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2009 Recommended books YA

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

I bought this book about ten seconds after I finished reading Semicolon’s review for it, and I’m really glad I did, as I think this is my favourite book of the year so far.

The Hunger Games is an annual televised event in which twenty-four children fight-to-the-death. Two children from each of the twelve regions of Panem, a new land created from the ruins of post-apocalyptic North America, are randomly selected to take part.

This sounds like a scary, violent book, and if I’d have thought about it too much I may not have bought it. I admit that when I was reading the first chapter I was worried about the kind of book I’d started, and wondered how on earth it could be suitable for eleven-year-olds (the age suggested on the back cover). I didn’t have to worry, although the children do fight to the death, it isn’t graphic, and in a strange way you are hoping that each of them die, so that the narrator, Katniss, can survive.

Many important issues are raised in the book, including poverty, war, the misuse of power and the evolution of reality television – for this reason I think it would be great for reading groups.

The book is perfectly paced; the plot drives the book on so well that I didn’t want to put it down, but at no point was it going so fast that I was skimming sections. The characters are well thought out, and although survival is a large part of the book, I think the main theme is love. Katniss’s confusion over who she truly loves is very touching. I enjoyed this book so much that I have already pre-ordered the second book in the trilogy, which is released in September.

I can’t fault it. Highly recommended.

21 replies on “The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins”

Hmmmm sounds interesting this, I havent heard of it but may think about reading it after your rav review. The only thing is the TBR is soooo big maybe once have read a few more first. I am trying an unhealthy book buying ban!

im 13 yo. i have read this book and it is one of the most awesome book ever
i highly recommend it to everyone so is ( catching fire ) part 2 of the hunger games

Somehow I missed Semicolon’s review, but I’m glad I caught yours. Sounds interesting — and it’s not a book I would have picked up on my own. Now that I’ve read your review, I may well give it a shot.

No, not one I’d have picked up either. I will keep it mind, for myself and my daughter, who is always looking for interesting reads (once she gets through the Cornelia Funke series).

Wow, pretty high praise. Interesting premise – children fighting to the death.

Thanks for your help on my blog today. I had a problem I wasn’t even aware of. It’s fixed now.

I did read this, but didn’t enjoy it as much as you!
I felt like it seemed very much like Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083, by Andrea White (which felt very much like Survivor, or the Running Man). I just can’t get that excited about the idea. I did like Katniss, but it just felt a little predictable to me.

Lexi – thanks for your comments, I haven’t read either of the other books you mention, so this was a reasonably oringinal concept for me. Perhaps, if I’d already read several books on the subject then I wouldn’t be a keen on it as I am.

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