The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a dystopian young adult novel about poverty, politics, and children being forced to fight to the death for entertainment.
The Hunger Games is a reread for me. The first time I read it, I rated it 3 stars and didn’t fully appreciate what Collins was creating in terms of world-building or what the book was saying politically. At the time, I mostly saw it as a rip-off of Battle Royale, where high school-aged kids are forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of the government.
That was 15 years ago.
I’m older now, and my reading and analysis have evolved quite a bit. This time around, I was blown away by how much Collins packed into this story.
The world building was one of my favorite parts. I loved learning the history of Panem, how District 12 represents Appalachia, the history of the land, the disappearance of District 13, and the history of the Hunger Games themselves. There is a lot more going on underneath the surface than I remembered.
I actually fell in love with some of the side characters more than the main characters. Cinna and Rue were my absolute favorites. Katniss is a great character, but she is so guarded that it was difficult for me to really connect with her emotionally. Peeta is much more open, but I still found myself questioning whether I could trust him.
The plotting of the Hunger Games itself was fantastic. I loved the setup and the payoffs. The importance of the berries is established so well. Finding the water becomes crucial. Even the reward for helping Rue has a purpose later. Collins is great at bringing things full circle, and I really appreciated that.
The pacing is also pretty good. The middle has a strong rising action before slowing down and gradually ramping back up toward the ending.
I especially enjoyed the ending. I liked how the games concluded, but I enjoyed the tension afterward even more. The conflict between the characters and the government is a great reminder that the Hunger Games may be over, but the threat of the Capitol is still very real. There are consequences for everything they have done.
I originally read the book before seeing the movie. On this reread, I was surprised by how much the movie changed or minimized.
The Avox are present in the book but aren’t nearly as important in the movie. I thought they were a great reminder of what the government does to rebels. In the book, the mockingjays can replicate voices and sounds, while the movie mostly focuses on sounds. President Snow and Caesar Flickerman also have much smaller roles in the book than they do in the movie. And I remembered the mutations at the end, but I had completely forgotten exactly what had been mutated together.
The Hunger Games was first published on September 14, 2008, by Scholastic Press.
Why did I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins?
This was my Wifely Pick of the month.
The Hunger Games is one of my wife’s favorite series. She was shocked when I told her I had only read the first book, rated it 3 stars, and never continued with the rest of the series.
I have seen every movie except The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. My wife wants to do a big rewatch of the movies before Sunrise on the Reaping comes out, and I’m sure she would love for me to read all the books before then.
I have a lot of ARCs to get through, so I doubt I’ll get through the entire series before the movie, but I did read this book in two days, and both of those were work days. So maybe I can at least get through the original trilogy.
Plot Summary:
Katniss Everdeen grew up poor in District 12. The only way she can survive is by secretly hunting in the woods outside the fence line.
Every year, a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen from each of the twelve districts to compete in the Hunger Games, where they must fight each other to the death for entertainment. The winner brings additional food and resources back to their district.
The government offers food vouchers to families for every entry into the lottery. The more times you enter, the better your family’s chances of getting additional food, but it also increases your chances of being selected.
Katniss was raised by her single mother alongside her younger sister, Prim. When Prim is selected for this year’s Hunger Games, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her place.
Peeta, the baker’s son, is chosen as the male tribute from District 12. Katniss has only interacted with Peeta once before, but that interaction left a lasting impression on her.
Now the two must train together if they hope to survive.
What I Liked:
The writing was great. I felt like Collins took ideas from the military draft and Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lotterywhen creating the system that determines who participates in the Hunger Games.
The creation of the Games and the rules surrounding them are incredibly well thought out. The Capitol has turned something horrific into entertainment, and Collins does a great job showing how normalized that violence has become.
I loved the history of the original thirteen districts and learning that this dystopian society exists in what was once America after the flooding of the coast. The world building feels bigger than what we actually see in this first book, which made me excited to explore more of Panem.
The scene between Katniss and Rue was my absolute favorite in the book. I loved the companionship that develops between them. Their relationship also shows one of the most important ideas in the book the Capitol may be able to control the Games, but it can’t completely control the people forced to participate.
What I Disliked:
I know this is a young adult book, but the love triangle being set up toward the end made me roll my eyes a little. I’m not a fan of love triangles in general. That said, this one is handled better than many I’ve read because Katniss is genuinely figuring out her feelings and emotions for the first time.
I also felt like the Katniss discovery of the water scene went on a little too long. That was really the only section where I felt the pacing slowed down more than I wanted.
Recommendation:
The Hunger Games was a fantastic reread for me.
Books don’t change, but people do.
Fifteen years ago, I read this book and mostly saw it as a Battle Royale comparison. This time, I was able to appreciate the world building, the political commentary, the character work, and the way Collins sets up and pays off details throughout the story.
I’m really glad I gave this book another chance, and I’m looking forward to reading more of the series.
If you haven’t read The Hunger Games, I recommend checking it out. And if you read it years ago and didn’t love it, consider giving it another try. You might be surprised by what you see in it the second time around.
Rating:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4.5 out of 5
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