review is from the School Library Journal, Grade 7 Up (ha!). I highly recommend this book for a quick, surprisingly intense read. For the first part of the book, you'll wonder why you're reading this & possibly curse me, but keep going dear friend, because by the end, you'll be singing my praises.
You're welcome!
P.S. The movie is slated to release in March 2012.
4 comments:
It was hard for me to get into at first, but now that I'm in Part II (the actual Hunger Games) I can't put it down. I forced myself to stop reading last night so that I could get some actual sleep before going to work.
I told you!!
Me, my sister-in-law & my mother-in-law read the series. It's what started me on my young adult kick. There are some seriously good YA books out there.
Kelly: I haven't read a ton of YA. I read the Harry Potter series about a year or so ago & then Twilight, but that's it until this. I'll definitely read the other 2 books in this series, but not sure what else is out there worth reading. What other YA books should I read? And is that okay, haha?
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