Starving for a Great Read?

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I love reading. No, seriously, I LOVE reading. I gobble up books like I'm starving for the words printed within. Even with my enormous love for books, few authors write stories that kidnap my imagination as well as Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games trilogy.  After several people suggested I read the first book in this trilogy, I downloaded it to my Kindle.  Within a week, a very busy week, I consumed all three books.  I couldn't stay away from Collins' amazing world.

Unlike young adult series in the vein of Twilight, Collins created a compelling, horrifying modern world with ancient Rome overtones.  Imagine The Lord of the Flies meets Survivor and losing carries the same penalty combatants faced in the ancient coliseum. You can't help but turn the pages.  Thank goodness, all three books existed before I ever began the series! Don't be surprised if The Hunger Games becomes required reading for students in the years to come.  I'm dying for a book discussion group to select this story.  I'll be there if at all possible!

Hollywood releases the movie, The Hunger Games, on March 23.  I can't wait.  I won't be in line at midnight because that's not my thing, but I will see this movie by the end of that weekend.  I just hope that Hollywood does Collins' creation justice.  If not, you'll probably read about it in this blog, later.

Haven't read The Hunger Games?  Do so!  Before you see the movie.  If you have read the books, I'd love to hear what you thought about the books.

Comments

Henry said…
Well, dear sister, I made the mistake of "reading" The Hunger Games when it was the only book in the series. I put scare quotes around the word reading because I actually downloaded each of the books from Audible.com (my absolute favorite commercial site on the web).

I thought The Hunger Games was brilliant, Catching Fire was excellent, and Mockingjay was very good. I believe the problem was that Collins scored big by thrusting Katniss into a horrible situation in the first book and found herself forced to thrust Katniss into increasingly horrible situations in each subsequent book. And, unfortunately, the worse the situation Katniss was thrust into, the less I liked Katniss as a character. My wife not only felt the same way, she had only minimal interest in finishing Mockingjay by the time it came out.

I'm intrigued by the movie but wonder how it will play out. It's one thing to read about a 10 year old girl being stabbed with a spear, it's another to see it large as life, complete with all of the blood missing from the scene in the book. I suspect the movie will do well, but I also suspect many people who loved the book will be disturbed by the movie.
March 14, 2012 at 7:53 AM
Valerie Keiser Norris said…
I MUST read this trilogy. Half the people I know have read it and rave about it. I know I'm usually late to the party and this is no exception, but that's it, I'm going to read The Hunger Games!
March 14, 2012 at 8:34 AM
Carole St-Laurent said…
My daughter keeps telling me I need to read the series. I guess I'll have do it quick!
March 14, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Barbara V. Evers said…
Henry, I was ticked at first with the second book because the events were so unfair, but then I realized it could go no other way. There still was a story to tell and to tell it, you have to create conflict.

In the third book, I loved how Collins developed the various personalities and characters, demonstrating how a hero is never a hero in their own world. She demonstrated the ugly side of human nature brilliantly.

Did Katniss get on my nerves? Sure, but we're talking about a young adult novel, so you have to have that teenage self-centeredness and agnst for the intended audience to relate to.
March 14, 2012 at 4:51 PM
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