Book Review: The Hunger Games

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzane Collins.

The Hunger Games and I did not start off well and we did not finish well,but it was fun while it lasted.

My sister in law first told me about this book and while her description was intriguing, I didn’t think I had the wherewithal to dive into a book riddled with post-apocalyptic angst. Then Ger got a copy for Christmas, and summarily polished it off and the sequel in about two days. It was lying around when I picked it up, willing to give it a shot because I like girl power especially when it comes armed with a bow and arrow. Plus Ger and the dog were curled up on the couch. However, I almost gave up on page 2 when I read the following passage:

“I swing my legs off the side and slide into my hunting boots. […] …I pull on trousers…”

Who puts on shoes before pants? Is this some hack writer getting away with slopping writing because it’s for children and young adults? I HATE that. Matthew has a book using the Dr. Seuss brand called “Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You?” and there is a passage in it that reads, “Lightening goes ‘SPLAAAAAATTTTT’ and it’s very very hard to make a noise like that.” I always skip this page because in my head I’m screaming: “The sound lightening makes is THUNDER.” In short, I don’t think children’s literature is the place to get all lazy with your writing (that’s what blogs are for) and Ms. Collins had my panties all in a bunch by page two.

But somehow between page 3 and 4 her writing was like slipping me the equivalent of a tall green tea soy latte with extra foam and before I knew it I was curled up happily with husband and puppy racing along with Katniss and her bow. I even tried to imagine a post-apocalyptic world where putting shoes on before pants was some sort of survival necessity (maybe the pants were all snap away on the sides or something). I really wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt because I was enjoyingt he ride so much.

Like a latte, though the high eventually wears off and you wish maybe you had a more sensible lunch instead. This happened by the last 1/3 of the book. Suzanne Collins is no George Orwell. Granted Ms. Collins is writing for grades 7 and up, so that lets her a little bit off the hook on the deepness factor. Still that’s no excuse for passing of what is really a treatment for a movie as young adult novel. Actually what she wrote was a treatment for the first installment in a movie franchise, which somehow made me feel worse. I was so disappointed that I actually tossed the book across the room when I was done, something I’ve only done one other time in my reading history (Waiting, by Ha Jin). I felt had, because I fell for the ride and even though I was warned (shoes before pants, what did I expect?) and was ashamed of it. Still though, I started reading the second book in the series. Just because green tea soy lattes have no nutritional value, doesn’t mean they aren’t addicting.