'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins
"If there really are only seven original plots in the world, it's odd that boy meets girl is always mentioned, and society goes bad and attacks the good guy never is. Yet we have Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, The House of the Scorpion—and now, following a long tradition of Brave New Worlds, The Hunger Games. Collins hasn't tied her future to a specific date, or weighted it down with too much finger wagging. Rather less 1984 and rather more Death Race 2000, hers is a gripping story set in a postapocalyptic world where a replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its territories: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death.Katniss, from what was once Appalachia, offers to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, but after this ultimate sacrifice, she is entirely focused on survival at any cost. It is her teammate, Peeta, who recognizes the importance of holding on to one's humanity in such inhuman circumstances. It's a credit to Collins's skill at characterization that Katniss, like a new Theseus, is cold, calculating and still likable. She has the attributes to be a winner, where Peeta has the grace to be a good loser.It's no accident that these games are presented as pop culture. Every generation projects its fear: runaway science, communism, overpopulation, nuclear wars and, now, reality TV. The State of Panem—which needs to keep its tributaries subdued and its citizens complacent—may have created the Games, but mindless television is the real danger, the means by which society pacifies its citizens and punishes those who fail to conform. Will its connection to reality TV, ubiquitous today, date the book? It might, but for now, it makes this the right book at the right time. What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be made more telegenic before she competes, she stands naked in front of them, strangely unembarrassed. They're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet, she thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are sending her to her death, she imagines them as pets. It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch. Katniss struggles to win not only the Games but the inherent contest for audience approval. Because this is the first book in a series, not everything is resolved, and what is left unanswered is the central question. Has she sacrificed too much? We know what she has given up to survive, but not whether the price was too high. Readers will wait eagerly to learn more." ~ Megan Whalen Turner
I must say that I was a little disappointed in the book. I think there is just too much hype around it at the moment to appreciate its merits. The whole book is done in first-person narrative, much like the Twilight novels, through the eyes of Katniss, but it feels a little contrived. I personally think that if the book were to have been written in third person then it could have been much better. The story could also have been much more well-rounded and beefier.
Probably the best part of the novel is its concept. It's something that's very interesting that hasn't been overdone yet. And what's even more interesting about it is that this situation could actually happen. War, famine, and the overexercise of power could all very well bring about a situation like this in the distant future. While the Hunger Games are barbaric, it is an interesting concept that keeps you coming back to reading the novel. While the book is no Harry Potter, it definitely is a fun read if you have a few hours to spare. It'll be interesting to see what the second book in the series has to offer because The Hunger Games very well could have been a stand alone novel.
Below I've included the trailer for the movie which is to be released in March of next year:
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