Friday, March 30, 2012

Book Club Friday: The Hunger Games (eek!)

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably at least heard about the cultural phenomenon The Hunger Games, first a best-selling trilogy and now a box office hit. I first read the trilogy back in the fall, and I recently reread all three books in anticipation of the midnight showing last week. It only seems appropriate to dedicate this week's Book Club Friday to the first (and best) of the three.


Confession: When it comes to books, I can be a bit of a snob. The more popular a novel, series, or author is with a mainstream audience, the more I resist reading. After years of my favorite librarians telling me to try Harry Potter, I finally acquiesced one Christmas Eve while visiting my mom's family. I was 12 1/2 years old, and my aunt & uncle had just given my family the first three Harry Potter novels. Having already finished the 25 books I'd brought with me for our two-week vacation, I reluctantly started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. My life has never been the same. I only read Twilight because I had to work the midnight release party for Breaking Dawn--and because bookstore employees could "check out" books from the bookstore like a library.

This fall, I gave in to all my friends who were encouraging me to try Suzanne Collins's trilogy.

I will be eternally grateful for all their harassment.

 

I love dystopian literature, and Suzanne Collins does not disappoint. In a near-distant future, 13 districts rebel against their Capitol. The 13th district is completely destroyed, and the remaining 12 are reminded annually of their disobedience by participating in the Hunger Games, a battle to the death between 24 children, one boy and one girl from each district.

The book revolves around Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12 who hunts illegally to feed her family. When her younger sister's name is randomly drawn at the reaping, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the Games. 

I love everything about this book. I love the way flashbacks are woven throughout the story, fleshing out Katniss's character, but also giving the reader pertinent information about other characters, the rebellion, and the background of this society. I love that Katniss is pretty, but in comparison to everything else about her, her looks don't matter. I love the descriptions of the harshness of District 12 and the decadence of the Capitol. I love that the characters are presented in shades of gray. 

This book is a page-turner. When I first read it, I stayed up til 2am finishing it. Even rereading it for the movie, I basically didn't do anything else that week. I just reread the trilogy. 

Stay tuned for the boyfriend's thoughts. :) Why, yes, I convinced him to start reading it last weekend.

13 comments:

  1. really...they are THAT good? i too have never been good with hyped up lit.

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    1. They are that good. Are their flaws? Of course. But if you enjoy books that keep you in suspense almost the entire time, then you'll like The Hunger Games. Even though I LOVE dystopian literature, all the book reviews & plot summaries failed to pique my interest. Children fighting to the death? How gruesome and so not my thing. Only my friends' insistence (friends who love books with an equal fervor to my own) convinced me to try them.

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    2. I can't edit my reply... I originally wrote "The books have their flaws," and then I changed it, but I used the wrong "there"!!! So embarrassing.

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  2. Reading Catching Fire right now and LOVING this series!

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  3. I was the same way when I first heard about these as well. Plus what I knew about the story, it just didn't seem like something I'd enjoy. But like everyone else I was wrong and completely became obsessed.

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    1. Exactly. Despite my love for dystopian novels, the plot summary did not grip me at all. But now...? Totally in love. :)

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  4. My husband is currently reading the Hunger Games and telling me how good it is...we'll see how much longer I hold out!

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  5. thank you so much for commenting on my blog! It is an honor to be followed!! You have some great points here and I agree whole heartedly. PS- did you participate in TAPIF once upon a time? I'm planning on applying for the 2013-2014 program and would love advice & feedback.
    MErci!

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    1. We francophiles need to stick together, right? ;) I did TAPIF last year. :) Shoot me an email at virginconfessions20s@gmail.com. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

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  6. It's really funny that you mention being a book snob - I'm a whole different kind. The one who eats up books before they are popular and then gets irritated when they get big LOL. I like my favorites to stay "hidden" and "low key" - I guess I can share them :P

    I'm STILL trying to get my hubs to read the books though. He saw the movie with me and really liked it. Dystopia seems like it would be his genre, if any, for fiction.

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    1. I'm not sure if I've ever discovered a gem that later became popular... I mean, I definitely have a history of reading books no one else my age was reading. I devoured Heidi, The Secret Garden, and other classics while everyone else was reading Goosebumps and The Boxcar Children. (Confession: I eventually read those too).

      A few times I would read newly published books that were later nominated for my state's young adult book award. I always felt a little smug that I recognized literary gems on my own.

      Get your hubby on board! When my boyfriend was reading the books, he went to bed later than I did almost every night--this never happens.

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