In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games ...
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Yes. I finally whittled my TBR list down to what might be the hottest thing since Harry Potter. And I liked it!
There was action, a neat and scary futuristic setting and intense moments that came as a complete surprise. And having never heard about or seen the movie, I was surprised by the ending. I thought the whole trilogy was this game. This first book, however, has great standalone appeal and characters that I route for.
Having said that, and that I liked it, is it wrong that I don't quite get the hype for this novel? Meaning to say I'm not regretting reading this sooner or not seeing the film in theaters. The first line didn't exactly win me (it bugs me when us writers are told never to start with characters waking up, and poof, there it is!), but the cat, the way the narrative described it, drew me in.
Thanks, cat. You're a book saver.
And I got hungry every time I read "Peeta."
While I still find The Giver to be my favorite Dystopian novel, The Hunger Games is certainly a good one and it's right up there with other recent Dystopians like Possession and Matched. Now to Catch me some Fire!
Have you read The Hunger Games? Did you like it? Was the movie awesome? Did you like the ending?
I'm David, and why am I so hungry?
I read the HG before it was the "next big thing" and I loved it. But I really think too much hype can ruin a book. If you read with no expectations then you can be pleasantly surprised. But if everyone tells you this book will change your life it never does. I try and not hype books to my friends :)
ReplyDeleteI was hooked when I read it, and I loved the hype but that was in my pre-writer days. More and more I'm finding that I look at a book for face value rather than the next big thing. Being a writer ruins the magic a little :)
ReplyDeleteI agree about the hype. I just read this book, too, and I'm sure I would've liked it better if I hadn't been led to believe it was the most amazing fabulous book ever. It was good, yes, very good, and I loved the twisty game and its end but I am much more involved in my current read, book three of The First Law Trilogy, and I am going to be very sad when it's over!
ReplyDeleteI read it just as the hype was starting on a recommendation from a friend that was basically, "Oh yeah, this is pretty good, you might like it." Blew through the first two books, then whined like a six-year-old until the third came out (which was about a month later). I was happy when it started to get really big because I felt like it deserved it. I don't think it's the greatest book ever written or anything, but it was engaging and it spurned several long debates between my friends and me. I loved the movie too, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the first couple books but didn't like how it ended. They are extremely easy to read through quickly, though. I haven't seen the movie yet.
ReplyDeleteAllison (Geek Banter)
I think the first book is well constructed and has lots of good (if familiar) ideas in it, and some rather far out ones (mutant people-dogs?!!?). However, will be interested to see how you react to the other two books in the series which I think don't maintain the same standards.
ReplyDeletemood
I read the series a while ago, and I really enjoyed the first book. The other two, however, I have difficulty remembering well.
ReplyDeleteI read all the books and loved them. It was fun, easy and effortless as a read. Not the next great epic literary novel, but I like to read for entertainment value, and I was completely entertained:)
ReplyDeleteOh - and the video gave me a laugh, thank you!
ReplyDeleteBig fan of the Hunger Games but, like Mooderino, felt the next two (particularly the last) didn't quite live up to the first. They're all great reads, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't think "The Hunger Games" is bigger than "Fifty Shades of Grey" which is shattering records. "Fifty" is the first book to break 20 million in only three months of its release. It's on track to dethrone "Twilight". I agree it's extremely popular, but I think as far as sales go, "Fifty" is probably the next "Harry Potter".
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the hunger games. I did enjoy the other books in the series. I think they follow the story and the characters well and I think they are well done. Many people don't like them because they aren't recreations of the first book. The characters do grow and change, but who wouldn't after being in something like that. The movie was passable but that was all. Just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteI haven't even seen the movie yet!
ReplyDeleteI liked the series and thought the movie was good. Book two is my favorite because I think the writing is the strongest in that one.
ReplyDeleteI'll be sending my query over soon :) Thanks again!
Whew. We can officially stay friends! If you didn't like this, I might actually have to reconsider ;) JK! I love this trilogy! Enjoy the next one! It's definitely as good as the first!
ReplyDeleteI read all three books and loved the first (I think this was my first dystopian novel), liked the second and was sorely disappointed by second half of the third, but I won't spoil it for you. I thought the movie was a good adaptation but then there is rarely the depth of character in a movie that one experiences in a book. But, perhaps I'm just being picky. :)
ReplyDeleteA2Z Mommy and What’s In Between
Haven't seen the movie. Haven't read the books.
ReplyDeleteIt's like Harry Potter all over again.
I read the Hunger Games trilogy before the hype and I agree that hype can really hurt a book.
ReplyDeleteI loved the movie, even if they changed a lot of things from the book itself.
I hadn't seen "How The Hunger Games Should Have Ended" though so thanks for that. It was great.
Finally, someone who feels the same way as I do about that series. It's okay, but it was never a novel I couldn't put down. Haven't seen the movie yet and will wait until it's on demand.
ReplyDeleteI have read it, and it was okay. I have to say the movie is really good. I think it surpasses the book. Of the trilogy, the first is the best one in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI read the Hunger Games before it was huge and I loved it! Except the last book in the trilogy was a little disappointing. Looking forward to your thoughts on that when you get to it :D
ReplyDeleteI really liked the series, though wasn't so in love with book 3. Suzanne wrote the Gregor the Overlander series first about a boy who finds an under the earth world that includes people and big talking bugs. I'm not sure why but I really liked that series and it's how I learned of Suzanne.
ReplyDeleteBack from Alaska, wondering how I could ever miss the obvious name for a baker's son. I didn't like the graphic violence, but otherwise liked the books until the end of the third where Katniss betrayed her character just so the author could make her anti-war message stronger.
ReplyDeleteI got hooked by the description of that cat, too. Atmosphere and tone are important (wish all the propel-the-plot-forward-at-all-costs critters would learn that). It's nice you enjoyed the book. I've heard good things about Divurgent, too. Maybe you'd like that. :-)
ReplyDeleteI read it and loved it, but The Giver is still my favorite dystopian too.
ReplyDeleteI liked the first one a lot. The second was good too. Didn't like the third one at all but I don't want to say why and spoil it for you :)
ReplyDeleteI really liked The Hunger Games, though the 3rd one was a little hard for me since it was more political in parts. The Giver is totally my favorite dystopian too! It's a wonderful book. I'm reading "Matched" right now, but I can't get into it because it is too similar to The Giver and it annoys me. Oh well! Glad you liked Hunger Games!
ReplyDeleteVery cool video and thanks for sharing. I read and very much liked Hunger Games but have yet to read the other two installments.
ReplyDeleteI read HG, and despite the fact it made me cry, I did like it but not enough to read the rest in the series. And I LOL at the video clip.
ReplyDeleteYeah...I just saw in in theaters with my Young Man. Maybe I'll get around to reading it eventually, but there's lots of other stuff that's higher on my reading list. And I thought they were calling him "Peter" the entire freakin' movie. I was all "Why are they all saying Peter with such insane British accents?"
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