Recommended Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 542 KB
- Print Length: 454 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1407109084
- Publisher: Scholastic Fiction; 1 edition (3 May 2011)
- Sold by: Amazon UK
- Language English
Overview (courtesy of Amazon)
A fight to the death – on live TV. The game show where you kill or die, and where the winner’s prize is survival. In District 12, where Katniss Everdeen lives, life is harsh and brutal, ruled from afar by the all-powerful leaders of the Capitol. The climax of each year is the savage Hunger Games – where twelve boys and twelve girls from each District face each other in a murderous showdown. When sixteen-year-old Katniss is chosen to represent her district in the Games, everyone thinks it’s a death sentence. Only one person can survive the horrors of the arena. But plucky Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature…
My Rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)
My Review
What can you say about this book?
There have been countless reviews and praise and it has even been made into a film. When a few people suggested this for the Eclectic Reading challenge I decided I would read it and immediately turned away from reading reviews of the book or film. I didn’t read the blurb on Amazon and I ignored EVERY post that has had The Hunger Games in the title (sorry).
I wanted to read it with an open mind. And I was NOT disappointed.
It is one of those stories that I had to keep reading. I’m surprised that I felt that way about a book aimed at young adults. I’m far removed from young. Young x2 would be more appropriate in fact you could stretch to young x3.
The story is an interesting premise and at times I got waves of Logan’s Run (remember that film and tv series?). It makes me appreciate my circumstances in the world I live in and feel guilt over people who have to fight for food each day. Though at least they don’t have to do that in this arena.
My prejudice at reading the YA genre has been laid to rest and I won’t be so blinkered in deciding what books to read in the future. This eclectic reading challenge has been an eye-opener and I still have some interesting genres to tick off the list.
Within an hour of finishing The Hunger Games I had already downloaded book two of the trilogy. I think that speaks volumes.
This is the sixth book I have read for the Eclectic Reading Challenge 2012. This is the book for the Young Adult category.
Filed under: E-Book, Reading, Recommended Books | 26 Comments
Tags: Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, Reading, Suzanne Collins, Young-adult fiction
Hello and welcome to my blog!
My name is Pete and I decided to start blogging to track my progress as a writer. I recently completed a Diploma in Creative Writing and it's spurred me on to get my work published.
I write short stories, Flash Fiction and some scripts. My main focus at the moment is a Crime Fiction novel. More on that as we go on.
I hope you enjoy.
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Pete, I like book reviews, particularly of books I wouldn’t normally read. I quite like younf adult books, and recently read My Sister Lives On The Mantlepiece (Annabel Pitcher), and have The Messenger (Markus Zusak) in my pile, plus I love Isobelle Carmody’s Little Fur series (maybe younger reader rather than young adult) as they have a humour about them I can relate to. I’ll put the Hunger Games on m list – thanks.
Thanks, EllaDee. If you read it I hope you like it. I was a bit snobbish towards the genre, but I have changed my mind. I’m really looking forward to finishing the book I’m reading so I can read the second book of the trilogy.
I found the Hunger games a page turner too. Or as I call books I read on my kindle – Page presser.
Hahaha, yes the old next page clicky doesn’t quite have the right ring to it.
LOL we need a better word
yep, Hunger Games is so much better than you’d expect, right? I was very pleasantly surprised. Read it in February, immediately ordered second book, but have only just started reading it. I had to go away and read something wholesome after the first one to cleanse my palate!
Thanks, Emma. I agree about cleansing the old brain before reading the next book. I have nearly finished a horror book and then book two awaits.
Finished the second one last night, and have ordered the third. It’s very cliff hangy, so there’ll be no two month delay this time! It’s one of those annoying situations where I could have bought it for kindle and started reading it right away, but there was no price difference between kindle and paperback (that *so* annoys me), and it’s the kind of thing I’d like to lend to people, so I’ve plumped for the paperback and a few days delay… grr
I’ve started reading the second one and I looked on Amazon and it was only £1.79. It’s all about timing!
Dagnabbit!! I haven’t even received my £3.99 paperback yet! Grrrr
Pete, wonderful review. I hesitated to read this book too. Not because I don’t read YA ( I write it so I read tons of YA), but I’m not a dystopian fan. If only someone would have said it’s about a girl who risks her life to save her your sister. That I could have gotten onboard with much earlier.
If you ever want to read some great YA check out Jay Asher’s 13 Reasons Why or A.S. King’s Dust of 100 Dogs. Very cross-over YA.
Thanks for the suggestions, Kourtney. I will investigate. I agree that sometimes you need to break the story down to the absolute basics to show the appeal.
I wasn’t sure that I would like it but I did (I was, unfortunately, told about a lot of the first book so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have). I want to read the second one soon.
Thanks for your comments, Rebecca. I have had a few books spoilt by knowing too much. On the one hand I want to know what they are about to decide whether I want to read them, on the other hand I don’t want to know ANYTHING so I can make up my own mind. I’ve started the second book today and am more than a third of the way through it so far. The third book is on offer at UK Amazon for only £1.79 today so snapped that up
I am glad that you are finding the challenge is expanding your horizons Pete. Thanks for sharing your review for The Eclectic Reader Challenge
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out
Sorry for the delay in responding. I didn’t realise I hadn’t. I would never had read these books if not for the challenge. So thank you
I haven’t read the book or seen the movie. I’m sure I’ll do both eventually.
They are probably one of those things you cannot avoid forever
Enjoyed your perspective. I have the book, but hadn’t been interested in reading it until now. Thanks. There are some really excellent YA novels out there. Tiger Rising was an unexpected “weighty” one.
Thanks, Pam. I hope you enjoy the book. It’s certainly a genre I won’t simply dismiss in the future.
Nice reading about you.
Thanks. for visiting my blog Ajaytao2010@wordpress.com. Browse through the category sections, I feel you may definitely find something of your interest.