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A review by ikuo1000
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3.0
*** Warning: This review contains spoilers!!! ***
Okay, okay, I have to admit, I went into this book with a bias against it. I already knew the premise, and I just didn't think it was appropriate for middle schoolers to be reading about kids killing kids. (Amazon lists the book as being for ages 12 and up.) Once I started reading, though, I saw right away that the killings weren't actually a real focus of the book, so I lightened up. There are explicit descriptions of killings, but they are brief and infrequent, so I guess I can get over it. But, I still don't like the premise, and I still don't think it's appropriate for middle schoolers. Maybe it's okay for high schoolers.
I do like the idea of parents reading this book along with their kids and having discussions about the bigger themes. When a society is made up of haves and have-nots, how does that affect the attitudes of the people within those populations? What does it say about the range of humanity that in some districts, being chosen as a tribute is feared, but in others, it's an honor? Though the premise of the book involves killings, how does the book actually turn attention to positive human emotions like compassion and loyalty?
The examples of compassion and loyalty were really my favorite parts of the book. I even teared up when District 11 sent a gesture of thanks for Katniss's kindness towards Rue. I really liked Peeta's devotion to Katniss - even though, once they teamed up, Peeta only seemed to weigh Katniss down.
I liked that the book was easy to read; the literary voice of the teenage girl was convincing. As a reader, I got a pretty good understanding of her confusing emotions regarding Gale and Peeta. But, with Katniss narrating, it seemed like there were only a limited number of possible outcomes, and I wonder if a third-person narration would have been more effective. And, after a while, her dense inability to see Peeta's true feelings got kind of annoying.
One thing that really kept bothering me as the book progressed was that even though the author chose to use this controversial premise of kids killing kids, she actually side-stepped all the difficult issues. Once the Hunger Games actually started, it was one cop-out after another: Katniss kills a boy basically in self-defense, after he kills Rue; Peeta accidentally causes the death of Foxface; both Katniss and Peeta "finish off" a dying competitor, presumably putting them out of their misery more than anything else; Cato kills Thresh so they don't have to. Conveniently, neither Katniss nor Peeta ever had to kill anyone in cold blood. Katniss wasn't even ever in a position to face that question head-on. Not that I would necessarily WANT them to be in that position, but for a book based on the premise of kids killing kids, I think it would have been worth exploring the difficult questions of whether or not Katniss or Peeta could have actually brought themselves to kill someone for the sake of killing, or what the psychological aftermath would have been if they did.
Another thing that really threw me off was the arrival of the mutts at the lake. Where did that come from?! The book suddenly had a weird horror element. The idea of the fallen tributes being turned into monsters - rather than their bodies being sent home to their families - was truly horrifying. It seemed even to go beyond the level of inhumanity previously attributed to the Capitol. I just didn't see the point of that twist. Why not use killer wolf-like mutts without the human connection? Is the author setting the groundwork for something in one of the sequels?
One more thing - I was a little annoyed that the significance of the mocking-jay pin was never revealed. Why was Madge SO insistent that Katniss wear it into the arena? I can only hope it's revealed in a sequel.
Given that the book ended on a clear cliff-hanger, I will be putting the next book in the series on my to-read list. I admit, I'm dying to find out what happens between Katniss and Gale.
Overall, despite my misgivings about the premise, it was entertaining, and it was easy reading - like eating popcorn, Ken says - but I think it ultimately fell short of its potential.
Okay, okay, I have to admit, I went into this book with a bias against it. I already knew the premise, and I just didn't think it was appropriate for middle schoolers to be reading about kids killing kids. (Amazon lists the book as being for ages 12 and up.) Once I started reading, though, I saw right away that the killings weren't actually a real focus of the book, so I lightened up. There are explicit descriptions of killings, but they are brief and infrequent, so I guess I can get over it. But, I still don't like the premise, and I still don't think it's appropriate for middle schoolers. Maybe it's okay for high schoolers.
I do like the idea of parents reading this book along with their kids and having discussions about the bigger themes. When a society is made up of haves and have-nots, how does that affect the attitudes of the people within those populations? What does it say about the range of humanity that in some districts, being chosen as a tribute is feared, but in others, it's an honor? Though the premise of the book involves killings, how does the book actually turn attention to positive human emotions like compassion and loyalty?
The examples of compassion and loyalty were really my favorite parts of the book. I even teared up when District 11 sent a gesture of thanks for Katniss's kindness towards Rue. I really liked Peeta's devotion to Katniss - even though, once they teamed up, Peeta only seemed to weigh Katniss down.
I liked that the book was easy to read; the literary voice of the teenage girl was convincing. As a reader, I got a pretty good understanding of her confusing emotions regarding Gale and Peeta. But, with Katniss narrating, it seemed like there were only a limited number of possible outcomes, and I wonder if a third-person narration would have been more effective. And, after a while, her dense inability to see Peeta's true feelings got kind of annoying.
One thing that really kept bothering me as the book progressed was that even though the author chose to use this controversial premise of kids killing kids, she actually side-stepped all the difficult issues. Once the Hunger Games actually started, it was one cop-out after another: Katniss kills a boy basically in self-defense, after he kills Rue; Peeta accidentally causes the death of Foxface; both Katniss and Peeta "finish off" a dying competitor, presumably putting them out of their misery more than anything else; Cato kills Thresh so they don't have to. Conveniently, neither Katniss nor Peeta ever had to kill anyone in cold blood. Katniss wasn't even ever in a position to face that question head-on. Not that I would necessarily WANT them to be in that position, but for a book based on the premise of kids killing kids, I think it would have been worth exploring the difficult questions of whether or not Katniss or Peeta could have actually brought themselves to kill someone for the sake of killing, or what the psychological aftermath would have been if they did.
Another thing that really threw me off was the arrival of the mutts at the lake. Where did that come from?! The book suddenly had a weird horror element. The idea of the fallen tributes being turned into monsters - rather than their bodies being sent home to their families - was truly horrifying. It seemed even to go beyond the level of inhumanity previously attributed to the Capitol. I just didn't see the point of that twist. Why not use killer wolf-like mutts without the human connection? Is the author setting the groundwork for something in one of the sequels?
One more thing - I was a little annoyed that the significance of the mocking-jay pin was never revealed. Why was Madge SO insistent that Katniss wear it into the arena? I can only hope it's revealed in a sequel.
Given that the book ended on a clear cliff-hanger, I will be putting the next book in the series on my to-read list. I admit, I'm dying to find out what happens between Katniss and Gale.
Overall, despite my misgivings about the premise, it was entertaining, and it was easy reading - like eating popcorn, Ken says - but I think it ultimately fell short of its potential.