Book Review: The Hunger Games

NOTE: SPOILERS POSSIBLE

So with The Hunger Games coming out tonight/tomorrow if you haven't read the book, I only ask why the hell not?!? I for one must hand it to Mrs. Collins, who delivered an epic tale geared towards a young adult audience yet made it quite adult all at the same time. Unlike the Twilight Saga (which was a saga just to finish an individual page) Collins was able to capture the essence of a young 16 year old girl written from first person point of view, and not make them completely annoying.

Katniss was a girl who was relate-able, love-able, caring, and still very independent. Peeta captures the hearts of girls everywhere all while giving us gentlemen that painful reminder of what it can be like to be head over heels for a girl, who might not even know you exist. Gale is that guy who all men have been at least once, and put hard into the "friend zone" yet is he more than a friend? Even people with no siblings (myself included) will feel heart torn for Prim as she watches her sister volunteer for certain death just to protect her.

Characters like Cinna provide a very unique look into a world that is surrounded by child mayhem and murder. He gives us an insight that not all who live in the Capitol are heinous evil people who take pride in children fighting to the death. President Snow gives us a chilling feeling of watching a love-able Hitler rule with an iron fist. The prep-team are there more for comic relief than anything else, yet it is comedy that we all know isn't that funny. They are ignorant upper-class citizens who worry about cake while children starve to death in the slums. Mysterious doesn't begin to describe Haymitch. He is one character that is extremely vile and easy to hate, yet without him you wouldn't be alive yourself. He is the definition of a Hunger Games anti-hero.

The relationship between these characters and the reader gives you an insight into the world of the future where America is no more, Panem is the new nation, and slums exist as prisons. The Hunger Games is a book where no hostages are taken, you will probably want to cry, and at other times be overcome with a blood lust that you won't be able to contain it. This book is an excellent beginning to an excellent series. If I were to warn you about anything it would be starting it will lead to speed reading and the hunger to read on through the trilogy. At this point I only hope the movie will keep faithful enough to the book where I won't want to hurl a spear through the screen impaling those who blasphemed this work of art. I hope you all enjoy both, and if you didn't read it yet...what are you waiting for?