Reviews

The Hunger Games is a trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins and oriented towards young adults. The whole trilogy is very readable and very engaging. The story follows Katniss Everdeen, a teenager living far in the future in a post-global warming world. The former United States has become a group of twelve districts controlled by the authoritarian Capitol. The Capitol, in a show of their control, forces each of districts to offer up two "tributes" each year. The tributes are children who are forced to compete in a battle to the death where the victor's district is awarded with extra food rations for the coming year.

The premise is very interesting and helped along because everything from the situation to the characters are very believable. At times, the lead character is very angsty, but never annoying. The other characters are likewise fascinating and believable and it's easy to find yourself cheering for them.

My only complaint with the books is that at times the story is very predictable. While you might not be able to guess the specifics, the plot arc isn't at all surprising; with the exception of the very end, you can probably guess how the whole series will conclude after the first chapter of the first book. The other slightly odd thing is the level of thought that goes in to the various methods that the Capitol tries to use to kill people. In many ways it feels like the author was also responsible for Saw or The Cube series of movies with her sometimes sadistic and graphic means of murder.

Despite the minor nit-picks, The Hunger Games is a wonderful series and I read the entire three books in little more than a weekend. If you're looking for a fun and thought-provoking read, put this one on your list.