Hunger Games Review

My thoughts on this popular series

Earlier this year I decided to read one of the many popular series I had seen floating around. The Hunger Games.

RATING:

HUNGER GAMES 4.5,

“In what was once North America, the Capitol of Panem maintains its hold on its 12 districts by forcing them each to select a boy and a girl, called Tributes, to compete in a nationally televised event called the Hunger Games. Every citizen must watch as the youths fight to the death until only one remains. District 12 Tribute Katniss Everdeen has little to rely on, other than her hunting skills and sharp instincts, in an arena where she must weigh survival against love.”

CATCHING FIRE 4.4,

“After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta return to their district, hoping for a peaceful future. But their victory has caused rebellion to break out … and the Capitol has decided that someone must pay.”

MOCKINGJAY 3.2,

“Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding”

BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES 2.9

“It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.”

SUNRISE ON THE REAPING TBD,

“As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.”

BREAK DOWN:

Obviously if you are looking for a low-violence series you need to look elsewhere. The government shoves twenty-four kids, ages 12-17, into an arena with one order: kill; and one suggestion: survive. Therefore there are a ton of instances of death, blood, beatings, weapons, etc. as each fights to be the one to return home.

MY TAKE:

As you can see, in my opinion, as the series went on it deteriorated. With the first two books I could see why it was such a popular series but the third book really went off rails.

From a writer's perspective I adored the way she depicted Katniss' growing depression. Yet as a reader everything was hazy, off-paced, and confusing. It was from the MC’s POV and so it made sense for her to write it in this way but for me, it was a long and honestly boring read for the first half of the book.

The first prequel, the Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes, showed us a little deeper into the beginnings of President Snow. I had gone into it thinking I would feel something for him afterwards. Pity, compassion, understanding. Instead I just started hating him even more. Even before Lucy Gray ‘broke his heart’ he had this power hungry, controlling air around him. He acted as an entirely different person when he hung out with Lucy Gray or any of her other relatives. He spent twenty minutes in the arena and never again wanted to go back but then spent the next sixty-five years throwing in others.

Another book I read recently afterwards actually reminds me a lot about this. It jumped POV’s and so half the time I was reading about dark and power hungry corruption that had infected the MC. I was not a fan of this. All their reasons for why they wanted power were stupid and made no sense. I felt the same way about Snow though this might be very controversial. XD

One of my favorite parts about this series is Peeta. His determination to be himself and not some puppet in the capitols show. In his first Hunger Games he finishes off an already wounded tribute in hopes of ending her suffering and, on accident, indirectly kills Foxface with poisonous berries. Yet other than that he never once killed a tribute to win the 74th games.

Throughout the original trilogy, the readers are following the tug of war love triangle between Peeta, Katniss and Gale. Personally I hated it. Well, I hated Gale. He always seemed to be in the way and in my eyes, a walking red flag. As soon as he said that shooting animals and people were the same thing he completely lost any support from me. If any of you have read Maze Runner it’s kinda the same thing. Gale/Wicked are doing the wrong thing for the right reason. They have a goal in mind and will do anything to achieve, even killing the innocent.

I have yet to read Sunrise on the Reaping (STOR). I am having the worst luck EVER with this book! March 18th rolls around, I get an email from Goodreads, “Sunrise on the Reaping out!”. I make my way over to the library site, place it on hold and BOOM! 3rd in line. A little while I glance back at the hold and the book is in transit! YES! Week later…still in transit. It shouldn’t take this long. Next thing I know it disappears completely from my holds list. EXCUSE ME! We call the library and they have to put me back on the list…now I am 53rd in line… it’s okay…it’s okay…I check again and BOOM 57th, then 60th and then back to 53rd and at the moment 48th in line. How I got pushed back so much I don’t even know. My speculation is that SOMEONE has VIP access and I want it now.

That’s not all, I went to Barnes and Noble with my grandma a couple days after my birthday and after finding out the book was outta stock told me that she would get it for when she got the chance. Last Saturday I again went to Barnes and Noble with some friends and there it was in all its shining glory. I quickly sent a message to my grandma about the progress she was making with the book and if it would just be easier for me to buy it now and her give me money later. Turns out she got it that morning. So so close and yet miles away. It’s okay guys, just one more week…just one more week…

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE:

I know this series can be pretty controversial when it comes to the Christian community. Just the violence itself is an entire topic. As human beings we are influenced by what we see, hear, read, watch, and witness. So if we are flooding our brains with violence we can easily be affected by it. Gosh, the entire concept of the book is about children killing other children.

Personally I believe that the violence aspect, in this case, is a good reminder. While some books and movies will glorify the violence, such as President Snow does, Collins has her characters fight against it. Showing that Hope can rise from even the darkest of places. It shows how we can stand up and resist the hold of our world, to do and say what we know to be true. Katniss sacrificed herself for her sister, showing what true love is. Not a feeling but an action. Sacrificing our own comforts or even life for someone else just as Jesus Christ did.

In one point of the book, a character is tortured to the point of no return. They’ve lost their true self and are now only a shell of who they once were. And yet, that light starts to return, though I don’t believe they truly will ever be their self again, when love pops its head out.

Whether you decide to read this series or not is entirely up to you and your beliefs as well as what you feel comfortable with, but if you do, focus on the aspects that bring hope and the everlasting truth that Love Conquers All.

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I hope yall enjoyed! It is definitely longer then the usual ones I post but there was just so much to say. XD

~Ali