Saxton Reads! & Reviews

We invite the public to post reviews to our catalog by logging into our online catalog. Reviews will then be posted to this blog. Comments can be added to existing posts or may be added as separate reviews on our catalog

APRIL 15, 2009

Hunger Games ~ Suzanne Collins

***** mercedes

I absolutely loved this book! It was a great read. The suspense was perfect, the characters engaging, the plot spine-tingling. The basic premise of the Hunger Games is certainly not original - many books, movies, and short stories have been written along the same theme of society/government taking people and setting them in life or death situations as a form of entertainment. There are elements in this story that remind me specifically of the short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell combined with Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery". But even though the literary themes are not unique, the twists that Collins has put on the story are, and very entertaining too. One of the best aspects of this book, for me, was that I actually liked the main character, Katniss. It's been awhile since a teenage girl from the YA books I've recently read has appealed to me as much as Katniss does. She's practical, clear-headed, and self-reliant. So much better than the overly emotional, sentimental, wishy-washy girls I've read in other books. Katniss certainly has her problems but I can understand them, relate, and sympathize. My only disappointment is that this is the first book in a series - not a bad thing in itself, really - but I'm not looking forward to waiting several months to find out what happens next! Definitely worth the time it takes to read this book (which only took me several hours since I couldn't put it down!).

Add a Comment

Enter your comment below, then click Submit.

Nickname: (displays with your comment)

Comment:

Enter the letters you see on the left:

-------------------------------------------------------

Comments

bas bleu said, on Apr. 18 at 9:23AM
I'm always looking for good YA books to recommend to my students, and this definitely sounds like one! I put my name on the reserve list for it and will be reading it myself. I'll get back to you when I've finished to let you know my thoughts...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bas bleu said, on May. 24 at 6:06AM
I just finished reading Hunger Games and loved it! Now I am eagerly anticipating the sequels. Coincidentally, I received the May issue of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy this week, and it contained a review of the book as well as an interview with the author. Suzanne Collins stated that the inspiration for Hunger Games came from several sources: the story of Theseus, mythical king of Athens; the movie Spartacus; and reality TV shows. She talks about each of these in detail. The interview is quite illuminating and adds another layer to one's enjoyment of the book. If you would like, I can leave a copy at the library's front desk.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CarolK said, on Jul. 9 at 6:12AM
Had to see what all the hype was about so decided to read Hunger Games this week. I was totally enthralled. I truly did not expect to like this as much as I did. Hunger Games has great appeal for both young adults and adults. I would love to attend a cross-generational discussion of this book. Mercedes did a fine job of reviewing Hunger Games and I don't think I could add much except to say that the story gave me lots to think about. Young love, manipulation from many sources, what cost survival, rules, hunger, choices, responsibility, and more are explored here. And if characters are what appeal to you most in a book, you can't go wrong with Hunger Games. Katniss is a superior, well thought out character and the supporting cast is interesting too. Her quest became my quest. I'll definetly be recommending this one to all looking for something new and fresh to read. Put me down for Catching Fire, book 2 in the saga.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CarolK said, on Jul. 12 at 4:08PM
Bas Bleu mentions this aritcle in the May issue of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy which contains a review of the book as well as an interview with the author. You can read the interview by using the General Reference Gold database at www.iconn.org. The review and interview with Suzanne Collins are very interesting. Thanks Bas Bleu!