Title: The Hunger Games & Catching Fire (Book 1 and 2 of The Hunger Games trilogy)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young Adult and up
Reviewed by: Dorothy
There I was at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston among fellow independent booksellers exactly a year ago, shaking hands with Dennis Lehane, chatting with Irene Pepperberg, laughing at Jeanne Birdsall’s jokes…but the big buzz among the crowd at the weekend convention had nothing to do with the many award-winning authors who were present, and everything to do with a new young adult book called “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.
“I couldn’t stop reading it!” Piped one bookseller. “I stayed up all night to finish it!” Chimed another. “I made sure I got the audio version so I could listen to it on the drive here!” Added a third excitedly. And it went on. Yes, I have heard of Suzanne Collins, most notably for her pre-teen series, The Underland Chronicles; and yes, I knew she has a new book coming out, but I’ll be darn if I knew anything about it. “So……what’s The Hunger Games all about?” I asked sheepishly at the lunch banquet, trying not to sound too much like the only ignorant fool who hadn’t touched what’s apparently the hottest book to surface in a long time. “It’s about a dystopian society where kids are sent to participate in The Hunger Games every year and only one survives!” Offered someone at the table. “Isn’t that Battle Royale?” I asked, trying hard not to roll my eyes at the idea of yet another recycled plot. “Sort of, but not really…” Someone else tried to explain, but I’ve already tuned her out. I set my standards higher than usual when it comes to a rehashed idea, and I wasn’t ready to be convinced. Until Suzanne Collins took to the speaker stand.
Suzanne eloquently spoke of the book and where the idea came about (not from Battle Royale but from picturing gladiators at a coliseum). By the time she was finished, I was willing to give the book a shot. And when I did, boy was I hooked. Stephenie Meyers said: “I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn’t have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it…The Hunger Games is amazing.” That was EXACTLY how I felt.
In the dystopian society of Panem, a shining Capitol is 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. The protagonist is sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who ends up in the games and has to use her wits and will to survive.
Is it a new idea? No. But it’s well written, fast paced, and extremely engaging. Do I care for the hint of romance within the plot? No. But it does its part and not overwhelming enough to turn off an anti-romance novel critic like me. Many parents cringed at the plot when I tried to hand sell the book to their teens, and I had to assure them that it’s not a book of gore.
Here we are, a year later, and “Catching Fire”, book 2 of the trilogy was just released this month with much anticipation. I picked it up with reservation, for fear that the second book will not be able to match the thrill of the first book. I’m happy to report: Oh baby! It was just as good!! If you had been in the store last week, you would have most likely seen me standing at the counter reading, unable to put the book down!
From what I understand, a movie is already in the works. If you or your teen has yet to read this series, don’t wait. As my fellow booksellers knew long before I did: it’s awesome!!!
Dorothy
