written by
Suzanne Collins
rated
8 / 10
best for ages
11+
Although they may not be the best books of all time, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay are skillfully crafted pieces of work that keep readers on their toes throughout the thrilling read. I trust most of you’ve heard of the story. We follow Katniss Everdeen in a dystopian nation where randomly selected teenagers from twelve districts are forced to compete in a game. An annual, streamed game in which they try to brutally murder each other until there is only one tribute left. Sixteen-year-old Katniss is thrown into this gruesome pageant prepared to die, but as the battle lengthens, she must make a series of decisions that will forever change her life.
And that’s just the first book. Delving deeper into the trilogy, Katniss will be further challenged with obstacles rivaling the first, all of which take on their own twists. Personally, I’d say that Catching Fire, the second installment, is the greatest of them all, amping up the excitement of the first book but showing off its own distinguishing and fresh features. Unfortunately, the third book drags the entire series down quite a few notches with its overly rushed and messy plot and unsatisfying ending, providing a stark contrast with the brilliance of the second book. It’s as if Collins had been perfectly controlling the reins of her story until suddenly, in the end, she lets go and allows the horse to run wild, rampaging the perfectly golden field that she had built.
Nonetheless, if you’re a fan of science fiction or tightly-paced action (similar trilogies include Divergent and The Maze Runner, both of which I will review in the future), I trust that you’ll enjoy this series. It’s filled with pleasant surprises and new horrors around every corner, despite the let-down at the end. It’s also sprinkled with a nice, balanced touch of romance that contributes to the intensity of the plot if that’s a flavor to your liking. But it’s not one of my absolute favorites due to the third book as well as a bit of a lack of originality. After all, there are a lot of these sci-series out there. However, I still consider The Hunger Games a trilogy in my top five series thus far, or at least my top ten. It’s worth a read if you want to take a break from all those deep classics and have a good, hair-rising read and immerse yourself in another world, especially since you can speed through them efficiently fast due to their suspenseful plots. But there are also some pretty graphic scenes in the book, especially the first one, if I recall correctly, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it for anybody younger than eleven (which is around the age at which I read it).
In the end, I may forget all the details of the series, and it may not be the best of the best, but The Hunger Games has left a lasting imprint in my heart and continues to do in its avid fans. You never know if you’ll like it, but I’d recommend checking it out. At least, you should enjoy the first book but stop at the end of the second. I would have preferred to imagine my own ending.
Go on. Explore its world, and have fun.
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